Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first communication apparatus acquiring first information, determining first resources on the basis of the first information, and sending a first sensing signal on the first resources or receiving an echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resources. The first sensing signal is used for sensing at least one target of interest. The first information is used for indicating the speed of and / or the distance from at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. The first resources are non-uniformly distributed in the time domain and / or frequency domain. By means of the method, the resource overheads for sensing can be reduced.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510125408.X, filed on January 26, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] With the development of communication technology, the technology of communication and sensing fusion has been proposed. The core idea of ​​communication and sensing fusion technology is to add sensing capabilities to mobile communication networks, so that communication and sensing capabilities are integrated into a single network system. The principle of sensing technology is that the transmitting end sends a signal (also called a sensing signal), which reaches the sensing target (or simply the target) and is reflected by the sensing target. The receiving end receives the reflected sensing signal (also called the echo signal) and processes the received echo signal to obtain the sensing result.

[0005] In one implementation, the resources carrying the sensing signals (also known as sensing resources) follow the design of the reference signal resources (such as the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), which are arranged / uniformly distributed at equal intervals in the time and frequency domains. This is not flexible enough and may cause some waste of resources. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can flexibly allocate sensing resources, thereby reducing the resource overhead of sensing.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a network-side device (hereinafter referred to as a network device). Unless otherwise specified in this application, the network device can be a network equipment; or a module or unit for performing some functions of the network equipment (e.g., a circuit or chip / chip system in the network equipment); or the network device can be a logical node, logical module, or software that implements all or part of the functions of the network equipment. In one example, the network device can be an access network device. In another example, the network device has sensing-related functions (e.g., sensing management function (SMF) and / or sensing control function (SCF)) and can implement basic sensing functions. For example, the network device is an access network device with a sensing unit (SU).

[0009] The method includes: acquiring first information, determining a first resource based on the first information, and transmitting a first sensing signal on the first resource or receiving an echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource. The first sensing signal is used to sense at least one target of interest. The first information is used to indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target. The first resource includes a plurality of resource elements, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource elements are at least two types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource elements are at least two types.

[0010] For example, the first resource includes multiple resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0011] The statement "The first resource comprises multiple resource units, and the time intervals between adjacent resource units in these multiple resource units are at least two different types" can be replaced with "The first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the time domain." Similarly, the statement "The frequency intervals between adjacent resource units in these multiple resource units are at least two different types" can be replaced with "The first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the frequency domain." In contrast, resources uniformly distributed in the time domain have the same time intervals between adjacent resources, and resources uniformly distributed in the frequency domain have the same frequency intervals between adjacent resources. In this method, the first information can indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target, thereby allowing the first communication device to determine the first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal based on the first information. Because the first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the time and / or frequency domains, the resource overhead for sensing can be reduced compared to uniformly distributed resources within the same time period.

[0012] In one design, determining the first resource based on first information includes: determining the first resource from K groups of resources based on the first information and at least one performance indicator. The at least one performance indicator includes the peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSNR). The first resource is a group of resources in the K groups whose PSNR is greater than or equal to a first threshold. K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units included in the second resource, M is the number of time-domain units included in the second resource, N is the number of frequency-domain units included in the second resource, and P is a positive integer.

[0013] In this design, the first information can be viewed as prior information used to determine the first resource from the second resource. The first communication device can traverse K groups of resources to select a group of resources that meets at least one performance metric (e.g., a peak-to-sidelobe ratio greater than or equal to a first threshold) as the first resource. Since the peak-to-sidelobe ratio of the first resource is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the detection interference of other targets on the target of interest can be reduced.

[0014] In one design, multiple resource groups out of K sets have a peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSNR) greater than a first threshold. The first resource is the group with the highest PSNR among these multiple resource groups. This design prioritizes the group with the highest PSNR to minimize interference from other targets in the detection of the target of interest and improve perception performance (e.g., perception accuracy).

[0015] In one design, acquiring first information includes receiving first information. In this design, the first information can be determined by other devices (e.g., a third communication device), and the first communication device acquires the first information by receiving it. This design reduces the processing complexity of the first communication device.

[0016] In one design, prior to receiving the first information, the method further includes: receiving an echo signal of a second sensing signal on a second resource, determining second information based on the echo information of the second sensing signal, and transmitting the second information. The second sensing signal is used to determine at least one target of interest. The second information is used to determine the distance and / or velocity of at least one target of interest.

[0017] In this design, the second information obtained from the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource is used as auxiliary information to determine the distance and / or velocity of at least one target of interest, thereby further determining the distance and / or velocity of at least one target of interest, which helps to determine the first information.

[0018] In one design, the first information includes: velocity information and / or distance information of at least one target of interest; or, an identifier corresponding to at least one target of interest, wherein one identifier corresponds to a velocity range and / or a distance range.

[0019] This design provides two implementations of the first information. In one implementation, the first information may include the speed and / or distance information of at least one target of interest. The first communication device can determine the speed and / or distance of at least one target of interest simply by receiving the first information; this is relatively simple. In the other implementation, the first information includes an identifier corresponding to at least one target of interest. The first communication device can determine the speed and / or distance of at least one target of interest based on this identifier. This implementation includes less information, thus reducing the signaling overhead of carrying the first information.

[0020] In one design, the second resource includes a plurality of resource units, wherein adjacent resource units have the same time interval; and / or, adjacent resource units have the same frequency interval.

[0021] In one design, the method further includes: sending resource configuration information. This resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource in K groups of resources. Alternatively, the resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource, and the resource configuration information includes information about at least one first resource unit within a sensing period, the at least one first resource unit belonging to the first resource.

[0022] This design supports a sensing mode in which other devices (such as a second communication device) transmit the first sensing signal. The first communication device enables the second communication device to specify the first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal through resource configuration information.

[0023] In one design, the resource configuration information also includes: the sensing period, and / or, the starting position information of the first resource. This design allows for more flexible configuration of the sensing period and / or the starting position of the first resource.

[0024] In one design, a first resource unit includes multiple sub-resource units, and the resource configuration information further includes: a first offset and / or a second offset. The first offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource. The second offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0025] In this design, the first resource unit can be divided into multiple sub-resource units, with the granularity of the sub-resource units indicating the first resource. This design allows for fewer first resources, thereby minimizing the resource overhead used for sensing.

[0026] In one design, the resource configuration information further includes a second value and / or a third value. The second value is the number of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. The third value is the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. This design allows for more flexible configuration of the number of time-domain sub-units and / or the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit.

[0027] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a terminal-side device (hereinafter referred to as a terminal device). Unless otherwise specified in this application, the terminal device can be a terminal equipment; or a module or unit for performing some functions of the terminal equipment (e.g., a circuit or chip / chip system in the terminal equipment); or the terminal device can be a logical node, logical module, or software module that implements all or part of the functions of the terminal equipment. In one example, the terminal device is a terminal equipment or a component in the terminal equipment (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core).

[0028] The method includes: receiving resource configuration information and transmitting a first sensing signal on a first resource. The resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource, which includes a plurality of resource units, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two types.

[0029] In one design, the first resource includes a plurality of resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0030] In one design, before receiving resource configuration information, the method further includes: sending a second sensing signal to a second resource, the second resource comprising a plurality of resource units, wherein adjacent resource units in the plurality of resource units have the same time interval; and / or, adjacent resource units in the plurality of resource units have the same frequency interval.

[0031] In one design, resource configuration information is used to indicate that the first resource includes: the resource configuration information indicates the first resource in K groups of resources, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P resource units from M×N resource units included in the second resource, M is the number of time-domain units included in the second resource, N is the number of frequency-domain units included in the second resource, and P is a positive integer. Alternatively, the resource configuration information indicates the first resource, and this resource configuration information includes information on at least one first resource unit within one sensing period, wherein at least one first resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0032] In one design, the resource configuration information also includes: the sensing cycle, and / or, the starting position information of the first resource.

[0033] In one design, a first resource unit includes multiple sub-resource units, and the resource configuration information further includes: a first offset and / or a second offset. The first offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource. The second offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0034] In one design, the resource configuration information further includes a second value and / or a third value. The second value is the number of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. The third value is the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit.

[0035] For the beneficial effects of the second aspect and its various designs, please refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and its various designs; they will not be repeated here.

[0036] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a sensing-side device (hereinafter referred to as a sensing device). Unless otherwise specified in this application, the sensing device can be a sensing equipment; or a module or unit for performing some functions of the sensing equipment (e.g., a circuit or chip / chip system in the sensing equipment); or the sensing device can be a logical node, logical module, or software module that implements all or part of the functions of the sensing equipment. In one example, the sensing device is a sensing function (SF) network element deployed on the core network side. In another example, the sensing device can be a sensing unit (SU).

[0037] The method includes: receiving second information, determining first information based on the second information, and transmitting the first information. The second information is used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. The at least one sensing target is determined based on the echo signal of a second sensing signal on a second resource. The first information is used to determine a first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal. The first resource includes a plurality of resource elements, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource elements are at least two types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource elements are at least two types.

[0038] In this method, second information obtained from the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource is used as auxiliary information to determine the distance and / or velocity of at least one target of interest. The third communication device can determine first information based on the second information and send the first information to the first communication device, thereby reducing the processing complexity of the first communication device in determining the first resource.

[0039] In one design, the first resource includes a plurality of resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0040] In one design, the first information includes: velocity information and / or distance information of at least one sensed target; or, an identifier corresponding to at least one sensed target, wherein an identifier corresponds to a velocity range and / or a distance range.

[0041] In one design, the second resource includes multiple resource elements, wherein adjacent resource elements have the same time interval; and / or, adjacent resource elements have the same frequency interval. Alternatively, any two adjacent sets of time-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resource intervals, and / or, any two adjacent sets of frequency-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resource intervals.

[0042] For the beneficial effects of the third aspect and its various designs, please refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and its various designs; they will not be repeated here.

[0043] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method that can be executed by an access network device, a terminal device, and an SF network element. The method includes: the access network device sending second information to the SF network element; the SF network element sending first information to the access network device; the access network device determining a first resource based on the first information, and receiving an echo signal of a first sensing signal on the first resource. The second information is used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. The at least one sensing target is determined based on the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource. The first information is used to determine the first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal. The first resource includes multiple resource elements having at least two time intervals; and / or, the first resource includes multiple resource elements having at least two frequency intervals.

[0044] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device for performing the methods described in any of the first to third aspects and any design thereof. The beneficial effects can be found in the relevant descriptions of any of the first to third aspects and will not be repeated here. For example, the communication device may be a network device as described in the first aspect, or it may be a device capable of supporting a network device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the first aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in a network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device as described in the second aspect, or it may be a device capable of supporting a terminal device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the second aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in a terminal device. As yet another example, the communication device may be a sensing device as described in the third aspect, or it may be a device capable of supporting a sensing device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the third aspect; for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in a sensing device.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding means, modules, or units for performing the methods of any of the first to third aspects. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the communication device includes a processing module (sometimes also called a processing unit or processor) and / or input / output interfaces. Input / output interfaces include input interfaces and / or output interfaces, which can be interface circuits, output circuits, input circuits, pins, or related circuits. Optionally, the communication device also includes a transceiver module (sometimes also called a transceiver unit or transceiver). The transceiver module is capable of both transmitting and receiving functions. When the transceiver module performs the transmitting function, it can be called a transmitting module (sometimes also called a transmitting unit), and when it performs the receiving function, it can be called a receiving module (sometimes also called a receiving unit). The transmitting module and the receiving module can be the same functional module, referred to as the transceiver module, which performs both transmitting and receiving functions; or, the transmitting module and the receiving module can be different functional modules, with "transceiver module" being a collective term for these functional modules. These input / output interfaces and units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of any of the first to third aspects mentioned above. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] In one possible design, the processing module includes a baseband device, and the transceiver module includes a radio frequency device.

[0047] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the first aspect, the processing module is used to acquire first information and determine a first resource based on the first information. The transceiver module is used to transmit a first sensing signal on the first resource or receive an echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource. The first sensing signal is used to sense the at least one target of interest. The first information is used to indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target. The first resource includes multiple resource units having at least two time intervals; and / or, the first resource includes multiple resource units having at least two frequency intervals. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them.

[0048] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the second aspect, the transceiver module is used to receive resource configuration information and transmit a first sensing signal on the first resource. The processing module is used to determine the first resource based on the resource configuration information. The resource configuration information indicates the first resource, which includes multiple resource units having at least two time intervals; and / or, the first resource includes multiple resource units having at least two frequency intervals. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them.

[0049] For example, when the communication device is used to implement the corresponding function in the method example of the third aspect, the transceiver module is used to receive second information, which is used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. The at least one sensing target is determined based on the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource. The processing module is used to determine first information based on the second information. The transceiver module is also used to transmit the first information. The first information is used to determine a first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal. The first resource includes a plurality of resource units having at least two time intervals; and / or, the first resource includes a plurality of resource units having at least two frequency intervals. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between the intervals, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between the intervals.

[0050] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a processor configured to execute the methods described in any of the first to third aspects and any design thereof. This application does not limit the specific type of processor. For example, the processor may be a baseband device, a central processing unit (CPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) chip, or other specific integrated circuits. As another example, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0051] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface. Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory for storing computer programs (also referred to as code or instructions), data, etc. The processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program, data, etc., from the memory, it causes any of the first to third aspects and any method in any of their designs to be executed.

[0052] In one design, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0053] In one design, the memory is located within the communication device.

[0054] In one design, the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including a processor and a communication interface for implementing the methods described in any of the first to third aspects. Optionally, the chip system further includes a memory. The memory stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). The processor retrieves and runs the computer program from the memory, causing a device equipped with the chip system to perform any of the first to third aspects and the methods in any of their designs. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0056] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including an input / output interface and logic circuitry. The input / output interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information. The input / output interface may be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or related circuitry, etc. The logic circuitry is used to execute the methods described in any of the first to third aspects.

[0057] In one implementation of the eighth aspect, when the communication device is a terminal device, the interface circuit can be an RF processing chip in the terminal device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the terminal device. When the communication device is a network device, the interface circuit can be an RF processing chip in the network device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip or an AI chip in the network device. When the communication device is an SF network element, the interface circuit can be an input / output chip in the SF network element, and the processing circuit can be an AI chip in the SF network element.

[0058] In one implementation of the eighth aspect, when the communication device is a chip or chip system, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the logic circuit can be a transistor, gate circuit, flip-flop, or various other logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver; the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the input / output interface and the logic circuit.

[0059] The aforementioned communication device may be the network device of the first aspect. Alternatively, the communication device may be a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the first aspect, for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the network device. Alternatively, the communication device may be the terminal device of the second aspect. Alternatively, the communication device may be a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the second aspect, for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device may be a sensing device of the third aspect. Alternatively, the communication device may be a device capable of supporting the sensing device to implement the functions required by the method provided in the third aspect, for example, the communication device may be a chip or chip system in the sensing device. Wherein, the chip may be a baseband chip and / or a radio frequency chip, and the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0060] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes a network device and an SF network element. The network device is used to implement the functions described in the first aspect, and the SF network element is used to implement the functions described in the third aspect. Optionally, the communication system further includes a terminal device, which is used to implement the functions described in the second aspect.

[0061] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the methods described in any of the first to third aspects and any of their designs to be implemented.

[0062] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the methods described in any of the first to third aspects and any of their designs to be implemented.

[0063] The beneficial effects of the fifth to eleventh aspects and their implementation methods mentioned above can be referenced to the beneficial effects of any aspect of the first to third aspects and any one of their designs. Attached Figure Description

[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture of a communication system;

[0065] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the core network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the communication-aware integrated architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 4 shows two typical architecture diagrams for introducing perception-related functions on the RAN side according to embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of possible communication interfaces of the SU provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of various sensing modes provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the specific implementation of S701 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a second resource provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a first resource provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 11 is another schematic diagram of the first resource provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, "transmission" includes "sending" and / or "receiving." "Sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, including direct sending as well as indirect sending through other units, modules, devices, or network elements. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, including receiving directly from YY via the air interface as well as receiving indirectly from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between access network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, traces, or interfaces.

[0078] In this application embodiment, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A / B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and / or c means the following combinations: a exists alone, b exists alone, c exists alone, a and b exist simultaneously, a and c exist simultaneously, b and c exist simultaneously, or a, b, and c exist simultaneously, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0079] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," and "if" all refer to the device taking corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited, nor do they require the device to perform a judgment action, nor do they imply any other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" can be substituted, and "when" and "in the case of" can be substituted. "When" and "if" / "if" can be substituted.

[0080] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0081] In this application, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. For example, the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal refer to two different sensing signals, and do not indicate a difference in the priority or importance of these two sensing signals.

[0082] In the embodiments of this application, the solutions in each embodiment can be used in a reasonable combination, and the explanations or descriptions of various terms, similar operations, or steps appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the embodiments, without limitation.

[0083] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. An integrated sensing and communication system refers to a system that integrates communication and sensing, or a system that integrates communication and sensing systems; it is also called a harmonized communication and sensing (HCS) system. The core idea of ​​integrated sensing and communication is to add sensing capabilities to the communication network, building capabilities such as target detection and imaging, so that communication and sensing capabilities are integrated into a single network. The communication system can be a long-term evolution (LTE), a sixth-generation (5G) mobile communication system / NR communication system, a future communication system, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems may include vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, internet of things (IoT) systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) (e.g., satellite communication systems), or wireless local area networks (WLANs), etc. WLAN can be any of the protocols in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series.

[0084] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a network architecture for a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. This network architecture can include a wireless access network and a core network (not shown). Figure 1 uses a wireless access network comprising one network device and multiple terminal devices as an example. The architecture shown in Figure 1 can incorporate sensing-related functions (such as sensing management functions and / or SCF) to realize basic sensing functions, such as sensing authorization, sensing control, sensing measurement data processing, or result output. As a typical application scenario for sensing, this is illustrated using a smartphone as the terminal device and drones, pedestrians, and vehicles as sensing targets. In Figure 1, solid lines represent communication, and dashed lines represent sensing.

[0085] The specific names of the sensing-related functions are not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, the sensing-related functions can be replaced by any of the following: sensing management network element, sensing management device, sensing management entity, sensing function (SF), integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) management function (ISACMF), ISAC service management function (ISACSMF), or sensing service management function (SSMF), etc. The following examples illustrate possible architectures for introducing sensing-related functions.

[0086] In Architecture 1, sensing-related functions (such as sensing management functions and / or sensing control functions) are introduced on the core network side to realize basic sensing functions, such as sensing authorization, sensing control, sensing measurement data processing, or result output. The specific names of these sensing-related functions are not limited in this application. For example, sensing-related functions can be replaced by any of the following: sensing management network element, sensing management device, sensing management entity, sensing function (SF), integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) management function (ISACMF), ISAC service management function (ISACSMF), or sensing service management function (SSMF), etc.

[0087] For example, please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the core network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 is based on the 5G core network (5G core, 5GC), with the addition of SF network elements on the core network side.

[0088] Figure 2 shows the interfaces between the SF network element and one or more 5GC network elements. For example, in Figure 2, the SF can perform sensing interactions with 5GC network elements such as the location management function (LMF), access and mobility management function (AMF), network exposure function (NEF), unified data management (UDM), network data analytics function (NWDAF), and policy control function (PCF). The SF can interact with the RAN or UE through 5GC network elements to sense signaling, etc. The sensed data acquired by the RAN or UE can be transmitted to the SF via the control plane or user plane. When sensed data is transmitted to the SF via the user plane, it can be forwarded to the SF through the UPF or transmitted directly to the SF. The interface definitions between the SF and 5GC network elements such as AMF, NEF, UDM, NWDAF, PCF, LMF, and UPF are as follows.

[0089] NS1: A new interface between SF and AMF, which can transmit sensing and control signaling. Additionally, this interface can also transmit sensing measurement data in scenarios where sensing measurement data is uploaded to the control plane.

[0090] NS2: A new interface between SF and NEF. This interface can transmit signaling messages between sensing network elements relayed through NEF and application functions (AF) on the service side, and at the same time open the sensing results to the AF.

[0091] NS3: A new interface between SF and UDM. This interface can be used for authentication or authorization, and to obtain UE-aware subscription information, service AMF information, or other information.

[0092] NS4: A new interface between SF and NWDAF. Through this interface, SF and NWDAF can jointly complete AI processing related to perception services.

[0093] NS5: A new interface between SF and PCF. Through this interface, SF can transmit information such as sensing requirements, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or sensing results of sensing services to PCF. PCF can then make decisions to generate policy control and charging (PCC) policies related to sensing services.

[0094] NS6: A new interface between SF and LMF. Through this interface, SF can obtain location-related information, such as the sensing area, the RAN information of the sensing target, and the location information of the sensed UE.

[0095] NS7: A new interface between SF and UPF. Sensing measurement data can be directly transmitted from (R)AN to SF via UPF, or indirectly forwarded to SF via UPF. In scenarios where (R)AN performs sensing, forwarding via UPF can improve the functionality of UPF to support data transmission at the (R)AN granularity.

[0096] In addition to the newly added interfaces mentioned above, existing interfaces (such as N1, N2, N5, N8, N33, etc.) can also support the transmission of information related to sensing services, such as authentication information, sensing service type, sensing service quality requirements, sensing measurement data, or sensing results, etc., one or more of these information. It should be noted that the above-mentioned interfaces "NSX (e.g., NS1 to NS6)" are only illustrative examples, and this application embodiment does not limit the names of interfaces between SF network elements and other network elements.

[0097] The SF can be deployed in a traditional 5GC, as shown in Figure 3(a). Optionally, the SF can be a separate structure of SF-CP and SF-UP. The SF-CP can be a functional unit of a device in the 5GC, or a functional entity independent of the 5GC, and can be connected to the base station through an interface with the AMF.

[0098] Sensing-related functions can also be deployed independently of the traditional 5GC, as shown in Figure 3(b). Optionally, the SF can be a separate structure of SF-CP and SF-UP. When the SF-CP is deployed independently of the 5GC, it can act as a communication node independent of the traditional 5GC device, connecting to the base station through an interface with the base station. The SF-CP can also connect to traditional sensing devices.

[0099] In Architecture 2, perception-related functions can be introduced on the RAN side. For example, in some scenarios, the RAN side can determine the perception mode based on the perception service requirements sent by the SF, or select appropriate gNBs and / or UEs to participate in perception, and determine the perception measurement configuration. For an introduction to perception-related functions, please refer to the aforementioned content; it will not be repeated here. These perception-related functions can be deployed on the RAN equipment or independently of the RAN equipment.

[0100] Please refer to Figure 4, which illustrates two typical architectures for introducing perception-related functions on the RAN side. This application does not limit the names of the perception-related functions introduced on the RAN side; for example, the function may be called a sensing unit.

[0101] As shown in Figure 4(a), the SU can be an entity independent of the RAN equipment and can connect to the base station through an interface similar to the Xn interface. For ease of distinction, the interface between the SU and the base station can be called the Xn-S interface. If the base station is a CU-DU structure, the SU can communicate with the CU through the Xn-S interface. When the SU is an entity independent of the RAN equipment, it can also be regarded as a communication node independent of the RAN equipment (e.g., called an SC node).

[0102] As shown in Figure 4(b), the SU can be a functional unit in the base station, and can communicate with the CU through an interface similar to F1. For ease of distinction, the interface between the SU and the CU can be called the F1-SC interface.

[0103] In Figure 4, the RAN side introduces the SU, which has the function of managing UEs for sensing. Therefore, the base station can communicate with both ordinary UEs and sensing UEs.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 5, which illustrates the possible communication interfaces of the SU. Figure 5 uses dashed lines to indicate the possible interfaces of the SU. As shown in Figure 5, the SU can communicate directly with the DU or the UE. The SU can be directly connected to one or more core network elements; for example, the SU may be directly connected to the SF, AMF, or UPF. The SU can also be indirectly connected to one or more core network elements; for example, the SU can connect to the SF via the AMF, or to the SF via the UPF. Alternatively, the SU can connect to the AMF via the CU, and then connect to the SF via the AMF.

[0105] In this embodiment, the SU is deployed on the RAN side and can interact directly with the CU, interacting with the core network through the CU. During the sensing and measurement process, the SU / CU can configure the sensing and measurement configuration for the UE, and the transmission path of this configuration can be: DU→CU / SU→UE. Similarly, the DU obtains sensing data and can send the sensing data to the SU / SC. The transmission path of the sensing data can be DU→SU / SC, or DU→CU→SU / SC.

[0106] It should be noted that the network architectures shown in Figures 1 to 5 are merely illustrative. The communication systems 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 communication systems to which the embodiments of this application are applicable. Those skilled in the art will understand that, with the evolution of network architectures, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc., in the embodiments can be replaced with corresponding devices, components, modules, etc., in other communication systems, without limitation.

[0107] The following describes the relevant terms and concepts involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0108] (1) Perception can also be replaced by: sensing process, sensing operation, sensing detection, and detection processing.

[0109] Perception can be understood as a technology capable of acquiring information about the characteristics of the environment and / or objects within it. This information includes, but is not limited to, shape, size, orientation, speed, position, distance between objects, or relative motion. The working principle of perception is as follows: the transmitting end sends a perception signal, and the receiving end receives the signal reflected from the perception target (also called the echo signal). The perception result, such as speed, distance, shape, and size, is obtained based on the echo signal. The perception target can also be called a target, the object being detected, the object being sensed, or the object being sensed, etc., without limitation. The perception target can be any tangible object in the environment capable of reflecting electromagnetic waves. For example, the perception target can be a stationary object such as a building. Alternatively, the perception target can be a mobile object such as a vehicle, drone, or terminal device.

[0110] (2) Sensing signal and echo signal

[0111] Sensing signal: A signal used to sense (or detect) a target (or object). Sensing signals are also called detection signals, linear frequency modulated signals, radar signals, radar sensing signals, radar detection signals, environmental sensing signals, etc. Sensing signals can be pulse signals or any signal that may be present in a wireless communication system, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals. For example, sensing signals may include (or be) sounding reference signals (SRS), demodulation reference signals (DMRS), positioning reference signals (PRS), sidelink positioning reference signals (SL-PRS), CSI-RS, synchronization signal blocks (SSB), synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel blocks (SS / PBCH blocks), or tracking reference signals (TRS), phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), beam manager reference signals (BMRS), or cell reference signals (CRS), etc. Sensing signals may also include communication information, such as signals carried on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH).

[0112] Echo signal: The echo signal is the signal reflected back to the receiver after the sensing signal is emitted from the transmitter to the target object. By performing autocorrelation processing on the echo signal and the sensing signal, and then transforming them, the time delay of the echo signal relative to the sensing signal in the time domain can be analyzed. This allows us to determine the distance of the sensing target from the transmitting source. By comparing the echo signals reflected back from the same target by different transmitted signals, we can convert the signal to the Doppler domain. Combining the Doppler and range domain analyses, we can determine the distance and velocity of the sensing target. Furthermore, the direction of the sensing target relative to the transmitting source can be determined by the beam direction of the antenna emitting the sensing signal. The echo signal can be understood as the reflected sensing signal; therefore, the echo signal can also be called the sensing signal.

[0113] (3) Perceived data and perception results

[0114] Sensing data, also known as sensing measurement data, refers to the data obtained after processing echo signals. The processing of echo signals involves multiple stages, and the data obtained from each stage can be called sensing data. For example, the echo signal processing flow may include the following stages: (1) Performing symbol extraction and cyclic prefix removal on the echo signal to obtain the time-domain data of the radar frame, separating in-phase (I / quadrature, IQ) data; (2) Performing time-frequency transformation, effective subcarrier extraction, signal estimation, and inverse fast fourier transform (IFFT) on the IQ data to obtain the range (R) spectrum; (3) Performing inter-symbol windowing and fast fourier transform on the R spectrum. (4) Perform FFT on the channel dimension of the RD spectrum to obtain the range / doppler / angle (RDA) spectrum; (5) Detect all valid point target information from the RD spectrum or RDA spectrum to obtain multiple data points. The set of these multiple data points is also called a point cloud. Each data point is used to represent a relative position or an absolute position relative to the sensing device; (6) Cluster the multiple data points to obtain the centroid of the real target.

[0115] Accordingly, sensing data can represent one or more of the following: time delay, Doppler effect, angle, and intensity of a sampling point; or it can represent one or more of the following: position, velocity, and intensity of a sampling point. For example, sensing data includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: IQ data, RD spectrum, RDA spectrum, distance / velocity (DV) spectrum, distance / velocity / angle (DVA) spectrum, range / velocity (RV) spectrum, range / velocity / angle (RVA) spectrum, set of coordinate points, point cloud, centroid of a real target, etc.

[0116] Perception results refer to the results related to business functions and performance obtained based on the calculation and analysis of perceived data. For example, perception results include the presence of the target to be perceived and information about the target (e.g., speed, distance, angle, orientation, acceleration, position, movement path, imaging results, facial expression, breathing / heart rate, etc.). Perception results vary depending on the target. For example, if the target is air, the perception results include air quality and the composition of gases in the air; another example is vehicles, where the perception results include the number of vehicles, their positions, and their movement paths.

[0117] (4) Network equipment

[0118] Network devices include radio access network (R)AN devices / RAN nodes. In the embodiments of this application, R)AN and RAN are interchangeable.

[0119] RAN can refer to cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as fifth-generation (5G) / new radio (NR) mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radioaccess network (CRAN), a virtualized RAN (vRAN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN), etc. RAN can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems. RAN equipment can also be called a RAN node, RAN entity, or access node, etc.

[0120] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), or a base station in a future mobile communication system. RAN nodes can also be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor / host nodes, or radio controllers. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, a RAN node can be a roadside unit (RSU). An AP can be a base station with a Wi-Fi chip, a router, a gateway, a repeater, a communication server, a switch, or a bridge, among other communication devices.

[0121] In another possible scenario, the RAN node can be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of the base station; or multiple RAN nodes can cooperate to assist terminal equipment in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes performing some of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a CU, DU, or RU. The function of the CU can be implemented by a single entity or by different entities. For example, the function of the CU can be further divided, that is, the control plane and the user plane can be separated and implemented by different entities, namely the control plane CU entity (i.e., CU-control plane (CP) entity) and the user plane CU entity (i.e., CU-user plane (UP) entity). The CU-CP entity and the CU-UP entity can be coupled with the DU to jointly complete the function of the RAN node. The CU and DU can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as in the baseband unit (BBU). Any of the units among the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0122] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples.

[0123] The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU can be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (such as the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and / or the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer). The DU can be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as the Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC), and / or Physical (PHY) layers). For detailed descriptions of the various protocol layers mentioned above, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications or the technical specifications of other applicable communication protocols.

[0124] The above division of CU and DU processing functions according to the protocol layer is merely an example; other division methods are also possible, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0125] For example, in one design, the CU or DU can be further divided into processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are located in the CU, while the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are located in the DU. As another example, in another possible design, the DU and RU cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer, or it can be described as moving some of the PHY layer functions of the DU to the RU for implementation.

[0126] When the RAN is O-RAN, it can also have AI capabilities. For example, O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / non-RT RIC / NRT RIC) or a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / near-RT RIC / nRT RIC). A non-real-time RIC can be used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of RAN functions, enabling workflows including model training and model updates, and guiding applications / functions in the nRT RIC based on policies. A near-real-time RIC can be used to implement near-real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near-real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources are achieved.

[0127] In the embodiments of this application, the device used to implement the function of the RAN device can be the RAN device itself, or it can be a device that supports the RAN device in implementing the function, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the function of the RAN device. This device can be installed in the RAN device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used in the RAN device.

[0128] (5) Terminal equipment

[0129] In this application embodiment, anything capable of data communication with a base station can be considered a terminal device. A terminal device is also called a terminal, terminal apparatus, user equipment (UE), mobile station, or mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios. For example, a terminal device can be: a mobile phone, computer, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, station (STA), robotic arm, camera, robot, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, or smart home device (e.g., television, air conditioner, robot vacuum cleaner, speaker, set-top box), relay, customer premises equipment (CPE), etc. An STA can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, set-top box, smart TV, smart wearable device, vehicle communication equipment, computer, router, switch, and bridge, etc.

[0130] The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system, such as a water meter or electricity meter. When the terminal device is applied to V2X, it can also be called a V2X device, such as a smart car, an unmanned car, a driverless car, a pilotless car, or an automobile, or a roadside unit (RSU). All the terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed inside the vehicle), can be considered in-vehicle terminal devices. In-vehicle terminal devices can be built into a vehicle's in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the methods of this application through the built-in in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit. The vehicle terminal equipment can be a complete vehicle equipment, vehicle module, vehicle, on-board unit (OBU), RSU, vehicle infotainment system (or on-board transmitter unit) (telematics box, T-box), chip or SoC, etc. The above-mentioned chip or SoC can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU or T-box.

[0131] In the embodiments of this application, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device that supports the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system or a combination of devices or components that can implement the functions of the terminal device. This device can be installed in the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device.

[0132] (6) Perception Mode

[0133] Sensing can generally be divided into two modes: single-site sensing and dual-site sensing. In single-site sensing, the transmitting device for the sensing signal and the receiving device for the echo signal are the same device. In other words, in single-site sensing, the transmitting device both transmits the sensing signal and receives the echo signal reflected from the surface of the sensing target. Therefore, this single-site sensing mode can also be called a self-transmitting and self-receiving mode, without limitation. In dual-site sensing, the transmitting device for the sensing signal and the receiving device for the echo signal are two different devices. In other words, sensing site A transmits the sensing signal, and the echo signal reflected from the surface of the sensing target is received by sensing site B. Therefore, this dual-site sensing mode can also be called the A-transmitting and B-receiving mode. It should be noted that the echo signal is obtained by reflecting the sensing signal from the surface of the sensing target; therefore, this echo signal can still be called the sensing signal. Sensing sites can be access network devices or terminal devices.

[0134] For example, please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of various sensing modes provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 6 illustrates a vehicle as the sensing target and provides six sensing modes. These six sensing modes are: the self-transmitting and self-receiving mode of access network device A as shown in (1) of Figure 6, that is, the mode in which access network device A sends sensing signals and receives echo signals; the self-transmitting and self-receiving mode of terminal device A as shown in (2) of Figure 6, that is, the mode in which terminal device A sends sensing signals and receives echo signals; the mode in (3) of Figure 6, in which access network device A sends sensing signals and access network device B receives echo signals; the mode in (4) of Figure 6, in which terminal device A sends sensing signals and terminal device B receives echo signals; the mode in (5) of Figure 6, in which access network device A sends sensing signals and terminal device A receives echo signals; and the mode in (6) of Figure 6, in which terminal device A sends sensing signals and access network device A receives echo signals. Figure 6 uses a smartphone as an example of a terminal device.

[0135] The sensing process for the six sensing modes shown in Figure 6 all includes sensing measurement configuration and reporting of sensing data. Optionally, the sensing process also includes reporting of sensing capabilities. Sensing capabilities mainly include whether sensing is supported, whether a certain sensing method / mode is supported, and whether the device has the function of processing sensing signals. Sensing capabilities are typically reported by the sensing device to the sensing management device. The sensing device refers to the device that performs sensing services / businesses; it can send sensing signals and / or receive echo signals. The sensing management device refers to the devices or units with management functions at each sensing node participating in the sensing process. The sensing management device determines the sensing measurement configuration based on the sensing capabilities reported by the sensing device and configures it for the sensing device. The sensing device performs sensing according to the sensing measurement configuration, obtains sensing data, and sends it to the sensing management device.

[0136] Depending on the different sensing modes, the interaction processes between network elements involved in the sensing process also differ, as shown in Table 1. In Table 1, SF refers to the network element with sensing management functions. Optionally, SF and UE can interact via non-access stratum signaling. In this case, the interaction between SF and UE is transparent to gNB, and the complexity is lower compared to the interaction between SF, gNB, and UE. It should be noted that in Table 1, gNB in ​​gNB sensing capability reporting includes gNB A and / or gNB B; gNB in ​​gNB sensing measurement reporting includes gNB A and / or gNB B; UE in UE sensing capability reporting includes UE A and / or UE B; and gNB in ​​UE sensing measurement reporting includes UE A and / or UE B.

[0137] Table 1

[0138] As described above, the sensing function can be realized based on the network architecture shown in Figures 1 to 5. For example, in the self-transmitting and self-receiving mode of access network device A shown in Figure 6(1), access network device A sends sensing signals and receives echo signals. The sensing data or sensing results can be determined based on the echo signals. In the mode of terminal device A sending sensing signals and access network device A receiving echo signals shown in Figure 6(6), access network device A can determine the sensing data or sensing results based on the echo signals.

[0139] The device transmitting the sensing signal maps the sensing signal to resources (referred to herein as sensing resources). In possible implementations, the sensing resources follow the design of the reference signal resources, arranged / uniformly distributed at equal intervals in both the time and frequency domains. Uniform distribution of resources in the time domain means that adjacent resource units within the resource have the same time interval, or that any adjacent time-domain resources within the resource have the same interval, or that any two adjacent sets of time-domain resources within the resource have the same number of intervals. Similarly, uniform distribution of resources in the frequency domain means that adjacent resource units within the resource have the same frequency interval, or that any adjacent frequency resources within the resource have the same interval, or that any two adjacent sets of frequency-domain resources within the resource have the same number of intervals. The design of uniformly distributed sensing resources may result in higher resource overhead.

[0140] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the solutions described in this application are provided. In this application embodiment, the sensing resources are non-uniformly distributed. Compared to uniformly distributed sensing resources, non-uniformly distributed sensing resources are sparser within the same time frame, thus reducing resource overhead.

[0141] Non-uniform distribution of sensing resources refers to the fact that among the multiple resource units included in the sensing resources, there are at least two types of time intervals between adjacent resource units, and / or, at least two types of frequency intervals between adjacent resource units. Alternatively, there are at least two groups of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resource intervals, and / or, at least two groups of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resource intervals. For example, "The first resource includes a first group of resources and a second group of resources. The first group of resources includes two adjacent resources, and the second group of resources includes two adjacent resources. The number of resource intervals between adjacent resources in the first group and the second group in the second group in the time domain is different, and / or, the number of resource intervals between adjacent resources in the first group and the second group in the frequency domain is different."

[0142] The non-uniform distribution of sensing resources can also be considered as having at least two temporal densities and / or at least two frequency densities. Frequency density is the proportion of frequency resources used to carry signals within a unit of frequency domain resource. Temporal density is the proportion of frequency domain resources used to carry signals within a unit of time domain resource. Similarly, if a resource is uniformly distributed, then that resource has one temporal density and one frequency density.

[0143] The solutions provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0144] For ease of description, the following description uses the example of the communication method provided in this application being executed by a first communication device and a second communication device. Optionally, the communication method provided in this application may also be executed by a third communication device.

[0145] The first communication device can be a device for performing sensing, the second communication device can be a device for transmitting sensing signals, and the third communication device can be a device with sensing control-related functions. Performing sensing refers to the process of receiving echo signals from sensing signals, processing the echo signals, and obtaining sensing data or sensing results.

[0146] Optionally, the first communication device and the second communication device are located in a single communication device, or the first communication device and the second communication device are different functional modules / units of a single communication device. For example, in (1) of Figure 6, the first communication device and the second communication device are located in a RAN device (e.g., access network device A), which can transmit sensing signals and receive echo signals. Alternatively, the first communication device and the second communication device can be two independent communication devices. For example, in (6) of Figure 6, the first communication device is access network device A, and the second communication device is terminal device A.

[0147] Optionally, the third communication device and the first communication device are located in a single communication device. For example, the third communication device and the first communication device may be located in a RAN device, where the third communication device is a SU (Supply Unit) in the RAN device, and the first communication device is one or more functional modules (e.g., CU and / or DU) in the RAN device other than the SU. Alternatively, the third communication device and the first communication device may be two independent communication devices. For example, the first communication device may be a RAN device, and the third communication device may be an SF (Single-Flight) network element.

[0148] For a communication device (e.g., a first communication device, a second communication device, or a third communication device), the steps performed by the communication device can be implemented by the communication device itself, by a device including the communication device, by a component within the communication device (e.g., a processing unit / processor), or by a logic module or software that performs some or all of the functions of the communication device. For example, if the first communication device is a RAN device, the steps performed by the first communication device can be implemented by the RAN device itself, or by a CU, DU, or SU that performs some of the functions of the RAN device. As another example, if the second communication device is a terminal device, the steps performed by the second communication device can be implemented by a device that implements the terminal device, or by a module that performs some of the functions of the terminal device (e.g., a baseband chip or a SoC chip containing a modem core).

[0149] Furthermore, the processing performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated.

[0150] In the embodiments of this application, (pre)configuration refers to configuration through at least one of the following signaling methods: RRC message, MAC control element (CE) signaling, or downlink control information (DCI).

[0151] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in this embodiment. Figure 7 uses the interaction between a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device as an example, and takes the first communication device as an RAN device. The second communication device can be a terminal device. The third communication device can be a SU in the RAN device or an SF network element. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0152] S701, The first communication device acquires the first information.

[0153] The first information may indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. Alternatively, the first information may indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest. The distance of the target of interest refers to the distance between the target of interest and the first communication device. The sensing target may be any tangible object in the environment capable of reflecting electromagnetic waves. For example, the sensing target may be a stationary object such as a building. Alternatively, the sensing target may be a movable object such as a vehicle, drone, or terminal device. A target of interest refers to a target that meets specific conditions. For example, the specific conditions include at least one of the following: the velocity of the target of interest is within a first velocity range, the distance between the target of interest and a reference target is within a first distance range, the angle of arrival of the target of interest is within a first angle range, or the power value of the target of interest is below a first threshold. The power value of the target of interest may be determined based on a sensing power spectrum, which includes a velocity spectrum, a velocity-angle spectrum, or a distance-angle-velocity spectrum. It should be understood that when the power value of the velocity of a sensing target is below the first threshold, the signal-to-noise ratio of the sensing target is low, and the sensing accuracy is low. Therefore, this sensing target is considered a target of interest to improve sensing performance. The first speed range, first distance range, first angle range, or first threshold can be (pre)configured or predefined.

[0154] Optionally, the first information further indicates the velocity and / or distance of at least one environmental target among the at least one sensed target. Alternatively, the first information is used to indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target and the velocity and / or distance of at least one environmental target. An environmental target refers to one or more objects in the environment containing the target of interest that require attention, other than the target of interest itself. For example, environmental targets include at least one of the following: static targets in the environment containing the target of interest (e.g., buildings, road infrastructure, etc.), dynamic targets in the environment containing the target of interest (e.g., pedestrians, vehicles, drones, etc.), etc.

[0155] Depending on the specific implementation of the first communication device, the way the first communication device obtains the first information also varies, as illustrated in the following examples.

[0156] In implementation method 1, the first communication device is a RAN device, the third communication device is an SF network element, the first information is determined by the third communication device, and the first communication device receives the first information from the third communication device, thereby acquiring the first information. Here, "the first communication device acquires the first information" can be replaced with "the first communication device receives the first information from the third communication device".

[0157] Implementation method 1 includes S7011 to S7015, or S701 includes S7011 to S7015.

[0158] S7011, The first communication device receives the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource.

[0159] The device that transmits the second sensing signal varies depending on the sensing mode. For example, in the sensing mode shown in (1) of Figure 6, the second sensing signal can be transmitted by the first communication device on the second resource, and the first communication device receives the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource. As another example, in the sensing mode shown in (6) of Figure 6, the second sensing signal can be transmitted by the second communication device (e.g., a terminal device) on the second resource, and the first communication device receives the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource, as exemplified in Figure 8.

[0160] Optionally, the second resource is uniformly distributed in the time domain and / or frequency domain. Uniform distribution in the time domain means that any two adjacent resource units within the multiple resource units comprised of the second resource have the same number of resources between them in the time domain, or that the time intervals between adjacent resource units within the multiple resource units comprised of the second resource are the same. Similarly, uniform distribution in the frequency domain means that any two adjacent resource units within the multiple resource units comprised of the second resource have the same number of resources between them in the frequency domain, or that the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units within the multiple resource units comprised of the second resource are the same. Alternatively, the number of resources between any two groups of adjacent time-domain resources in the second resource is not the same, and / or, the number of resources between any at least two groups of adjacent frequency-domain resources in the second resource is not the same.

[0161] For example, see Figure 9, which illustrates an example of a second resource. Figure 9 shows an example of a second resource uniformly distributed in both the time and frequency domains. A grid in Figure 10 represents a resource unit. In the multiple resource units included in the second resource in Figure 9, any two adjacent resource units have the same time-domain spacing (e.g., the time-domain length of one resource unit) and the same frequency-domain spacing (e.g., the frequency of one resource unit).

[0162] Assuming the second resource is uniformly distributed in both the time and frequency domains, and the second sensing signal is x(m,n), the echo signal y(m,n) of the second sensing signal received by the first communication device satisfies the following formula:

[0163] Where m is the subcarrier index, n is the time-domain resource (e.g., OFDM symbol) index, α is the scattering factor, and f c Let be the carrier frequency, Δf be the subcarrier spacing, v be the radial velocity, c be the speed of light, and ∈(m,n) be noise.

[0164] S7012, The first communication device determines the second information based on the echo signal of the second sensing signal.

[0165] The second information includes perception data of at least one perceived target, or the second information includes perception results of at least one perceived target. It should be understood that the second information can be used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest, or the second information can be used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest, and to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one environmental target. Alternatively, the second information can be used to determine the first information.

[0166] The first communication device processes the echo signal of the second sensing signal to obtain second information. For example, by processing the echo signal of the second sensing signal, the first communication device can obtain at least one of the following sensing data of at least one sensing target: RD spectrum, RDA spectrum, DV spectrum, DVA spectrum, RV spectrum, RVA spectrum, velocity, distance, angle, orientation, acceleration, position, or movement path, etc. Continuing with the above example, if the second sensing signal is x(m,n), the first communication device can process y(m,n) using discrete Fourier transform or other super-resolution algorithms to obtain distance and velocity information along at least one scattering path of the second sensing signal.

[0167] S7013, The first communication device sends the second information to the third communication device.

[0168] The first communication device receives the second information and sends it to the third communication device. For example, the first communication device sends the second information to the AMF network element through the N2 interface, and the AMF network element sends the second information to the third communication device through the NSI interface. The second information can include various possibilities, as illustrated by the examples below.

[0169] In Example 1, the second information includes (or is) at least one piece of information about the perceived target, including: DV spectrum, range-velocity power spectrum, range, velocity, or a range-velocity value. For example, the second information includes (or is) Table 2. Table 2 uses the example of second information including range-velocity values.

[0170] Table 2

[0171] In Example 2, the second information may include (or be) an angle-of-arrival index corresponding to at least one sensed target, where an angle-of-arrival index indicates a set of distance-velocity values. For example, assuming the sense bandwidth comprises M time-domain units and the oversampling factor for the distance dimension is K0, then the distance dimension comprises K0M distance units. Similarly, if the sense bandwidth comprises N frequency-domain units and the oversampling factor for the velocity dimension is K1, then the velocity dimension comprises K1N velocity units. The distance to the sensed target can be indicated by the index of the distance unit, and the velocity of the sensed target can be indicated by the index of the velocity unit. For example, the second information may include (or be) Table 3. In Table 3, each row includes two indices, one for indicating distance and the other for indicating velocity.

[0172] Table 3

[0173] In Example 3, the second information may also perceive the target's identifier / number. For example, the second information may include (or be) Table 4 or Table 5.

[0174] Table 4

[0175] Table 5

[0176] S7014, The third communication device determines the first information based on the second information.

[0177] "The third communication device determines the first information based on the second information" can also be replaced with "The third communication device determines the speed and / or distance of at least one target of interest based on the second information" or "The third communication device determines the speed and / or distance of at least one target of interest, and the speed and / or distance of at least one environmental target based on the second information" at least one target of interest speed and / or distance.

[0178] The third communication device obtains the second information and, based on the second information and specific conditions, determines at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target, thereby determining the first information. The specific implementation of the third communication device determining at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, taking Table 1 as an example, when the speed of the sensed target is within a first speed range (e.g., [5, 20] m / s), then the sensed target is a target of interest, and the target of interest is sensed target 1. When the distance of the sensed target is within a first distance range (e.g., [200, 300] m), then the sensed target is a target of interest, and the target of interest is sensed target 1. Similarly, the third communication device can also determine the speed and / or distance of at least one environmental target, thereby determining the first information.

[0179] The first information indicates the speed and / or distance of at least one target of interest, and the purpose of sensing is also to sense the target of interest. Therefore, based on the first information, a first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal can be further determined to reduce the resource overhead for sensing. From this perspective, the first information is prior information for determining the first resource, assisting the first communication device in determining the first resource, and minimizing the resource overhead for sensing while ensuring sensing performance.

[0180] S7015, The third communication device sends the first information to the first communication device.

[0181] The third communication device can send the first information to the AMF network element via the N2 interface, and the AMF network element can then send the first information to the first communication device via the NSI interface. The first information can include various possible contents, as illustrated below.

[0182] In Example 1, the first information may include velocity information and / or distance information of at least one target of interest. The first communication device, upon receiving the first information, can directly determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest with low complexity. Alternatively, the first information may include velocity information and / or distance information of at least one target of interest, as well as velocity information and / or distance information of at least one environmental target.

[0183] In Example 2, the first information may include an identifier / number corresponding to at least one target of interest, with one identifier corresponding to a speed range and / or a distance range. The first communication device receives the first information and can determine the speed of at least one target of interest based on the correspondence between the identifier / number and the speed range, or it can determine the speed of at least one target of interest based on the correspondence between the identifier / number and the distance range. In Example 2, the first information includes less content, which reduces signaling overhead.

[0184] In implementation method 2, the first communication device is a RAN device, the third communication device is a SU in the RAN device, and the first information is determined by the SU in the RAN device, or the first information is determined by the RAN device.

[0185] When the third communication device is a SU in the RAN device, it is equivalent to the first communication device and the third communication device being different functional modules in the RAN device. In this case, "the first communication device obtains the first information" can also be replaced with "the RAN device obtains the first information" or "the RAN device generates the first information".

[0186] The behavior of the third communication device and the first communication device can be referred to the relevant description in Implementation 1 above, and will not be repeated here. The difference is that the interaction between the third communication device and the first communication device is an internal information exchange within the RAN device, and therefore does not involve transmission. For example, the first communication device can send second information to the third communication device through the circuit interface between them. The third communication device can send first information to the first communication device through the circuit interface between them.

[0187] S702, The first communication device determines the first resource based on the first information.

[0188] The first resource can be used to transmit a first sensing signal, which can be used to determine at least one target of interest. In embodiments of this application, the first resource includes multiple resource units, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types. For example, the first resource includes a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent, wherein the time-domain interval between the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain interval between the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain interval between the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain interval between the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0189] The time intervals between adjacent resource units in the first resource can be considered in at least two ways that the first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the time domain, or there are at least two sets of adjacent resource units in the first resource with different numbers of time-domain resources between them. The frequency intervals between adjacent resource units in the first resource can also be considered in at least two ways that the first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the frequency domain, or there are at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources in the first resource with different numbers of frequency-domain resources between them.

[0190] The time interval between adjacent resource units in the first resource can be directly replaced by at least two conditions: the first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the time domain.

[0191] The frequency spacing between adjacent resource units in the first resource can be directly replaced by at least two possibilities: the first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the frequency domain.

[0192] Figure 10 illustrates an example of a first resource. Figure 10 uses the example of a first resource that is not distributed in the time and frequency domains. A grid in Figure 10 represents a resource unit, which consists of one time-domain unit and one frequency-domain unit. The first resource in Figure 10 includes a first resource unit (e.g., resource 1), a second resource unit (e.g., resource 2), and a third resource unit (e.g., resource 3). The first resource unit (e.g., resource 1) and the second resource unit (e.g., resource 2) are adjacent, as are the second resource unit (e.g., resource 2) and the third resource unit (e.g., resource 3). The time interval between resource 1 and resource 2 is 0 time-domain units, and the time interval between resource 2 and resource 3 is 1 time-domain unit. Therefore, adjacent resources in the first resource have two time intervals. Similarly, the frequency interval between resource 1 and resource 2 is 0 frequency-domain units, and the frequency interval between resource 2 and resource 3 is 1 frequency-domain unit. Therefore, adjacent resources in the first resource have two frequency intervals.

[0193] The first resource can be a portion of the second resource. For example, the second resource may consist of M time-domain units and N frequency-domain units, or it may consist of M×N resource units, where each resource unit comprises one time-domain unit and one frequency-domain unit. The first resource is P resource units within the second resource. There is no limit to the size of a time-domain unit; for example, a time-domain unit can be an OFDM symbol. Similarly, there is no limit to the size of a frequency-domain unit; for example, a frequency-domain unit can be a subcarrier. A resource unit is a resource element (RE).

[0194] The first communication device determining the first resource based on the first information may specifically include: the first communication device selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units as the first resource based on the first information. Assume there are K possibilities for selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units, i.e., K represents the combined resources corresponding to selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units, and the first resource is one of the K groups of resources. This application embodiment does not limit the rules for the first communication device to select P resource units from the M×N resource units. For example, the first communication device selects P resource units from the M×N resource units based on the first information and at least one performance indicator, and uses these P resource units as the first resource. The at least one performance indicator includes, for example, one or more of the following: peak-to-sidelobe ratio, peak-to-integral-sidelobe ratio, and Cramer-Rao boundary.

[0195] In possible implementation 1, K groups of resources can be predefined or (pre)configured. When at least one performance metric includes the peak sidelobe ratio, the first communication device can select a group of resources from the K groups whose peak sidelobe ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold as the first resource, thereby reducing the detection interference of other targets on the target of interest.

[0196] For example, K sets of resources B satisfy: Β={[β1,β2,…,β...} MN ]|∑ t＝0 β t =P,β t ∈[0,1]}, the sensing signal corresponding to the i-th resource in the K groups of resources. satisfy:

[0197] The distance τ between at least one target of interest and at least one environmental target is considered as the first piece of information. pre and speed v pre If we consider it as prior information for obtaining the first resource, then The echo signal y(m,n) can satisfy:

[0198] The first communication device can process y(m,n) using discrete Fourier transform or other super-resolution algorithms to obtain the range-velocity power spectrum of at least one target of interest, and then obtain the range τ of the target of interest on the i-th resource group. pre and speed v pre and speed v pre Power value P int Power value P corresponding to the angle of at least one environmental target env,j The peak-to-sidelobe ratio (γ) was used as the evaluation index. i The peak sidelobe ratio can be the maximum sidelobe ratio. Or integral sidelobe ratio The first communication device can traverse K groups of resources to determine the peak sidelobe ratio of each of the K groups of resources, and select a group of resources whose peak sidelobe ratio is greater than a first threshold as the first resource.

[0199] In possible implementation 2, P can be predefined or (pre)configured, or the first communication device can determine P, for example, based on the resource overhead reduction requirement. For instance, P can be the value obtained by multiplying the resource overhead reduction ratio by the total resources (e.g., M×N resource units). The first communication device determines P, and then determines K groups of resources based on P and the M×N resource units, and selects a group of resources from the K groups whose peak-to-sidelobe ratio is greater than a first threshold as the first resource.

[0200] Optionally, if multiple resources in the K groups have a peak sidelobe ratio greater than or equal to the first threshold, the first communication device may select the resource with the largest peak sidelobe ratio from the multiple resources as the first resource, so as to minimize the detection interference of other targets on the target of interest.

[0201] S703, The first communication device sends resource configuration information.

[0202] The first communication device determines a first resource and can indicate the first resource to other communication devices (such as the second communication device) so that the second communication device sends a first sensing signal on the first resource. For example, the first communication device sends resource configuration information to the second communication device, which is used to indicate the first resource. Alternatively, the first communication device determines the first resource, sends the first sensing signal on the first resource, and receives the echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource. In this case, the first communication device does not need to send resource configuration information, and step S703 is not a mandatory step, which is illustrated by dashed lines in Figure 7.

[0203] Depending on the different ways the first communication device determines the implementation of the first resource, the content of the resource configuration information varies, as illustrated by the following examples.

[0204] In Example 1, the first communication device determines the first resource based on Implementation 1, or predefines or (pre)configures K groups of resources. In this case, the resource configuration information is used to indicate one group of resources (i.e., the first resource) among the K groups of resources.

[0205] For example, K groups of resources can be predefined, or the first communication device can send information about the K groups of resources (e.g., the index of the K groups of resources) to the second communication device via an RRC message. The resource configuration information includes the index of the first resource in the K groups of resources, and the second communication device can determine the first resource in the K groups of resources based on the index.

[0206] In Example 2, P is predefined or (pre)configured; for example, P could be a value obtained by multiplying the percentage reduction in resource overhead by the total resources (e.g., M × N resource units). Resource configuration information can be used to indicate at least one first resource unit within a sensing cycle, which belongs to a first resource.

[0207] Here, a sensing period refers to a time period, and there is no restriction on the specific name of this time period. For example, this time period can also be called the period for processing the echo signal, or the coherent processing interval (CPI). The first resource includes at least one first resource unit within at least one sensing period. For example, see Figure 11, which shows the first resource within two adjacent sensing periods.

[0208] The resource configuration information can indicate at least one first resource unit within a sensing period. The second communication device can determine the first resource based on the resource configuration information, the sensing period, and the starting position of the first resource. Optionally, the sensing period is predefined or (pre)configured, and the starting position of the first resource can also be predefined or (pre)configured. Alternatively, the resource configuration information can also include the sensing period and / or the starting position information of the first resource, providing greater flexibility.

[0209] In one implementation, the resource configuration information may include (or be) a first bit diagram, in which one bit indicates a first resource unit, and at least one first resource unit is a sub-resource unit corresponding to a bit value of a first value (e.g., 1). Continuing with the example of Figure 10, the first bit diagram may be 1001100110.

[0210] Optionally, a first resource unit includes multiple sub-resource units, and each sub-resource unit consists of a time-domain sub-unit and a frequency-domain sub-unit. For example, the first resource unit includes A×B sub-resource units, where A is the number of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit, and B is the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. The size of the time-domain resources for each sub-resource unit can be predefined or (pre)configured; for example, the time-domain resources of one sub-resource unit occupy one symbol or one time slot. The size of the frequency-domain resources for each sub-resource unit can also be predefined or (pre)configured; for example, the time-domain resources of one sub-resource unit occupy one subcarrier. Continuing with the example in Figure 11, A=14, B=2.

[0211] In this case, the resource configuration information may further include a first offset and / or a second offset. The first offset may indicate the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit. The second offset may indicate the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit. Continuing with the example in Figure 11, the first offset A2 = 3, and the second offset B1 = 0. Figure 11 uses the time-domain start position of the first resource unit as the start position of the sensing period as an example. The second communication device can determine at least one first resource unit within a sensing period based on the resource configuration information, and can also determine the sub-resource units belonging to the first resource within each first resource unit. Compared to transmitting the first sensing signal at the granularity of the first resource unit, transmitting the first sensing signal at the granularity of the sub-resource units within the first resource unit results in lower resource overhead.

[0212] Optionally, the resource configuration information may include multiple first offsets and / or multiple second offsets, wherein a first offset indicates the offset between a sub-resource unit within a first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit. A second offset may indicate the offset between a sub-resource unit within a first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit.

[0213] Optionally, the resource configuration information may also include a second value and / or a third value, wherein the second value is the number A of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit, and the third value is the number B of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit.

[0214] S704, The first communication device receives the echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource.

[0215] The second communication device can transmit a first sensing signal over the first resource, and the first communication device receives the echo signal of the first sensing signal over the first resource. The first communication device processes the echo signal of the first sensing signal to determine some information (e.g., speed and / or distance) of at least one target of interest.

[0216] S704 can be replaced by "the first communication device transmits a first sensing signal on the first resource". In this case, the first communication device receives the echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource, as shown in the mode (1) in Figure 6.

[0217] In this embodiment, the first communication device can determine the first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal next based on information (e.g., velocity and / or distance) of at least one target of interest obtained from the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource. The first resource is non-uniformly distributed in the time and / or frequency domains. Thus, within the same time frame, the first resource can be sparser than the second resource, reducing the resource overhead of sensing.

[0218] In the embodiments provided above, the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are described using the execution of a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device as examples. In this application, each embodiment can be implemented independently or in combination based on certain inherent connections; in each embodiment, different implementation methods can be implemented in combination or independently. To achieve the functions in the methods provided by the embodiments of this application above, the steps executed by each communication device can be implemented by the communication device itself, or by a functional entity including the communication device, or by different functional entities constituting the communication device. To achieve the functions in the methods provided by the embodiments of this application above, each communication device can include a hardware structure and / or a software module, implementing the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0219] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiments, this application provides a communication device. The communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The content above can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated content will not be repeated.

[0220] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 1200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1200 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the first communication device, second communication device, or third communication device in the various method embodiments described above. For example, the communication device 1200 can be a network device; or, the communication device 1200 can be a chip (system) in a network device; or, the communication device 1200 can be a software module of a network device. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 can be a terminal device; or, the communication device 1200 can be a chip (system) in a terminal device; or, the communication device 1200 can be a software module of a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 can be an SF network element; or, the communication device 1200 can be a chip (system) in an SF network element; or, the communication device 1200 can be a software module of a terminal device.

[0221] The communication device 1200 may include a processing module 1210 and a transceiver module 1220. Optionally, it may also include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The storage module may be, for example, a memory. The processing module 1210 and the transceiver module 1220 may be coupled to the storage module. For example, the processing module 1210 can read instructions (code or program) and / or data from the storage module to implement a corresponding method. When the communication device 1200 is a chip in a terminal device, network device, or SF network element, the storage module may be an internal storage module within the chip, such as a register or cache. For example, the storage module may also be an external storage module located within the terminal device, network device, or SF network element, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM). The above-mentioned units may be set independently or partially or completely integrated.

[0222] Processing module 1210 may be a processor or controller, such as an AI chip, a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing unit (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc. Transceiver module 1220 is a transceiver, interface circuit, bus, pin, or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented as a chip, transceiver module 1220 is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit for the chip to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0223] In one implementation, the communication device 1200 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the first communication device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1200 can be a RAN device, a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the RAN device, a part of a chip or chipset within the RAN device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the first communication device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0224] For example, processing module 1210 is used to acquire first information and determine a first resource based on the first information. Transceiver module 1220 is used to transmit a first sensing signal on the first resource or receive an echo signal of the first sensing signal on the first resource. The first sensing signal is used to sense the at least one target of interest. The first information is used to indicate the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among the at least one sensed target. The first resource includes multiple resource units, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them.

[0225] As an optional implementation, the first resource includes multiple resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0226] As an optional implementation, the processing module 1210 is specifically used to: determine a first resource from K groups of resources based on first information and at least one performance indicator. The at least one performance indicator includes the peak-to-sidelobe ratio. The first resource is a group of resources in the K groups whose peak-to-sidelobe ratio is greater than or equal to a first threshold. K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units included in the second resource, M is the number of time-domain units included in the second resource, N is the number of frequency-domain units included in the second resource, and P is a positive integer.

[0227] As an optional implementation, multiple resources in the K groups have a peak sidelobe ratio greater than a first threshold, and the first resource is the group with the largest peak sidelobe ratio among the multiple resources.

[0228] As an optional implementation, the transceiver module 1220 is used to receive the first information.

[0229] As an optional implementation, before receiving the first information, the transceiver module 1220 is further configured to receive the echo signal of the second sensing signal on the second resource. The processing module 1210 is further configured to determine the second information based on the echo information of the second sensing signal. The transceiver module 1220 is further configured to transmit the second information. The second sensing signal is used to determine at least one target of interest. The second information is used to determine the distance and / or velocity of at least one target of interest.

[0230] As an optional implementation, the first information includes velocity information and / or distance information of at least one target of interest; or, the first information includes an identifier corresponding to at least one target of interest, with each identifier corresponding to a velocity range and / or a distance range.

[0231] As an optional implementation, the second resource includes multiple resource units, wherein adjacent resource units have the same time interval; and / or, adjacent resource units have the same frequency interval. Alternatively, any two groups of adjacent time-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resources between them, and / or, any two groups of adjacent frequency-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resources between them.

[0232] As an optional implementation, the transceiver module 1220 is also used to send resource configuration information. This resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource in the K groups of resources. Alternatively, the resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource, and the resource configuration information includes information about at least one first resource unit within a sensing period, wherein the at least one first resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0233] As an optional implementation, the resource configuration information also includes: the sensing period, and / or, the starting position information of the first resource.

[0234] As an optional implementation, a first resource unit includes multiple sub-resource units, and the resource configuration information further includes: a first offset and / or a second offset. The first offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource. The second offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0235] As an optional implementation, the resource configuration information also includes a second value and / or a third value. The second value is the number of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. The third value is the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit.

[0236] In one implementation, the communication device 1200 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the second communication device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1200 can be a terminal device, a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within the terminal device, a part of a chip or chipset in the terminal device used to execute the relevant method functions, or a software module in the terminal device capable of implementing the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0237] For example, transceiver module 1220 is used to receive resource configuration information and transmit a first sensing signal on the first resource. Processing module 1210 is used to determine the first resource based on the resource configuration information. The resource configuration information indicates the first resource, which includes multiple resource units, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them.

[0238] As an optional implementation, the first resource includes multiple resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0239] As an optional implementation, before receiving resource configuration information, the transceiver module 1220 is further configured to transmit a second sensing signal in a second resource, the second resource comprising multiple resource units, wherein the time interval between adjacent resource units in the multiple resource units is the same; and / or, the frequency interval between adjacent resource units in the multiple resource units is the same. Alternatively, the number of resources between any two groups of adjacent time-domain resources in the second resource is the same, and / or, the number of resources between any two groups of adjacent frequency-domain resources in the second resource is the same.

[0240] As an optional implementation, the resource configuration information is used to indicate that the first resource includes: the resource configuration information indicates the first resource in K groups of resources, where K is the number of combinations corresponding to selecting P resource units from the M×N resource units included in the second resource, M is the number of time-domain units included in the second resource, N is the number of frequency-domain units included in the second resource, and P is a positive integer. Alternatively, the resource configuration information is used to indicate the first resource, and this resource configuration information includes information on at least one first resource unit within one sensing period, wherein at least one first resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0241] As an optional implementation, the resource configuration information also includes: the sensing period, and / or, the starting position information of the first resource.

[0242] As an optional implementation, a first resource unit includes multiple sub-resource units, and the resource configuration information further includes: a first offset and / or a second offset. The first offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the time-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource. The second offset indicates the offset between the first sub-resource unit within the first resource unit and the frequency-domain start position of the first resource unit, wherein the first sub-resource unit belongs to the first resource.

[0243] As an optional implementation, the resource configuration information also includes a second value and / or a third value. The second value is the number of time-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit. The third value is the number of frequency-domain sub-units included in the first resource unit.

[0244] In one implementation, the communication device 1200 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the third communication device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1200 can be an SF network element, a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) within an SF network element, a part of a chip or chipset within an SF network element used to perform the relevant method functions, or a software module capable of implementing the third communication device in the above communication method; there are no limitations. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0245] For example, transceiver module 1220 is used to receive second information, which is used to determine the velocity and / or distance of at least one target of interest among at least one sensing target. The at least one sensing target is determined based on the echo signal of a second sensing signal on a second resource. Processing module is used to determine first information based on the second information. Transceiver module 1220 is also used to transmit the first information. The first information is used to determine a first resource for transmitting the first sensing signal. The first resource includes a plurality of resource units, wherein the time intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types; and / or, the frequency intervals between adjacent resource units are at least two different types. Alternatively, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent time-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them, and / or, the first resource has at least two sets of adjacent frequency-domain resources with different numbers of resources between them.

[0246] As an optional implementation, the first resource includes multiple resources including a first resource unit, a second resource unit, and a third resource unit, wherein the first resource unit and the second resource unit are adjacent to each other, and the second resource unit and the third resource unit are adjacent to each other, wherein the time-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the time-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit; and / or, the frequency-domain spacing of the first resource unit and the second resource unit is different from the frequency-domain spacing of the second resource unit and the third resource unit.

[0247] As an optional implementation, the first information includes the speed information and / or distance information of at least one sensed target; or, the first information includes an identifier corresponding to at least one sensed target, with each identifier corresponding to a speed range and / or a distance range.

[0248] As an optional implementation, the second resource includes multiple resource units, wherein adjacent resource units have the same time interval; and / or, adjacent resource units have the same frequency interval. Alternatively, any two groups of adjacent time-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resources between them, and / or, any two groups of adjacent frequency-domain resources in the second resource have the same number of resources between them.

[0249] When the communication device 1200 is a chip-based device or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0250] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 can be the first, second, or third communication device described in the above embodiments. For example, the communication device 1300 can be a RAN device or a chip (system) within a RAN device. Another example is that the communication device 1300 can be a terminal device or a chip (system) within a terminal device. Yet another example is that the communication device 1300 can be an SF network element or a chip (system) within an SF network element. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. Specific functions can be found in the descriptions of the above method embodiments.

[0251] The communication device 1300 includes one or more processors 1301, used to implement or support the communication device 1300 in implementing the functions of the first, second, or third communication device in the methods provided in the embodiments of this application. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the method examples, which will not be repeated here. The processor 1301 can also be called a processing unit or processing module, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1301 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it includes: a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video codec processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor, etc. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 1300 (e.g., a terminal device or a network device), execute software programs, and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated on one or more application-specific integrated circuits.

[0252] In one design, processor 1301 may include program 1303 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that can be executed on processor 1301 to cause communication device 1300 to perform the methods described in the embodiments below. In yet another possible design, communication device 1300 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG13) for implementing the functions of the communication device, second communication device, or third communication device in the above embodiments.

[0253] In one design, the communication device 1300 may include one or more memories 1302 storing a program 1304 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 1301 to cause the communication device 1300 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0254] In one design, the processor 1301 and / or memory 1302 may include AI modules 1307 and 1308, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​modules may include RIC modules. For instance, the AI ​​modules may be near real-time RICs or non-real-time RICs.

[0255] In one possible design, the processor 1301 and / or memory 1302 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0256] In one possible design, the communication device 1300 may further include a transceiver 1305 and / or an antenna 1306. The processor 1301, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device 1300. The transceiver 1305, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 1300 through the antenna 1306.

[0257] In one possible design, the communication device 1300 may further include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It is understood that in some embodiments, the communication device 1300 may include more or fewer components, or some components may be integrated, or some components may be separated. These components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0258] The communication device in the above embodiments can be a RAN device, a terminal device, or an SF network element. It can also be a circuit, a chip applied in a RAN device, terminal device, or SF network element, or other combined devices or components having the functions of the first, second, or third communication device described above. When the communication device is a RAN device, terminal device, or SF network element, the transceiver module can be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and radio frequency circuits, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, such as a CPU. When the communication device is a chip system, the communication device may include (or be) an AI chip, FPGA, dedicated ASIC, SoC, network processor (NP), DSP, microcontroller unit (MCU), programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips. The processing module can be the processor of the chip system. The transceiver module or communication interface can be the input / output interface or interface circuit of the chip system. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in memory and can be read directly from memory or through other devices) and transmit them to the processor; the processor can be used to run the code instructions to execute the method in the above method embodiments. For example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between the communication processor and the transceiver.

[0259] This application also provides a communication system, which includes an SF network element and at least one network device. The SF network element is used to implement the function of the third communication device in the above-described communication method, and the network device is used to implement the function of the first communication device in the above-described communication method. The communication system may further include at least one terminal device, which is used to implement the function of the second communication device in the above-described communication method. Alternatively, the communication device includes at least one network device and at least one terminal device, where the network device is used to implement the functions of the first and second communication devices in the above-described communication method, and the terminal device is used to implement the function of the second communication device in the above-described communication method.

[0260] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method executed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0261] This application also provides a computer program product, including computer program code, which, when executed, causes the method executed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device in the above-described communication method to be executed.

[0262] This application provides a chip system including a processor and potentially a memory, for implementing the functions of the first, second, or third communication device in the aforementioned communication method. The chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0263] To achieve the functions of the communication devices shown in Figures 12 and 13, this application embodiment also provides a chip, including a processor, for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions involved in the first, second, or third communication device in the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to a memory or includes a memory for storing necessary computer programs, instructions, and data for the communication device.

[0264] 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.

[0265] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps 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 implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0266] 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.

[0267] 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.

[0268] 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.

[0269] 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 essential contributing part of the technical solution of this application, 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, server, or network 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, external hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0270] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

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