Positioning method, communication apparatus and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

A positioning method, a communication apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium, which are used for improving the positioning accuracy in an NTN scenario. In the method, a terminal device may measure a reference signal on the basis of measurement configuration information, wherein the measurement configuration information is associated with the reference signal, and the measurement configuration information may assist the terminal device in measuring the reference signal, so that the terminal device obtains a more accurate reference signal measurement result, thereby improving the accuracy of a positioning result of a terminal.

Description

A positioning method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510198890.X, filed on February 21, 2025, entitled "A Positioning Method, Communication Device and Computer-Readable Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a positioning method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] Positioning technology refers to determining the location of user equipment (UE) by measuring certain parameters of wireless signals and using specific positioning techniques. Examples include: enhanced cell ID (E-CID) positioning, downlink-time difference of arrival (DL-TDoA) positioning, uplink-time difference of arrival (UL-TDoA) positioning, downlink-angle of departure (DL-AoD) positioning, uplink-angle of arrival (UL-AoA) positioning, and multiple-round trip time (Multi-RTT) positioning.

[0004] The aforementioned positioning method can be applied to traditional terrestrial network (TN) scenarios. However, in non-terrestrial network (NTN) scenarios, network equipment may not be fixed in a specific location on the ground, such as low-Earth orbit (LEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), and high-Earth orbit (HEO) satellite equipment. Due to the large time-frequency offset and high mobility characteristics of NTN systems, the above positioning method is not suitable for NTN systems. Furthermore, existing positioning methods for NTN scenarios offer relatively low positioning accuracy, making it difficult to meet positioning accuracy requirements (such as those required during initial access). Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a positioning method, a communication device, and a computer-readable storage medium for improving positioning accuracy in NTN scenarios.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a positioning method applicable to a terminal device, for example, executed by the terminal device itself, or executed by a component (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) within the terminal device, or executed by a logic module or software implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. For ease of explanation, this application uses a terminal device as an example. In this method, the terminal device first acquires positioning assistance information, which includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal; then, the terminal device acquires a measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

[0007] The terminal device can use the positioning results to assist in the initial access and / or mobility management (such as cell selection, cell reselection, cell handover) and / or beam management processes.

[0008] In this embodiment, the type of reference signal is not limited. The reference signal may be a positioning reference signal (PRS), a synchronization signal block (SSB), an on-demand synchronization signal block (OD-SSB), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), an integrated communication positioning signal, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or other types of reference signals.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can measure the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information. The measurement configuration information is associated with the reference signal and can assist the terminal device in measuring the reference signal, so that the terminal device can obtain more accurate reference signal measurement results, thereby improving the accuracy of the terminal positioning results.

[0010] It is understandable that in the above scheme, the positioning assistance information and reference signals can be configured and transmitted by network devices (such as satellites). This scheme can be applied to the location acquisition of terminal devices in scenarios without a global navigation satellite system (non-GNSS) or where the global navigation satellite system is partially disabled (GNSS-relaxed), so that the terminal devices can obtain positioning results.

[0011] It should be noted that the type of measurement result of the reference signal in this embodiment can be selected according to the positioning scheme configured in the terminal device. This embodiment does not limit the type of measurement result of the reference signal. For example, the measurement result of the reference signal may include time of arrival (ToA), time difference of arrival (TDoA), frequency of arrival (FoA), frequency difference of arrival (FDoA), Rx-Tx time difference, reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal transmission time, angle of departure (AoD), angle of arrival (AoA), etc.

[0012] The positioning method provided in this application can be applied to the terminal side, such as the terminal or the communication / computing module in the terminal, or the circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or the circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for computing and / or communication functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), or a logic node, logic module, or software that can realize all or part of the terminal functions.

[0013] In another embodiment of this application, the acquisition of positioning assistance information by the terminal device may specifically include: after determining that its own location information is invalid, the terminal device acquires positioning assistance information. For example, the terminal device may determine that its own location information is invalid based on conditions such as location jitter, weak GNSS signal (e.g., the quality of the received GNSS signal is less than a threshold, where GNSS signal quality can be received signal strength, received signal quality, received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, etc.), or expired location information, and then execute the steps of acquiring positioning assistance information and obtaining positioning results. This avoids the terminal device frequently receiving information and saves positioning power consumption.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the positioning result is used for the initial access of the terminal device.

[0015] Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can perform communication procedures such as initial access based on the positioning result. Due to the improved accuracy of the positioning result, the reliability of the terminal device in cell search and selection is improved, thereby increasing the success rate of the terminal device's initial access and improving the reliability of the terminal device's communication.

[0016] Optionally, the positioning results can also be used for terminal beam management, mobility management (such as cell handover and cell reselection), etc., which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following: the period of the reference signal, the duration of the reference signal, the start time of the reference signal, or the offset information of the reference signal; wherein the offset information includes at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset.

[0018] The measurement configuration information may include the period of the reference signal. Different reference signal periods affect positioning accuracy. For example, decreasing the period of the reference signal can increase the measurement frequency and improve positioning accuracy. The terminal device can adaptively adjust the measurement frequency of the reference signal based on its period, improving the reliability of the measurement results and thus enhancing positioning accuracy.

[0019] The measurement configuration information may include the duration of the reference signal. Different reference signal durations also affect positioning accuracy. For example, a longer duration can improve the reliability of the terminal's measurement results of the reference signal, thereby improving positioning accuracy. The terminal device can adaptively adjust the measurement frequency of the reference signal based on its duration, further improving the reliability of the measurement results and thus enhancing positioning accuracy.

[0020] The measurement configuration information may include the start time of the reference signal. Based on the start time of the reference signal, the terminal device can determine the time node for measuring the reference signal, improving the reliability of the terminal device's reference signal measurement and increasing positioning accuracy.

[0021] The measurement configuration information may include offset information of the reference signal, which may include at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset. The terminal device can compensate for the measurement results when measuring the reference signal based on the offset information. For example, the time offset can compensate for the transmission delay from the network side to the terminal device or the geographical area where the terminal device is located or the reference location. Based on this, the reliability of the measurement results of the reference signal is improved, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0022] Based on the above scheme, multiple options for measurement configuration information are provided. The terminal device can measure the reference signal based on the positioning assistance information to obtain more accurate reference signal measurement results, thereby improving the accuracy of the terminal positioning results.

[0023] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the measurement configuration information includes the absolute time of transmitting the reference signal.

[0024] The measurement configuration information may include the absolute time of transmitting the reference signal, which can be Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Based on this, the terminal device can determine the transmission time, time difference, and other measurement results of the reference signal based on the absolute time of transmission and the time it receives the reference signal. Utilizing the absolute time of transmission can improve the accuracy of the reference signal measurement results, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the measurement configuration information corresponds to the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) information of the synchronization signal block, and the correspondence includes an offset relationship and / or a scaling relationship.

[0026] Specifically, the measurement configuration information can have a corresponding / mapping relationship with the synchronization signal block's measurement timing configuration (SSB-based measurement timing configuration, SMTC) information (such as SMTC4list information). This correspondence / mapping relationship can include offset relationships and / or scaling relationships. For example, in existing SMTC4list information, a maximum of four SSB measurement offset configurations can be configured, supporting SSB measurements from different satellites. Therefore, based on this correspondence / mapping relationship, the measurement configuration information can be obtained by offsetting and / or scaling the SMTC information. The number of measurement configuration information can be configured as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, the measurement configuration information can be obtained through SMTC information conversion, thereby improving positioning accuracy while reducing the measurement window and measurement complexity of the terminal equipment for the reference signal.

[0028] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the measurement configuration information is associated with a first set, which includes at least one of the following: an index set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), a waveform set, a geographic region set, a reference location set, or a time period set.

[0029] Specifically, measurement configuration information can be associated with different SSB index sets, locations (such as wave position sets, geographical region sets, reference location sets, etc.), or time period sets (such as UTC time, ephemeris information, uplink synchronization validity period, etc.), wherein the SSB index set includes at least one SSB index. Based on the above scheme, the terminal device can obtain measurement configuration information based on the association between the measurement configuration information and the first set, thereby improving positioning accuracy and reducing the complexity of reference signal measurement and processing for the terminal device.

[0030] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the positioning assistance information further includes at least one of the following: satellite ephemeris information, reference signal mode information, downlink timing drift rate, downlink Doppler variation rate, time-frequency pre-compensation information, or the quasi-co-address QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal.

[0031] The positioning assistance information may include satellite ephemeris information, which enables the terminal device to determine relevant information about the satellite's orbit, such as position and speed, based on the ephemeris information.

[0032] The positioning assistance information may include the pattern information of the reference signal (if the reference signal is a positioning reference signal (PRS), then the pattern information of the reference signal is the PRS pattern information). The pattern information of the reference signal may include its positioning period, time offset, frequency domain start position and bandwidth, polarization, system parameter numberology, comb size, repetition mode, muting, etc. The terminal device can correctly measure the reference signal based on its pattern information, improving the reliability of the measurement.

[0033] The positioning assistance information may include time-frequency pre-compensation information, which can be pre-configured by the network side to pre-compensate the transmission delay of the reference signal, thereby further improving the reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0034] The positioning assistance information may include downlink timing drift rate or downlink Doppler variation rate, which is mainly used to determine the downlink delay or Doppler variation rate within the measurement window / time period caused by the rapid movement of the satellite.

[0035] The positioning assistance information may include the quasi-co-located QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block (SSB) of the reference cell and the reference signal. The reference cell is the reference cell corresponding to the geographical area where the terminal device is located. The QCL relationship refers to the relationship between antenna ports in five aspects: Doppler spread, Doppler frequency shift, delay spread, average delay, and spatial receiver parameters. The QCL relationship can indicate that the channel characteristics between two antenna ports are similar. Based on the quasi-co-located QCL relationship between the SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal, the terminal device can determine the beam used to receive the reference signal, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0036] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: acquiring measurement gap information, the measurement gap information being associated with the measurement configuration information, the measurement gap information including at least one of the following: measurement gap mode, measurement gap offset, measurement gap length, measurement gap period, or measurement time advance; and acquiring the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information, which includes: acquiring the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information.

[0037] In this embodiment, the measurement gap information can be used in a wireless communication system to achieve precise time and frequency synchronization, support inter-frequency measurement, optimize data transmission efficiency, and adapt to different measurement needs. In this embodiment, the measurement gap information is associated with the measurement configuration information. The terminal device can obtain the measurement gap information associated with the measurement configuration information and obtain the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information, so as to improve the accuracy and reliability of the reference signal measurement and improve the positioning accuracy.

[0038] It should be noted that the measurement gap length in the measurement configuration information should be greater than the effective measurement length of the terminal device to improve the effectiveness of the terminal device's measurements.

[0039] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending measurement capability information, the measurement capability information being associated with the measurement configuration information, the measurement capability information being used to determine the positioning assistance information.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the terminal device is in a connected state, it can report measurement capability information associated with the measurement configuration information (e.g., the number of measurement configuration windows supported by the terminal) to the network side, so that the network side can configure the corresponding positioning assistance information. This improves the adaptability of the positioning assistance information to the terminal device, thereby improving the reliability of the terminal device's positioning results.

[0041] A second aspect of this application provides a positioning method applicable to network devices, for example, executed by the network device itself, or executed by a component (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) within the network device, or executed by a logic module or software implementing all or part of the network device's functions. For ease of explanation, this application uses a network device as an example. In this method, positioning assistance information is transmitted, including at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal. The measurement configuration information is used by a terminal to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

[0042] The positioning method provided in this application can be applied to the network side. The network side includes, for example, access network devices, modules (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems) within these devices, logical nodes, logical modules, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network devices, circuits or chips (e.g., GPUs, AI processors, or ASICs) responsible for computing and / or communication functions within the access network devices, or core network (CN) devices on the network side.

[0043] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the positioning result is used for the initial access of the terminal.

[0044] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following: the period of the reference signal, the duration of the reference signal, the start time of the reference signal, or the offset information of the reference signal; wherein the offset information includes at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset.

[0045] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the time offset is used to compensate for the transmission delay of the reference signal.

[0046] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the measurement configuration information includes the absolute time of transmitting the reference signal.

[0047] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the measurement configuration information corresponds to the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) information of the synchronization signal block, and the correspondence includes an offset relationship and / or a scaling relationship.

[0048] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the measurement configuration information is associated with a first set, which includes at least one of the following: an index set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), a waveform set, a geographic region set, a reference location set, or a time period set.

[0049] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the positioning assistance information further includes at least one of the following: satellite ephemeris information, reference signal mode information, downlink timing drift rate, downlink Doppler change rate, time-frequency pre-compensation information, or the quasi-co-address QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal.

[0050] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the reference signal includes at least one of the following signals: a positioning reference signal PRS, a synchronization signal block SSB, an on-demand synchronization signal block OD-SSB, a secondary synchronization signal SSS, an integrated communication positioning signal, or a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

[0051] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending measurement gap information, the measurement gap information being associated with the measurement configuration information, the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information being used by the terminal to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal; the measurement gap information includes at least one of the following: measurement gap mode, measurement gap offset, measurement gap length, measurement gap period, or measurement time advance.

[0052] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: acquiring measurement capability information, the measurement capability information being associated with the measurement configuration information, and the measurement capability information being used to determine the positioning assistance information.

[0053] It should be noted that the explanations, supplements, and descriptions of beneficial effects in the first aspect also apply to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0054] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device that performs the functions described in the first aspect. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. Exemplarily, the communication device is a terminal device, or it is a component of a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or it is a logic module or software capable of performing all or part of the functions of a terminal device. Taking the communication device as an example of a terminal device, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0055] A transceiver unit is used to acquire positioning assistance information, the positioning assistance information including at least one measurement associated with a reference signal;

[0056] The processing unit is used to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

[0057] In the third aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0058] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device that performs the functions described in the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the operations involved in the second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of both. Exemplarily, the communication device is a network device, or it is a component of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or it is a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device. Taking a network device as an example, the network device includes a transceiver unit.

[0059] A transceiver unit is used to send positioning assistance information, which includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal. The measurement configuration information is used by the terminal to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

[0060] In the fourth aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions to enable the device to implement any one of the first or second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0062] Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to a memory for storing computer programs or instructions.

[0063] Optionally, the communication device includes the memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with at least one processor.

[0064] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the communication device is a chip or chip system.

[0066] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the communication device provided in the third aspect and the communication device provided in the fourth aspect.

[0067] The eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform a method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects above.

[0068] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) in which, when the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method of any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0069] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above. For example, the chip may be a baseband chip, a modem chip, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, a system-in-package (SIP) chip, or a communication module, etc.

[0070] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0071] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects four through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0072] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the communication system provided in this application;

[0073] Figures 2a to 2d are some schematic diagrams of the satellite communication process provided in this application;

[0074] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the satellite communication process in the 5G system provided in this application;

[0075] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the positioning method provided in this application;

[0076] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of reference signal transmission in a satellite communication scenario provided in this application;

[0077] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the correlation between the positioning assistance information and the reference signal provided in this application;

[0078] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the mapping relationship between the measurement configuration information and the measurement timing configuration information of the synchronization signal block provided in this application;

[0079] Figures 8a and 8b are some schematic diagrams illustrating the relationship between the measurement configuration information and the location information provided in this application;

[0080] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the process of the initial access method for terminal equipment provided in this application;

[0081] Figures 10 to 13 are some schematic diagrams of the structure of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0082] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0083] (1) Terminal device: can be a wireless terminal device that can receive network device scheduling and instruction information. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user, or a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

[0084] Terminal devices can be various communication kits with wireless communication capabilities (kits may include, for example, antennas, power supply modules, cables, and Wi-Fi modules). Terminal devices can also be communication modules with satellite communication capabilities, satellite phones or components thereof, and very small aperture terminals (VSATs). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with a wireless access network. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal (MT), drone, etc. Terminal equipment can also be wearable devices and next-generation communication systems, such as terminal equipment in 6G communication systems or terminal equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs). Of course, in this application, terminal equipment can also refer to chips, modems, system-on-a-chip (SoC), or communication platforms that may include radio frequency (RF) components, etc., that are primarily responsible for related communication functions.

[0085] (2) Network equipment: This can be equipment in a wireless network. For example, network equipment can be a RAN node (or device) that connects terminal devices to the wireless network, and can also be called a base station. Currently, some examples of RAN equipment include: base station, evolved NodeB (eNodeB), gNB (gNodeB) in 5G communication systems, transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), etc. Additionally, the network device can specifically be a network device in a satellite communication system, i.e., an NTN network device. For example, an NTN network device includes any one of an NTN base station (gNB), a drone network device, a high-altitude platform network device, an aircraft network device, or a communication balloon network device. The specific implementation of the NTN network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application; this is just an example of a possible scenario.

[0086] In addition, in one network architecture, network devices may include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN devices that include both CU and DU nodes.

[0087] Optionally, RAN nodes can also be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0088] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0089] 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 open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or 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. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0090] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. This protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0091] The correspondence between network elements and their achievable protocol layer functions in the ORAN system can be found in Table 1 below.

[0092] Table 1

[0093] Network devices can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the network device. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0094] Network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as the Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Serving Gateway (S-GW), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and Public Data Network Gateway (PDN Gateway, P-GW) in 4th generation (4G) networks; and access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF), or session management function (SMF) in 5G networks. Furthermore, this core network equipment may also include other core network equipment in 5G networks and next-generation networks of 5G networks.

[0095] In this embodiment of the application, the network device can also be a network node with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which can provide AI services to terminals or other network devices. For example, it can be an AI node, computing power node, RAN node with AI capabilities, core network element with AI capabilities, etc. on the network side (access network or core network).

[0096] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the function of the network device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0097] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of some parameters to the terminal device through messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device and the terminal device have negotiated in advance, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device or the terminal device uses as specified by the standard protocol, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that are pre-stored in the network device or the terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0098] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0099] (4) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "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 C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0100] (5) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0101] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between 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, wiring, or interfaces.

[0102] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0103] (6) Geographical region. In the embodiments of this application, a geographic region may be replaced with a region. Herein, a region is fixed relative to the Earth, or it can be understood as a geographic area that is fixed relative to the Earth.

[0104] For example, a region may have at least one of the following attributes: shape, outline, size, radius, area, geographic location, etc. Furthermore, a "region" may also have an altitude attribute, meaning a region can be understood as a geographic area at a given altitude or within a given altitude range. For instance, a region may refer to a geographic area on the ground with an elevation of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km, or a geographic area at a certain average altitude, or a geographic area at a specific altitude, such as an elevation of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km.

[0105] Alternatively, the aforementioned region fixed relative to the Earth can also be referred to as a "wave position," "geographic region," etc. Of course, other names are also possible, and this application does not specifically limit the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the shapes, outlines, sizes, radii, and areas of different regions may be the same or different. The geographical locations of the different regions may differ. The different regions may or may not overlap.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline, size, or geographical location remains unchanged; for example, the region's outline, size, or geographical location does not change over time. Alternatively, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline and the points within it can be described using a fixed Earth coordinate system, or the coordinates of each point on the region's outline in the fixed Earth coordinate system remain constant.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the shape of the region can be a regular hexagon, or other shapes such as a regular pentagon, a circle, an ellipse, etc. Alternatively, the shape of the region can also be irregular, without restriction.

[0109] For example, the shape of a region can be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different shapes. The same network device can also define multiple region shapes. Similarly, the size, radius, and area of ​​a region can also be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different sizes, radii, or areas. The same network device can also define multiple region sizes, multiple region radii, or multiple region areas.

[0110] In one possible implementation, the Earth's surface can be divided into multiple regions, and these regions can be indexed (e.g., numbered). Terminal devices and network devices can agree on the numbering method for these regions (e.g., starting from 1 or 0) and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Alternatively, the protocol can define the numbering method for these regions and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Based on the region indexes, information such as the region's geographical location can be determined.

[0111] Optionally, the multiple regions can completely cover the Earth's surface, such that any location on the Earth's surface belongs to a certain region; or, the multiple regions can also cover part of the geographical location on Earth, for example, the multiple regions may not cover the Earth's South Pole and / or North Pole, that is, the South Pole and / or North Pole may not exist in the region.

[0112] Optionally, the method of dividing the network into multiple zones can be defined by a protocol or by the network device. Different network devices can define the same or different division methods. The same network device can also define multiple division methods.

[0113] As a first possible method of partitioning, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity, for example, a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree. If only this discretization method is used, the globe can be divided into 360×360=129600 regions. Terminal devices and network devices can define the indexes of these 129600 regions as 0,1,…,129599, or they can also define them as 1,2,…,129600.

[0114] Optionally, when introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, multiple grids can be defined to divide the Earth's surface. For example, a grid at an altitude of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km can be divided into 1-degree latitude and longitude grids, generating 129,600 regions. At an altitude of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km, another 1-degree latitude and longitude grid can be used, generating yet another 129,600 regions. When indexing these grids, the index range of a single-layer grid needs to be expanded. For example, the total index could be 0, 1, ..., 129599, 129600, 129601, ..., 259199, where the first 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 0 km, and the last 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 10 km.

[0115] For example, the granularity of the latitude and longitude grid can be determined based on the type of network device. For instance, a relatively small granularity can be used for discretization when the network device is a LEO satellite, and a relatively large granularity can be used when the network device is a GEO satellite.

[0116] As a second possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided using latitude and longitude grids of various granularities. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a portion of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees.

[0117] Alternatively, by introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree at an altitude of 0 km, and the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees at an altitude of 10 km.

[0118] As a third possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided by administrative regions. For example, a township-level administrative region could be considered as a region.

[0119] As a fourth possible division method, for GEO satellites, the projection of one of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered as a region. Since GEO satellites are stationary relative to the Earth, the projection of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered fixed relative to the Earth.

[0120] In practical applications, the Earth's surface can be divided using a combination of different methods. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a part of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided according to its administrative region.

[0121] In one possible implementation, when the Earth's surface is divided into multiple regions, different levels of region division can be applied to the same surface area. For example, for a given surface area, a first level of region division can be performed using a 10-degree granularity latitude and longitude grid, a second level using a 6-degree granularity grid, and a third level using a 1-degree granularity grid. In this case, within the surface area, the number of regions at the first level is greater than the number at the second level, and the number of regions at the second level is greater than the number at the third level. Furthermore, in this scenario, each level of region can be individually numbered.

[0122] (7) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0123] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0124] This application can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new radio vehicle-to-everything (NR V2X) systems; it can also be applied to systems with hybrid LTE and 5G networks; or device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, or drone communication systems; or communication systems supporting multiple wireless technologies, such as LTE and NR technologies; or non-terrestrial communication systems, such as satellite communication systems and high-altitude communication platforms. Optionally, this communication system can also be applied to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems or other communication systems, wherein the communication system includes network devices and terminal devices, with the network devices acting as configuration information sending entities and the terminal devices acting as configuration information receiving entities. Specifically, in this communication system, one entity sends configuration information to another entity and sends data to or receives data from another entity; the other entity receives the configuration information and, based on the configuration information, sends data to or receives data from the entity that sent the configuration information. This application can be applied to terminal devices in a connected or active state, as well as to terminal devices in an inactive or idle state.

[0125] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals can be connected to each other, as can RAN nodes, via wired or wireless means.

[0126] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to terrestrial communication systems. Alternatively, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to communication systems that integrate terrestrial and satellite communication, which can also be called non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. For example, RAN100 in Figure 1 may include a terrestrial base station, wherein the terrestrial base station may include a TN cell (i.e., the signal of the TN cell can be transmitted and received through the terrestrial base station); and RAN100 in Figure 1 may also include a non-terrestrial base station, taking a satellite as an example, the satellite may include an NTN cell (i.e., the signal of the NTN cell can be transmitted and received through the satellite). The terrestrial communication system may be, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a 5G communication system, or a new radio (NR) system, or a communication system that is the next step in the development of the 5G communication system, etc., and is not limited here.

[0127] Compared to traditional mobile communication systems, satellite communication offers advantages such as wider coverage, communication costs independent of transmission distance, and the ability to overcome natural geographical barriers like oceans, deserts, and mountains. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication networks, satellite communication can serve as an effective supplement. It is generally believed that non-terrestrial network communication has different channel characteristics compared to terrestrial network communication, such as large transmission delays and Doppler frequency offsets. For example, the round-trip time (RTT) of GEO satellite communication is 238–270 milliseconds (ms), while that of LEO satellite communication is 8 ms–20 ms. Based on orbital altitude, satellite communication systems can be classified into three types: geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite communication systems (also known as geosynchronous orbit satellite systems); medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite communication systems; and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems.

[0128] GEO satellites, also known as geostationary orbit satellites, orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. Their main advantages are relative stationary position and large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have significant drawbacks: their large distance from Earth necessitates larger antennas; their transmission latency is relatively high, around 0.5 seconds, failing to meet the demands of real-time services; and their orbital resources are relatively scarce, resulting in high launch costs and an inability to provide coverage to polar regions. MEO satellites, orbiting at altitudes between 2,000 and 35,786 km, can achieve global coverage with a relatively small number of satellites, but their transmission latency is higher than that of LEO satellites, and they are primarily used for positioning and navigation. Furthermore, satellites orbiting at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 km are called Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites are lower in altitude than MEO and GEO satellites, resulting in lower data propagation latency, lower power loss, and relatively lower launch costs. Therefore, LEO satellite communication networks have made significant progress and attracted considerable attention in recent years.

[0129] In one possible implementation, satellite equipment can be categorized into transparent mode and regenerative mode based on its operating mode.

[0130] The two modes will be illustrated below using the implementation methods shown in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d.

[0131] In the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 2a, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 2a) act as relays, specifically the Remote Radio Unit (RTU) shown in Figure 2a. Communication between the terminal equipment and the gNB requires this relay process. In other words, in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function.

[0132] For example, in the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 2b, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) operates in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function. The gateway station (or signaling station) has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station; in this case, the gateway station can be regarded as a base station. Alternatively, the base station can be deployed separately from the gateway station, in which case the delay of the feeder link includes two parts: the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0133] Optionally, the transparent transmission mode can be used as an example where the gateway station and gNB are together or in close proximity. For cases where the gateway station and gNB are far apart, the feeder link delay can be calculated by adding the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0134] As shown in Figure 2c, in the regeneration mode implementation, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 2c) act as gNBs and can communicate with the terminal devices. In other words, in regeneration mode, the satellite has the functions of a base station or some of the functions of a base station, and in this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station.

[0135] For example, in the regeneration mode implementation shown in Figure 2d, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) is working in regeneration mode, compared with the implementation shown in Figure 2b, the satellite has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station. In this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station (i.e., an airborne base station).

[0136] In addition, the aforementioned satellites can be geostationary satellites, non-geostationary satellites, artificial satellites, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, and high-Earth orbit satellites, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0137] Alternatively, in Figures 2b and / or 2d, the satellite can be implemented in other ways, such as by a drone or a high-altitude platform as shown in the figures.

[0138] It should be noted that NTN and terrestrial network base stations can be interconnected through a shared core network. They can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between base stations. In NR, the interface between base stations is called the Xn interface, and the interface between the base station and the core network is called the NG interface. In a converged network, both NTN nodes and terrestrial nodes can achieve interoperability and collaboration through these interfaces.

[0139] Furthermore, satellites acting as network devices can transmit ephemeris information so that recipients of this ephemeris information (such as terminal devices, their base stations, or other satellites) can determine relevant information about the satellite's orbit based on the ephemeris information. As an example implementation, the ephemeris information may include one or more of the information listed in Table 2 below.

[0140] Table 2

[0141] It should be noted that, in practical applications, the last parameter in Table 2, the time of near-Earth (t), can be used instead. p The same effect can be achieved by replacing the representation with true anterior angle or level anterior angle, as shown in Table 3.

[0142] Table 3

[0143] It should be noted that this application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or future communication networks / systems.

[0144] Taking 5G as an example, a 5G satellite communication system architecture is shown in Figure 3. Ground terminal equipment accesses the network through the 5G New Radio interface, while 5G base stations are deployed on satellites and connected to the ground core network via wireless links. Simultaneously, wireless links exist between satellites to facilitate signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations. The devices and interfaces in Figure 3 are described below:

[0145] 5G Core Network: This includes services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The Access and Mobility Management Unit (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The User Plane Unit (UPF) is responsible for managing user plane data transmission and traffic statistics. The Session Management Function (SMF) is mainly used for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release.

[0146] Ground station: Responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and the 5G core network.

[0147] 5G New Radio: The wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0148] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover.

[0149] NG interface: The interface between 5G base stations and 5G core networks, mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling of the core network and user service data.

[0150] Furthermore, network devices in terrestrial network communication systems and satellites in NTN communication systems can be uniformly considered as network devices. The apparatus used to implement the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device. In the following description of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a satellite is used as an example to illustrate the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. It is understood that when the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are applied to terrestrial network communication systems, the actions performed by the satellite can be applied to the base station or network device for execution.

[0151] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device is a terminal or UE as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0152] As described in the background section, due to the long distance between satellites and the ground, and their high speed, the large time-frequency offset and high mobility characteristics of NTN systems mean that traditional positioning methods used in terrestrial networks, such as Enhanced Cell Identifier (E-CID) positioning and Downlink Time Difference of Arrival (DL-TDOA) positioning, are no longer suitable for non-terrestrial NTN networks. Existing positioning methods for NTN scenarios, such as single-satellite-based multi-RTT positioning (which uses multiple round-trip time (RTT) measurements between the satellite and the UE to assist in UE positioning), offer relatively low positioning accuracy (approximately 5–10 km), making it difficult to meet the high-precision positioning requirements of terminal devices in non-GNSS scenarios or GNSS-relaxed scenarios where GNSS is partially unavailable (e.g., positioning accuracy requirements during initial access, approximately several kilometers or even hundreds of meters).

[0153] To improve positioning accuracy in NTN scenarios, this application provides a positioning method and related apparatus. To make the technical solution of this application clearer and easier to understand, the positioning method provided by the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0154] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flowchart illustrating a positioning method provided in this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0155] It should be understood that the method shown in Figure 4 is illustrated by taking the terminal device and network device as the main entities executing the interaction step, but this application does not limit the main entities executing the interaction step. Specifically, the terminal side may include, for example, the terminal or its communication / computing module, or the circuits or chips in the terminal responsible for communication functions (such as modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores), or the circuits or chips in the terminal responsible for computing and / or communication functions (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), or logical nodes, logical modules, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Among them, network side, such as network side access network equipment, modules (such as circuits, chips or chip systems) in access network equipment, or logical nodes, logical modules or software that can realize all or part of the functions of access network equipment, or circuits or chips (such as GPUs, AI processors or ASICs) in access network equipment responsible for computing and / or communication functions, or network side core network (CN) equipment.

[0156] As an example, network equipment can be a base station or an access network device.

[0157] As another example, the network device can be an ORAN device (including at least one of O-CU, O-DU, or O-RU). For instance, the network device may include an O-RU, which can transmit information or messages via a wireless link, enabling a terminal device to receive such information or messages. Alternatively, the network device may include an O-CU and / or an O-DU, and transmit information or messages via the O-RU, enabling a terminal device to receive such information or messages.

[0158] It should be noted that the positioning method provided in this application can be applied to multi-satellite positioning scenarios, that is, the terminal device performs measurement and positioning based on reference signals provided by multiple satellites, or it can be applied to single-satellite positioning scenarios, that is, the terminal device performs measurement and positioning based on reference signals provided by a single satellite at different time points. This application does not limit the application scenarios of the provided positioning method.

[0159] S401: The terminal device obtains location assistance information sent from the network device.

[0160] The positioning assistance information includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal, which is used to assist the terminal device in measuring the reference signal.

[0161] In this embodiment, the type of reference signal is not limited. The reference signal can be a positioning reference signal (PRS), or a reference signal that has a quasi-colocation (QCL) relationship with the positioning reference signal PRS, such as: synchronization signal block (SSB), on-demand synchronization signal block (OD-SSB), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), integrated communication positioning signal, perception reference signal, channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or other types of reference signals.

[0162] It should be noted that the sensing reference signal can be a signal used to support positioning measurements in a communication-sensing integrated scenario. The sensing reference signal can be used to determine positioning parameters such as signal arrival time, time difference of arrival, or angle of arrival. These positioning parameters can then be used to calculate information such as the device's position and motion state. It is understood that the specific name of the sensing reference signal can be set according to the actual situation, and this application does not limit it.

[0163] The positioning assistance information and reference signals can be configured and transmitted by network devices (such as satellites).

[0164] In one possible implementation, before step S401, step S400 is included: the terminal device sends measurement capability information to the network device. It should be noted that step S400 is an optional step.

[0165] When the terminal device is in a connected state, it can report measurement capability information associated with the measurement configuration information (such as the number of measurement configuration windows supported by the terminal) to the network side, so that the network side can configure the corresponding positioning assistance information. This can improve the adaptability of positioning assistance information to the terminal device, thereby improving the reliability of the terminal device's positioning results.

[0166] In one possible implementation, in this embodiment of the application, step S401 may specifically include: after the terminal device determines that its own location information is invalid, location assistance information sent from the network device.

[0167] For example, the terminal device can determine that its own location information is invalid based on conditions such as location jitter, weak GNSS signal (e.g., the quality of the received GNSS signal is less than a threshold, where GNSS signal quality can be received signal strength, received signal quality, received signal signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, etc.), and expired location information, and then perform the steps of obtaining positioning assistance information and obtaining positioning results. This avoids the terminal device frequently receiving information and saves positioning power consumption.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the measurement configuration information may include at least one of the following: the period of the reference signal, the duration of the reference signal, the start time of the reference signal, or the offset information of the reference signal; wherein the offset information includes at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset.

[0169] The measurement configuration information may include the period of the reference signal. Different reference signal periods affect positioning accuracy. For example, decreasing the period of the reference signal can increase the measurement frequency and improve positioning accuracy. The terminal device can adaptively adjust the measurement frequency of the reference signal based on its period, improving the reliability of the measurement results and thus enhancing positioning accuracy.

[0170] The measurement configuration information may include the duration of the reference signal. Different reference signal durations also affect positioning accuracy. For example, a longer duration can improve the reliability of the terminal's measurement results of the reference signal, thereby improving positioning accuracy. The terminal device can adaptively adjust the measurement frequency of the reference signal based on its duration, further improving the reliability of the measurement results and thus enhancing positioning accuracy.

[0171] The measurement configuration information may include the start time of the reference signal. Based on the start time of the reference signal, the terminal device can determine the time node for measuring the reference signal, improving the reliability of the terminal device's reference signal measurement and increasing positioning accuracy.

[0172] The measurement configuration information may include offset information of the reference signal, which may include at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset. The terminal device can compensate for the measurement results when measuring the reference signal based on the offset information. For example, the time offset can compensate for the transmission delay from the network side to the terminal device or the geographical area where the terminal device is located or the reference location. Based on this, the reliability of the measurement results of the reference signal is improved, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0173] Based on the above scheme, multiple options for measurement configuration information are provided. The terminal device can measure the reference signal based on the positioning assistance information to obtain more accurate reference signal measurement results, thereby improving the accuracy of the terminal positioning results.

[0174] Optionally, the measurement configuration information of the reference signal may also be referred to as the measurement timing configuration (MTC) information of the reference signal or other names. The name "measurement configuration information" used in the embodiments of this application does not constitute a limitation of the embodiments of this application.

[0175] Referring to Figure 5, a schematic diagram of reference signal transmission in a satellite communication scenario is shown. Satellite 1 is the serving satellite of the terminal device (UE), and satellites 2, ..., N are the UE's neighboring satellites. Satellite 1 can provide reference signal 1 to the UE, satellite 2 can provide reference signal 2, ..., satellite N can provide reference signal N. Reference signal 1 corresponds to a time delay of 1, reference signal 2 corresponds to a time delay of 2, ..., reference signal N corresponds to a time delay of N. Therefore, the reference signals provided by different satellites have different time delays.

[0176] The measurement configuration information provided in this application embodiment is associated with at least one reference signal. The UE can perform measurement of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information corresponding to different reference signals. For example, the measurement configuration information is associated with reference signal 1, and the measurement configuration information includes time offset information 1 required to measure reference signal 1. Thus, the UE can measure reference signal 1 based on time offset information 1. As another example, the measurement configuration information is also associated with reference signal 2, and the measurement configuration information includes time offset information 2 required to measure reference signal 2. Thus, the UE can measure reference signal 2 based on time offset information 2.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the reference signal can be correlated with positioning assistance information.

[0178] Referring to Figure 6, a schematic diagram illustrating the association between positioning assistance information and reference signals is provided. Reference signals 1 and 2 are associated with positioning assistance information 1, and reference signals 2 and 3 are associated with positioning assistance information 2. Reference signals 1, 2, and 3 can originate from different satellites or from the same satellite; this embodiment does not impose any limitation. Therefore, positioning assistance information can be associated with at least one reference signal, and correspondingly, the positioning assistance information includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the measurement configuration information includes the absolute time of sending the reference signal.

[0180] The measurement configuration information may include the absolute time of transmitting the reference signal, which can be Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Based on this, the terminal device can determine the transmission time, time difference, and other measurement results of the reference signal based on the absolute time of transmission and the time it receives the reference signal. Utilizing the absolute time of transmission can improve the accuracy of the reference signal measurement results, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0181] In one possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the measurement configuration information and the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) information of the synchronization signal block, including offset and / or scaling relationships.

[0182] Specifically, the measurement configuration information can have a corresponding / mapping relationship with the synchronization signal block's measurement timing configuration (SSB-based measurement timing configuration, SMTC) information (such as SMTC4list information). This correspondence / mapping relationship can include offset relationships and / or scaling relationships. For example, in existing SMTC4list information, a maximum of four SSB measurement offset configurations can be configured, supporting SSB measurements from different satellites. Therefore, based on this correspondence / mapping relationship, the measurement configuration information can be obtained by offsetting and / or scaling the SMTC information. The number of measurement configuration information can be configured as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.

[0183] Referring to Figure 7, a schematic diagram illustrating the mapping relationship between measurement configuration information and the measurement timing configuration information of a synchronization signal block is shown. There is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the measurement configuration information and the measurement timing configuration information of the synchronization signal block. The measurement configuration information can be converted to the measurement timing configuration information of the synchronization signal block using offsets. For example, taking SMTC4list information as an example, based on offset 1, SMTC4-1 information can be converted to measurement configuration information 1; based on offset 2, SMTC4-2 information can be converted to measurement configuration information 2, and so on, based on offset N, SMTC4-N information can be converted to measurement configuration information N.

[0184] Based on the above scheme, the measurement configuration information can be obtained by converting the measurement timing configuration SMTC information of the synchronization signal block, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and reducing the measurement window and measurement complexity of the terminal equipment for the reference signal.

[0185] In one possible implementation, measurement configuration information is associated with a first set, which includes at least one of the following: an index set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), a waveform set, a geographic region set, a reference location set, or a time period set.

[0186] Specifically, measurement configuration information can be associated with different SSB index sets, locations (such as wave position sets, geographical region sets, reference location sets, etc.) or time period sets (such as UTC time, ephemeris information, uplink synchronization validity period, etc.), wherein the SSB index set includes at least one SSB index.

[0187] Refer to Figures 8a and 8b for a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between measurement configuration information and location information.

[0188] In Figure 8a, satellites 1, 2, ..., N transmit reference signals to the location (wavelength, geographical region, or reference location) of UE1. Satellite 1 corresponds to reference signal 1-1, satellite 2 corresponds to reference signal 1-2, ..., and satellite N corresponds to reference signal 1-N. Reference signal 1-1 corresponds to measurement configuration information 1-1, reference signal 1-2 corresponds to measurement configuration information 1-2, ..., and reference signal 1-N corresponds to measurement configuration information 1-N. Measurement configuration information 1-1, 1-2, ..., and 1-N are correlated with the location (wavelength, geographical region, or reference location) of UE1.

[0189] In Figure 8b, satellites 1, 2, ..., M transmit reference signals to the location (wavelength, geographic region, or reference location) of UE2. Satellite 1 corresponds to reference signal 2-1, satellite 2 to reference signal 2-2, ..., and satellite M to reference signal 2-M. Reference signal 2-1 corresponds to measurement configuration information 2-1, reference signal 2-2 to measurement configuration information 2-2, ..., and reference signal 2-M to measurement configuration information 2-M. Measurement configuration information 2-1, 2-2, ..., and measurement configuration information 2-M are associated with the location (wavelength, geographic region, or reference location) of UE2. M can be equal to N, or M may not be equal to N.

[0190] In this application, the measurement configuration information can be associated with location information (such as a set of wave positions, a set of geographical regions, a set of reference locations, etc.). The terminal device can obtain the corresponding measurement configuration information based on the association between the measurement configuration information and the location information, reducing the complexity of measuring the reference signal. The set of wave positions may include a wave position identifier ID, and the set of reference locations may include the location of the reference point (which may be the cell center point or the beam center point) and a distance threshold representation.

[0191] Additionally, measurement configuration information can also be associated with SSB index sets or time period sets. The SSB index set includes at least one SSB index, and the time period set includes information such as UTC time (e.g., start time, end time, time offset, or one or more), ephemeris information, etc.

[0192] For example, when the terminal receives one or more SSB indices from the first SSB index set, it can use the associated first measurement configuration information to receive the reference signal set (such as corresponding reference signals 1-1, 1-2, ... 1-M1); when the terminal receives one or more SSB indices from the second SSB index set, it can use the associated second measurement configuration information to receive the reference signal set (such as corresponding reference signals 1-1, 1-2, ... 1-M2).

[0193] It is worth noting that the SSB index set can also be described in other forms, such as broadcast signal index set, synchronization signal index set, control resource set CORESET index set, search space index set, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0194] Based on the above scheme, the association between the new measurement configuration information and the first set is added. The terminal device can obtain the measurement configuration information based on the association between the measurement configuration information and the first set, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and reducing the complexity of the terminal device in measuring and processing the reference signal.

[0195] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the positioning assistance information further includes at least one of the following: satellite ephemeris information, reference signal mode information, downlink timing drift rate, downlink Doppler variation rate, time-frequency pre-compensation information, or the quasi-co-addressable QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal.

[0196] The positioning assistance information may include satellite ephemeris information, such as ephemeris validity period and epoch time. The terminal device can determine relevant information about the satellite's orbit, such as position information and velocity information, based on the satellite ephemeris information and the current time.

[0197] The positioning assistance information may include the pattern information of the reference signal (if the reference signal is a positioning reference signal (PRS), then the pattern information of the reference signal is the PRS pattern information). The pattern information of the reference signal may include its positioning period, time offset, frequency domain start position and bandwidth, polarization, system parameter numberology, comb size, repetition mode, muting, etc. The terminal device can correctly measure the reference signal based on its pattern information, improving the reliability of the measurement.

[0198] The positioning assistance information may include downlink timing drift rate or downlink Doppler variation rate, which is mainly used to determine the downlink delay or Doppler variation rate within the measurement window / time period caused by the rapid movement of the satellite. This allows the terminal equipment to make adaptive compensation and adjustment to the measurement of the reference signal based on the downlink delay or Doppler variation rate, ensuring the reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving positioning accuracy.

[0199] The positioning assistance information may include time-frequency pre-compensation information, which can be pre-configured by the network side to pre-compensate the transmission delay of the reference signal, thereby further improving the reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0200] The positioning assistance information may include the quasi-co-located QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block (SSB) of the reference cell and the reference signal. The reference cell is the reference cell corresponding to the geographical area where the terminal device is located. The QCL relationship refers to the relationship between antenna ports in five aspects: Doppler spread, Doppler frequency shift, delay spread, average delay, and spatial receiver parameters. The QCL relationship can indicate that the channel characteristics between two antenna ports are similar. Based on the quasi-co-located QCL relationship between the SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal, the terminal device can determine the beam used to receive the reference signal, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0201] Common wireless channel characteristics at antenna ports include Doppler spread, Doppler shift, average delay, delay spread, and spatial receiver parameters. Two signals transmitted from the same antenna port will theoretically experience the same wireless channel, while two signals transmitted from two different antenna ports will theoretically experience different wireless channels. According to section 38.214 of the 3GPP technical specification (TS), in some cases, signals transmitted from two different antenna ports will experience wireless channels with common characteristics; such antenna ports are called quasi-colocation (QCL).

[0202] QCLs can be divided into the following four types:

[0203] 1) QCL-Type A: QCL that inherits Doppler frequency shift, Doppler spread, average delay, and delay spread from the reference signal. That is, except for the spatial receiver parameters, all other wireless channel characteristics are the same, providing a more comprehensive description of the target channel. The UE can obtain a comprehensive description of the DMRS (demodulation reference signal) characteristics, and it is often used for channel demodulation.

[0204] 2) QCL-Type B: The QCL can inherit Doppler frequency shift and Doppler spread from the reference signal. It is mainly for low-frequency scenarios and has two cases: when using a narrow-beam reference signal, a wide-beam reference signal is used as the QCL reference. The time-domain density of the target reference signal is insufficient, but the frequency-domain density is sufficient.

[0205] 3) QCL-Type C: QCL can inherit Doppler shift and average delay from the reference signal. This only applies to the case where the SSB is used as the QCL reference. Due to the limited resources and density occupied by the SSB, only some coarse wireless channel characteristics can be obtained from the SSB, while other wireless channel characteristics need to be obtained from the target signal.

[0206] 4) QCL-Type D: QCL can inherit spatial receiver parameters from the reference signal. If two antenna ports belong to Type D, the same beam can be used to receive signals from both ports. Therefore, in beam management, there is no explicit signaling to indicate the receiving beam that the UE should use; instead, it is implicitly indicated through the spatial receiver parameters.

[0207] Optionally, the mode information of the reference signal may include first mode information and second mode information. The first mode information is used to assist the positioning of the cell where the terminal device is located, and the second mode information is used to assist the positioning in neighboring cells.

[0208] Optionally, the first mode information and the second mode information can be indicated based on the reference signal mode and the silent mode, and the quasi-co-address QCL relationship with the SSB can be configured (such as QCL-type D).

[0209] Optionally, the second mode information can be configured based on the QCL relationship of a neighbor-assisted reference signal (RS), such as a tracking reference signal (TRS).

[0210] Optionally, the mode information of the reference signal can be associated with time or location information, meaning that the mode information of the reference signal can be dynamically adjusted over time or location.

[0211] Optionally, the mode information of the reference signal may include the positioning period, time offset, frequency domain start position and bandwidth, polarization, system parameter numberology, comb size, repetition mode, muting, and other information. The terminal device can accurately measure the reference signal based on this mode information, improving the reliability of the measurement.

[0212] Here, `combsize` can be used to represent the subcarrier spacing (or frequency / tone spacing) within each symbol of the reference signal resource configuration. Specifically, for a given `combsize` value N, every Nth subcarrier in a symbol of a physical resource block (PRB) is used to transmit the reference signal. For example, in a `comb-4` configuration, the resource element (RE) corresponding to every fourth subcarrier (e.g., subcarriers 0, 4, 8, etc.) in each symbol is used to transmit the reference signal. By selecting an appropriate `combsize`, the coverage and positioning accuracy of the reference signal can be optimized, while reducing interference and improving system performance.

[0213] The `repetition` parameter can be used to configure the number of times the reference signal is retransmitted and the repetition offset. Taking the reference signal as an example, the repetition number `dl-PRS-ResourceRepetitionFactor` can be configured as {1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32}, and the repetition offset `dl-PRS-ResourceTimeGap` can be configured as {1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32}. Example 1: When the repetition number is configured to 8, the repetition offset is 1; Example 2: When the repetition number is configured to 4, the repetition offset is 1; Example 3: When the repetition number is configured to 4, the repetition offset is 4.

[0214] Muting can provide a muting mechanism by configuring resource locations that do not transmit reference signals through a bitmap. The muting mechanism can stagger the transmission of reference signals from adjacent cells in the time domain, avoiding mutual interference between reference signals transmitted by different base stations, improving the reliability of signal transmission and thus enhancing positioning performance.

[0215] S402: The terminal device obtains the measurement results of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information.

[0216] The terminal device can measure the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal.

[0217] For example, the terminal device measures the arrival time (ToA) of the reference signal and corrects the arrival time of the reference signal based on the offset information of the reference signal in the measurement configuration information or the absolute time of transmission of the reference signal. This can ensure the accuracy of the measurement results of the reference signal and thus improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal.

[0218] For example, when measuring a reference signal, the measurement frequency of the reference signal is determined based on the periodic information of the reference signal, thereby improving the reliability of the measurement results of the reference signal and thus improving the accuracy of positioning.

[0219] It should be noted that the type of measurement result of the reference signal in this embodiment can be selected according to the positioning scheme configured in the terminal device. This embodiment does not limit the type of measurement result of the reference signal. For example, the measurement result of the reference signal may include time of arrival (ToA), time difference of arrival (TDoA), frequency of arrival (FoA), frequency difference of arrival (FDoA), Rx-Tx time difference, reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal time difference (RSTD), reference signal transmission time, angle of departure (AOD), angle of arrival (AOA), etc.

[0220] It should be noted that when the measurement results of the reference signal involve time- or frequency-related information, the selected reference point (RP) is usually the uplink time synchronization reference point, that is, the alignment point of the NTN downlink frame and the uplink frame, or it can be the alignment point based on the time advance offset. This application does not limit it.

[0221] In one possible implementation, the positioning method provided in this application embodiment further includes: acquiring measurement gap information, the measurement gap information being associated with measurement configuration information, the measurement gap information including at least one of the following: measurement gap mode, measurement gap offset, measurement gap length, measurement gap period, or measurement time advance; the above step S402 specifically includes: acquiring the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information.

[0222] The measurement gap pattern (MGP) achieves measurement by inserting specific gaps between communication time slots. These gaps are typically short periods during which the terminal device does not transmit any data. Furthermore, the measurement gap length in the measurement configuration information should be greater than the effective measurement length of the terminal device to improve the effectiveness of the measurement.

[0223] The measurement gap offset (MGO) indicates the offset between the start of the measurement gap pattern and the start of the time slot or subframe within the measurement gap repetition period (MGRP). The value of MGO is typically in the range of 0 to MGRP-1.

[0224] The measurement gap length (MGL) is the length of the measurement gap in milliseconds (ms). The value of MGL can be 1.5ms, 3ms, 3.5ms, 4ms, 5.5ms, 6ms, etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0225] The measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) defines the periodicity of the measurement gap repetition, typically measured in milliseconds (ms). The value of MGRP can be 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms, etc., and this application does not impose any limitation on it.

[0226] The measurement gap timing advance (MGTA) is used to ensure that the terminal can start measuring at the correct time.

[0227] In this embodiment, the measurement gap information can be used in a wireless communication system to achieve precise time and frequency synchronization, support inter-frequency measurements, optimize data transmission efficiency, and adapt to different measurement needs. In this embodiment, the measurement gap information is used to ensure that the terminal device can pause data transmission within a specific time period and focus on measuring the reference signal. By associating the measurement gap information with the measurement configuration information, the terminal device can obtain the measurement gap information associated with the measurement configuration information and obtain the measurement results of the reference signal based on the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the reference signal measurement and improving positioning accuracy.

[0228] S403: The terminal device obtains the positioning result based on the measurement result of the reference signal.

[0229] After obtaining the measurement results of the reference signal, the terminal device can determine the positioning result of the terminal device based on the positioning process on the terminal device side. This positioning result can be used for the initial access of the terminal device (such as uplink timing advance and frequency offset pre-compensation).

[0230] The terminal device can perform communication procedures such as initial access based on the positioning result. Due to the improved accuracy of the positioning result, the reliability of the terminal device in cell search and selection is improved, thereby increasing the success rate of the terminal device's initial access and improving the reliability of the terminal device's communication.

[0231] Figure 9 shows a flowchart of an initial access method for a terminal device, which is an example of an application scenario of the positioning method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0232] First, the terminal device performs a downlink synchronization procedure. Downlink synchronization refers to the terminal device synchronizing with the network device in time and frequency by periodically sending synchronization signals at specific locations. This is to enable the terminal device to subsequently obtain system messages broadcast by the cell, such as the master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB), and system information block 19 (SIB19).

[0233] Next, the terminal device obtains system messages, such as the Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB), and System Information Block 19 (SIB19). The MIB provides basic cell information and communication information, such as cell identifier, physical layer configuration, and system frame number (SFN). The SIBs provide different types of information depending on their type; for example, SIB1 provides necessary cell reselection information, SIB2 contains information about cell access, SIB3 provides detailed information on cell selection, and SIB19 includes satellite-aided information and cell reference location information, which can be used for satellite selection, cell reselection, etc.

[0234] Then, the terminal device determines the validity of its own location information. If its own location information is valid, it performs uplink synchronization based on its own location information to complete the initial access. If its own location information is invalid, it obtains the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information, obtains the positioning result based on the measurement result of the reference signal, updates its own location information, and finally performs uplink synchronization based on the updated location information to complete the initial access.

[0235] It should be noted that, in addition to assisting the initial access of terminal devices, the positioning method provided in this application embodiment can also be used for terminal beam management, mobility management (such as cell handover and cell reselection) and other processes, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0236] Referring to Figure 10, this application embodiment provides a communication device 1001, which can realize the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment.

[0237] In this embodiment, the communication device 1001 may be a terminal device (or network device), or an integrated circuit or component inside the terminal device (or network device), such as a chip. The communication device 1001 may include a transceiver unit 1002 and a processing unit 1003.

[0238] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 1002 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are used to perform transmitting and receiving respectively.

[0239] In one possible implementation, when the device 1001 is used to execute the method performed by the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments, the transceiver unit 1002 is used to acquire positioning assistance information, which includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal; the processing unit 1003 is used to acquire the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to acquire the positioning result of the terminal device.

[0240] In one possible implementation, when the device 1001 is used to perform the method executed by the network device in the foregoing embodiments, the transceiver unit 1001 is used to send positioning assistance information, which includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal.

[0241] It should be noted that the execution process and other details of the unit of the aforementioned communication device 1001 can be found in the description of the method embodiment shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0242] Please refer to Figure 11, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1100 provided in this application. The communication device 1100 includes at least an input / output interface 1101. The communication device 1100 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0243] Optionally, the communication device may also include logic circuitry 1102.

[0244] In Figure 10, the transceiver unit 1002 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1101 in Figure 11. The input / output interface 1101 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0245] The logic circuit 1102 and the input / output interface 1101 can execute the method executed by any of the communication devices (e.g., terminal devices or network devices) in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1003 shown in FIG10 can be the logic circuit 1102 in FIG11.

[0247] Optionally, the logic circuit 1102 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0248] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0249] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0250] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0251] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows the communication device 1200 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1200 can be the communication device that serves as a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0252] The present invention is a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1200, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1201 and a communication interface 1202.

[0253] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1203 and a bus 1204. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1201 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1200.

[0254] Furthermore, the processor 1201 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0255] It should be noted that the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 12 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0256] Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. The communication device can specifically be the network device in the above embodiments, and the structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 13.

[0257] The communication device 1300 includes at least one processor 1111 and at least one network interface 1114.

[0258] Optionally, the communication device 1300 further includes at least one memory 1312, at least one transceiver 1313, and one or more antennas 1315. The processor 1311, memory 1312, transceiver 1313, and network interface 1314 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1315 is connected to the transceiver 1313. The network interface 1314 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1314 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0259] Processor 1311 is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the communication device. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used for controlling the entire terminal device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs. Processor 1311 in Figure 13 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. Various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0260] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1312 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1311. Optionally, the memory 1312 can be integrated with the processor 1311, for example, integrated into a single chip. The memory 1312 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1311. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1311.

[0261] Figure 13 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0262] Transceiver 1313 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1313 can be connected to antenna 1315. Transceiver 1313 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1315 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1313 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1311 so that processor 1311 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1313 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1311, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1315. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0263] The transceiver 1313 can also be called an interface unit, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, interface module, etc. Optionally, the device in the interface unit that implements the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the interface unit that implements the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the interface unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0264] It should be noted that the communication device shown in Figure 13 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 13 can be referred to the descriptions in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0265] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a computer, the processor performs the method as described in any possible implementation of a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a network device) in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0266] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) including instructions. When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by a processor, the processor performs a method that may be implemented by any of the communication devices (e.g., terminal devices or network devices) described in the above method embodiments.

[0267] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in any possible implementation of the communication device (e.g., terminal device or network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0268] Optionally, the chip system further includes interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0269] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for any of the communication devices described in the above method embodiments. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0270] This application also provides a communication system, the network system architecture of which includes the terminal device and network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0271] 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 illustrative; for instance, the division of units is 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 an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0272] 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.

[0273] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated units can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contribution of the technical solution of this application, or all or part 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, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0274] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: Acquire positioning assistance information, the positioning assistance information including at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal; The measurement result of the reference signal is obtained based on the measurement configuration information, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The location result is used for the initial access of the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following: the period of the reference signal, the duration of the reference signal, the start time of the reference signal, or the offset information of the reference signal; wherein the offset information includes at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The time offset is used to compensate for the transmission delay of the reference signal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information includes the absolute time of sending the reference signal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information corresponds to the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) information of the synchronization signal block, and the correspondence includes offset and / or scaling relationships.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information is associated with a first set, which includes at least one of the following: an index set, a wave position set, a geographical region set, a reference location set, or a time period set of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The positioning assistance information also includes at least one of the following: satellite ephemeris information, reference signal mode information, downlink timing drift rate, downlink Doppler change rate, time-frequency pre-compensation information, or the quasi-co-address QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The reference signal includes at least one of the following signals: Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), Integrated Communication Positioning Signal, or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain measurement gap information, which is associated with the measurement configuration information. The measurement gap information includes at least one of the following: measurement gap mode, measurement gap offset, measurement gap length, measurement gap period, or measurement time advance. The step of obtaining the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information includes: obtaining the measurement result of the reference signal based on the measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send measurement capability information, which is associated with the measurement configuration information, and the measurement capability information is used to determine the positioning assistance information.

12. A positioning method, characterized in that, The method includes: The system sends positioning assistance information, which includes at least one measurement configuration information associated with a reference signal. The measurement configuration information is used by the terminal to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal, and the measurement result of the reference signal is used to obtain the positioning result of the terminal device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The location result is used for the initial access of the terminal.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following: the period of the reference signal, the duration of the reference signal, the start time of the reference signal, or the offset information of the reference signal; wherein the offset information includes at least one of time offset, frequency offset, and polarization offset.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The time offset is used to compensate for the transmission delay of the reference signal.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information includes the absolute time of sending the reference signal.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information corresponds to the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) information of the synchronization signal block, and the correspondence includes offset and / or scaling relationships.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that, The measurement configuration information is associated with a first set, which includes at least one of the following: an index set, a wave position set, a geographical region set, a reference location set, or a time period set of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs).

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that, The positioning assistance information also includes at least one of the following: satellite ephemeris information, reference signal mode information, downlink timing drift rate, downlink Doppler change rate, time-frequency pre-compensation information, or the quasi-co-address QCL relationship between the synchronization signal block SSB of the reference cell and the reference signal.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that, The reference signal includes at least one of the following signals: Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), Integrated Communication Positioning Signal, or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

21. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The measurement gap information is sent and associated with the measurement configuration information. The measurement gap information and the measurement configuration information are used by the terminal to obtain the measurement result of the reference signal. The measurement gap information includes at least one of the following: measurement gap mode, measurement gap offset, measurement gap length, measurement gap period, or measurement time advance.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Acquire measurement capability information, which is associated with the measurement configuration information, and the measurement capability information is used to determine the positioning assistance information.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

25. The communication device according to claim 24, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

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