Sensing method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and provides a sensing method and a communication apparatus, for reducing sensing overhead. The method comprises: receiving a first sensing signal by means of a plurality of antennas, so as to estimate angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest; and using the distinctness between the angle of arrival of a sensing signal received by the plurality of antennas and the angle of departure of the sensing signal sent by the plurality of antennas, and using the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest as prior information to select, from among the plurality of antennas, an antenna used for sending a sensing signal for sensing the target of interest. That is, there is no need for all of the plurality of antennas to send signals to estimate angle-of-departure information, and there is also no need for all of the plurality of antennas to send sensing signals for sensing the target of interest. Therefore, the occupation of antennas and the occupation of time-frequency resources by sensing signals can be reduced, that is, the sensing overhead of communication resources can be reduced.

Description

Sensing methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510121656.7, filed on January 24, 2025, entitled "Sensing Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to sensing methods and communication devices. Background Technology

[0003] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) sensing is a radar sensing system based on multi-antenna technology. It can simultaneously transmit multiple mutually orthogonal or different sensing signals through multiple transmitting antennas, generating rich spatial information. When the sensing signals strike the surface of a target, they are reflected. Multiple receiving antennas can capture the reflected signals, and multi-signal separation and processing techniques are used to analyze them, obtaining information such as the target's position, velocity, and type.

[0004] However, if each transmitting antenna transmits orthogonal signals (in the time domain / frequency domain / code domain, etc.), the overhead of sensing signals is linearly related to the number of transmitting antennas; for example, assuming M t If each of the transmitting antennas uses one symbol to transmit a sensing signal in the time domain, then the overhead of the sensing signal is M. t The symbol represents a high perceptual overhead. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a sensing method and a communication device that can reduce sensing overhead.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a sensing method is provided. This method can be executed by a first device, or by a component of the first device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first device. The method includes:

[0008] The first device receives a first sensing signal through multiple antennas; acquires angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest; determines an antenna set from the multiple antennas based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest; and transmits a second sensing signal through the antenna set. The first sensing signal is used to determine the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, the target of interest is determined based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, and the target of interest belongs to at least one sensing target. The second sensing signal is used to sense the target of interest.

[0009] Therefore, by receiving the first sensing signal through multiple antennas to estimate the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, and utilizing the dissimilarity between the angle of arrival of the sensing signals received by the multiple antennas and the departure angle of the sensing signals transmitted by the multiple antennas, the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest is used as prior information to select an antenna from the multiple antennas to transmit the sensing signal for sensing the target of interest. That is, it is not necessary for all multiple antennas to transmit signals to estimate the departure angle information, nor is it necessary for all antennas to be used to transmit the sensing signal for sensing the target of interest. Therefore, the occupancy of antennas and the occupation of sensing signals in time and frequency resources can be reduced, which can reduce the overhead of communication resources used for sensing.

[0010] In one possible design, determining an antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: obtaining K sets of candidate antennas, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P antennas from multiple antennas, and P is a positive integer; determining the received signal estimate when the second sensing signal is transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas and received, based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, where i is an integer from 1 to K; and determining the antenna set from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimate corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas and at least one performance index.

[0011] Therefore, by using the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest as prior information, the estimated received signal value when the second sensing signal transmitted by each candidate antenna set is received is predicted, and the antenna set is determined from multiple candidate antenna sets by combining performance indicators. In other words, communication resources are exchanged for computational resources, without actually transmitting sensing signals, thus reducing the overhead of communication resources used for sensing.

[0012] In one possible design, at least one sensing target also includes an environmental target, and angle-of-arrival information associated with the environmental target is also acquired; based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest and the angle-of-arrival information associated with the environmental target, the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas is received is determined.

[0013] Optionally, an antenna set is determined from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas and at least one performance metric, including: determining the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas; the at least one performance metric includes the maximum sidelobe ratio and / or the integrated sidelobe ratio; the maximum sidelobe ratio for each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the maximum values ​​of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas; the integrated sidelobe ratio for each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the sum of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

[0014] Therefore, the power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the power values ​​associated with environmental targets obtained from the received signal estimation are used as performance indicators for selecting an antenna set. Selecting an antenna set with a larger power value associated with the target of interest and a smaller power value associated with environmental targets can enhance the perception performance of the target of interest and reduce the interference of environmental targets on the target of interest.

[0015] In one possible design, acquiring the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: receiving first information from a sensing network element, the first information indicating the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0016] Optionally, the first information includes: angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; or, the identifier of the target of interest, wherein one identifier of the target of interest corresponds to one angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0017] Therefore, the target of interest can be identified and indicated through the sensing network element, which facilitates the unified management of the target of interest and the scheduling of communication resources in the communication system used for sensing the target of interest.

[0018] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target to the sensing network element; or sending the angle-of-arrival power spectrum of a first sensing signal to the sensing network element, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

[0019] Optionally, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle cell index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

[0020] Therefore, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target can be obtained by the sensing network element, which can be used to determine the target of interest. This can support the determination of the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, thereby supporting the reduction of sensing overhead.

[0021] In one possible design, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the multiple antennas receiving data from multiple antennas, passing through at least one sensing target; or, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the antennas of a second device receiving data from multiple antennas, passing through at least one sensing target. Therefore, by using a single-antenna-transmitting-multiple-antennas-receiving mode in the first device or a single-antenna-transmitting-multiple-antennas-receiving mode in the second device, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target can be determined, reducing antenna usage and overhead.

[0022] In one possible design, the sensing method further includes sending second information to a second device, the second information indicating an antenna set for sensing a target of interest. Therefore, by indicating the set of antennas for transmitting sensing signals to the second device, the second device can facilitate processing the sensing signals upon receipt.

[0023] Secondly, a sensing method is provided. This method can be executed by a sensing network element, or by a component of the sensing network element, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the sensing network element, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the sensing network element. The method includes:

[0024] The system acquires angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with at least one sensing target; determines a target of interest (ROI) based on the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target; and sends first information to a first device based on the ROI. The AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on first sensing signals received by multiple antennas of the first device. The ROI belongs to at least one sensing target, and the first information indicates the AOA information associated with the ROI.

[0025] In one possible design, determining the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: determining the range of angles of interest; determining the sensing target whose angle of arrival is within the range of angles of interest from the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target; or determining the sensing target whose power value of the angle of arrival is lower than a preset power threshold from the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0026] In one possible design, the first information includes: angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; or, the identifier of the target of interest, wherein one identifier of the target of interest corresponds to one angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0027] In one possible design, acquiring angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: receiving angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target from a first device; or, receiving the angle-of-arrival power spectrum of a first sensing signal from the first device, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

[0028] In one possible design, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle cell index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

[0029] Thirdly, a sensing method is provided, which can be executed by a first device, or by a component of the first device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first device. The method includes:

[0030] The first device receives a first sensing signal through multiple antennas; receives third information; and transmits a second sensing signal through an antenna set. The first sensing signal is used to determine angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. The third information indicates the antenna set, which is determined based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest. The target of interest is determined based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, and the target of interest belongs to at least one sensing target. The second sensing signal is used to sense the target of interest.

[0031] In one possible design, angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensed target is sent to the sensing network element; or, the angle-of-arrival power spectrum of a first sensing signal is sent to the sensing network element, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensed target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

[0032] In one possible design, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle cell index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

[0033] In one possible design, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the antennas of a plurality of antennas receiving data and passing through at least one sensing target; or, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the antennas of a second device receiving data and passing through at least one sensing target.

[0034] In one possible design, the sensing method further includes sending second information to a second device, the second information instructing an antenna set for sensing a target of interest.

[0035] Fourthly, a sensing method is provided. This method can be executed by a sensing network element, or by a component of the sensing network element, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the sensing network element, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the sensing network element. The method includes:

[0036] The system acquires angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with at least one sensing target; determines a target of interest (ROI) based on the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target; determines an antenna set from a plurality of antennas based on the AOA information associated with the ROI; and transmits third information. The AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on first sensing signals received by the plurality of antennas of the first device. The ROI belongs to at least one sensing target. The third information indicates the antenna set used to sense the ROI.

[0037] In one possible design, determining an antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: obtaining K sets of candidate antennas, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P antennas from multiple antennas, and P is a positive integer; determining the received signal estimate when the second sensing signal is transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas and received, based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, where i is an integer from 1 to K; and determining the antenna set from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimate corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas and at least one performance index.

[0038] In one possible design, at least one sensing target further includes an environmental target, and the method further includes: acquiring angle-of-arrival information associated with the environmental target; and determining, based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest, an estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas, including: determining, based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest and the angle-of-arrival information associated with the environmental target, an estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas.

[0039] Optionally, an antenna set is determined from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas and at least one performance metric, including: determining the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas; the at least one performance metric includes the maximum sidelobe ratio and / or the integrated sidelobe ratio; the maximum sidelobe ratio for each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the maximum values ​​of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas; the integrated sidelobe ratio for each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the sum of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

[0040] In one possible design, determining the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: determining the range of angles of interest; determining the sensing target whose angle of arrival is within the range of angles of interest from the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target; or determining the sensing target whose power value of the angle of arrival is lower than a preset power threshold from the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0041] In one possible design, acquiring angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: receiving angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target from a first device; or, receiving the angle-of-arrival power spectrum of a first sensing signal from the first device, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

[0042] In one possible design, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle cell index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

[0043] Fifthly, a sensing method is provided, which can be executed by a second device, or by a component of the second device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the second device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the second device. The method includes:

[0044] The system receives second information; it receives a second sensing signal transmitted by the antenna set, and processes the second information to obtain the sensing result of the target of interest. The second information indicates the antenna set, which is used to sense the target of interest.

[0045] Sixthly, a communication device is provided. This communication device is used to execute the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0046] In this application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect can be an access point device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the access point device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the access point device.

[0047] It should be understood that the communication device described in the sixth aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects above. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned sensing method.

[0048] A seventh aspect provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the seventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs and / or data related to the sensing method described in any of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0051] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be an access point device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the access point device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the access point device.

[0052] Eighthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0053] In one possible design, the communication device described in the eighth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the eighth aspect and other communication devices.

[0054] In this application, the communication device described in the eighth aspect can be an access point device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the access point device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed in a terminal device or network device.

[0055] A ninth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0056] In one possible design, the communication device described in the ninth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the ninth aspect and other communication devices.

[0057] In this application, the communication device described in the ninth aspect can be an access point device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the access point device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the access point device.

[0058] A tenth aspect provides a communication device comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a sensing method according to the computer program as described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0059] In one possible design, the communication device described in the tenth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the tenth aspect and other communication devices.

[0060] In this application, the communication device described in the tenth aspect can be an access point device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the access point device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the access point device.

[0061] Eleventhly, a processor is provided. The processor is configured to execute the sensing method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0062] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes multiple devices, which may include at least one first device, at least one sensing network element, or at least one second device.

[0063] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, causing the computer to perform the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0064] Fourteenthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the sensing method described in any one of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects.

[0065] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication devices described in the sixth to fourteenth aspects above can be referred to the technical effects of the sensing methods described in the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspects above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the scene perception;

[0067] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a dual-station sensing mode;

[0068] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the sensing scenarios to which the sensing method provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable;

[0071] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the angle of arrival associated with at least one sensed target provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of the sensing method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 10 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0076] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, such as new radio access technology (NR) systems, and future evolution communication systems.

[0077] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions in this application, the technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0078] 1. Sensing Signal: The signal used for sensing. The initial amplitude and phase of the sensing signal transmitted by the transmitter are known to the receiver. One approach is to pre-configure the initial amplitude and phase information of the sensing signal to the receiver using methods such as configuration sequences, for example, channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS) and other possible reference signals used for sensing. Alternatively, the sensing signal can also be a communication signal carrying data, allowing the receiver to calculate the initial amplitude and phase information of each data signal based on data verification results and known modulation schemes. Or, other wireless signals that allow the receiver to obtain its initial amplitude and phase information can also be used.

[0079] 2. Cognitive Perception: This is an intelligent radar system that combines artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. By perceiving and learning from the surrounding environment in real time, it dynamically adjusts its parameters and operating methods, thereby improving its target detection and classification capabilities. In other words, it can learn and adapt to changing environments in real time. For example, it can adjust its transmission waveform based on the target's behavior patterns / prior information, thus capturing target features more efficiently.

[0080] 3. Target: refers to any tangible object in the environment that can reflect electromagnetic waves, such as mountains, forests, or buildings. It may also include mobile objects such as vehicles, drones, pedestrians, and terminal devices. Target may also be referred to as a sensed target, a detected target, a sensed object, a sensed device, or a sensed device, etc., and this application does not limit the terminology.

[0081] The environment contains perceived targets, which can be categorized into moving targets (e.g., vehicles, drones) and stationary targets (e.g., roads, tall buildings) based on whether they are moving. Depending on the method used to model scattering points, perceived targets can also be classified into point targets (e.g., small drones) and extended multi-point targets (also known as area targets, such as large buildings).

[0082] 4. Integrated communication and sensing:

[0083] In the evolution from 5G to 5G enhancement and future mobile communication technologies, integrated communication and sensing technology is considered one of the key technologies for expanding the service capabilities of mobile communication networks. The core idea of ​​this technology is to add sensing capabilities to the mobile communication network, building the ability to detect and image targets, thereby integrating communication and sensing capabilities into a single network, achieving harmonious coexistence and even mutual benefit.

[0084] The technical principles of sensing differ somewhat from those of communication. Communication involves the transmitter modulating information onto radio waves and sending it to the receiver, which then demodulates the signal to obtain the information. In wireless communication systems, communication can be categorized into different types based on the types of transmitting and receiving nodes. Generally, sending information from network equipment or base stations (BS) to terminal equipment or user equipment is called downlink (DL) communication, while sending information from user equipment (UE) to network equipment is called uplink (UL) communication. In 5G, the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) are used for DL ​​and UL transmission of unicast data, respectively. The physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) is used by UEs to send feedback information, channel state reports, and uplink scheduling requests. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is used to transmit downlink control information (DCI), primarily for scheduling decisions of PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH.

[0085] Sensing requires the transmitter to send radio waves in a specific direction. When the radio waves hit the target surface, they will form reflected waves. The receiver can then receive and process the reflected waves to obtain information such as the target's position, speed, and type.

[0086] Perception can generally be divided into two types based on its mode: single-site perception and dual-site perception. In single-site perception, the transmitting and receiving ends of the perception signal are the same device. In terms of the perception process, the site must both transmit the perception signal and receive the reflected signal from the target surface. Therefore, the single-site perception mode is also called the self-transmitting and self-receiving mode. For dual-site perception, the transmitting and receiving ends of the perception signal are two different devices. In terms of the perception process, after the perception site A transmits the perception signal, the signal reflected from the target surface is received by the perception site B. Therefore, the dual-site perception mode is also called the A-transmitting and B-receiving mode. As shown in Figure 1, from the perspective of perception mode, it can include the 6 sub-scenarios shown in Figure 1, such as base station self-transmitting and self-receiving, base station A transmitting and base station B receiving, base station transmitting and UE receiving, UE self-transmitting and self-receiving, UE transmitting and base station receiving, and UE A transmitting and UE B receiving. Among them, sub-scenarios (3) to (6) are also called UE-assisted perception scenarios.

[0087] 5. MIMO sensing:

[0088] MIMO sensing is a radar sensing system based on multi-antenna technology. It can simultaneously transmit multiple mutually orthogonal or different signals through multiple transmitting antennas to generate rich spatial information; multiple receiving antennas capture the reflected signals and analyze them using multi-signal separation and processing techniques.

[0089] MIMO sensing utilizes multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to estimate the departure angle and arrival angle of a wireless signal. As shown in Figure 2, assuming a bi-site sensing mode is used, the transmitting device (TX) is configured with M... T One transmitting antenna, and the receiving device (RX) is configured with M R One receiving antenna, using x m Let (n) represent the discrete baseband signal transmitted by the m-th transmitting antenna at symbol n. Then the transmitted signal of the transmitting device at symbol n is:

[0090] As shown in Figure 2, the transmitted signal x(n) from the transmitting device is scattered by the target vehicle and received by the receiving antenna of the receiving device. Assuming the target's scattering cross-section is α, the propagation delay of this scattering path (TX-target-RX) is τ. T ,τ R The departure angle and arrival angle are θ. T ,θ R The antenna spacing between adjacent transmitting antennas is d. T The antenna spacing between adjacent receiving antennas is d. R The interference and noise signals are ∈(n), and the center frequency of the carrier carrying the sensing signal is f. cThen the received signal of the k-th receiving antenna of the receiving device is:

[0091] The received signals from all receiving antennas of the receiving device are:

[0092] Based on the received signal y(n) above, the departure angle and arrival angle θ can be estimated using discrete Fourier transform or other super-resolution algorithms. T ,θ R .

[0093] The aforementioned MIMO sensing scheme requires each transmit antenna of the transmitting equipment to transmit orthogonal signals (in the time domain / frequency domain / code domain, etc.), and the overhead of the sensing signal is linearly related to the number of transmit antennas. Assume M... t If each of the transmitting antennas uses one symbol to transmit a sensing signal in the time domain, then the overhead of the sensing signal is M. t Each symbol has a high perceptual overhead.

[0094] Cognitive perception, as a novel sensing mechanism, can be combined with MIMO sensing to utilize the target's departure angle θ. T Prior information such as parameters or power spectrum is used to optimize the entire M... t Of the transmitting antennas, a subset is preferred, for example, M′. t (M′) t <M t This involves transmitting sensing signals to achieve departure angle estimation without loss of accuracy or at a minimal loss of precision. In this case, compared to traditional MIMO sensing transmission... t One symbol overhead, only M′ is needed t The scheme incurs a symbolic cost. However, this method aims to obtain the departure angle θ. T Prior information on parameters still requires M t The use of multiple transmitting antennas to send sensing signals prevents cost reduction.

[0095] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes the following technical solutions. The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0096] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0097] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0098] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0099] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0100] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0101] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0102] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0103] Third, "pre-defined," "pre-configured," or "pre-specified" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0104] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0105] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0106] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0107] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application is described in detail. This communication system may include a first device and a sensing network element. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application applies; the first device may be any network device or terminal device in the radio access network, and the sensing network element may be a network element or functional entity in the core network. Optionally, the communication system may further include a second device; the second device may be any network device or terminal device in the radio access network. The first device may be configured with multiple antennas, meaning two or more, which can be used for MIMO sensing. The second device may be configured with one or more antennas.

[0108] As shown in Figure 3, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node / network device (110a and 110b in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 3). Terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0109] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, or a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0110] A network device / RAN node is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. For example, this network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a transmission reception point (TRP), a 3GPP later-evolved base station, an access node in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, or a wireless backhaul node. A network device can contain one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission reception points. Furthermore, a network device can include a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or both CU and DU. This allows multiple network functional entities to implement some of the functions of the wireless access network device. These network functional entities can be network elements within hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). In vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the network device can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate with terminal devices, or they can communicate with terminal devices through relay stations. The network device in this application can also be a device with sensing capabilities, capable of transmitting sensing signals and receiving and processing echo signals reflected by targets in the environment. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device used to implement the network device's functions can be a network device itself, or a network device with some base station functions, such as a CU or DU. It can also be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing this function, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device.

[0111] The terminal device can be a user-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities, including fixed devices, mobile devices, handheld devices (such as mobile phones), wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, or wireless devices built into the aforementioned devices (e.g., communication modules, modems, or chip systems). Terminal devices are used to connect people, things, and machines, and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, V2X communication, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) communication, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical care, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, and robots. For example, a terminal device can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone, etc. Terminal devices are sometimes referred to as user equipment (UE), user terminal, user device, user unit, user station, terminal, access terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, mobile device, or wireless communication device, etc.

[0112] The equipment in core network 200 can be referred to as core network equipment, which provides service support for terminal equipment. Currently, as shown in Figure 4, it includes the following core network equipment: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) entity, User Plane Function (UPF) entity, Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) entity, Unified Data Management (UDM) entity, Policy Control Function (PCF) entity, Location Management Function (LMF) entity, Network Exposure Function (NEF) entity, Application Function (AF) entity, Session Management Function (SMF) entity, etc., which are not listed here. Among them, the AMF is mainly responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as user location updates, user network registration, and user handover. The SMF is mainly responsible for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release. Specific functions include assigning IP addresses to users and selecting the UPF that provides packet forwarding functions. The PCF is responsible for providing policies to the AMF and SMF, such as QoS policies and slice selection policies. The UDM is used to store user data, such as subscription information and authentication / authorization information. The AF is responsible for providing services to the 3GPP network, such as influencing service routing and interacting with the PCF for policy control. The NEF exposes the capabilities of each NF and is responsible for converting internal and external information. The UPF is mainly responsible for processing user packets, such as forwarding and billing. Service nodes of network functions communicate through service-based interfaces (SBIs). In Figure 4, N1, N2, N3, and N8 are the sequence numbers of the service-based interfaces.

[0113] It should be noted that in this application, an entity can also be referred to as a network element or a functional entity. For example, an AMF entity can also be referred to as an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity, and an SMF entity can also be referred to as an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, etc.

[0114] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the core network 200 also includes sensing network elements, also known as sensing functions (SF) or sensing function entities. Interfaces have been added between the SF and other network elements such as the AMF for interaction, including NS, NS1-NS7. Sensing control signaling between the SF and the RAN / UE can be transmitted via the AMF or directly. Sensing measurement data acquired by the RAN / UE can be transmitted to the SF via the control plane or user plane. The user plane data can be forwarded via the UPF or directly transmitted to the SF. It should be understood that this example only uses the SF 5G core network converged deployment; the SF can also be deployed independently or within the RAN.

[0115] The aforementioned communication system can be applied to any of the sensing scenarios shown in Figure 1. Application scenarios for reporting sensing information include terminal transmission and network device reception, and network device transmission and core network reception. Figure 5 exemplarily illustrates a sensing scenario where a terminal device transmits a sensing signal, which is reflected by the sensing target (a car) to form a reflected signal, and the network device receives the reflected signal. The terminal device transmits a sensing signal, and the network device receives the reflected signal generated when the sensing signal encounters a sensing target in the environment, thereby sensing the target's position, speed, and other sensing results.

[0116] In the aforementioned communication system, a first sensing signal is received through multiple antennas of the first device; angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with a target of interest is acquired; an antenna set is determined from the multiple antennas based on the AOA information associated with the target of interest; and a second sensing signal is transmitted through the antenna set. Specifically, the first sensing signal is used to determine the AOA information associated with at least one sensing target, the target of interest is determined based on the AOA information associated with at least one sensing target, and the target of interest belongs to at least one sensing target; the second sensing signal is used to sense the target of interest.

[0117] Therefore, by receiving the first sensing signal through multiple antennas to estimate the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, and utilizing the dissimilarity between the angle of arrival of the sensing signals received by the multiple antennas and the departure angle of the sensing signals transmitted by the multiple antennas, the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest is used as prior information to select an antenna from the multiple antennas to transmit the sensing signal for sensing the target of interest. That is, it is not necessary for all multiple antennas to transmit signals to estimate the departure angle information, nor is it necessary for all antennas to be used to transmit the sensing signal for sensing the target of interest. Therefore, the occupancy of antennas and the occupation of sensing signals in time and frequency resources can be reduced, which can reduce the overhead of communication resources used for sensing.

[0118] It should be understood that the sensing method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the device shown in Figure 4, such as between a terminal device and a network device, or between a network device and a sensing network element. Specific implementations can be found in the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The solutions in this application embodiment can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced with the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0119] It should also be understood that Figure 4 is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding only, and the communication system may also include other network devices and / or other terminal devices, which are not shown in Figure 4.

[0120] The interaction process between devices in the above-described communication system will be specifically described below with reference to Figure 6, through a method embodiment. The sensing method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the above-described communication system, such as the interaction between the first device and the sensing network element. The following description takes the first device as a network device as an example.

[0121] As shown in Figure 6, the flow of this sensing method is as follows:

[0122] S601: Receive the first sensing signal through multiple antennas of the first device.

[0123] For example, the first device is a network device. Here, "multiple antennas" can refer to all the antennas of the network device; for example, if the network device has 128 antennas, then "multiple antennas" refers to all 128 antennas.

[0124] The first sensing signal is used to determine the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0125] In this embodiment, multiple antennas of the network device can receive sensing signals transmitted by a single antenna of the network device or other devices to determine the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, thereby reducing antenna usage and lowering overhead. The following S601A and S601B are two optional implementations of receiving the first sensing signal through multiple antennas of the network device:

[0126] S601A: A first sensing signal is received by multiple antennas of a network device. The first sensing signal can also be a signal received by the network device and transmitted by one antenna of a second device, passing through at least one sensing target. The second device can be a terminal device, i.e., a bi-station sensing mode where the terminal device transmits and the network device receives. For example, one antenna of the multiple antennas of the second device transmits a signal, in which part or all of the electromagnetic waves are reflected by at least one sensing target, and then the multiple antennas of the network device receive the reflected electromagnetic waves (i.e., the first sensing signal, also known as the echo signal).

[0127] Alternatively, in S601B, a first sensing signal is received by multiple antennas of the network device. This first sensing signal can be a signal received by the multiple antennas of the network device, transmitted by one of the antennas, and passing through at least one sensing target; that is, a single-site sensing mode where the network device transmits and receives signals independently. For example, one of the multiple antennas of the network device transmits a signal, in which some or all of the electromagnetic waves are reflected by at least one sensing target, and then the multiple antennas of the network device receive the reflected electromagnetic waves.

[0128] It should be understood that S601A and S601B are two parallel implementation methods, and either one can be chosen for specific implementation. Secondly, two or more antennas from a plurality of antennas or multiple antennas from the second device can be used to transmit signals passing through at least one sensing target. This embodiment does not limit the number of antennas used by the transmitting end to transmit sensing signals.

[0129] Wherein, at least one sensing target is a tangible object that can reflect electromagnetic waves and have the reflected electromagnetic waves received by the network device; for example, tangible objects in the environment, such as vehicles, drones, pedestrians, terminal devices, buildings, etc., can reflect electromagnetic waves, and the network device can receive the electromagnetic waves reflected by at least one tangible object, then the at least one tangible object is at least one sensing target.

[0130] The angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target can refer to the angle between the scattering path corresponding to at least one sensing target and the plane where the antenna panel of the network device is located. The scattering path corresponding to at least one sensing target can be the transmitter of the first sensing signal - at least one sensing target - the receiver (network device) corresponding to the first sensing signal. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the terminal is the transmitter, and the scattering path corresponding to sensing target 1 can be the terminal device - sensing target 1 - network device. The angle of arrival information associated with sensing target 1 can be θ. R1 The information; the scattering path corresponding to the sensing target 2 can be terminal device-sensing target 2-network device, and the angle of arrival information associated with the sensing target 2 can be θ. R2 The information is as follows. For ease of understanding, Figure 7 is presented as an example where the planes on both the receiver and transmitter antenna panels are perpendicular to the horizontal plane. It should be understood that Figure 7 is only a schematic diagram and does not limit the planes on both the receiver and transmitter antenna panels. The planes on both the receiver and transmitter antenna panels are related to their respective spatial locations and the physical locations of their antenna panels within their respective devices.

[0131] The specific form of the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is not limited. For example, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target may be the respective identifier (e.g., number, identity marker, etc.) and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target, wherein the angle of arrival range may also indicate a specific angle, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0132] Table 1

[0133] For example, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target may be the identifier and angle cell index of each of the at least one sensing target, as shown in Table 2:

[0134] Table 2

[0135] The specific angle unit is not limited and can be customized according to the actual application. Assuming the number of antennas M and the oversampling factor k in the network device, the angle of arrival dimension is divided into kM angle units.

[0136] Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the specific implementation of the network device determining the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target based on the first sensing signal; the first sensing signal can be processed using discrete Fourier transform or other super-resolution algorithms to obtain the angle of arrival power spectrum, and the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target can be obtained by performing constant false alarm rate decision on the angle of arrival power spectrum.

[0137] For example, suppose the signal transmitted by the network device or the second device through one antenna is x1(n), and the first sensing signal y(n) received by the network device through multiple antennas satisfies the following relationship:

[0138] Where M represents the specific number of antennas, i.e., the network device has M antennas, α represents the scattering cross-section of at least one target being sensed, and τ T ,τ R Indicates the propagation delay of the scattering path (network device or second device - at least one sensing target - network device); d represents the angle of arrival of the first sensing signal. R The distance between adjacent antennas in a plurality of antennas is represented by f, ∈(n) represents interference and noise signals, and f c This indicates the center frequency of the carrier wave carrying the first sensing signal.

[0139] Network devices use Discrete Fourier Transform or other super-resolution algorithms to process y(n) to obtain... The power spectrum.

[0140] S602: The sensing element acquires the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the network device sends angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with at least one sensing target to the sensing network element; correspondingly, the sensing network element receives the AOA information associated with at least one sensing target from the network device. In this case, the network device needs to perform a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) decision on the AOA power spectrum of the first sensing signal to obtain the AOA information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0142] In one possible implementation, the network device sends the angle-of-arrival (AOA) power spectrum of a first sensing signal to the sensing network element; correspondingly, the sensing network element receives the AOA power spectrum of the first sensing signal from the network device. The AOA information associated with at least one sensing target is determined based on the AOA power spectrum, for example, it can be obtained by the sensing network element performing a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) decision on the AOA power spectrum.

[0143] Therefore, the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target can be obtained by the sensing network element, which can be used to determine the target of interest. This can support the determination of the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, thereby supporting the reduction of sensing overhead.

[0144] S603: The sensing element determines the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0145] A target of interest is at least one perceived target. The number of targets of interest is not limited; there can be one or more. Optionally, the at least one perceived target may also include an environmental target. An environmental target can refer to a target within the environment in which the target of interest resides, i.e., a target that is not of immediate interest and does not require perception or analysis of the perception results. It should be understood that targets of interest and environmental targets are not fixed; they may transform into each other as the perception process progresses, and environmental targets may also change into other tangible objects.

[0146] The specific implementation method for a sensing network element to determine a target of interest based on angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is not limited. It may include, but is not limited to, the following implementation methods:

[0147] In one possible implementation, the sensing element determines the range of angles of interest; then, the sensing element determines that among the angles of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose angle of arrival falls within the range of angles of interest is the target of interest. For example, if the sensing element determines the range of angles of interest to be [10°, 20°], then the sensing target marked as 1 in Table 1 is the target of interest, and the other targets are environmental targets.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the sensing network element determines that among the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose power value of the angle of arrival is lower than a preset power threshold is the target of interest. The preset power threshold is not limited and can be customized according to the actual application. A power value lower than the preset threshold indicates that the target has a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and low sensing accuracy. Treating it as a target of interest can improve its sensing performance.

[0149] S604: The first device acquires the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0150] For example, the first device is a network device.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the sensing network element sends first information; correspondingly, the network device receives the first information, which indicates the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest. Therefore, the target of interest can be determined and indicated by the sensing network element, facilitating unified management of the target of interest and the scheduling of communication resources in the communication system used for sensing the target of interest.

[0152] For example, the first information includes angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest; for instance, the first information may include the correspondence between the identifier of the target of interest and the angle-of-arrival range or angle cell index, as shown in Table 1 or Table 2. In this case, the network device may send the angle-of-arrival power spectrum of the first sensing signal to the sensing network element.

[0153] For example, the first information includes the identifier of the target of interest, with each identifier corresponding to an angle of arrival associated with that target. For instance, the first information may only include the identifiers of the targets of interest as shown in Table 1 or Table 2; it should be understood that if there is more than one target of interest, the first information includes a set of identifiers of those targets. After receiving the first information, the network device can, based on the identifier of interest, obtain the angle of arrival associated with the target of interest from the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. In this case, the network device can send the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target to the sensing network element.

[0154] It should be understood that steps S602-S603 can also be executed by the network device, in which case the network device can obtain the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest. This can be achieved by the network device having a sensing function deployed within it, with steps S602-S603 executed by the sensing function; or by the network device directly executing steps S602-S603.

[0155] S605: The first device determines an antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0156] For example, the first device is a network device. The antenna set may include at least one antenna from the multiple antennas of the network device; the number of antennas in the antenna set is not limited, and the number of antennas in the antenna set may be less than the total number of antennas of the network device; for example, if the network device has 128 antennas, the number of antennas in the antenna set may be 64, 80, 100, etc.

[0157] The specific implementation method by which the network device determines the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest is not limited. The network device divides multiple antennas into K groups of candidate antenna sets. By using the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest as prior information, it can estimate the received signal value when the second sensing signal transmitted by each candidate antenna set is received, and combine it with performance indicators to determine the antenna set from multiple candidate antenna sets. That is, it exchanges computational resources for communication resources without actually transmitting sensing signals, thus reducing the overhead of communication resources used for sensing.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the network device determines an antenna set from multiple antennas based on angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest, which may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0159] 1. The network device obtains a set of K candidate antennas.

[0160] Where K is the number of combinations of P antennas selected from multiple antennas, and P is a positive integer.

[0161] For example, a network device has M antennas. Assume the number of antennas in the candidate antenna set is P, where P can be an integer from 1 to M. It should be understood that to ensure sensing accuracy, a minimum number of antennas in the antenna set can also be limited, in which case the value of P can be from the minimum number to M. Therefore, the number of antennas in the candidate antenna set... There are K possible combinations of selecting P antennas from M antennas. Each set of candidate antennas B can be represented by the following formula:

[0162] Where t represents the t-th antenna among M antennas, and its value ranges from 1 to M; β t The value can be 0 or 1, where 1 indicates that the antenna is included in the candidate antenna set, and 0 indicates that the antenna is not included in the candidate antenna set; ∑ t＝0 β t =P represents the condition, that is, the number of antennas in the set of candidate antennas is P.

[0163] It should be understood that a set of K candidate antennas can also be pre-configured.

[0164] Second, the network device determines the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas is received, based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest. i is an integer from 1 to K.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the network device polls each set of candidate antennas, using the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest as prior information for the departure angle of the second sensing signal transmitted by the candidate antenna set, and determines the estimated received signal value corresponding to the candidate antenna set. For example, taking a base station and a user terminal as an example, since the BS-to-UE-to-receive radio link and the UE-to-BS-to-receive radio link are reciprocal, the BS-to-UE-to-receive link... This can be considered equal to the UE transmitting and receiving link of the BS. That is, using the angle of arrival of the UE transmitting and the BS receiving. Parameter information as the departure angle in BS transmit / UE receive mode Prior information about parameters.

[0166] In one possible implementation, if at least one sensing target also includes an environmental target, the network device can acquire angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with the environmental target. If an identifier of a target of interest is received, the network device considers the other targets among the at least one sensing targets as environmental targets and acquires the AOA information associated with the environmental target from the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target. Based on the AOA information associated with the target of interest and the AOA information associated with the environmental target, the network device determines the received signal estimate when the second sensing signal transmitted through the i-th candidate antenna set in the K candidate antenna sets is received. That is, the network device polls each candidate antenna set, using the AOA information associated with the target of interest and the AOA information associated with the environmental target as prior information for the departure angle of the candidate antenna set transmitting the second sensing signal, and determines the received signal estimate corresponding to the candidate antenna set.

[0167] For example, the second sensing signal corresponding to the i-th set of candidate antennas can be represented by the following formula:

[0168] The estimated received signal for the i-th set of candidate antennas can be expressed by the following formula:

[0169] in, Information indicating the angle of arrival associated with the target of interest; Information indicating the angle of arrival associated with environmental targets.

[0170] 3. Determine the antenna set from the K groups of candidate antenna sets based on the estimated received signal value and at least one performance index corresponding to each of the K groups of candidate antenna sets.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the network device determines the angular power value associated with the target of interest for each of the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates for each of the K sets of candidate antennas. At least one performance metric may be to select the candidate antenna set with the largest power value among the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest as the antenna set.

[0172] In one possible implementation, if at least one sensing target also includes an environmental target, then the network device determines the angular power value associated with the target of interest and the angular power value associated with the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

[0173] At least one performance metric includes the maximum sidelobe ratio and / or the integrated sidelobe ratio; the maximum sidelobe ratio for each of the K candidate antenna sets is the ratio between the maximum value of the angular power value associated with the target of interest and the angular power value associated with the environmental target for each of the K candidate antenna sets; the integrated sidelobe ratio for each of the K candidate antenna sets is the ratio between the sum of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target for each of the K candidate antenna sets.

[0174] The antenna set with the largest maximum sidelobe ratio and / or integrated sidelobe ratio among the K candidate antenna sets can be selected. Therefore, the power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the environmental targets obtained from the received signal estimation can be used as performance indicators for selecting the antenna set. Selecting an antenna set with a larger power value associated with the target of interest and a smaller power value associated with the environmental targets can enhance the perception performance of the target of interest and reduce the interference of environmental targets on the target of interest.

[0175] For example, the received signal prediction is processed using discrete Fourier transform or other super-resolution algorithms to obtain the angular power spectrum, and the angle associated with the perceived target of interest corresponding to the i-th set of candidate antennas is determined. The power value is P int The power value of the angle associated with environmental objectives is P. env,j .

[0176] The performance index γ corresponding to the i-th group of candidate antennas i To achieve the maximum sidelobe ratio, the following equation can be satisfied:

[0177] Or the performance index γ corresponding to the i-th group of candidate antennas i For the integral sidelobe ratio, the following equation can be satisfied:

[0178] S606: The first device transmits a second sensing signal through an antenna array.

[0179] The second sensing signal is used to sense the target of interest.

[0180] For example, the first device is a network device. A single-site sensing mode or a dual-site sensing mode can be used to sense the target of interest. The following S606A and S606B are examples of how the second sensing signal transmitted by the network device through an antenna array is received by the network device (single-site sensing mode) and by the second device (dual-site sensing mode), respectively:

[0181] S606A: The network device transmits a second sensing signal through an antenna array, and correspondingly, the network device receives the second sensing signal transmitted through the antenna array. Furthermore, the network device can process the received signal to obtain the sensing result of the target of interest, i.e., a single-site sensing mode where the network device transmits and receives signals independently. The sensing result may include departure angle and arrival angle information associated with the target of interest, the target's speed, distance, and other information.

[0182] Alternatively, S606B: The network device transmits a second sensing signal through an antenna set, and correspondingly, the second device receives the second sensing signal transmitted through the antenna set. Optionally, before the network device transmits the second sensing signal through the antenna set, the network device may send second information to the second device; correspondingly, the second device receives the second information, which instructs the antenna set to be used for sensing the target of interest; furthermore, when the second device receives the second sensing signal transmitted by the antenna set, it can process the second information to obtain the sensing result of the target of interest; the second device can be a terminal, i.e., a dual-site sensing mode where the network device transmits and the base station receives. Therefore, by instructing the second device on the set of antennas used to transmit the sensing signal, it is convenient for the second device to process the sensing signal upon receiving it.

[0183] In summary, by receiving the first sensing signal through multiple antennas to estimate the angle of arrival (AHA) information associated with the target of interest, and utilizing the dissimilarity between the AHA of the received sensing signals and the departure angle of the transmitted sensing signals, the AHA information associated with the target of interest is used as prior information to select the antenna from the multiple antennas to transmit the sensing signal for the target of interest. That is, it is not necessary for all multiple antennas to transmit signals to estimate the departure angle information, nor is it necessary for all antennas to be used to transmit the sensing signal for the target of interest. Therefore, the occupancy of antennas and the time-frequency resource occupation of sensing signals can be reduced, which can reduce the overhead of communication resources used for sensing.

[0184] The sensing network element can also determine an antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, and then indicate the antenna set to the network device. The sensing method provided by another embodiment of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 8. This method can be applied to the above-mentioned communication system, such as the interaction between the first device and the sensing network element. The first device will be specifically described below as the network device.

[0185] As shown in Figure 8, the process of this sensing method is as follows:

[0186] S801: The first device receives a first sensing signal through multiple antennas of the first device. The first sensing signal is used to determine angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target.

[0187] S802: The sensing network element acquires angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. The angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target is determined based on first sensing signals received by multiple antennas of the first device.

[0188] S803: The sensing network element determines the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. The target of interest belongs to at least one sensing target.

[0189] S804: The sensing network element determines the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

[0190] S805: The sensing network element sends third information, and correspondingly, the first device receives the third information.

[0191] The third information indicates the antenna set, which is used to sense targets of interest.

[0192] The third information can directly indicate the antenna number in the antenna set, that is, the antenna number used to transmit the second sensing signal. Alternatively, the third information can correspond to an indicator bitmap for each antenna, with 1 indicating that the antenna is used to transmit the second sensing signal and 0 indicating that the antenna is not used to transmit the second sensing signal, thereby indicating the antenna set.

[0193] For example, the first device has a total of 8 transmitting antennas. The antennas in the antenna set indicated by the third information can be the 0th, 2nd, 4th, and 6th antennas. Therefore, the third information can include (0, 2, 4, 6) or (10101010).

[0194] S806: The first device transmits a second sensing signal through an antenna array, the second sensing signal being used to sense a target of interest.

[0195] The specific implementations of S801-S804 and S806 can be referred to the embodiments shown in Figure 6. For example, the implementation of "the sensing network element determines the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest" in S804 can refer to the implementation of "the network device determines the antenna set from multiple antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest" in S605. Also, S801 can refer to S601, S802 can refer to S602, S803 can refer to S603, and so on, which will not be elaborated here.

[0196] The sensing method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 6-8. The communication device used to perform the sensing method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

[0197] For example, FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG9, the communication device 900 includes a transceiver module 901 and a processing module 902. For ease of explanation, FIG9 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0198] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG3 to perform the function of the first device in the sensing method shown in FIG6.

[0199] Transceiver module 901 is configured to receive a first sensing signal through multiple antennas of the first device, the first sensing signal being used to determine angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to acquire angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest, the target of interest being determined based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, and the target of interest belonging to the at least one sensing target. Processing module 902 is configured to determine an antenna set from the multiple antennas based on the angle-of-arrival information associated with the target of interest. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to transmit a second sensing signal through the antenna set, the second sensing signal being used to sense the target of interest.

[0200] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG3 to perform the function of the first device in the sensing method shown in FIG8.

[0201] Transceiver module 901 is configured to receive a first sensing signal via a plurality of antennas of the first device, the first sensing signal being used to determine angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to receive third information indicating the antenna set, the antenna set being determined based on angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest, the target of interest being determined based on angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, the target of interest belonging to the at least one sensing target. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to transmit a second sensing signal via the antenna set, the second sensing signal being used to sense the target of interest.

[0202] For details on the specific implementation of the functions of the first device, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the methods provided in Figures 6 and 8, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the transceiver module 901 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in Figure 9). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 900.

[0203] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 901 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 900 can perform the functions of the first device in the sensing method shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 8.

[0204] It should be understood that the transceiver module 901 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0205] Furthermore, the communication device 900 can be the first device, a chip (system), or other components or parts, or it can be a device included in the first device; this application does not limit this. The aforementioned chip (system) or other components or parts can all be disposed within the first device. The technical effects of the communication device 900 can be referred to the technical effects of the sensing method shown in Figure 6 or Figure 8, and will not be repeated here.

[0206] In other embodiments, the communication device 900 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG3 to perform the functions of the sensing network element in the sensing method shown in FIG6.

[0207] Transceiver module 901 is configured to acquire angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with at least one sensing target, the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target being determined based on first sensing signals received by a plurality of antennas of the first device. Processing module 902 is configured to determine a target of interest (ROI) based on the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target, the ROI belonging to the at least one sensing target. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to send first information to the first device based on the ROI, the first information indicating the AOA information associated with the ROI.

[0208] In other embodiments, the communication device 900 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG3 to perform the functions of the sensing network element in the sensing method shown in FIG8.

[0209] Transceiver module 901 is configured to acquire angle-of-arrival (AOA) information associated with at least one sensing target, the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target being determined based on first sensing signals received by a plurality of antennas of the first device. Processing module 902 is configured to determine a target of interest (ROI) based on the AOA information associated with the at least one sensing target, the ROI belonging to the at least one sensing target. Processing module 902 is further configured to determine an antenna set from the plurality of antennas based on the AOA information associated with the ROI. Transceiver module 901 is further configured to transmit third information, the third information indicating the antenna set, the antenna set being used to sense the ROI.

[0210] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 901 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 900 can perform the functions of the sensing network elements in the sensing method shown in FIG6.

[0211] It should be understood that the transceiver module 901 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0212] Furthermore, the communication device 900 can be a sensing network element, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned sensing network element, or a device containing the sensing network element; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 900 can be referred to the technical effects of the sensing method shown in FIG6, and will not be repeated here.

[0213] In other embodiments, the communication device 900 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG3 to perform the function of the second device in the sensing method shown in FIG6.

[0214] Transceiver module 901 is used to receive second information, the second information indicating an antenna set, the antenna set being used to sense the target of interest. Transceiver module 901 is used to receive a second sensing signal transmitted by the antenna set, and processing module 902 processes the second information to obtain the sensing result of the target of interest.

[0215] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 901 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 900 can perform the functions of the second device in the sensing method shown in FIG. 6.

[0216] It should be understood that the transceiver module 901 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0217] Furthermore, the communication device 900 can be a second device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned second device, or a device containing the second device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 900 can be referred to the technical effects of the sensing method shown in FIG6, and will not be repeated here.

[0218] For example, Figure 10 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a first device or a second device, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in the first device or the second device. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 may include a processor 1001. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may also include a memory 1002 and / or a transceiver 1003. The processor 1001 is coupled to the memory 1002 and the transceiver 1003, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0219] The following is a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1000, with reference to Figure 10:

[0220] The processor 1001 is the control center of the communication device 1000. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1001 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0221] Optionally, the processor 1001 can perform various functions of the communication device 1000 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1002 and calling data stored in the memory 1002.

[0222] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 1001 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG10.

[0223] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1000 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1001 and 1004 shown in FIG. 10. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0224] The memory 1002 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 1001 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] Optionally, the memory 1002 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1002 may be integrated with the processor 1001 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1001 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1000 (not shown in FIG. 10). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0226] Transceiver 1003 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1000 is a first device, transceiver 1003 can be used to communicate with a second device or with another first device. As another example, if communication device 1000 is a second device, transceiver 1003 can be used to communicate with a first device or with another second device.

[0227] Optionally, transceiver 1003 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 10). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0228] Optionally, the transceiver 1003 can be integrated with the processor 1001 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1001 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1000 (not shown in FIG10). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0229] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 1000 shown in Figure 10 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. The actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0230] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referred to the technical effects of the sensing method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0231] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a CPU, but it can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0232] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0233] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive. Some or all of the steps of the perception method in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a neural network processing unit (NPU), or by a GPU or NPU in conjunction with other processors.

[0234] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0235] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0236] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0237] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0238] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0239] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0240] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0241] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0242] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a second device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0243] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A perception method, comprising: For the first device, the sensing method includes: The first sensing signal is received by multiple antennas of the first device, and the first sensing signal is used to determine the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. Obtain angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest, the target of interest being determined based on angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one perceived target, the target of interest belonging to at least one perceived target; An antenna set is determined from the plurality of antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; A second sensing signal is transmitted through the antenna array, the second sensing signal being used to sense the target of interest.

2. The perception method of claim 1, wherein, The step of determining the antenna set from the plurality of antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: Obtain a set of K candidate antennas, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P antennas from the plurality of antennas, and P is a positive integer; Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, determine the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is received after being transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas, where i is an integer from 1 to K; The antenna set is determined from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates and at least one performance index corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

3. The perception method of claim 2, wherein, The at least one perceived target further includes an environmental target, and the method further includes: Obtain the angle of arrival information associated with the environmental target; The step of determining the received signal estimate when the second sensing signal transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas is received, based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, includes: Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest and the angle of arrival information associated with the environmental target, determine the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is received after being transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas.

4. The sensing method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of determining the antenna set from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates and at least one performance index corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas includes: Based on the received signal estimates corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas, determine the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas. The at least one performance metric includes the maximum sidelobe ratio and / or the integral sidelobe ratio; The maximum sidelobe ratio of each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the maximum value of the angular power value associated with the target of interest and the angular power value associated with the environmental target in each of the K sets of candidate antennas; The integral sidelobe ratio of each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the sum of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target in each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

5. The perception method of claim 1, wherein, The acquisition of the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: Receive first information from a sensing network element, the first information indicating the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

6. The perception method of claim 5, wherein, The first information includes: angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; or, the identifier of the target of interest, wherein one identifier of the target of interest corresponds to one angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

7. The perception method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The method further includes: Send the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensed target to the sensing network element; or, The angle-of-arrival power spectrum of the first sensing signal is sent to the sensing network element, and the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

8. The perception method of claim 7, wherein, The angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle unit index of the at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of the at least one sensing target.

9. The sensing method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the multiple antennas and received by the multiple antennas, passing through the at least one sensing target; Alternatively, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the antennas of the second device receiving the plurality of antennas, passing through the at least one sensing target.

10. The perception method of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The sensing method further includes: A second message is sent to a second device, the second message instructing the antenna set for sensing the target of interest.

11. A perception method comprising: Applicable to sensing network elements, the sensing method includes: Obtain angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on first sensing signals received by a plurality of antennas of the first device; Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one perceived target, a target of interest is determined, wherein the target of interest belongs to the at least one perceived target; Based on the target of interest, first information is sent to the first device, the first information indicating the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

12. The perception method of claim 11, wherein, The step of determining the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one perceived target includes: Determine the range of angles of interest; determine, among the angles of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose angle of arrival corresponds to the range of angles of interest is the target of interest; or, Among the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose power value of the angle of arrival is lower than a preset power threshold is identified as the target of interest.

13. The perception method of claim 11, wherein, The first information includes: angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; or, the identifier of the target of interest, wherein one identifier of the target of interest corresponds to one angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest.

14. The perception method of any one of claims 11-13, wherein, The acquisition of the angle of arrival information associated with at least one perceived target includes: Receive angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensed target from the first device; or, The angle of arrival power spectrum of the first sensing signal received from the first device is received, and the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle of arrival power spectrum.

15. The perception method of claim 14, wherein, The angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle unit index of the at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of the at least one sensing target.

16. A perception method comprising: For the first device, the sensing method includes: The first sensing signal is received by multiple antennas of the first device, and the first sensing signal is used to determine the angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target. Receive third information, the third information indicating the antenna set, the antenna set being determined based on angle-of-arrival information associated with a target of interest, the target of interest being determined based on angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, the target of interest belonging to at least one sensing target; A second sensing signal is transmitted through the antenna array, the second sensing signal being used to sense the target of interest.

17. The perception method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: Send the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensed target to the sensing network element; or, The angle-of-arrival power spectrum of the first sensing signal is sent to the sensing network element, and the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle-of-arrival power spectrum.

18. The perception method of claim 17, wherein, The angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle unit index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

19. The sensing method according to any one of claims 16-18, characterized in that, The first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the multiple antennas and received by the multiple antennas, passing through the at least one sensing target; Alternatively, the first sensing signal is a signal transmitted by one of the antennas of the second device receiving the plurality of antennas, passing through the at least one sensing target.

20. The perception method of any one of claims 16-19, wherein, The sensing method further includes: A second message is sent to a second device, the second message instructing the antenna set for sensing the target of interest.

21. A perception method comprising: Applicable to sensing network elements, the sensing method includes: Obtain angle-of-arrival information associated with at least one sensing target, wherein the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on first sensing signals received by a plurality of antennas of the first device; Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one perceived target, a target of interest is determined, wherein the target of interest belongs to the at least one perceived target; An antenna set is determined from the plurality of antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest; A third message is sent, which instructs the antenna set to sense the target of interest.

22. The perception method of claim 21, wherein, The step of determining the antenna set from the plurality of antennas based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest includes: Obtain a set of K candidate antennas, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P antennas from the plurality of antennas, and P is a positive integer; Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, determine the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is received after being transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas, where i is an integer from 1 to K; The antenna set is determined from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates and at least one performance index corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

23. The perception method of claim 22, wherein, The at least one perceived target further includes an environmental target, and the method further includes: Obtain the angle of arrival information associated with the environmental target; The step of determining the estimated received signal value when the second sensing signal transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas is received, based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest, includes: Based on the angle of arrival information associated with the target of interest and the angle of arrival information associated with the environmental target, determine the estimated value of the received signal when the second sensing signal is received after being transmitted through the i-th set of candidate antennas in the K sets of candidate antennas.

24. The perception method of claim 23, wherein, The step of determining the antenna set from the K sets of candidate antennas based on the received signal estimates and at least one performance index corresponding to each of the K sets of candidate antennas includes: Based on the received signal estimates of each of the K sets of candidate antennas, determine the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the environmental target for each of the K sets of candidate antennas. The at least one performance metric includes the maximum sidelobe ratio and / or the integral sidelobe ratio; The maximum sidelobe ratio of each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the maximum value of the angular power value associated with the target of interest and the angular power value associated with the environmental target in each of the K sets of candidate antennas; The integral sidelobe ratio of each of the K sets of candidate antennas is the ratio between the sum of the angular power values ​​associated with the target of interest and the angular power values ​​associated with the environmental target in each of the K sets of candidate antennas.

25. The perception method of claim 21, wherein, The step of determining the target of interest based on the angle of arrival information associated with at least one perceived target includes: Determine the range of angles of interest; determine, among the angles of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose angle of arrival corresponds to the range of angles of interest is the target of interest; or, Among the angle-of-arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target, the sensing target whose power value of the angle of arrival is lower than a preset power threshold is identified as the target of interest.

26. The perception method of claim 21, wherein, The acquisition of the angle of arrival information associated with at least one perceived target includes: Receive angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensed target from the first device; or, The angle of arrival power spectrum of the first sensing signal received from the first device is received, and the angle of arrival information associated with the at least one sensing target is determined based on the angle of arrival power spectrum.

27. The perception method of claim 26, wherein, The angle of arrival information associated with at least one sensing target includes: the respective identifier and angle unit index of at least one sensing target, or the respective identifier and angle of arrival range of at least one sensing target.

28. A perception method comprising: The sensing method, applicable to a second device, includes: Receive second information, the second information indicating an antenna set, the antenna set being used to sense the target of interest; The system receives the second sensing signal transmitted by the antenna array and processes the second information to obtain the sensing result of the target of interest.

29. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used for information exchange between the communication device and other communication devices, and the processor executing program instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

31. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-28.

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