Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: an access network device acquiring first information, the first information being used for indicating support for the access network device to acquire location information of a terminal device; and acquiring wireless information on the basis of the first information and a radio map. An access network device acquires first information, that is, acquires permission for the access network device to acquire location information of a terminal device, so that the access network device can acquire high-precision location information of the terminal device on the basis of the first information, and predict wireless information on the basis of the location information of the terminal device and a radio map, thereby ensuring the accuracy of acquiring wireless information and improving the efficiency of acquiring wireless information.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510072822.9, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 16, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Radio maps (RF maps) can predict radio frequency (RF) information (such as path loss, channel multipath, optimal beamforming, and interference power) based on the location information of user equipment (UE). Specifically, a mapping relationship between UE location information and radio information can be constructed for a specific environment. Therefore, RF information can be predicted based on UE location information, enabling more efficient channel information acquisition and radio resource management. However, the acquisition of high-precision UE location information by radio access network (RAN) equipment is limited. Therefore, how to support RAN equipment in efficiently predicting radio information based on radio maps is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can ensure the accuracy of obtaining wireless information and improve the efficiency of obtaining wireless information.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as an access network device or a communication module within the access network device, or a circuit or chip in the access network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a logic module, software, or virtual device in the access network device capable of implementing all or part of the communication functions. Taking the application of this method to an access network device as an example, the method includes:

[0006] Obtain first information, which is used to indicate support for the access network device to obtain the location information of the terminal device; obtain wireless information based on the first information and the radio map.

[0007] Wireless information refers to information related to wireless communication, such as multipath components, precoding matrix indicators, channel time / frequency / spatial correlation matrices, beam identifiers, timing advance, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR), and path loss. Wireless information can be used for channel information acquisition, user scheduling, and wireless resource management.

[0008] By acquiring first information, namely permission to acquire the location information of the terminal device, the access network device can obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and predict wireless information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, thereby improving the efficiency of wireless information acquisition.

[0009] In one possible design, the access network device sends a first request based on the first information, the first request being used to request the first information; and receives a first response, the first response including the first information. By requesting the first information, the access network device can obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and predict wireless information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, thereby improving the efficiency of obtaining the wireless information corresponding to the terminal device.

[0010] For example, the access network device sends a first request to the terminal device, the first request being used to request first information; and receives a first response from the terminal device, the first response including the first information. Alternatively, the access network device sends a first request to the core network device, the first request being used to request first information; and receives a first response from the core network device, the first response including the first information.

[0011] In one possible design, the first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for the radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information.

[0012] In one possible design, the access network device receives a second request from the terminal device. This second request requests the acquisition of the radio information based on the location information and the radio map. The second request also instructs the access network device to acquire the terminal device's location information. By implicitly instructing the access network device to acquire the first information through the second request, the terminal device reduces the process required for the access network device to acquire the first information, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0013] In one possible design, the access network device receives the first information. For example, the access network device may receive the first information from a terminal device or a core network device. The terminal device and / or the core network device, by adding the first information to the capabilities of the terminal device and directly instructing the access network device to support the access network device in acquiring the location information of the terminal device, enables the access network device to acquire high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and to predict radio information based on the location information of the terminal device and a radio map, thereby improving the efficiency of radio information acquisition.

[0014] In one possible design, the access network device obtains the location information based on the first information; and obtains the radio information based on the location information and the radio map. By using the radio map for prediction to obtain radio information, the access network device improves the efficiency of radio information acquisition.

[0015] In one possible design, the access network device sends a third request based on the first information, the third request being used to request the location information; and receives the location information. By requesting high-precision location information based on the first information, and predicting radio information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, the access network device improves the efficiency of radio information acquisition.

[0016] For example, the access network device sends a third request to the terminal device, the third request being used to request location information; and receives location information from the terminal device. Alternatively, the access network device sends a third request to the core network device, the third request being used to request location information; and receives location information from the core network device.

[0017] In one possible design, the third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period for acquiring the location information.

[0018] In one possible design, the access network device determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, and acquires the radio information based on the location information and the radio map. When the access network device determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, it uses the radio map to predict and acquire the radio information, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the acquired radio information.

[0019] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map. Different application types of the radio map correspond to different requirements, that is, different application types of the radio map correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information. This adapts to the needs of acquiring different wireless information.

[0020] In one possible design, the access network device sends the radio information to the terminal device. This enables the terminal device to perform tasks such as channel information acquisition, user scheduling, or radio resource management based on the radio information.

[0021] In one possible design, the access network device sends a fourth request to the terminal device, the fourth request being used to query whether the prediction of the radio map is supported; and receives second information from the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate support for the prediction of the radio map. By querying whether the prediction of the radio map is supported, the access network device avoids wasting information resources due to the inability to support the prediction of the radio map in the future.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal device or a communication module in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for communication functions, or a logic module, software, or virtual device in a terminal device capable of implementing all or part of the communication functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the method includes:

[0023] The terminal device sends first information to the access network device, the first information being used to instruct the access network device to obtain the location information of the terminal device.

[0024] By sending first information to the access network device, the terminal device enables the access network device to obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and predict wireless information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, thereby improving the efficiency of wireless information acquisition.

[0025] In one possible design, the terminal device receives a first request from the access network device, the first request being for requesting the first information; in response to the first request, the terminal device sends a first response to the access network device, the first response including the first information.

[0026] In one possible design, the first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for a radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information.

[0027] In one possible design, the first information is further used to request a radio map prediction based on the location information. By requesting a radio map prediction from the access network device, the terminal device implicitly instructs the access network device to obtain the terminal device's location information, reducing the process for the access network device to obtain the first information and thus lowering signaling overhead.

[0028] In one possible design, the terminal device receives a third request from the access network device, the third request being for requesting the location information; and sends the location information to the access network device, the location information being for instructing the acquisition of wireless information based on a radio map.

[0029] In one possible design, the third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period for acquiring the location information.

[0030] In one possible design, the terminal device determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, and then sends the location information to the access network device. When the terminal device determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, sending the location information to the access network device allows the access network device to predict the radio map based on the high-precision location information, thereby ensuring the accuracy of wireless information acquisition.

[0031] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map. Different application types of the radio map correspond to different requirements, that is, different application types of the radio map correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information. This adapts to the needs of acquiring different wireless information.

[0032] In one possible design, the terminal device receives the radio information from the access network device to perform tasks such as channel information acquisition, user scheduling, or radio resource management based on the radio information.

[0033] In one possible design, the terminal device receives a fourth request from the access network device, the fourth request being used to query whether radio map prediction is supported; and sends second information to the access network device, the second information being used to indicate support for radio map prediction. This allows the access network device to query whether radio map prediction is supported, thus avoiding subsequent waste of information resources due to the inability to support radio map prediction.

[0034] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal device or a communication module in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for communication functions, or a logic module, software, or virtual device in a terminal device capable of implementing all or part of the communication functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the method includes:

[0035] The terminal device determines whether the accuracy and / or latency of its location information meet the requirements of the radio map; if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, the terminal device acquires radio information based on the radio map.

[0036] When the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, the terminal device can predict and obtain radio information by means of the radio map deployed on the terminal device, thereby ensuring the accuracy of radio information acquisition and improving the efficiency of radio information acquisition.

[0037] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map. Different application types of the radio map correspond to different requirements, that is, different application types of the radio map correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information. This adapts to the needs of acquiring different wireless information.

[0038] In one possible design, the terminal device sends the radio information to the access network device. This enables the access network device to perform tasks such as channel information acquisition, user scheduling, or radio resource management based on the radio information.

[0039] In one possible design, the terminal device receives a first request from the access network device, the first request being used to request the wireless information.

[0040] In one possible design, the terminal device acquires the location information; based on the location information and a radio map, it acquires wireless information. Predicting wireless information using location information and a radio map ensures the accuracy of wireless information acquisition.

[0041] In one possible design, the terminal device sends a third request for location information and receives the location information. For example, the terminal device may request location information from an LMF entity.

[0042] In one possible design, the terminal device receives a second request from the access network device, the second request being used to query whether the prediction of the radio map is supported; and sends first information to the access network device, the first information being used to indicate support for the prediction of the radio map. This allows the access network device to avoid wasting information resources due to the inability to support the prediction of the radio map by querying whether the prediction of the radio map is supported.

[0043] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as core network equipment (e.g., an LMF entity) or a communication module within the core network equipment, or a circuit or chip within the core network equipment responsible for communication functions, or a logic module, software, or virtual device within the core network equipment capable of implementing all or part of the communication functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal device as an example, the method includes:

[0044] The core network device determines whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device meets the requirements of the radio map; if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map, the core network device sends the location information, which is used to obtain wireless information based on the radio map.

[0045] When the core network equipment determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, it sends the location information to the terminal equipment. This enables the terminal equipment to predict and obtain radio information through the radio map deployed on the terminal equipment, thereby ensuring the accuracy of radio information acquisition and improving the efficiency of acquiring radio information.

[0046] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map. Different application types of the radio map correspond to different requirements, that is, different application types of the radio map correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information. This adapts to the needs of acquiring different wireless information.

[0047] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that performs the functions described in the first or fourth aspects above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first or fourth aspects. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device may be, for example, a network device (e.g., an access network device or a core network device) or a communication module within a network device, or a circuit or chip within a network device responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip). The device includes:

[0048] In one embodiment:

[0049] The receiving module is configured to acquire first information, wherein the first information is configured to indicate that the access network device is supported in acquiring the location information of the terminal device;

[0050] The processing module is used to acquire wireless information based on the first information and the radio map.

[0051] In one possible design, a sending module is used to send a first request, the first request being used to request the first information; and a receiving module is used to receive a first response, the first response including the first information.

[0052] In one possible design, the first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for the radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information.

[0053] In one possible design, the receiving module is further configured to receive a second request from the terminal device, the second request being for requesting the acquisition of the wireless information based on the location information and the radio map, and the second request being for instructing the access network device to acquire the location information of the terminal device.

[0054] In one possible design, the receiving module is also used to receive the first information.

[0055] In one possible design, the receiving module is further configured to acquire the location information based on the first information; and the processing module is configured to acquire the wireless information based on the location information and the radio map.

[0056] In one possible design, a sending module is configured to send a third request based on the first information, the third request being used to request the location information; and a receiving module is configured to receive the location information.

[0057] In one possible design, the third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period for acquiring the location information.

[0058] In one possible design, a processing module is configured to determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, and to acquire the radio information based on the location information and the radio map.

[0059] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the type of application of the radio map.

[0060] In one possible design, a transmitting module is used to transmit the wireless information to the terminal device.

[0061] In one possible design, a sending module is configured to send a fourth request to the terminal device, the fourth request being used to request a query on whether the prediction of the radio map is supported; and a receiving module is configured to receive second information from the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate support for the prediction of the radio map.

[0062] In another embodiment:

[0063] The processing module is used to determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device meets the requirements of the radio map; the sending module is used to send the location information if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map, and the location information is used to obtain wireless information based on the radio map.

[0064] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the type of application of the radio map.

[0065] The operation and beneficial effects of the communication device can be found in the methods and beneficial effects described in the first or fourth aspects above, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that performs the functions described in the second or third aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the second or third aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The communication device may be, for example, a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal device, or a circuit or chip within a terminal device responsible for communication functions. The device includes:

[0067] In one embodiment:

[0068] The sending module is used to send first information to the access network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the access network device is supported in obtaining the location information of the terminal device.

[0069] In one possible design, a receiving module is configured to receive a first request from the access network device, the first request being for requesting the first information; and a sending module is configured to respond to the first request by sending a first response to the access network device, the first response including the first information.

[0070] In one possible design, the first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for a radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information.

[0071] In one possible design, the first information is also used to request a prediction of a radio map based on the location information.

[0072] In one possible design, a receiving module is configured to receive a third request from the access network device, the third request being for requesting the location information; and a sending module is configured to send the location information, the location information being for instructing the acquisition of wireless information based on a radio map.

[0073] In one possible design, the third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period for acquiring the location information.

[0074] In one possible design, a transmitting module is used to determine whether the accuracy and / or delay of the location information meets the requirements of a radio map, and then transmit the location information to the access network device.

[0075] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the type of application of the radio map.

[0076] In one possible design, a receiving module is used to receive the wireless information from the access network device.

[0077] In one possible design, a receiving module is configured to receive a fourth request from the access network device, the fourth request being for requesting a query on whether radio map prediction is supported; and a sending module is configured to send second information to the access network device, the second information being for indicating support for the radio map prediction.

[0078] In another embodiment:

[0079] The processing module is used to determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device meets the requirements of the radio map; if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map, then wireless information is obtained based on the radio map.

[0080] In one possible design, the requirements of the radio map correspond to the type of application of the radio map.

[0081] In one possible design, a transmitting module is used to transmit the wireless information.

[0082] In one possible design, a receiving module is configured to receive a first request from an access network device, the first request being for requesting the wireless information.

[0083] In one possible design, a processing module is used to acquire the location information; and to acquire wireless information based on the location information and a radio map.

[0084] In one possible design, a sending module is used to send a third request for location information, and a receiving module is used to receive the location information.

[0085] In one possible design, a receiving module is configured to receive a second request from an access network device, the second request being for querying whether the prediction of the radio map is supported; and a sending module is configured to send first information to the access network device, the first information being for indicating support for the prediction of the radio map.

[0086] The operation and beneficial effects of the communication device can be found in the methods and beneficial effects described in the second or third aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0087] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, it further includes a memory for storing part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the first or fourth aspects described above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer programs or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first or fourth aspects described above.

[0088] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0089] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0090] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device (such as an access network device or a core network device), or a communication module in a network device, or a chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip containing a modem module.

[0091] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, it also includes a memory for storing part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the second or third aspect described above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer programs or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second or third aspect described above.

[0092] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0093] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0094] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal device, a communication module in a terminal device, or a chip in a terminal device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip that contains a modem module.

[0095] Ninthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when executed, causes the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects to be implemented.

[0096] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including a computer program that, when executed, causes the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects to be implemented.

[0097] In one aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes an access network device and a terminal device. The access network device is used to perform the steps in the first aspect described above, and the terminal device is used to perform the steps in the second aspect described above.

[0098] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including a terminal device and a core network device. The terminal device is used to perform the steps in the third aspect described above, and the core network device is used to perform the steps in the fourth aspect described above.

[0099] In a thirteenth aspect, a chip or chip system is provided, the chip or chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface for communicating with external or internal devices, the processor for implementing the methods of the above aspects.

[0100] In one possible design, the chip may further include a memory storing computer programs or instructions, which the processor executes, either from the stored computer programs or instructions or derived from other programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor implements the methods described in the preceding aspects.

[0101] In one possible design, the chip can be integrated into terminal equipment, access network equipment, or core network equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0102] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of radio information prediction based on UE location information;

[0103] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0104] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the UE location information acquisition process;

[0105] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an MDT data acquisition process;

[0106] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0107] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0108] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0109] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0110] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0111] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0112] The following explains the key terms used in this application:

[0113] Radio map (RFMap): This associates location information with radio information in the wireless environment. For example, within a specific cell or geographical area, location information is associated with specific path loss, channel statistical parameters (such as the number of multipath paths, delay spread, channel correlation matrix, etc.), interference level or power, and optimal beam direction. When a UE is in a specific location, its relevant radio information can be predicted based on its location information for subsequent channel information acquisition, user scheduling, beam management, etc.

[0114] For example, as shown in Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of radio information prediction based on UE location information, RFMap can map UE location information to RF information through various methods such as artificial intelligence (AI) models and databases. As shown in the specific environment model in the left figure of Figure 1: the input is UE location information, and the output is RF information (path loss or beam index). And as shown in the general environment model in the right figure of Figure 1: the input is UE location information and environment information, and the output is RF information (channel state information (CSI) auxiliary information).

[0115] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system mainly includes terminal equipment and network equipment, and the network equipment may include access network equipment. Optionally, the network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity or a location management function (LMF) entity. Wherein:

[0116] Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), refers to devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. Examples include handheld devices and in-vehicle devices with wireless connectivity. Currently, some examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, self-driving, remote medical surgery, smart grids, transportation safety, smart cities, and smart homes.

[0117] Access network equipment refers to radio access network (RAN) nodes (or devices) that connect terminals to a wireless network; they can also be called base stations. Examples of RAN nodes include: evolved Node B (gNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), etc.

[0118] Access network equipment and terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the access network equipment and terminal equipment.

[0119] Core network equipment refers to the equipment in the core network (CN) that provides service support to terminals. Examples of core network equipment include: AMF entity, LMF entity, Session Management Function (SMF) entity, User Plane Function (UPF) entity, etc., which will not be listed here. The AMF entity is responsible for terminal access management and mobility management; the SMF entity is responsible for session management, such as user session establishment; and the UPF entity can be a user plane functional entity, mainly responsible for connecting to external networks. It should be noted that in this application, entities can also be called network elements or functional entities. For example, an AMF entity can also be called an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity, and an SMF entity can also be called an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, etc. The LMF entity can provide location positioning services to the UE.

[0120] The technical solutions in this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, 4th generation (4G) mobile communication system, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, such as New Radio (NR) system, and future evolution communication systems.

[0121] 5G supports UE location services, which means obtaining the location information of a specific UE and sending it to the location service client. Figure 3 illustrates a UE location information acquisition process. Currently, the clients supported by the standard for UE location services include the UE (requesting its own location information), 5G core network (5GC) location services (LCS) entities (such as the gateway mobile location center (GMLC) providing location services to third parties through the network exposure function (NEF)), AMF (emergency call services), and core network equipment (such as the network data analytics function (NWDAF)). RAN equipment cannot act as a location service client.

[0122] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart of the minimized drive test (MDT) data collection process. During 5G MDT data collection, the Operations Administration and Maintenance (OAM) or core network sends an MDT activation configuration to the RAN device, which then sends the measurement configuration to the UE. The UE performs radio information measurements and reports an MDT report (containing location information) to the RAN device; the RAN device then sends the measurement report to the MDT data collection node. MDT is triggered by OAM or CN, and the MDT report sent by the UE to the RAN device includes the UE's global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location information. However, the RAN device can only obtain high-precision location information from the UE under specific conditions, namely when OAM or CN triggers MDT data collection. This limitation on location information acquisition restricts radio information prediction based on the UE's location information.

[0123] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the embodiments of this application provide the following solutions.

[0124] As shown in Figure 5, Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The first network element is responsible for connecting the terminal device to the wireless network, the second network element is responsible for the access management and mobility management of the terminal device, and the third network element is responsible for providing location positioning services. For example, the first network element can be an access network device, the second network element can be an AMF entity, and the third network element can be an LMF entity. The method mainly includes the following steps:

[0125] S501, the first network element obtains the first information.

[0126] The first information can represent the capability of the first network element to acquire the location information of the terminal device. The first information can be used to indicate support for the first network element to acquire the location information of the terminal device, or to indicate permission for the first network element to acquire the location information of the terminal device, or to indicate support for the first network element to acquire radio information based on the location information of the terminal device and a radio map. Alternatively, the first information can be used to indicate whether to support the first network element in acquiring the location information of the terminal device to predict the radio map. Or, the first information can be used to indicate permission for the first network element to acquire the location information of the terminal device related to the radio map.

[0127] Specifically, the first network element can obtain the first information in the following ways:

[0128] In the first implementation, the first network element can send a first request to the terminal device, the first request being used to request the first information; the first network element receives a first response from the terminal device, the first response including the first information.

[0129] It should be noted that the first network element's ability to obtain the location information of the terminal device does not rely on radio access technology (RAT). In other words, the first network element obtains the location information of the terminal device not by locating the terminal device through wireless information (also known as wireless signals).

[0130] The first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for a radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information. The location information being used for the radio map can indicate that the purpose of acquiring the location information of the terminal device is for radio map prediction. The application type of the radio map can indicate the type of information predicted by the radio map, which may include multipath component (MPC), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), channel time / frequency / spatial correlation matrix, beam ID, angle of arrival (AoA) / angle of departure (AoD), timing advance (TA), rank indicator (RI), signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR), path loss, interference power, channel quality indication (CQI), or modulation and coding scheme (MCS), etc. Different application types of the radio map correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for the location information. For example, if the application type of the radio map is MPC, the required accuracy of the location information is 1m, and the required latency is 10-100ms; if the application type of the radio map is a channel time / frequency / spatial correlation matrix, the required accuracy of the location information is 5m, and the required latency is 100ms. The period corresponding to the location information can represent the periodic reporting of the terminal device's location information to the first network element.

[0131] The first response may include at least one of the following: allowing the first network element to obtain the location information of the terminal device for radio map indication information, whether it supports obtaining location information without relying on the RAT, or the availability area, etc. After receiving the first response, the first network element can determine, based on the indication information allowing the first network element to obtain the location information of the terminal device for radio map indication information, whether it supports the first network element obtaining the location information of the terminal device to predict radio information through the radio map. Based on whether it supports obtaining location information without relying on the RAT, it is determined whether the terminal device's acquisition of location information depends on the RAT. If it does not depend on the RAT, the first network element can obtain the location information from the terminal device; if it depends on the RAT, the first network element can obtain the location information from other network elements (e.g., a third network element). The first network element can determine the area range corresponding to the location information based on the available area, and the first network element can obtain the location information within that area range.

[0132] Optionally, the first response can also be used to indicate whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information that the first network element can acquire meets the requirements of the radio map. If the accuracy and / or latency of the location information that the first network element can acquire meets the requirements of the radio map, the first network element activates the radio map and acquires radio information through the radio map. If the accuracy and / or latency of the location information that the first network element can acquire does not meet the requirements of the radio map, the first network element does not activate the radio map and acquires radio information through other means (e.g., signal estimation).

[0133] In the second implementation, the first network element can send a first request to the second network element or a location-related core network device (such as a GMLC), whereby the first request requests the first information. The first network element receives a first response from the second network element or the location-related core network device, whereby the first response includes the first information. The information contained in the first request and the first response are the same as those contained in the first request described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0134] Furthermore, after receiving the first request, the second network element or the location-related core network device can query the unified data management (UDM) network element to see if the terminal device allows the first network element to obtain the terminal device's location information. If the query based on the terminal device's identifier finds that the terminal device allows the first network element to obtain the terminal device's location information—for example, if the terminal device supports radio map subscription information or privacy control information for the terminal device's location information (the privacy control information can indicate the application scope of the terminal device's location information, such as the terminal device's location information being used for radio map prediction)—then the second network element or the location-related core network device obtains the first information from the third network element and sends the first information to the first network element.

[0135] In the third implementation, the first network element receives a second request from the terminal device. This second request requests the acquisition of radio information based on location information and a radio map. The second request also instructs the first network element to acquire the terminal device's location information. In other words, the terminal device implicitly instructs the first network element to obtain the first information by sending the second request.

[0136] In the fourth implementation, the terminal device and / or core network device can carry the first information in the terminal device's capabilities. For example, the location capability in the terminal device's capabilities indicates whether the terminal device can provide detailed location information for radio information prediction. The first network element can receive the first information from the terminal device and / or core network device. That is, the terminal device and / or core network device can directly indicate to the first network element whether it supports the first network element in obtaining the terminal device's location information.

[0137] S502, the first network element obtains the location information of the terminal device based on the first information.

[0138] The location information can represent one or more coordinate locations, or it can represent a location region. The location information may include at least one of the following: local coordinate location, global coordinate location, location region information, or the time the location information was acquired. Optionally, the location information can be at least one of the following: local coordinate location, global coordinate location, or location region information that meets the accuracy requirements.

[0139] Specifically, the first network element can activate the radio map based on the first information, configure the parameters corresponding to the location information (accuracy and / or latency requirements of the location information, real-time reporting or periodic reporting), and obtain the location information through the following methods:

[0140] In one implementation, the first network element can send a third request to the terminal device, the third request being used to request location information; after receiving the third request, the terminal device sends the location information to the first network element. Further, the terminal device sends the location information to the first network element via a radio resource control (RRC) message or uplink control information (UCI).

[0141] Furthermore, the terminal device can independently obtain and report location information, or obtain location information through a third network element. For example, after receiving a third request, the terminal device can request location information from a second network element, which then requests location information from the third network element. The third network element returns the location information to the second network element, which in turn returns it to the terminal device. The terminal device then reports the location information to the first network element. Alternatively, the second network element can directly send the location information to the first network element. The third request may include the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) identifier (RAN UE NGAP ID) between the first network element (such as an access network device) associated with the terminal device and the terminal device.

[0142] The third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the acquisition period of the location information. After receiving the third request, the terminal device can determine whether the accuracy of the location information meets the accuracy requirement, and / or whether the latency of the location information meets the latency requirement. If the accuracy and / or latency requirements are met, the terminal device sends the location information to the first network element; if the accuracy and / or latency requirements are not met, the terminal device does not send the location information to the first network element. Furthermore, the terminal device can report the location information to the first network element according to the corresponding period. Alternatively, the terminal device can report the location information to the first network element immediately after acquiring it.

[0143] In another implementation, the first network element can send a third request to the second network element, the third request being for location information. Upon receiving the third request, the second network element requests the location information from the third network element. The third network element obtains the location information of the terminal device and feeds it back to the first network element. Further, the third network element can feed the location information back to the first network element through a next-generation (NG) interface, or the third network element can return the location information to the second network element, which in turn returns the location information to the first network element. The third request may also include the identifier of the terminal device, such as the NGAP identifier (RAN UE NGAP ID) between the first network element (e.g., access network equipment) associated with the terminal device and the terminal device, or a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

[0144] Optionally, when the location information of the terminal device, or the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device, is updated (the available range changes), the terminal device may send update information to the first network element through UE assistance information (UAI), radio resource control (RRC) messages, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) or UCI. The third network element may also send update information to the first network element through the NG interface. This update information is used to update the location information.

[0145] S503, the first network element obtains wireless information based on location information and radio maps.

[0146] Specifically, the first network element can input location information into a radio map for prediction to determine radio information. This radio information may include at least one of the following: MPC, PMI, path loss, channel time-domain / frequency-domain / spatial-domain correlation matrix, beam identifier, AoA / AoD, TA, RI, SINR, interference power, CQI / MCS, etc.

[0147] It should be noted that, similar to obtaining the location information of the terminal device, other information about the terminal device can also be obtained using a similar process, such as sensor information of the terminal device (including speed / direction measured by the terminal device's gyroscope, etc.), altitude or height information of the terminal device, and environmental information collected by the terminal device's camera. This information can also be used to construct radio maps, for example, predicting channel parameter information based on the terminal device's speed, or predicting beam information based on the terminal device's height / environment. This application describes the prediction of wireless information based on the terminal device's location information using a radio map as an example, but it can be replaced with prediction of wireless information based on other information. All of these are within the scope of protection of the embodiments in this application.

[0148] In this embodiment of the application, the first network element obtains first information, that is, permission for the first network element to obtain the location information of the terminal device, so that the first network element can obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and predict wireless information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, thereby improving the accuracy of wireless information acquisition.

[0149] The following explanation uses the first network element as the access network device, the second network element as the AMF entity, and the third network element as the LMF entity.

[0150] As shown in Figure 6, Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method mainly includes the following steps:

[0151] S601, the access network device sends a first request to the terminal device, the first request being used to request first information.

[0152] S602, the access network device receives a first response from the terminal device, the first response including the first information.

[0153] S603, the access network device sends a first request to the AMF entity, the first request being used to request the first information.

[0154] S604, the AMF entity sends a first request to the LMF entity, the first request being used to request the first information.

[0155] S605, the LMF entity sends a first response to the AMF entity, the first response including the first information.

[0156] S606, the AMF entity sends a first response to the access network device, the first response including the first information.

[0157] S601-S602 represent the access network device requesting first information from the terminal device, and S603-S606 represent the access network device requesting first information from the core network device. S601-S602 and S603-S606 represent two methods for obtaining the first information. The methods described in S601-S602 and S603-S606 are parallel, and the access network device can obtain the first information through at least one of the above methods; this application is not limited to this method. For the specific implementation of S601-S602 and S603-S606, please refer to S501 in the previous embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0158] S607, the access network device may send a third request to the terminal device, the third request being used to request location information.

[0159] S608, the accuracy and / or delay of the terminal equipment in determining the location information meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0160] The requirements for the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map. Different application types of radio maps correspond to different requirements, that is, different application types of radio maps correspond to different accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information. Furthermore, for different accuracy requirements of location information, the location information can be represented using different numbers of bits. For example, high-precision location information can be represented using more bits, while low-precision location information can be represented using fewer bits.

[0161] As shown in Table 1, for radio map applications of MPC, the required accuracy for location information is <1m, the required latency is 10-100ms, and the location information is represented by 16 bits. For applications of PMI, the required accuracy is <1m, the required latency is <20ms, and the location information is represented by 16 bits. For applications of channel frequency domain correlation matrix, the required accuracy is <5m, the required latency is <100ms, and the location information is represented by 14 bits. Other applications are similar and will not be listed here.

[0162] Table 1

[0163] Specifically, the terminal device can first determine the application type of the radio map, that is, predict which type of radio information based on the location information and the radio map, then determine the requirements of the radio map corresponding to that type of radio information (accuracy requirements and / or latency requirements), and finally determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map. Alternatively, the terminal device can receive the accuracy and / or latency requirements of the location information, and then determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map. If the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, then S609 is executed; if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information do not meet the requirements of the radio map, then the terminal device can send first indication information to the access network device. The first indication information is used to indicate whether the location information is unavailable or the reason why the location information is unavailable. The reason why the location information is unavailable may include that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information does not meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0164] S609, the terminal device sends its location information to the access network device.

[0165] S610, the access network device may send a third request to the AMF entity, the third request being used to request location information.

[0166] S611, the AMF entity sends a third request to the LMF entity, the third request being used to request location information.

[0167] S612, the accuracy and / or delay of the LMF entity's location information must meet the requirements of a radio map.

[0168] The method for LMF entities to determine the accuracy and / or delay of location information to meet the requirements of radio maps is the same as that for terminal devices to determine the accuracy and / or delay of location information to meet the requirements of radio maps. For specific implementation details, please refer to S608, which will not be elaborated here.

[0169] S613, the LMF entity sends the location information of the terminal device to the AMF entity.

[0170] S614, the AMF entity sends the location information of the terminal equipment to the access network equipment.

[0171] S607-S609 describe the access network device requesting location information from the terminal device, and S610-S614 describe the access network device requesting location information from the core network device. S607-S609 and S610-S614 represent two methods for obtaining location information. The methods described in S607-S609 and S610-S614 are parallel; the access network device can obtain the terminal device's location information through at least one of these methods, and this application is not limited to this method. For the specific implementation of S607-S609 and S610-S614, please refer to S502 in the previous embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0172] S615, the accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the access network equipment meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0173] The accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the access network equipment to meet the requirements of the radio map are similar to those of the location information determined by the terminal equipment to meet the requirements of the radio map. For specific implementation methods, please refer to S608, which will not be elaborated here.

[0174] It should be noted that if the accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the terminal device in S608 or the LMF entity in S612 meets the requirements of the radio map, the access network device does not need to determine whether the accuracy and / or delay of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map. Of course, even if the accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the terminal device in S608 or the LMF entity in S612 meets the requirements of the radio map, the access network device can still further determine whether the accuracy and / or delay of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map. This ensures the accuracy of location information acquisition.

[0175] S616, access network devices obtain radio information based on location information and radio maps.

[0176] The specific implementation of S616 can be referred to the specific implementation of S503 in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] In this embodiment of the application, the access network device obtains first information, that is, permission for the access network device to obtain the location information of the terminal device, so that the access network device can obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device based on the first information, and predict wireless information based on the location information of the terminal device and the radio map, thereby improving the efficiency of wireless information acquisition.

[0178] In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the terminal device implicitly supports the access network device in obtaining the terminal device's location information by requesting the access network device to obtain wireless information based on location information and radio map. This enables the access network device to obtain high-precision location information of the terminal device and predict wireless information based on the terminal device's location information and radio map.

[0179] As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method mainly includes the following steps:

[0180] S701, the terminal device sends a second request to the access network device.

[0181] The second request is used to request the acquisition of wireless information based on location information and a radio map. The second request also serves to instruct the access network device to acquire the location information of the terminal device; this can be understood as the terminal device implicitly instructing the access network device to send the second request to the first information.

[0182] Optionally, the terminal device and / or core network device may add first information to the terminal device capabilities. For example, the terminal device capabilities may include an indication of whether the terminal device can provide detailed location information; this capability could be termed a location capability. Location information is used for radio information prediction. The access network device may receive the first information from the terminal device and / or core network device. That is, the terminal device and / or core network device may directly report whether they support the access network device obtaining the terminal device's location information.

[0183] S702, the access network device sends a fourth request to the terminal device.

[0184] The fourth request is used to query whether radio map prediction is supported. The fourth request may include accuracy and / or latency requirements for location information.

[0185] Furthermore, the fourth request is used to request whether the location information of the terminal device supports radio map prediction. After receiving the fourth request, the terminal device can determine whether the accuracy of the location information meets the accuracy requirement and / or whether the latency of the location information meets the latency requirement. If the accuracy of the location information meets the accuracy requirement and / or the latency of the location information meets the latency requirement, then S703 is executed; if the accuracy of the location information does not meet the accuracy requirement or the latency of the location information does not meet the latency requirement, then the terminal device does not need to execute S703. Optionally, if the accuracy of the location information does not meet the accuracy requirement or the latency of the location information does not meet the latency requirement, the terminal device can send second indication information to the access network device. The second indication information is used to indicate that radio map prediction is not supported, and the second indication information can also be used to indicate the reason why radio map prediction is not supported.

[0186] S703, the terminal device sends second information to the access network device, the second information being used to indicate support for radio map prediction.

[0187] S704, the access network device may send a third request to the terminal device, the third request being used to request location information.

[0188] S705, the accuracy and / or delay of the terminal equipment in determining the location information meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0189] S706, the terminal device sends its location information to the access network device.

[0190] S707, the access network device sends a third request to the AMF entity, the third request being used to request the location information of the terminal device.

[0191] The third request may include the identifier of the terminal device, such as the NGAP ID between the access network device associated with the terminal device and the terminal device (RAN UE NGAP ID), or the temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

[0192] S708, the AMF entity sends a third request to the LMF entity, the third request being used to request the location information of the terminal device.

[0193] Optionally, the AMF entity may forward third-party requests using a pass-through method.

[0194] S709, the accuracy and / or delay of the LMF entity location information must meet the requirements of radio maps.

[0195] S710, the LMF entity sends the location information of the terminal device to the AMF entity.

[0196] S711, the AMF entity sends the location information of the terminal equipment to the access network equipment.

[0197] Optionally, the LMF entity can send location information directly to the access network device without going through the AMF entity.

[0198] S704-S706 describes the access network device requesting location information from the terminal device, and S707-S711 describes the access network device requesting location information from the core network device. S704-S706 and S707-S711 represent two methods for obtaining location information. The methods described in S704-S706 and S707-S711 are parallel. The access network device can obtain the location information of the terminal device through at least one of the above methods, and this application is not limited to this. For the specific implementation of S704-S706 and S707-S711, please refer to S607-S609 and S610-S614 in the previous embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0199] It should be noted that S705 and S709 are optional steps, meaning that the terminal device or LMF entity does not need to determine whether the accuracy and / or delay of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map. After obtaining the location information of the terminal device, the terminal device or LMF entity directly returns the location information of the terminal device.

[0200] S712, the accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the access network equipment meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0201] S713, access network devices obtain radio information based on location information and radio maps.

[0202] Specifically, after the access network device obtains the first information, it activates the radio map based on the first information, and obtains the location information of the terminal device through S704-S706 or S707-S711. The location information is then input into the activated radio map for prediction to determine the radio information.

[0203] The specific implementation of S712-S713 is the same as that of S615-S616 in the previous embodiment. The specific implementation of S712-S713 can be referred to the specific implementation of S615-S616 in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0204] S714, the access network device sends wireless information to the terminal device.

[0205] Specifically, if the access network device enables radio mapping (e.g., the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of radio mapping), meaning it can obtain radio information based on the location information and radio mapping, then the access network device can send the radio information predicted by the radio mapping to the terminal device. If the access network device cannot enable radio mapping (e.g., the accuracy and / or latency of the location information do not meet the requirements of radio mapping), meaning it cannot obtain radio information based on the location information and radio mapping, then the access network device can send a third indication message to the terminal device. This third indication message indicates that the radio mapping is unavailable, and the access network device can obtain the radio information through a fallback mode (based on reference signal (RS) estimation).

[0206] Optionally, access network devices can obtain channel information based on radio information, and terminal devices can obtain channel information based on radio information.

[0207] Optionally, if the access network device enables radio mapping, it sends a first reference signal to the terminal device; if the access network device cannot enable radio mapping, it sends a second reference signal to the terminal device. Alternatively, if the access network device enables radio mapping, it can configure the terminal device to send the first reference signal. If the access network device cannot enable radio mapping, it can configure the terminal device to send the second reference signal. The sparsity of the first reference signal is greater than that of the second reference signal. The first reference signal can be a Type-1 RS, such as a sparse reference signal. The second reference signal can be a Type-2 RS, such as a conventional RS. By sending a sparser first reference signal, measurement overhead can be reduced.

[0208] In the above embodiments, the access network device obtains wireless information through a radio map. In the following embodiments, the terminal device obtains wireless information through a radio map. That is, the radio map is deployed on the terminal device, and prediction is performed through the radio map deployed on the terminal device.

[0209] As shown in Figure 8, Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method mainly includes the following steps:

[0210] S801, the access network device sends a second request to the terminal device.

[0211] The second request is used to query whether radio map prediction is supported. After receiving the second request, the terminal device determines whether it has the capability to predict radio information using a radio map. If it does, it executes step S802. If it does not, it does not need to execute any of the following steps. Optionally, if it does not, it sends a fourth indication message to the access network device, indicating that the terminal device does not support predicting radio information using a radio map.

[0212] S802, the terminal device sends first information to the access network device, the first information being used to indicate support for the prediction of the radio map.

[0213] S803, the access network device sends a first request to the terminal device, the first request being used to request wireless information.

[0214] Specifically, after receiving the first request, the terminal device activates the radio map, determines the predicted radio information based on the radio map, and triggers the execution of S804-S808 to request location information from the core network device (e.g., LMF entity).

[0215] S804, the terminal device sends a third request to the AMF entity, the third request being used to request location information.

[0216] S805, the AMF entity sends a third request to the LMF entity, the third request being used to request location information.

[0217] S806, the accuracy and / or delay of the LMF entity's location information must meet the requirements of radio maps.

[0218] S807, the LMF entity sends the location information of the terminal device to the AMF entity.

[0219] S808, the AMF entity sends the location information of the terminal device to the terminal device.

[0220] S804-S808 describes how the terminal device requests location information from the LMF entity, which is the same as the method used by the access network device to request location information from the LMF entity in the previous embodiments. The specific implementation of S804-S808 can be found in S610-S614 or S707-S711. It will not be described in detail here.

[0221] Optionally, the terminal device can also calculate and obtain the calculated location information itself, without needing to obtain the location information through S804-808.

[0222] S809, the accuracy and / or delay of the location information determined by the terminal equipment meet the requirements of the radio map.

[0223] Specifically, the terminal device can determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map. If the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, then S810 is executed. If the accuracy and / or latency of the location information do not meet the requirements of the radio map, then S810 does not need to be executed. Optionally, if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information do not meet the requirements of the radio map, the terminal device can send a fifth indication message to the access network device, the fifth indication message being used to indicate that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information does not support the prediction of the radio map.

[0224] The specific implementation of S809 is the same as that of S608 in the previous embodiment. The specific implementation of S809 can be referred to the specific implementation of S608 in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] S810: Terminal devices obtain wireless information based on location information and radio maps.

[0226] Specifically, the terminal device can input location information into a radio map for prediction and determination of radio information. This radio information may include multipath components, precoding matrix indicators, channel frequency domain correlation matrices, path loss, etc.

[0227] S811, the terminal device sends wireless information to the access network device.

[0228] Specifically, if the terminal device enables radio mapping (e.g., the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of radio mapping), meaning it can obtain radio information based on the location information and radio mapping, then the terminal device can send the radio information predicted by the radio mapping to the access network device. If the terminal device cannot enable radio mapping (e.g., the accuracy and / or latency of the location information do not meet the requirements of radio mapping), meaning it cannot obtain radio information based on the location information and radio mapping, then the terminal device can send a fifth indication message to the access network device. This fifth indication message indicates that the radio mapping is unavailable, and the terminal device can obtain radio information through a fallback mode (using reference signal estimation).

[0229] Optionally, when the location information of the terminal device, or the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device, is updated (the available range changes), the terminal device may send update information to the access network device via UAI, RRC message, MAC CE or UCI. The update information is used to indicate the re-predicted radio information through the radio map. The update information may also be used to indicate a change in the ability to predict radio information through the radio map.

[0230] In this embodiment of the application, when the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, the terminal device predicts and obtains radio information through the radio map deployed on the terminal device, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the obtained radio information.

[0231] It should be noted that in all the above embodiments, the terminal device and / or network device (e.g., access network device, AMF entity, or LMF entity) can execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application can also perform other operations or variations of various operations. Furthermore, the steps can be executed in different orders as presented in each embodiment, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, the sequence number of each step 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.

[0232] Different embodiments of this application can be used in combination or separately, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0233] It is understood that, in the above-described method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by the terminal device can also be implemented by components (e.g., chips or circuits) that can be used in the terminal device, and the methods and operations implemented by the network device (e.g., access network device or core network device) can also be implemented by components (e.g., chips or circuits) that can be used in the network device.

[0234] This application embodiment can divide terminal devices or network devices into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of functional modules according to each function as an example.

[0235] The methods provided by the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 5-8. The communication apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. It should be understood that the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the method embodiments; therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments above, and for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0236] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can implement the steps or processes executed by a network device (e.g., an access network device or a core network device) or a terminal device corresponding to the method embodiments described above. In one possible design, the communication device may include a receiving module 901, a processing module 902, and a transmitting module 903. Optionally, the communication device may further include a storage module for storing device program code and / or data.

[0237] The communication device can be a network-side device as described in the above embodiments, such as a network device or a communication module in a network device, or a circuit or chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions.

[0238] In one embodiment:

[0239] The receiving module 901 is used to acquire first information, which is used to indicate that the access network device is supported in acquiring the location information of the terminal device;

[0240] Processing module 902 is used to acquire wireless information based on the first information and the radio map.

[0241] In another embodiment:

[0242] The processing module 902 is used to determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device meets the requirements of the radio map; the sending module 903 is used to send the location information if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map, and the location information is used to obtain wireless information based on the radio map.

[0243] In one possible design, when the communication device is a network device or a communication module within a network device, the functions of the receiving module 901 and the transmitting module 903 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit. The function of the processing module 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core.

[0244] In one possible design, when the communication device is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a network device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the functions of the receiving module 901 and the transmitting module 903 can be implemented by the interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip. The function of the processing module 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores.

[0245] The communication device can be the terminal-side device in the above embodiments, such as a terminal device or a communication module in a terminal device, or a circuit or chip in a terminal device that is responsible for communication functions.

[0246] In one embodiment:

[0247] The sending module 903 is used to send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to indicate that the access network device is supported in obtaining the location information of the terminal device.

[0248] In another embodiment:

[0249] The processing module 902 is used to determine whether the accuracy and / or latency of the location information of the terminal device meets the requirements of the radio map; if the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meets the requirements of the radio map, then wireless information is obtained based on the radio map.

[0250] In one possible design, when the communication device is a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal device, the functions of the transmitting module 903 and the receiving module 901 can be implemented by a transceiver circuit. The function of the processing module 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core.

[0251] In one possible design, when the communication device is a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in a terminal device, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the functions of the transmitting module 903 and the receiving module 901 can be implemented by the interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip. The function of the processing module 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores.

[0252] It should be noted that the implementation of each module can also refer to the corresponding descriptions of the method embodiments shown in Figures 5-8, and execute the methods and functions performed by the network device or terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0253] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be applied to the system shown in Figure 2 to perform the functions of the terminal device or network device (e.g., access network device or core network device) in the above method embodiments, or to implement the steps or processes performed by the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments.

[0254] As shown in Figure 10, the communication device includes a processor 1001 and a transceiver 1002. The transceiver 1002 includes a transmitter 1021, a receiver 1022, and an antenna 1023. The receiver 1022 can receive transmission control information through the antenna 1023, and the transmitter 1021 can send transmission feedback information to the communication device through the antenna 1023. Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory 1003. The processor 1001, transceiver 1002, and memory 1003 can communicate with each other through internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 1003 stores computer programs, and the processor 1001 calls and runs the computer programs from the memory 1003 to control the transceiver 1002 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the communication device may also include an antenna for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 1002 via wireless signals.

[0255] The processor 1001 described above can correspond to the processing module in Figure 9. The processor 1001 and the memory 1003 can be integrated into a single processing device, with the processor 1001 executing the program code stored in the memory 1003 to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory 1003 can be integrated into the processor 1001 or be independent of the processor 1001.

[0256] The transceiver 1002 described above can correspond to the receiving module and transmitting module in Figure 9, and can also be called a transceiver unit or transceiver module. The transceiver 1002 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0257] It should be understood that the communication device shown in Figure 10 can implement the various processes involving the terminal device or network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 5-8. The operation and / or function of each module in the communication device are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0258] The processor 1001 described above can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the terminal device or network device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 1002 can be used to perform the sending / receiving actions between the terminal device and the network device, and between network devices, as described in the preceding method embodiments. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0259] The processor 1001 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor 1001 can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The communication device may also include a communication bus, which can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. The communication bus is used to realize the connection and communication between these components. In this embodiment, the transceiver 1002 is used for signaling or data communication with other node devices. The memory 1003 may include volatile memory, such as nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM), phase change RAM (PRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), etc., and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory devices, such as NOR flash memory or NAND flash memory, semiconductor devices, such as solid-state disks (SSDs), etc. Optionally, the memory 1003 may also be at least one storage device located remotely from the aforementioned processor 1001. Optionally, the memory 1003 may also store a set of computer program code or configuration information. Optionally, the processor 1001 may also execute the program stored in the memory 1003. The processor can cooperate with the memory and transceiver to execute any of the methods and functions of the terminal device or network device in the above-described embodiments.

[0260] This application also provides a chip system including a processor for supporting network devices or terminal devices to implement the functions involved in any of the above embodiments, such as generating or processing the first information involved in the above methods.

[0261] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing necessary computer programs and data for the network device or terminal device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. The inputs and outputs of the chip system correspond to the receiving and transmitting operations of the network device or terminal device in the method embodiment, respectively.

[0262] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of the embodiments shown in FIG5-FIG8.

[0263] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer-readable medium storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of the embodiments shown in FIG5-FIG8.

[0264] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0265] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The access network device obtains first information, which is used to indicate that the access network device is supported in obtaining the location information of the terminal device. The access network device obtains wireless information based on the first information and the radio map.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The access network device obtains the first information including: The access network device sends a first request, which is used to request the first information; The access network device receives a first response, which includes the first information.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first request includes at least one of the following: the location information is used for the radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period corresponding to the location information.

4. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The access network device obtains the first information including: The access network device receives a second request from the terminal device. The second request is used to request the acquisition of the wireless information based on the location information and the radio map. The second request is also used to indicate support for the access network device to acquire the location information of the terminal device.

5. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The access network device obtains the first information including: The access network device receives the first information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The access network device acquires wireless information based on the first information and the radio map, including: The access network device obtains the location information based on the first information; The access network device obtains the wireless information based on the location information and the radio map.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The access network device obtains the location information based on the first information, including: Based on the first information, the access network device sends a third request, which is used to request the location information; The access network device receives the location information.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period corresponding to the location information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The access network device acquires the wireless information based on the location information and the radio map, including: The access network device determines that the accuracy and / or latency of the location information meet the requirements of the radio map, and obtains the radio information based on the location information and the radio map.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The requirements for the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The access network device sends the wireless information to the terminal device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The access network device sends a fourth request to the terminal device, the fourth request being used to query whether the prediction of the radio map is supported; The access network device receives second information from the terminal device, the second information being used to indicate predictions supporting the radio map.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The wireless information includes at least one of the following: multipath component, precoding matrix indication, channel time domain correlation matrix, channel frequency domain correlation matrix, channel spatial domain correlation matrix, beam identifier, timing advance, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, path loss, angle of arrival, angle of departure, channel quality indication, or modulation and coding scheme.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a communication device, the method includes: Send first information to the access network device, the first information being used to instruct the access network device to obtain the location information of the terminal device.

15. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The terminal device sends the first information to the access network device, including: Receive a first request from the access network device, the first request being used to request the first information; In response to the first request, the first information is sent.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The first request may include at least one of the following: the location information is used for a radio map, the application type of the radio map, the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period corresponding to the location information.

17. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The first information is also used to request a radio map prediction based on the location information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14-17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a third request from the access network device, the third request being used to request the location information; The location information is sent to the access network device, and the location information is used to indicate the acquisition of wireless information based on a radio map.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The third request includes at least one of the following: the accuracy requirement of the location information, the latency requirement of the location information, or the period corresponding to the location information.

20. The method as described in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, Sending the location information to the access network device includes: Once the accuracy and / or latency of the location information are determined to meet the requirements of the radio map, the location information is sent to the access network device.

21. The method as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The requirements for the radio map correspond to the application type of the radio map.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14-21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the wireless information from the access network device.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14-22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a fourth request from the access network device, the fourth request being used to request a query on whether radio map prediction is supported; Send a second message to the access network device, the second message being used to indicate support for the prediction of the radio map.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for performing the method according to any one of claims 14-23.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes the method of any one of claims 1-13 or any one of claims 14-23 to be implemented.

27. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being used to communicate with external or internal devices, and the processor being used to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-13 or any one of claims 14-23.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed, the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-13 or any one of claims 14-23 is implemented.

29. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes an access network device and a terminal device, wherein the access network device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-13, and the terminal device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 14-23.

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