Positioning methods, communication devices, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to positioning methods, communication devices, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. A method comprises: receiving a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is a backscatter signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscatter signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown position, and the third communication device is a device with a known position; and, on the basis of measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, determining a fourth communication device from among the third communication device, wherein the fourth communication device is a third communication device used for determining the position of the second communication device. Comparing measurement results of various signal characteristics of the first signal and the second signal helps to more accurately determine the fourth communication device for positioning the second communication device, thereby improving the accuracy and robustness of positioning.

Description

Positioning methods, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to positioning methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] In passive IoT systems, it is impossible to accurately locate low-complexity and low-functionality terminals, such as non-active devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a positioning method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a positioning method is proposed, executed by a first communication device, the method comprising: receiving a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; determining a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a positioning method is provided, performed by a second communication device, the method comprising: transmitting a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the first signal being used to enable the first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from a third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and a second signal, the second signal being a backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device being a device with an unknown location, the third communication device being a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device being a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a positioning method is provided, performed by a third communication device, the method comprising: transmitting a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second signal being used to enable a first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a first communication device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module for receiving a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; and a processing module for determining a fourth communication device from at least one third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a second communication device is provided, comprising: a processing module for generating a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal; and a transceiver module for transmitting the first signal; wherein the first signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from a third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and a second signal, the second signal being a backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device being a device with an unknown location, the third communication device being a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device being a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a third communication device is provided, comprising: a processing module for generating a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal; and a transceiver module for transmitting the second signal; wherein the second signal is used to enable a first communication device to determine, based on measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, that the third communication device is a fourth communication device, wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication device for performing the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device, wherein the first communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the first aspect, the second communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the second aspect, and the third communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the third aspect.

[0012] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0013] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions are executed by a communication device using the steps of the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0014] In the above embodiments, by measuring multiple signal characteristics, the measurement results of multiple signal characteristics of the first signal and the second signal can be compared, which helps to more accurately determine the fourth communication device used to locate the second communication device, improves the accuracy and robustness of the positioning, and can select the most suitable measurement index according to different scenarios and device states, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and applicability of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced below. These drawings are merely some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the scope of protection of this disclosure. Figure 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2A is one of the exemplary interactive schematic diagrams of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2B is another exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2C is a third exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2D is a fourth exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2E is a fifth exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2F is a sixth exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2G is a seventh exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2H is a structural schematic diagram of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3A is a schematic block diagram of the device structure of a first communication device shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3B is a schematic block diagram of the device structure of a second communication device shown according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3C is a schematic block diagram illustrating the device structure of a third communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] This disclosure provides a positioning method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0017] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a positioning method executed by a first communication device. The method includes: receiving a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; and determining a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on measurement results of the first and second signals; wherein the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0018] In the above embodiments, by receiving a first signal from a second communication device at an unknown location and a second signal from a third communication device at a known location, and based on the measurement results of the signal characteristics of the first and second signals, a fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device is determined from the third communication device at the known location. By using the fourth communication device at the known location to provide positioning support for the second communication device, positioning of low-power, low-complexity devices can be achieved, and the positioning accuracy and reliability can be improved.

[0019] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement results include at least one of the following: Received Signal Strength (RSSI); Reference Signal Received Power; Phase; Time of Arrival; Angle of Arrival.

[0020] In the above embodiments, by measuring multiple signal characteristics, the measurement results of multiple signal characteristics of the first signal and the second signal can be compared, which helps to more accurately determine the fourth communication device used to locate the second communication device, improves the accuracy and robustness of the positioning, and can select the most suitable measurement index according to different scenarios and device states, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and applicability of the system.

[0021] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the fourth communication device includes a third communication device that satisfies the condition that the difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0022] In the above embodiments, by ensuring that the difference between the measurement results of the second signal and the first signal is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the selected fourth communication device can better match the positioning requirements, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0023] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first information, the first information being used to instruct a second communication device to send a first signal and to instruct a third communication device to send a second signal.

[0024] In the above embodiments, by sending the first information to instruct the second and third communication devices to trigger backscattering, the first and second signals can be transmitted in the same channel state as much as possible, making the fourth communication device determined from the third communication device for locating the second communication device more accurate and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second information from a third communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has at least one of the following capabilities: a first capability, the first capability being used to indicate that the third communication device is aware of first location information; wherein the first location information is used to indicate the location of the third communication device; and a second capability, the second capability being used to indicate that the third communication device supports a positioning function.

[0026] In the above embodiments, by instructing the third communication device whether it has known first location information and / or positioning function through the second information, the first communication device can select an appropriate method to determine its positioning based on the capabilities of the third communication device, and thus the third communication device with known location can be used to locate the second communication device with unknown location.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information is carried by the following messages: message 1 during the random access process; message 3 during the random access process.

[0028] In the above embodiments, the second information is carried by messages in the random access process, which makes information transmission more efficient. By utilizing the signal transmission in the existing communication process, the overhead of additional signaling is reduced, effectively reducing system complexity and power consumption.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third communication device has a first capability, and the method further includes: sending third information to the third communication device, the third information being used to instruct the third communication device to send first location information; and receiving the first location information from the third communication device.

[0030] In the above embodiments, when the third communication device already knows its location information, the complexity of positioning calculation can be reduced by directly obtaining the location information from the third communication device.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third communication device possesses the second capability, and the method further includes: performing a positioning measurement operation with the third communication device; and determining first location information.

[0032] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, the position of the third communication device can be determined by performing a positioning measurement operation, and then the second communication device can be located based on the third communication device.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, performing a positioning measurement operation with a third communication device includes: sending fourth information to the third communication device, the fourth information being used to trigger the positioning measurement operation; receiving a first reference signal from the third communication device; and determining a positioning measurement result for the first reference signal.

[0034] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, positioning measurement operations can be performed based on the downlink reference signal sent by the third communication device to achieve accurate positioning of the third communication device.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first reference signal includes at least one of the following: a preamble; a probe reference signal (SRS).

[0036] In the above embodiments, by using a preamble or probe reference signal (SRS) as the first reference signal, the signal recognition capability and anti-interference capability during the positioning measurement process are further enhanced, and the positioning accuracy of the system in complex environments is improved.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, performing a positioning measurement operation with a third communication device includes: sending a second reference signal to the third communication device; and receiving a positioning measurement result of the second reference signal from the third communication device.

[0038] Based on the above embodiments, when it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, positioning measurement operations can be performed based on the uplink reference signal sent to the third communication device to achieve accurate positioning of the third communication device.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second reference signal includes at least one of the following: a preamble; a positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0040] In the above embodiments, using a positioning reference signal (PRS) or a preamble as a second reference signal can improve positioning accuracy and achieve stronger signal acquisition and positioning effects under different conditions.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before receiving the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal from the third communication device, the method further includes: sending fifth information to the third communication device, the fifth information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal.

[0042] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, positioning measurement operations can be performed based on the uplink reference signal sent to the third communication device to achieve accurate positioning of the third communication device.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the positioning measurement results include at least one of the following: Received Signal Strength (RSSI); Reference Signal Received Power; Phase; Time of Arrival; Angle of Arrival.

[0044] In the above embodiments, by measuring various indicators such as received signal strength, reference signal received power, phase, time of arrival, and angle of arrival, multi-dimensional information support is provided, making the positioning results more accurate and robust, and adaptable to different wireless environments.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending sixth information to a first server; wherein the sixth information is used to indicate location information related to the second communication device, and the first server is a server that provides location services.

[0046] In the above embodiments, by sending the location information corresponding to the second communication device to the server, the server can determine the location of the second communication device, providing strong data support for subsequent location services.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining second location information based on first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device, the second location information being used to indicate the location of the second communication device.

[0048] In the above embodiments, the location of the second communication device is further determined based on the location information of the fourth communication device, which enhances the hierarchy and accuracy of the positioning system and can provide more accurate positioning results through multiple location corrections.

[0049] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the sixth information includes at least one of the following: a first device identifier for indicating a second communication device; a second device identifier for indicating a fourth communication device; a measurement result of a first signal; a measurement result of a second signal of the fourth communication device; second location information; and first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device.

[0050] In the above embodiments, by sending device identifiers, measurement results, location information, etc. to the server, detailed positioning information support can be provided, optimizing data transmission and management in the positioning process, while improving the positioning accuracy and response speed of the system.

[0051] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a positioning method executed by a second communication device. The method includes: sending a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the first signal being used to enable the first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from a third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and a second signal, the second signal being a backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device being a device with an unknown location, the third communication device being a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device being a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement results include at least one of the following: Received Signal Strength (RSSI); Reference Signal Received Power; Phase; Time of Arrival; Angle of Arrival.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the fourth communication device includes a third communication device that satisfies the condition that the difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, before sending the first signal, the method further includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to instruct the second communication device to send the first signal.

[0055] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a positioning method executed by a third communication device. The method includes: sending a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal of the third communication device, and the second signal is used to enable a first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the measurement results include at least one of the following: Received Signal Strength (RSSI); Received Reference Signal Power; Phase; Time of Arrival; Angle of Arrival.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the fourth communication device includes a third communication device that satisfies the condition that the difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to a threshold.

[0058] In some embodiments, in conjunction with the third aspect, the method further includes, before sending the second signal, receiving first information, the first information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the second signal.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second information to a first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has at least one of the following capabilities: a first capability, the first capability being used to indicate that the third communication device knows first location information; wherein the first location information is used to indicate the location of the third communication device; and a second capability, the second capability being used to indicate that the third communication device supports positioning functionality.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the third communication device possesses the first capability, and the method further includes: receiving third information from the third communication device, the third information being used to instruct the third communication device to send first location information; and sending the first location information to the first communication device.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the third communication device has a second capability, and the method further includes: performing a positioning measurement operation with the first communication device; and determining first location information.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, performing a positioning measurement operation with the first communication device includes: receiving fourth information from the first communication device, the fourth information being used to trigger the positioning measurement operation; and sending a first reference signal to the first communication device.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, performing a positioning measurement operation with the first communication device includes: receiving a second reference signal from the first communication device; and sending a positioning measurement result of the second reference signal to the first communication device.

[0064] In some embodiments of the third aspect, before sending the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal to the first communication device, the method further includes: receiving fifth information from the first communication device, the fifth information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the positioning measurement results include at least one of the following: Received Signal Strength (RSSI); Reference Signal Received Power; Phase; Time of Arrival; Angle of Arrival.

[0066] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a first communication device, comprising: a transceiver module for receiving a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device at an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device at a known location; and a processing module for determining a fourth communication device from at least one third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0067] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a second communication device, comprising: a processing module for generating a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal; and a transceiver module for transmitting the first signal; wherein the first signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from a third communication device based on measurement results of the first signal and a second signal, the second signal being a backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device being a device at an unknown location, the third communication device being a device at a known location, and the fourth communication device being a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a third communication device, comprising: a processing module for generating a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal; and a transceiver module for transmitting the second signal; wherein the second signal is used to enable a first communication device to determine, based on measurement results of the first and second signals, that the third communication device is a fourth communication device, the first signal being a backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device being a device at an unknown location, the third communication device being a device at a known location, and the fourth communication device being a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including a communication device for performing the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0070] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device, wherein the first communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the first aspect, the second communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the second aspect, and the third communication device is configured to implement the positioning method described in the third aspect.

[0071] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0072] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions are executed by a communication device using the steps of the positioning method described in any one of the first, second, and third aspects.

[0073] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0074] This disclosure provides a positioning method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product. In some embodiments, the terms "positioning method" and "information processing method," "communication method," etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0075] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0076] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0077] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0078] In the embodiments of this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0079] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0080] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0081] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0082] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0083] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0084] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0085] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0087] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0088] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0089] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0091] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0092] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0093] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0094] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0095] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0096] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (only including the inventive point-related entities and their important counterparts).

[0097] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first communication device 101, a second communication device 102, and a third communication device 103; wherein, the first communication device 101 may include a terminal or a network device; the second communication device 102 and the third communication device 103 may be terminals; the network device may include an access network device or a core network device.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terminal includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0099] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0101] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0102] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may be a single device, including a first network element, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0103] In some embodiments, the first network element is, for example, a Location Management Function (LMF).

[0104] In some embodiments, the first network element is used for location management, such as being responsible for tracking, updating, and querying the location of the terminal.

[0105] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0106] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0107] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0108] In some embodiments, the Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) design may include a reader and a tag device. The tag device may include a non-active device, also known as a passive device, passive tag, or passive tag, etc. It does not possess radio frequency transmission capability itself and needs to acquire transmission energy through backscattering. To support inventory as the basic use case, inventory is performed using the following command set:

[0109] In Ambient IoT, assuming that the corresponding inventory commands are still carried by channels such as PDSCH / PUSCH, including but not limited to network devices such as base stations (BS) as read / write devices and tags as devices, it can still be similar to NR in that the corresponding inventory commands and device responses are carried by PDSCH / PUSCH.

[0110] In some embodiments, upon receiving a Query command, a tag device enters an arbitrate state, which can be considered a holding state. It sets a corresponding counter value based on the Q value in the command and decrements this value by 1 each time a QueryRep command is received. When the counter value reaches 0, the tag device transitions to a response state and backscatters a 16-bit random number (RN16). If an ACK is received, the tag device is confirmed to have successfully accessed the system; otherwise, if an invalid ACK or an ACK with an erroneous RN16 is received, or if no corresponding command is received before a preset time threshold T2, the tag device returns to the arbitrate state. Different tag devices can then generate different random numbers based on the Q value.

[0111] In some embodiments, the excitation signal for backscattering sent to the tag device can be a continuous wave (CW). The CW waveform is an unmodulated single-tone or multi-tone waveform. The device modulates the CW and backscatters it to transmit the tag device to reader (D2R) channel / signal.

[0112] In some embodiments, positioning of the tag device can be supported. Positioning allows the reader not only to know which devices are within its coverage area, but also to obtain the corresponding location information, which can support application scenarios such as item finding and address finding.

[0113] In some embodiments, a positioning method based on downlink positioning reference signal (DL PRS) can be used, requiring the tag device to report corresponding measurement results, such as time or angle. Alternatively, a positioning method based on uplink sounding reference signal (UL SRS) can be used, requiring the terminal to support SRS transmission with a larger bandwidth. Regardless of the approach used in IoT, both methods place high demands on the complexity and power consumption of the tag device.

[0114] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a positioning method, which includes:

[0115] In step S201, the second communication device 102 sends a first signal to the first communication device 101.

[0116] The second communication device can be a device located in an unknown location.

[0117] In some embodiments, the second communication device may send a backscattered signal, i.e., a first signal, to the first communication device.

[0118] In some embodiments, the second communication device may receive an excitation signal and send a first signal to the first communication device by backscattering the excitation information. The excitation signal may be sent by the first communication device or by other communication devices.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first communication device may receive a backscattered signal, i.e., a first signal, sent by the second communication device.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first communication device may send an excitation signal to the second communication device and receive a first signal sent by the second communication device.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first communication device may be a read / write device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. For example, a network device or a terminal.

[0122] In some embodiments, in topology 1, the first communication device can be a network device, such as a base station (BS). Topology 1 can also be referred to as a centralized network topology, a star topology, etc.

[0123] In some embodiments, in topology 2, the first communication device can be a terminal acting as an intermediate node. Topology 2 can also be referred to as a distributed network topology (mesh topology).

[0124] In some embodiments, the second communication device may be a tag device in an unknown location in an Internet of Things (IoT) system, such as a terminal.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second communication device may be a non-active device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system.

[0126] In step S202, the third communication device 103 sends a second signal to the first communication device 101.

[0127] The third communication device can be a device with a known location.

[0128] In some embodiments, the third communication device may send a backscattered signal, i.e., a second signal, to the first communication device.

[0129] In some embodiments, a third communication device may receive an excitation signal and send a second signal to a first communication device by backscattering the excitation information. The excitation signal may be sent by the first communication device or by other communication devices.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first communication device may receive a backscattered signal, also known as a first signal, sent by the third communication device.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first communication device may send an excitation signal to the third communication device and receive a first signal sent by the third communication device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the third communication device may be a tag device with a known location in the Internet of Things system, such as a terminal.

[0133] In some embodiments, the third communication device may be a tag device whose location has been obtained by the first communication device; or it may be a tag device whose location has been obtained.

[0134] In some embodiments, the third communication device may be a tag device with positioning capabilities.

[0135] In some embodiments, the third communication device may be a non-active device or an active device in the Internet of Things system.

[0136] In step S203, the first communication device 101 determines the fourth communication device from the third communication device 103.

[0137] The fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device 102.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first communication device can measure the relevant signal characteristics of the first signal received from the second communication device and the second signal received from the third communication device to obtain the measurement results of the first signal and the measurement results of the second signal. Based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, a fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device can be determined from the third communication device, and the second communication device can be bound to the fourth communication device, so that the location of the second communication device can be determined based on the fourth communication device.

[0139] Signal characteristics can include properties related to the signal's energy, time, phase, angle, etc.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first communication device may determine from the third communication device whether there is a candidate fourth communication device that can be used to determine the location of the second communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the measurement results of the second signal; if there is, the fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device may be further determined from the candidate fourth communication devices, and the second communication device may be bound to the fourth communication device.

[0141] In some embodiments, the fourth communication device used for locating the second communication device may be one or more.

[0142] In some embodiments, a first communication device may receive first signals from N second communication devices and second signals from M third communication devices; measure the signal characteristics of the N first signals and the M second signals respectively to obtain a measurement result for each first signal and a measurement result for each second signal; and, based on the measurement results of the N first signals and the M second signals, determine a fourth communication device from the M third communication devices that corresponds to each of the N second communication devices. Here, N and M are both positive integers.

[0143] In some embodiments, the fourth communication devices corresponding to different second communication devices may be the same or partially the same.

[0144] For example, the first communication device receives first signals from second communication devices B1, B2, and B3, and second signals from third communication devices C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5, respectively; it obtains measurement results for the first signals of B1, B2, and B3, and measurement results for the second signals of C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5, respectively; based on the measurement results of each first and second signal, it can be determined from C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 that: the fourth communication device corresponding to B1 is C1; the fourth communication devices corresponding to B2 are C2 and C3; there is no fourth communication device corresponding to B3; furthermore, B1 can be bound to C1, and B2 can be bound to C2 and C3.

[0145] It should be noted that the information or signal sent from the first communication device to the second communication device can be called Reader to Device (R2D) information or R2D signal; the information or signal sent from the second or third communication device to the first communication device can be called Device to Reader (D2R) information or D2R signal.

[0146] In the above embodiments, by receiving a first signal from a second communication device at an unknown location and a second signal from a third communication device at a known location, and based on the measurement results of the signal characteristics of the first and second signals, a fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device is determined from the third communication device at the known location. By using the fourth communication device at the known location to provide positioning support for the second communication device, positioning of low-power, low-complexity devices can be achieved, and the positioning accuracy and reliability can be improved.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first communication device measures the first signal, and the measurement result may include the measurement result of at least one of the following signal characteristics of the first signal: received signal strength, such as Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI); Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP); Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ); phase; time of arrival, such as Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD), Time of Arrival (TOA), Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA); angle of arrival, such as Angle of Arrival (TOA), etc.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first communication device measures the second signal, and the measurement result may include the measurement result of at least one of the following signal characteristics of the second signal: received signal strength; RSRP; RSRQ; phase; time of arrival; angle of arrival.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first communication device may determine a fourth communication device for locating the second communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of at least one of the signal characteristics of the first signal and the second signal.

[0150] In the above embodiments, by measuring multiple signal characteristics, the measurement results of multiple signal characteristics of the first signal and the second signal can be compared, which helps to more accurately determine the fourth communication device used to locate the second communication device, improves the accuracy and robustness of the positioning, and can select the most suitable measurement index according to different scenarios and device states, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and applicability of the system.

[0151] In some embodiments, the method for determining a fourth communication device for locating a second communication device from a third communication device based on the measurement results of a first signal and a second signal can be set according to actual needs. For example, the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal can be compared to determine the second signal that is closest to the measurement result of the first signal, and the third communication device that sends the second signal can be determined as the fourth communication device for locating the second communication device; or, the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal can be feature extracted respectively, and the extracted feature vectors can be similarly matched to determine the second signal with the highest similarity, and the third communication device that sends the second signal can be determined as the fourth communication device for locating the second communication device.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first communication device can compare the measurement results of each second signal with the measurement results of the first signal respectively. If the difference between the measurement results is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the third communication device that sends the second signal is identified as the fourth communication device for locating the second communication device.

[0153] In some embodiments, different thresholds can be set for different signal characteristics. The threshold can be a fixed value or range, or a relative proportional value or range, for example, within ±10% of the measurement result of the first signal.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first communication device may compare the measurement results of each signal characteristic of the second signal with the measurement results of each signal characteristic of the first signal; if the difference between the measurement results of at least K signal characteristics is less than or equal to the corresponding threshold, the third communication device that sends the second signal is determined as the fourth communication device for locating the second communication device; wherein K is a positive integer.

[0155] For example, a first threshold Y1 corresponding to the received signal strength, a second threshold Y2 corresponding to the arrival time, and a third threshold Y3 corresponding to the arrival angle can be set respectively; the received signal strength R21, arrival time R22, and arrival angle R23 of the second signal can be compared with the received signal strength R11, arrival time R12, and arrival angle R13 of the first signal respectively; if it is determined that the second signal satisfies |R21-R11|≤Y1, |R22-R12|≤Y2, and |R23-R13|≤Y3, the third communication device that sends the second signal is determined as the fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device that sends the first signal.

[0156] In some embodiments, when multiple fourth communication devices are determined from the third communication device, one fourth communication device can be determined from the multiple fourth communication devices and bound to the second communication device; wherein, the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device can be the fourth communication device whose measurement result of the corresponding second signal is closest to the measurement result of the first signal.

[0157] In the above embodiments, by ensuring that the difference between the measurement results of the second signal and the first signal is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the selected fourth communication device can better match the positioning requirements, thereby improving the positioning accuracy.

[0158] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0159] In some embodiments, the terms "codebook," "codeword," and "precoding matrix" can be used interchangeably. For example, a codebook can be a collection of one or more codewords / precoding matrices.

[0160] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0161] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0162] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

[0163] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0164] In some embodiments, the terms "search space", "search space set", "search space configuration", "search space set configuration", "control resource set (CORESET)", and "CORESET configuration" can be used interchangeably.

[0165] In some embodiments, the terms "synchronization signal (SS)," "synchronization signal block (SSB)," "reference signal (RS)," "pilot," and "pilot signal" can be used interchangeably.

[0166] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0167] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0168] In some embodiments, the terms “resource block (RB)”, “physical resource block (PRB)”, “sub-carrier group (SCG)”, “resource element group (REG)”, “PRB pair”, “RB pair”, “resource element (RE)”, and “sub-carrier” can be used interchangeably.

[0169] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform can be used interchangeably.

[0170] In some embodiments, the terms "precoding", "precoder", "weight", "precoding weight", "quasi-co-location (QCL)", "transmission configuration indication (TCI) status", "spatial relation", "spatial domain filter", "transmission power", "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "the number of layers", "rank", "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "beam", "beam width", "beam angular degree", "antenna", "antenna element", and "panel" can be used interchangeably.

[0171] In some embodiments, the terms “frame”, “radio frame”, “subframe”, “slot”, “sub-slot”, “mini-slot”, “symbol”, “symbol”, and “transmission time interval (TTI)” can be used interchangeably.

[0172] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0173] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0174] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0175] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0176] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data and / or instructions received; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0177] In some embodiments, if an arrow in the interaction diagram representing the sending of information, signaling, etc. from one subject to another passes through other subjects, it can be interpreted as the information being forwarded from one subject to another via other subjects, or it can be interpreted as the information being sent from one subject to another without passing through other subjects.

[0178] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S201 to S203. For example, step S201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S201+S202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S201+S202+S203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0179] In some embodiments, steps S201 and S202 may be performed in an alternate order or simultaneously.

[0180] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0181] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, which further includes the following steps before the above steps S201 and S202:

[0182] In step S200, the first communication device 101 sends the first information.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first communication device may send first information to the second and third communication devices, the first information being used to instruct the second communication device to send a first signal and to instruct the third communication device to send a second signal.

[0184] In some embodiments, the second communication device receives first information from the first communication device; in response to receiving the first information, the second communication device can send a first signal to the first communication device via backscattering.

[0185] In some embodiments, a third communication device receives first information from a first communication device; in response to receiving the first information, the third communication device may send a second signal to the first communication device via backscattering.

[0186] In some embodiments, to avoid conflict between the first and second signals, the first and second signals can be sent in the same or similar manner as the inventory process of the tag device described above. For example, after receiving the first information, the second and third communication devices set a random count value and count down until the value is 0, then send the corresponding backscatter signal to the first communication device.

[0187] In the above embodiments, by sending the first information to instruct the second and third communication devices to trigger backscattering, the first and second signals can be transmitted in the same channel state as much as possible, making the fourth communication device determined from the third communication device for locating the second communication device more accurate and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0188] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S200 to S203. For example, step S200 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S200+S201+S202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S200+S201+S202+S203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0189] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0190] Figure 2C is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2C, the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, which includes:

[0191] In step S211, the third communication device 103 sends the second information to the first communication device 101.

[0192] The second information is used to indicate that the third communication device has positioning-related capabilities, which may specifically include a first capability and / or a second capability. The first capability is used to indicate that the third communication device is aware of first location information. The first location information is used to indicate the location of the third communication device. The second capability is used to indicate that the third communication device supports positioning functions.

[0193] In some embodiments, the third communication device sends second information to the first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has a first capability, that is, the third communication device knows the first location information of the third communication device.

[0194] In some embodiments, the third communication device sends second information to the first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has a second capability, that is, the third communication device supports positioning function.

[0195] In some embodiments, a third communication device sends second information to a first communication device, the second information indicating that the third communication device has a first capability and a second capability, that is, the third communication device knows the first location information of the third communication device and the third device supports positioning function.

[0196] In some embodiments, the second capability may also be referred to as a high capability, and the third communication device with the second capability may also be referred to as a high capability device.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first communication device can receive second information sent by each third communication device and determine whether each third communication device has a first capability and / or a second capability through the second information, thereby determining the location of the third communication device by using a corresponding method based on the capability information corresponding to the third communication device.

[0198] In some embodiments, the third communication device may send second information to the first communication device through message 1 (Ms g1) and / or message 3 (Ms g3) during the random access process, to indicate that the third communication device has a first capability and / or a second capability.

[0199] In the above embodiments, by instructing the third communication device whether it has known first location information and / or positioning function through the second information, the first communication device can select an appropriate method to determine its positioning based on the capabilities of the third communication device, and thus the third communication device with known location can be used to locate the second communication device with unknown location.

[0200] In some embodiments, when the second information sent by the third communication device indicates that the third communication device has a first capability, that is, when the third communication device knows the first location information, the first communication device can determine the location of the third communication device by executing steps S212 and S213 in FIG2C.

[0201] In step S212, the first communication device 101 sends third information to the third communication device 103.

[0202] The third information is used to instruct the third communication device to send the first location information.

[0203] In some embodiments, when the first communication device determines that the third communication device has a first capability, it may send third information to the third communication device to instruct the third communication device to send its known first location information.

[0204] In some embodiments, the third information may include a "Read" command or a "LocationRead" command.

[0205] In step S213, the third communication device 103 sends the first location information to the first communication device 101.

[0206] In some embodiments, when a third communication device receives third information from a first communication device, it may send its known first location information to the first communication device.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first communication device may receive first location information of the third communication device, thereby determining the location of the third communication device based on the first location information.

[0208] In the above embodiments, when the third communication device already knows its location information, the complexity of positioning calculation can be reduced by directly obtaining the location information from the third communication device.

[0209] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S211 to S213. For example, step S211 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S212 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S213 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S211+S212 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S211+S212+S213 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto. Steps S211 to S213 may also be combined with steps S200 to S203 in Figures 2A and 2B. For example, steps S211 to S213 may be executed before step S200; steps S211 to S213 may be executed after step S203; step S211 may be executed before step S200, and steps S212 and S213 may be executed after step S203, but is not limited thereto.

[0210] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0211] Figure 2D is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2D, the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, which includes:

[0212] In step S211, the third communication device 103 sends the second information to the first communication device 101.

[0213] In some embodiments, when the second information sent by the third communication device indicates that the third communication device has a second capability, that is, the third communication device supports the positioning function, the first communication device can determine the location of the third communication device by executing step S214 in FIG2D.

[0214] In step S214, the first communication device 101 and the third communication device 103 perform positioning measurement operations.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first communication device may perform a positioning measurement operation with the third communication device; through the positioning measurement operation, first location information corresponding to the third communication device is determined, thereby determining the location of the third communication device.

[0216] In some embodiments, the positioning measurement operation between the first communication device and the third communication device may include positioning measurement operations on uplink reference signals and / or downlink reference signals.

[0217] The uplink reference signal may include the uplink detection reference signal SRS; the downlink reference signal may include the downlink positioning reference signal PRS.

[0218] In some embodiments, when the third communication device indicates to the first communication device via the second information that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, it may further indicate that the third communication device has positioning capabilities based on uplink reference signals and / or downlink reference signals.

[0219] In some embodiments, the third communication device sends second information to the first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has a positioning capability based on an uplink reference signal.

[0220] In some embodiments, the third communication device sends second information to the first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has a positioning capability based on downlink reference signals.

[0221] In some embodiments, the third communication device sends second information to the first communication device, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device has positioning capabilities based on uplink reference signals and downlink reference signals.

[0222] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, the position of the third communication device can be determined by performing a positioning measurement operation, and then the second communication device can be located based on the third communication device.

[0223] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S211 to S214. For example, step S211 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S214 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S211+S214 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto. Steps S211 to S214 may also be combined with steps S200 to S203 in FIG2A and FIG2B. For example, steps S211 to S214 may be executed before step S200; steps S211 to S214 may be executed after step S203; step S211 may be executed before step S200, and step S214 may be executed after step S203, but is not limited thereto.

[0224] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] Figure 2E is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2E, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, and step S214 above may include steps S2141 to S2143.

[0226] In step S2141, the first communication device 101 sends fourth information to the third communication device 103.

[0227] The fourth piece of information is used to trigger the positioning measurement operation.

[0228] In some embodiments, if the first communication device determines that the third communication device has the second capability, it may send fourth information to the third communication device to trigger a positioning measurement operation.

[0229] In some embodiments, when the first communication device determines that the third communication device has positioning capability based on uplink reference signals, it sends fourth information to the third communication device to trigger a positioning measurement operation.

[0230] In some embodiments, the third communication device may receive fourth information from the first communication device to trigger a positioning measurement operation based on the fourth information.

[0231] In step S2142, the third communication device 103 sends a first reference signal to the first communication device 101.

[0232] In some embodiments, after receiving the fourth information, the third communication device may send a first reference signal, i.e., an uplink reference signal, to the first communication device.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first reference signal may include a preamble and / or a probe reference signal (SRS).

[0234] In step S2143, the first communication device 101 determines the positioning measurement result of the first reference signal.

[0235] In some embodiments, the first communication device can receive a first reference signal from the third communication device, perform positioning measurement on the first reference signal, obtain the positioning measurement result of the first reference signal, and then determine the position of the third communication device based on the positioning measurement result of the first reference signal.

[0236] In some embodiments, the positioning measurement results of the first reference signal may include at least one of the following: received signal strength; reference signal received power; phase; time of arrival; angle of arrival.

[0237] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, positioning measurement operations can be performed based on the downlink reference signal sent by the third communication device to achieve accurate positioning of the third communication device.

[0238] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S211 and S2141 to S2143. For example, step S211 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2141 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2142 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2143 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2142+S2143 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2141+S2142+S2143 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S211+S2141+S2142+S2143 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto. Steps S211 and S2141 to S2143 can also be combined with steps S200 to S203 in Figures 2A and 2B. For example, steps S211 and S2141 to S2143 can be executed before step S200; steps S211 and S2141 to S2143 can be executed after step S203; step S211 can be executed before step S200, and steps S2141 to S2143 can be executed after step S203, but this is not limited to these steps.

[0239] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] Figure 2F is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2F, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, and step S214 may include steps S2144 to S2145.

[0241] In step S2144, the first communication device 101 sends a second reference signal to the third communication device 103.

[0242] In some embodiments, when the first communication device determines that the third communication device has the second capability, it may send a second reference signal, i.e., a downlink reference signal, to the third communication device.

[0243] In some embodiments, when the first communication device determines that the third communication device has a positioning capability based on a downlink reference signal, it may send a second reference signal, i.e., a downlink reference signal, to the third communication device.

[0244] In some embodiments, a third communication device may receive a second reference signal from a first communication device to perform positioning measurements based on the second reference signal and obtain positioning measurement results for the second reference signal.

[0245] In some embodiments, the second reference signal may include a preamble and / or a positioning reference signal (PRS).

[0246] In step S2145, the third communication device 103 sends the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal to the first communication device 101.

[0247] In some embodiments, after performing positioning measurements on the received second communication signal, the third communication device can send the positioning measurement results of the second reference signal to the first communication device.

[0248] In some embodiments, after the first communication device sends a second reference signal to the third communication device, it can receive the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal from the third communication device.

[0249] In some embodiments, before step S2143, the first communication device may send fifth information to the third communication device, the fifth information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal.

[0250] In some embodiments, after the third communication device performs positioning measurement on the received second reference signal, it may send the positioning measurement result of the second communication signal to the first communication device after receiving the fifth information sent by the first communication device.

[0251] In some embodiments, the positioning measurement results of the second reference signal may include at least one of the following: received signal strength; reference signal received power; phase; time of arrival; angle of arrival.

[0252] In the above embodiments, if it is determined that the third communication device has positioning capabilities, positioning measurement operations can be performed based on the uplink reference signal sent to the third communication device to achieve accurate positioning of the third communication device.

[0253] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S211 and S2144 to S2145. For example, step S211 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2144 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2145 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2144+S2145 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S211+S2144+S2145 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto. Steps S211, S2144 to S2145 can also be combined with steps S200 to S203 in Figures 2A and 2B. For example, steps S211, S2144 to S2145 can be executed before step S200; steps S211, S2144 to S2145 can be executed after step S203; step S211 can be executed before step S200, and steps S2144 to S2145 can be executed after step S203, but this is not limited to these steps.

[0254] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] Figure 2G is an interactive schematic diagram of a positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2G, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a positioning method, wherein the third communication device 103 may include third communication devices 1031 and 1032, wherein the third communication device 1031 is a third communication device with a first capability, and the third communication device 1032 is a third communication device with a second capability; the positioning method may include:

[0256] In step S221, the third communication devices 1031 and 1032 send the second information to the first communication device 101. Step S221 can implement the embodiments related to step S211 in Figures 2A-2F, and will not be described again here.

[0257] The second information sent by the third communication device 1031 is used to indicate that the third communication device 1031 has a first capability, that is, the first location information of the first communication device 1031 is known; the second information sent by the third communication device 1032 is used to indicate that the third communication device 1032 has a second capability, that is, it supports the positioning function.

[0258] In some embodiments, the third communication device 1031 sends second information to the first communication device 101, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device 1031 has a first capability, that is, the first location information of the first communication device 1031 is known.

[0259] In some embodiments, the third communication device 1032 sends second information to the first communication device 101, the second information being used to indicate that the third communication device 1032 has a second capability, namely, supporting positioning function.

[0260] In step S222, the first communication device 101 sends third information to the third communication device 1031, wherein the third information is used to instruct the third communication device 1031 to send first location information. Step S222 can implement the embodiment related to step S212 in FIG2C, and will not be described again here.

[0261] In some embodiments, when the first communication device 101 determines that the third communication device 1031 has the first capability, it sends third information to the third communication device 1031 to instruct the third communication device to send the first location information.

[0262] In step S223, the third communication device 1031 sends the first location information to the first communication device 101. Step S223 can implement the embodiment related to step S213 in FIG2C, and will not be described again here.

[0263] In some embodiments, after receiving the third information, the third communication device 1031 sends the known first location information to the first communication device 101.

[0264] In step S224, the first communication device 101 and the third communication device 1032 perform a positioning measurement operation. Step S224 can implement embodiments related to steps S214 in FIG2D, steps S2141 to S2143 in FIG2E, and steps S2144 to S2145 in FIG2F, which will not be described in detail here.

[0265] In some embodiments, when the first communication device 101 determines that the third communication device 1032 has the second capability, it performs a positioning measurement operation with the third communication device 1032.

[0266] In some embodiments, the first communication device 101 sends fourth information to the third communication device 1032; receives a first reference signal sent by the third communication device 1032; and performs positioning measurement on the first reference signal to obtain the positioning measurement result of the first reference signal.

[0267] In some embodiments, the third communication device 1032 receives fourth information from the first communication device 101 and sends a first reference signal to the first communication device 101.

[0268] In step S225, the first communication device 101 sends first information to the second communication device 102, the third communication devices 1031 and 1032; wherein, the first information is used to instruct the first communication device 101, the third communication devices 1031 and 1032 to send backscatter signals. Step S225 can implement the embodiment related to step S200 in FIG2B, which will not be described again here.

[0269] In some embodiments, the first communication device 101 sends first information.

[0270] In step S226, the second communication device 102 sends a first signal to the first communication device 101. Step S226 can implement the embodiments related to step S201 in Figures 2A and 2B, which will not be described again here.

[0271] In some embodiments, the second communication device 102 receives first information from the first communication device 101 and sends a first signal to the first communication device 101.

[0272] In step S227, the third communication devices 1031 and 1032 respectively send a second signal to the first communication device 101. Step S227 can implement the embodiments related to step S202 in Figures 2A and 2B, which will not be described again here.

[0273] In some embodiments, the third communication device 1031 receives first information from the first communication device 101 and sends a second signal to the first communication device 101.

[0274] In some embodiments, the third communication device 1032 receives first information from the first communication device 101 and sends a second signal to the first communication device 101.

[0275] In step S228, the first communication device 101 determines the fourth communication device from the third communication devices 1031 and 1032. Step S228 can implement the embodiments related to step S203 in Figures 2A and 2B, which will not be described again here.

[0276] In some embodiments, the first communication device 101 can measure the relevant signal characteristics of the first signal received from the second communication device 102 and the second signals received from the third communication devices 1031 and 1032, respectively, to obtain the measurement results of the first signal and the measurement results of the second signal; based on the measurement results of the first signal and the measurement results of the second signal, a fourth communication device corresponding to the second communication device can be determined from the third communication devices 1031 and 1032, and the second communication device can be bound to the fourth communication device, so that the location of the second communication device can be determined based on the fourth communication device.

[0277] In some embodiments, the first communication device 101 can receive first signals from N second communication devices 102, second signals from M1 third communication devices 1031, and second signals from M1 third communication devices 1032; measure the signal characteristics of the N first signals and the M1+M2 second signals respectively to obtain the measurement result of each first signal and the measurement result of each second signal; based on the measurement results of the N first signals and the M1+M2 second signals, determine the fourth communication device corresponding to each of the N second measurement devices from the M1 third communication devices 1031 and the M2 third communication devices 1032. Wherein, N, M1, and M2 are all positive integers.

[0278] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S221 to S228. For example, step S221 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S222 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S223 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S224 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S225 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S226 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S227 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S228 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S221+S222+S223 can be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S221+S224 can be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S225+S226 can be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S225+S226 can be implemented as an independent embodiment. The steps S225+S226+S227 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, as can the steps S226+S227+S228, S225+S226+S227+S228, S221+S222+S223+S225+S226+S227+S228, S221+S224+S225+S226+S227+S228, and S221+S222+S223+S224+S225+S226+S227+S228 as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0279] In some embodiments, steps S222-S223 and S224 can be executed in a different order or simultaneously; steps S222-S224 and S225-S228 can be executed in a different order or simultaneously; steps S221-S224 and S225-S228 can be executed in a different order or simultaneously; and steps S226 and S227 can be executed in a different order or simultaneously.

[0280] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0281] In some embodiments, after determining the fourth communication device from the third communication device, the first communication device can determine the second location information corresponding to the second communication device based on the first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device. For example, the first location information of the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device can be equated to the second location information of the second communication device; or the second location information corresponding to the second communication device can be calculated based on the first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device, and so on.

[0282] In some embodiments, after determining the fourth communication device from the third communication device, the first communication device may send sixth information to the first server; wherein the sixth information is used to indicate location information related to the second communication device; the first server is a server that provides location services so that the first server can determine the location of the second communication device based on the location information related to the second communication device.

[0283] In some embodiments, the sixth information sent by the first communication device to the first server may include location information related to the second communication device and the fourth communication device bound to it; specifically, it may include at least one of the following: a first device identifier for indicating the second communication device; a measurement result of a first signal sent by the second communication device; a second device identifier for indicating the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device; and a measurement result of a second signal sent by the fourth communication device.

[0284] For example, if the first communication device determines that the fourth communication devices bound to the second communication device B1 include C2 and C3, then the sixth information sent by the first communication device may include: {B1; measurement result of the first signal; C2, C3; measurement result of the second signal sent by C2, measurement result of the second signal sent by C3}.

[0285] In some embodiments, the sixth information sent by the first communication device to the first server may include the first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device.

[0286] In some embodiments, the sixth information sent by the first communication device to the first server may include second location information corresponding to the second communication device.

[0287] In the above embodiments, by sending the location information corresponding to the second communication device to the server, the server can determine the location of the second communication device, providing strong data support for subsequent location services.

[0288] In some embodiments, an unknown location device (second communication device) can be located by a known location device or a high-capacity device (third communication device) in the environment.

[0289] In some embodiments, a known location device and / or a high-capability device reports indication information (second information) to a reader (first communication device).

[0290] In some embodiments, the indication message may be included in msg1 or msg3 reported by the device.

[0291] In some embodiments, if the current device is a known location device, the indication information is used to indicate to the reader that it has its own location information (first capability). After obtaining this indication information, for such devices, the reader can send a first R2D message (third information), which can be "Read" or "LocationRead", etc., and then the current device can report its location information to the reader.

[0292] In some embodiments, if the current device is a high-capability device, the indication information is used to indicate to the reader that it possesses high capabilities (second capability), such as the ability to perform positioning. Upon receiving this indication information, for such devices, the reader can send a second R2D message (fourth information), which triggers the positioning process for the current device. Upon receiving this message, the current device sends a first D2R signal (first reference signal) to one or more readers. This reference signal includes, but is not limited to, Preamble, uplink SRS, and other reference signals. Alternatively, one or more readers can send a reference signal (second reference signal) to the device. This reference signal includes, but is not limited to, Preamble, downlink PRS, and other reference signals. In this case, after completing the positioning measurement of the reference signal, the current device reports the measurement results to the reader. The measurement results include, but are not limited to, downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-RSTD), downlink positioning reference signal reception function / received signal strength indication (DL-PRS RSRP / RSSI), etc.

[0293] In some embodiments, after obtaining the above measurement results, the LMF / Reader calculates and stores the location information (first location information) of the high-capability device.

[0294] In some embodiments, the Reader can trigger D2R transmission (first signal and second signal) to the device at an unknown location and the device at a known location through a fourth R2D message (first information). Specifically, the transmission may include, but is not limited to, a preamble sequence, or a reflection transmission of the CW signal without superimposing any information.

[0295] In some embodiments, the reader can bind the device to be located (second communication device) to one or more known location devices (fourth communication devices) by using the D2R signal characteristics of the received known location devices, such as RSSI, signal arrival time or phase.

[0296] In some full implementation examples, the intermediate UE (corresponding to topology 2) or base station (corresponding to topology 1) will report the above-mentioned bound measurement results, which can be reported in the following format:

[0297] {Unknown location device ID, measurement result, one or more known location device IDs, measurement result of one or more bound devices}.

[0298] Figure 2H is a schematic diagram of a communication system structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2H, the Internet of Things system may include first communication devices (read / write devices) A1 to A4, second communication devices (unknown location tag devices) B1 to B8, and third communication devices (known location reference tag devices) C1 to C20.

[0299] In some embodiments, the third communication devices C1 to C20 may send second information to the first communication devices A1 to A4 to report that they possess the first capability and / or the second capability.

[0300] Based on the received second information, the first communication devices A1 to A4 can send third information to a third communication device with first capability and receive first location information reported by that third communication device. For a third communication device with second capability, they can obtain the positioning measurement result and / or first location information of that third communication device through positioning measurement operations with that third communication device.

[0301] One or more of the first communication devices A1 to A4 send first information to the second communication devices B1 to B8 and the third communication devices C1 to C20 to trigger backscattering of the second communication devices B1 to B8 and the third communication devices C1 to C20.

[0302] In response to receiving the first information, the second communication devices B1 to B8 send a first signal to the first communication device via backscattering.

[0303] In response to receiving the first information, the third communication devices C1 to C20 send a second signal to the first communication device via backscattering.

[0304] The first communication device measures the received first and second signals to obtain the measurement results for each first signal and each second signal. Based on the measurement results of each signal, the fourth communication device bound to each of the second communication devices B1 to B8 is determined from the third communication devices C1 to C20: the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device B1 is C9, the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device B2 is C10, the fourth communication devices bound to the second communication device B3 are C10 and C11, the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device B4 is C12, the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device B7 is C14, and the fourth communication device bound to the second communication device B8 is C15. There is no corresponding fourth communication device for the second communication devices B5 and B6.

[0305] Based on the binding result, the first communication device can determine the second positioning information of each second communication device: the second positioning information of B1 is the first positioning information of C9, the second positioning information of B2 is the first positioning information of C10, the second positioning information of B3 is the average of the first positioning information of C10 and C11, the second positioning information of B4 is the first positioning information of C12, the second positioning information of B7 is the first positioning information of C14, and the second positioning information of B8 is the first positioning information of C15.

[0306] The first communication device can report sixth information to the first server. The first information includes the location information corresponding to each of the second communication devices, specifically including: {B1; measurement result of the first signal of B1; C9; measurement result of the second signal of C9}, {B2; measurement result of the first signal of B2; C10; measurement result of the second signal of C10}, {B3; measurement result of the first signal of B3; C10, C11; measurement results of the second signals of C10 and C11}, {B4; measurement result of the first signal of B4; C12; measurement result of the second signal of C12}, {B7; measurement result of the first signal of B7; C14; measurement result of the second signal of C14}, {B8; measurement result of the first signal of B8; C15; measurement result of the second signal of C15}.

[0307] The first server can provide corresponding location services based on the reported sixth information.

[0308] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0309] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through a configuration file, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0310] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0311] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first communication device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The first communication device 3100 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3A, the first communication device 3100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 3101, a processing module 3102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 3101 is used to receive a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; the processing module 3102 is used to determine a fourth communication device from at least one third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device. Optionally, the transceiver module 3101 is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S200, S201, S202, S211, S212, S213, S2141, S2142, S2144, S2145, S221, S222, S223, S225, S226, S227, but not limited thereto) executed by the first communication device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S203, S214, S2143, S224, S228, but not limited thereto) executed by the first communication device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0312] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The second communication device 3200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3B, the second communication device 3200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 3201, a processing module 3202, etc. In some embodiments, the processing module 3202 is used to generate a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal; the transceiver module 3201 is used to transmit the first signal; wherein the first signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the second signal is the backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device. Optionally, the transceiver module 3201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as steps S200, S201, S202, S225, and S226, but not limited thereto) performed by the second communication device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module 3202 is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the second communication device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0313] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The third communication device 3300 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3C, the third communication device 3300 may include at least one of a transceiver module 3301, a processing module 3302, etc. In some embodiments, the processing module 3302 is used to generate a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal; the transceiver module 3301 is used to transmit the second signal; wherein the second signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine that the third communication device is a fourth communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the first signal is the backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device. Optionally, the transceiver module 3301 is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S200, S202, S202, S211, S212, S213, S2141, S2142, S2144, S2145, S221, S222, S223, S225, S227, but not limited thereto) executed by the third communication device 103 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module 3302 is used to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S214, S224, but not limited thereto) executed by the third communication device 103 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0314] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0315] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0316] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0317] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 4100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 4100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 4100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0318] As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 4100 includes one or more processors 4101. The processor 4101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 4101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 4100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0319] In some embodiments, the communication device 4100 further includes one or more transceivers 4102. When the communication device 4100 includes one or more transceivers 4102, the transceivers 4102 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S200, S201, S202, S211, S212, S213, S2141, S2142, S2144, S2145, S221, S222, S223, S225, S226, S227, but not limited thereto), and the processor 4101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S203, S214, S2143, S224, S228, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceivers may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, terms such as transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface can be used interchangeably; terms such as transmitter, transmitter unit, transmitter, and transmitter circuit can be used interchangeably; and terms such as receiver, receiver unit, receiver, and receiver circuit can be used interchangeably.

[0320] In some embodiments, the communication device 4100 further includes one or more memories 4103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 4101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 4103 to cause the communication device 4100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 4103 may also be located outside the communication device 4100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 4100 may include one or more interface circuits 4104. Optionally, the interface circuit 4104 is connected to the memory 4102 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 4102 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 4102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 4104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 4102 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 4101.

[0321] The communication device 4100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 4100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 4100 may not be limited by FIG4. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0322] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 5200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 5200 shown in Figure 5, but it is not limited thereto.

[0323] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0324] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0325] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S200, S201, S202, S211, S212, S213, S2141, S2142, S2144, S2145, S221, S222, S223, S225, S226, S227, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, chip 5200, memory 5203, or transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S203, S214, S2143, S224, S228, but not limited thereto).

[0326] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0327] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0328] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0329] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A positioning method, executed by a first communication device, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; Based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, a fourth communication device is determined from the third communication device; wherein the fourth communication device is used to determine the location of the second communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The measurement results include at least one of the following: Received signal strength RSSI; Reference signal received power; Phase; Arrival time; Angle of arrival.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fourth communication device includes a third communication device that meets the following conditions: The difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to the threshold.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first message, which instructs the second communication device to send the first signal and instructs the third communication device to send the second signal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information from the third communication device, the second information indicating that the third communication device has at least one of the following capabilities: A first capability, wherein the first capability is used to indicate that the third communication device is aware of first location information; wherein the first location information is used to indicate the location of the third communication device; The second capability is used to indicate that the third communication device supports positioning functionality.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The third communication device has the first capability, and the method further includes: Send third information to the third communication device, the third information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the first location information; Receive the first location information from the third communication device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The third communication device has the second capability, and the method further includes: Perform positioning and measurement operations with the third communication device; Determine the first location information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The operation of performing positioning measurement with the third communication device includes: Send a fourth message to the third communication device, the fourth message being used to trigger the positioning measurement operation; Receive a first reference signal from the third communication device; Determine the positioning measurement results for the first reference signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, The operation of performing positioning measurement with the third communication device includes: Send a second reference signal to the third communication device; The positioning measurement result of the second reference signal is received from the third communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, Before receiving the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal from the third communication device, the method further includes: A fifth message is sent to the third communication device, the fifth message being used to instruct the third communication device to send the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The positioning measurement results include at least one of the following: Received signal strength RSSI; Reference signal received power; Phase; Arrival time; Angle of arrival.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The method further includes: A sixth message is sent to a first server; wherein the sixth message is used to indicate location information related to the second communication device, and the first server is a server that provides location services.

13. The method according to any one of claims 6-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device, second location information is determined, and the second location information is used to indicate the location of the second communication device.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The sixth piece of information includes at least one of the following: A first device identifier is used to indicate the second communication device; A second device identifier is used to indicate the fourth communication device; The measurement results of the first signal; The measurement results of the second signal of the fourth communication device; The second location information; The first location information corresponding to the fourth communication device.

15. A positioning method characterized by, Performed by a second communication device, the method includes: Send a first signal; wherein the first signal is the backscattered signal of the second communication device, the first signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine the fourth communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the second signal is the backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The measurement results include at least one of the following: Received signal strength RSSI; Reference signal received power; Phase; Arrival time; Angle of arrival.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The fourth communication device includes a third communication device that meets the following conditions: The difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to the threshold.

18. The method of any one of claims 15-17, wherein, Before sending the first signal, the method further includes: Receive first information, the first information being used to instruct the second communication device to send the first signal.

19. A positioning method, characterized by, Performed by a third communication device, the method includes: Send a second signal; wherein the second signal is the backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine the fourth communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the first signal is the backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The measurement results include at least one of the following: Received signal strength RSSI; Reference signal received power; Phase; Arrival time; Angle of arrival.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The fourth communication device includes a third communication device that meets the following conditions: The difference between the measurement result of the second signal and the measurement result of the first signal is less than or equal to the threshold.

22. The method of any one of claims 19-21, wherein, Before sending the second signal, the method further includes: Receive first information, which is used to instruct the third communication device to send the second signal.

23. The method of any one of claims 19-22, wherein, The method further includes: Send a second message to the first communication device, the second message indicating that the third communication device has at least one of the following capabilities: A first capability, wherein the first capability is used to indicate that the third communication device is aware of first location information; wherein the first location information is used to indicate the location of the third communication device; The second capability is used to indicate that the third communication device supports positioning functionality.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The third communication device has the first capability, and the method further includes: Receive third information from the third communication device, the third information being used to instruct the third communication device to send the first location information; Send the first location information to the first communication device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein, The third communication device has the second capability, and the method further includes: Perform positioning and measurement operations with the first communication device; Determine the first location information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, Performing a positioning measurement operation with the first communication device includes: Receive fourth information from the first communication device, the fourth information being used to trigger the positioning measurement operation; Send a first reference signal to the first communication device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein, Performing a positioning measurement operation with the first communication device includes: Receive the second reference signal from the first communication device; The positioning measurement results of the second reference signal are sent to the first communication device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein, Before sending the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal to the first communication device, the method further includes: The fifth information received from the first communication device is used to instruct the third communication device to send the positioning measurement result of the second reference signal.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein, The positioning measurement results include at least one of the following: Received signal strength RSSI; Reference signal received power; Phase; Arrival time; Angle of arrival.

30. A first communication device, characterized by include: A transceiver module is used to receive a first signal and a second signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal of a second communication device, the second signal is a backscattered signal of a third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, and the third communication device is a device with a known location; A processing module is configured to determine a fourth communication device from the third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal; wherein the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

31. A second communication device, characterized by include: A processing module is used to generate a first signal; wherein the first signal is a backscattered signal; A transceiver module is used to transmit the first signal; wherein the first signal is used to enable a first communication device to determine a fourth communication device from a third communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the second signal is the backscattered signal of the third communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is a third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

32. A third communication device, characterized in that, include: A processing module is used to generate a second signal; wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal; A transceiver module is used to transmit the second signal; wherein the second signal is used to enable the first communication device to determine the third communication device as the fourth communication device based on the measurement results of the first signal and the second signal, the first signal is the backscattered signal of the second communication device, the second communication device is a device with an unknown location, the third communication device is a device with a known location, and the fourth communication device is the third communication device used to determine the location of the second communication device.

33. A communications device, characterized by The communication device is used to perform the positioning method according to any one of claims 1-14, 15-18, and 19-29.

34. A communication system, characterized by The device includes a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device, wherein the first communication device is configured to implement the positioning method according to any one of claims 1-14, the second communication device is configured to implement the positioning method according to any one of claims 15-18, and the third communication device is configured to implement the positioning method according to any one of claims 19-29.

35. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the positioning method as described in any one of claims 1-14, 15-18, and 19-29.

36. A program product comprising at least one of a program, instructions, characterized in that When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the steps of the positioning method according to any one of claims 1-14, 15-18, and 19-29.

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