Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which facilitate a reduction in the latency of a sensing service provided by a network side, thereby improving the service performance and user experience. The method comprises: a terminal apparatus sending to a mobility management network element a second sensing request for requesting low-latency sensing; after receiving the second sensing request, the mobility management network element determining to cause an RAN node to execute the low-latency sensing requested by the second sensing request, and sending to the RAN node a first sensing request for requesting low-latency sensing; the RAN node performs sensing on the basis of the first sensing request, determining first sensing information, and then sending the first sensing information to the terminal apparatus; and the terminal apparatus determining, on the basis of the first sensing information, a sensing result associated with the second sensing request.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510301227.8, filed on March 13, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of communication technology, the sensing services provided by mobile communication systems have expanded from positioning services to general sensing services beyond positioning, such as high-precision positioning, target tracking, environment reconstruction, and gesture / action recognition. Currently, in the process of a terminal triggering a sensing service in a mobile communication system, the terminal first sends a sensing request to the Mobility Management Network (MMN). After receiving the sensing request, the MMN selects a sensing network element in the core network to handle the request. This sensing network element obtains sensing data associated with the sensing request through interaction with the radio access network (RAN) node, calculates the sensing result based on the sensing data, and then sends the sensing response carrying the sensing result to the terminal through forwarding between the MMN and the RAN node.

[0004] During the above process, the latency of the perception service is relatively large, which cannot meet the latency requirements of the current business. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that helps reduce the latency of sensing services.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to the network side, such as a RAN node on the network side, a module (e.g., processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) in the RAN node, or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node. The method includes: receiving a first sensing request from a mobility management network element, the first sensing request instructing a terminal device to request low-latency sensing; performing sensing according to the first sensing request; determining first sensing information, the first sensing information being used to determine the sensing result associated with the first sensing request; and sending the first sensing information to the terminal device.

[0007] Based on the above scheme, the mobility management network element sends a first sensing request to the RAN node, instructing the terminal device to request low-latency sensing. The RAN node can perform sensing based on the received first sensing request to determine the first sensing information, and send the first sensing information used to determine the sensing result associated with the first sensing request to the terminal device. This way, the first sensing information determined based on the low-latency sensing requested by the first sensing request does not need to be sent to other network elements in the core network (such as sensing network elements), reducing the number of nodes involved in the low-latency sensing process, which is conducive to improving the sensing response efficiency and reducing the latency of the sensing service provided by the network side.

[0008] In one possible design, the first sensing request includes at least one of the following: a latency requirement for low-latency sensing, information about a low-latency service that triggers the first sensing request, or information indicating that the first sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0009] Based on this scheme, mobility management network elements can send different indication information to the RAN node to indicate whether the perception requested by the first perception request is low-latency perception, which helps to improve the flexibility of the first perception request implementation and its adaptability to different application scenarios.

[0010] In one possible design, the latency requirement for low latency awareness includes at least one of the following: the target response latency of low latency awareness is less than or equal to a first threshold, the target response latency of low latency awareness is in the millisecond range, or the target response latency of low latency awareness is a first value, the first value being less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0011] Based on this solution, low-latency awareness latency requirements can be defined through different dimensions to adapt to different business needs.

[0012] In one possible design, the perception result associated with the first perception request includes the point cloud of the perceived target of the first perception request; the first perception information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the perceived target, the multipath information being used to indicate the multipath delay and multipath angle between the RAN node and the perceived target; or, the first perception information includes the point cloud of the perceived target.

[0013] Based on this scheme, when the first sensing information includes the aforementioned multipath information, the terminal device can calculate the point cloud of the sensing target of the first sensing request based on the multipath information; when the first sensing information includes the point cloud of the sensing target of the first sensing request, the terminal device can directly obtain the aforementioned sensing result from the first sensing information, thereby reducing the computational overhead of the terminal device.

[0014] In one possible design, the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, and the communication method further includes sending the location information of the RAN node to the terminal device. The point cloud of the sensing target is determined based on the multipath information and the location information of the RAN node.

[0015] Based on this scheme, on the one hand, the RAN node can avoid calculating the point cloud of the perceived target, further improving the response speed of the RAN node to send the first sensing information to the terminal device and reducing the sensing response latency. On the other hand, it enables the terminal device to accurately determine the point cloud of the perceived target based on the first sensing information and the location information of the RAN node.

[0016] In one possible design, the location information of the RAN node is used to indicate at least one of the following: the location of the RAN node or the orientation of the RAN node's antenna.

[0017] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal device or a communication module / processing module in the terminal device, or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). The method includes: sending a second perception request to a mobility management network element, the second perception request instructing the terminal device to request low-latency perception; receiving first perception information from a radio access network (RAN) node, the first perception information being determined by the RAN node based on the first perception request sent by the mobility management network element, the first perception request being determined based on the second perception request; and determining the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information.

[0018] Based on this scheme, the terminal device can send a second sensing request for low-latency sensing to the mobility management network element, so that the mobility management network element can send a first sensing request to the RAN node upon receiving the second sensing request. The mobility management network element no longer needs to send the low-latency sensing request to other network elements in the core network for processing, which helps to reduce the number of nodes involved in low-latency sensing processing and improve the response efficiency of low-latency sensing.

[0019] In one possible design, the first perception request and the second perception request satisfy at least one of the following: the perception target of the first perception request is the same as the perception target of the second perception request, and the perception information requested by the first perception request is the same as the perception information requested by the second perception request; the perception target of the second perception request includes the perception target of the first perception request, and the perception information requested by the second perception request includes the perception information requested by the first perception request; the perception result associated with the second perception request is the same as the perception result associated with the first perception request; or, the perception result associated with the second perception request includes the perception result associated with the first perception request.

[0020] Based on this scheme, the terminal device can accurately determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the received first sensing information, and the mobility management network element can automatically split the content requested by the second sensing request, which helps to improve the flexibility of determining the sensing result associated with the second sensing request.

[0021] In one possible design, the second sensing request includes at least one of the following: a latency requirement for low-latency sensing, information about a low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request, or information indicating that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0022] In one possible design, the latency requirement for low latency awareness includes at least one of the following: the target response latency of low latency awareness is less than or equal to a first threshold, the target response latency of low latency awareness is in the millisecond range, or the target response latency of low latency awareness is a first value, the first value being less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0023] In one possible design, the perception result associated with the second perception request includes the point cloud of the perceived target of the second perception request; the first perception information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the perceived target, the multipath information being used to indicate the multipath delay and multipath angle between the RAN node and the perceived target; or, the first perception information includes the point cloud of the perceived target.

[0024] In one possible design, the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, and the communication method further includes sending the location information of the RAN node to the terminal device. The sensing result associated with the first sensing request is determined based on the multipath information and the location information of the RAN node.

[0025] In one possible design, the location information of the RAN node is used to indicate at least one of the following: the location of the RAN node or the orientation of the RAN node's antenna.

[0026] In one possible design, the terminal device includes a first sensing unit, and the communication method further includes: acquiring second sensing information through the first sensing unit, the second sensing information being used to indicate the sensing result of the sensing target of the second sensing request; and determining the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the first sensing information, including: determining the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the first sensing information and the second sensing information.

[0027] Based on this scheme, the terminal device can fuse the first sensing information obtained through the network side and the second sensing information obtained through the first sensing unit, thereby improving the sensing accuracy of the sensing target through sensing fusion.

[0028] The technical effects of any design method in the second aspect can be referenced from the technical effects of the first aspect or similar design methods in the first aspect, and will not be elaborated here.

[0029] Thirdly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to the core network side, for example, to a mobility management network element, a module in a mobility association network element, or a communication module / processing module (e.g., processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) in a mobility management network element, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the mobility management network element functions. The method includes: receiving a second sensing request from a terminal device, the second sensing request instructing the terminal device to request low-latency sensing; determining, based on the second sensing request, that low-latency sensing be performed by a radio access network (RAN) node; and sending a first sensing request to the RAN node, the first sensing request being determined based on the second sensing request, the first sensing request instructing the terminal device to request low-latency sensing.

[0030] Based on this scheme, after receiving a second sensing request instructing a terminal device to request low-latency sensing, the mobility management network element can determine that the RAN node should perform low-latency sensing. By sending a first sensing request instructing the terminal device to request low-latency sensing to the RAN node, the RAN node can perform low-latency sensing according to the first sensing request. This eliminates the need for other network elements in the core network to participate in the low-latency sensing process, reducing the number of nodes involved in the low-latency sensing process and helping to reduce the response latency of low-latency sensing.

[0031] In one possible design, the first perception request and the second perception request satisfy at least one of the following: the perception target of the first perception request is the same as the perception target of the second perception request, and the perception information requested by the first perception request is the same as the perception information requested by the second perception request; the perception target of the second perception request includes the perception target of the first perception request, and the perception information requested by the second perception request includes the perception information requested by the first perception request; the perception result associated with the second perception request is the same as the perception result associated with the first perception request; or, the perception result associated with the second perception request includes the perception result associated with the first perception request.

[0032] In one possible design, the first sensing request includes at least one of the following: a latency requirement for low-latency sensing, information about a low-latency service that triggers the first sensing request, or information indicating that the first sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0033] In one possible design, the second sensing request includes at least one of the following: a latency requirement for low-latency sensing, information about a low-latency service that triggers the first sensing request, or information indicating that the first sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0034] In one possible design, the latency requirement for low latency awareness includes at least one of the following: the target response latency of low latency awareness is less than or equal to a first threshold, the target response latency of low latency awareness is in the millisecond range, or the target response latency of low latency awareness is a first value, the first value being less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0035] The technical effects of any design method in the third aspect can be referenced from the technical effects of the first aspect or similar design methods in the first aspect, or the technical effects of the second aspect or similar design methods in the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0036] Fourthly, a communication device is provided for implementing various methods. The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation of the methods. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0037] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof. The transceiver module may include a receiving module and a transmitting module, respectively used to implement the receiving function and the transmitting function in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations thereof.

[0038] In some possible designs, the transceiver module can consist of transceiver circuits, transceivers, transceivers, or communication interfaces.

[0039] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being configured to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect; the processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0040] In some possible designs, the memory can be coupled to the processor, or it can be independent of the processor.

[0041] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one aspect.

[0042] In a seventh aspect, a communication device (e.g., the communication device may be a chip or a chip system) is provided, the communication device including a processor for implementing the functions involved in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0043] In some possible designs, the communication device includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data.

[0044] In some possible designs, when the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or contain chips and other discrete components.

[0045] It is understood that the communication device provided in the fourth to seventh aspects may be the RAN node in the first aspect, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the RAN node that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the RAN node, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node; or, the communication device may be the terminal device in the second aspect, or a module or unit in the terminal device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit), or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the RAN node, or a logic node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node; or, the communication device may be the terminal device in the second aspect, or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, chip system, or circuit) in the terminal device that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. For example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit; or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with a terminal device; or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device; or, the communication device can be a mobility management network element as described in the third aspect; or a module or unit (e.g., a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit) in the mobility management network element that performs the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect; or a module or unit that can be used in conjunction with the mobility management network element; or a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the mobility management network element.

[0046] It is understandable that when the communication device provided by any of the third to seventh aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0047] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0048] A ninth aspect provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first to third aspects.

[0049] A tenth aspect provides a communication system comprising a RAN node and a mobility management network element. The RAN node is configured to perform the method described in any possible design of the first aspect, and the mobility management network element is configured to perform the method described in any possible design of the third aspect.

[0050] In some possible designs, the communication system also includes a terminal device for performing the method described in any of the possible designs of the second aspect described above.

[0051] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects four through ten can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one through three, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a sensing method implemented through RAN nodes according to this application;

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a sensing process provided in this application;

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) system provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 5 is a functional division diagram of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another network architecture provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a sensing sub-process provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0062] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0063] Figures 12-14 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0064] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the 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, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0065] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0066] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0067] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0068] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0069] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0070] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0071] 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, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0072] Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems are mobile communication systems proposed in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) based on the 5G-Advanced air interface, integrating communication and sensing functions. In other words, all or some nodes in an ISAC system can possess both communication and sensing capabilities. Furthermore, ISAC systems are also known as integrated communication and sensing systems or joint communications and sensing (JCS / JCAS) systems.

[0073] Wireless sensing, also known as electromagnetic sensing, refers to emitting electromagnetic energy into space and calculating information about objects by receiving the reflected electromagnetic waves. For example, it can calculate one or more parameters such as position, direction, height, speed, size, and path of motion, and / or detect the internal and external shape and structure of objects. By exploring the transmission, echo, reflection, and scattering of radio waves, it aims to perceive and better understand the physical world. As an electromagnetic wave sensing technology, wireless sensing technology, due to its penetrability and security, can serve as an important alternative technology for security inspection, concealed object detection, and environmental reconstruction.

[0074] Future applications of the ISAC system are likely to include ultra-high precision positioning, simultaneous imaging, map building, and human sensory enhancement. Among these, the perception capabilities of simultaneous imaging, map building, and positioning can mutually enhance each other. For example, imaging can capture images of the surrounding environment, positioning can obtain the positions of surrounding objects, and these images and positions can be used to build a map, which in turn improves the ability to reason about location.

[0075] In other words, the ISAC system can utilize advanced algorithms, edge computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to provide high-resolution, high-recognition, and high-precision perception. For example, it can generate 3D images and maps of indoor spaces, thereby enabling applications such as indoor scene reconstruction and spatial positioning. Alternatively, it can provide high-precision environmental information, such as the reasoning and sharing of attributes like the location, size, and motion state of various physical entities, including vehicles, buildings, and communication facilities (such as RAN nodes).

[0076] Before the ISAC system, wireless sensing was an independently developed technology with little overlap with the development of mobile communication systems. Sensing services were provided by various specialized sensing devices, such as conventional radar, lidar, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 5G systems and earlier mobile communication systems, positioning was the only sensing service that mobile communication systems could provide. The ISAC system proposed a technology for environmental sensing using RAN nodes. This technology primarily utilizes the interaction between RAN nodes and their surrounding environment. By collecting and analyzing signals received by the RAN nodes, it achieves environmental sensing of the target area and reconstructs the environment of the target area.

[0077] For example, referring to Figure 1(a), the ISAC system can combine the measurement information of reference signals from multiple nodes (such as RAN nodes, radar or UAV platforms, etc.) and use methods such as the scattering polygon method to reconstruct the building's outline, location and other attributes.

[0078] Furthermore, the above example illustrates how the ISAC system can reconstruct the external features of a perceived target. In practice, the ISAC system can also combine the measurement information of the reference signal to reconstruct the internal features of the perceived target, such as reconstructing the walls and scattering bodies such as furniture inside a building.

[0079] Compared to using dedicated sensors and equipment for environmental perception, using RAN nodes for environmental perception has many advantages.

[0080] First, RAN nodes have a wide coverage area. As the infrastructure of wireless communication networks, RAN nodes typically cover an entire city or a specific area. This means that using RAN nodes for environmental sensing can enable monitoring of large areas, providing valuable data support for urban planning, traffic management, disaster early warning, and other fields.

[0081] Secondly, RAN nodes are characterized by continuous online connectivity. RAN nodes need to provide communication services to users 24 hours a day without interruption, therefore they are always operational. This enables the timely detection and handling of environmental problems using RAN nodes for environmental awareness. For example, RAN nodes can collect and analyze data in real time and continuously, thereby promptly identifying and addressing environmental issues.

[0082] Furthermore, utilizing RAN nodes for environmental sensing can reduce costs. Since RAN nodes are already widely deployed in cities, there's no need to install a large number of additional sensors and equipment. By upgrading and modifying existing RAN nodes, environmental sensing and monitoring can be achieved. This not only saves significant investment costs but also avoids redundant construction and resource waste.

[0083] Referring to Figure 1(b), RAN nodes can perceive and detect targets within their line-of-sight (LOS) region (or visible area), but they cannot perceive and detect targets in their non-line-of-sight (NLOS) region (i.e., the area outside the RAN node's visible area). Therefore, the perception coverage may be limited when using RAN nodes for sensing. In other words, when there are no obstacles obstructing the view between the RAN node and the target, the RAN node can accurately and efficiently perceive the target; however, when there are obstacles obstructing the view between the RAN node and the target, the RAN node cannot perceive the target, or cannot perceive it accurately and efficiently.

[0084] To achieve accurate and efficient detection of targets within the NLOS area, terminal devices can be introduced to assist RAN nodes in detection. For example, terminal devices can assist RAN nodes in detecting targets by transmitting reference signals; this detection mode can be called bi-static detection.

[0085] For example, referring to (c) in Figure 1, after the terminal device that enables the auxiliary RAN node to perceive the target is introduced, the reference signal sent by the terminal device reaches the RAN node after being reflected once by the target in the NLOS area, so that the RAN node can perceive the target based on the signal after the first reflection.

[0086] When a terminal device needs to acquire information about a sensing target, it can trigger a sensing process. For example, a schematic diagram of the sensing process triggered by the terminal device can be found in Figure 2. First, the terminal device sends a sensing request to the Mobility Management Network (MMN) through the RAN node. The sensing request can indicate the sensing target and the target information requested by the terminal device. After receiving the sensing request from the terminal device, the MMN selects one of the multiple sensing network elements included in the core network and passes the terminal device's sensing request to the selected sensing network element for processing. After receiving the sensing request forwarded by the MMN, the sensing network element triggers a sensing sub-process to sense the sensing target. After obtaining the sensing measurement data (also called sensing quantity) of the sensing target through the sensing sub-process, it determines the target information requested by the terminal device through sensing calculation. Then, the sensing network element carries the target information of the sensing target in the sensing response and sends the sensing response to the terminal device through forwarding by the MMN and the RAN node.

[0087] In the aforementioned process, the processing of the terminal device's sensing request involves multiple nodes, including mobility management network elements, sensing network elements, and RAN nodes, and the sensing measurement data also requires multiple interactions. In other words, the response process to the sensing request sent by the terminal device involves multiple interactions between the access network and the core network, resulting in a significant network response delay. Consequently, the sensing service provided by the communication system suffers from high latency, failing to meet the latency requirements of low-latency services.

[0088] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. After a terminal device sends a low-latency sensing request (i.e., a second sensing request) to a mobility management network element (MLE), the MLE determines, based on the second sensing request, that the RAN node should perform low-latency sensing, and sends a first sensing request for low-latency sensing to the RAN node. Upon receiving the first sensing request, the RAN node performs sensing according to the first sensing request and sends the determined first sensing information to the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the first sensing information. In other words, the terminal device can trigger the low-latency sensing processing flow on the network side by sending a low-latency sensing request to the MLE. For example, the MLE can directly determine that the RAN node should perform low-latency sensing without going through a sensing network element, and send a low-latency sensing sensing request to the RAN node, allowing the RAN node to perform sensing according to the sensing request sent by the MLE and send the determined first sensing information to the terminal device for the terminal device to determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request. The above method does not require the participation of sensing network elements, which can reduce the number of nodes involved in the sensing request processing process, improve the response speed of sensing requests, and reduce the latency of sensing services provided by the network side.

[0089] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be used in various communication systems, including 3GPP communication systems, such as 4th generation (4G) systems like Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G systems like New Radio (NR), non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, ISAC systems, JCAS systems, and other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system or other future communication systems; there is no limitation.

[0090] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and are not limited to those described herein. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions described herein. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0091] Figure 3 illustrates a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 3, the communication system 20 includes a RAN 200 and a core network (CN) 300. RAN 200 includes at least one RAN node (210a and 210b in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 210) and at least one terminal device (220a-220j in Figure 3, collectively referred to as 220). RAN 200 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 3). Terminal device 220 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 210. RAN node 210 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 300. The core network equipment in core network 300 and RAN node 210 in RAN 200 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0092] The terminal device 220 and / or RAN node 210 can serve as sensing devices, for example, they can send and / or receive sensing signals. For instance, the terminal device 220 and / or RAN node 210 can perform sensing in a self-transmitting and self-receiving manner, or the terminal device 220 and RAN node 210 can perform sensing in a self-transmitting and other-receiving manner. For instance, the terminal device 220 sends a sensing signal and the RAN node receives the sensing signal reflected by the sensing target, or the RAN node 210 sends a sensing signal and the terminal device 220 receives the sensing signal reflected by the sensing target.

[0093] A sensing signal can be understood as a signal used to sense (or detect) a target. The target can also be understood as the sensing target or target object, such as a scatterer or reflector. The sensing signal can be a detection signal, a linear frequency modulated signal, a radar signal, a radar sensing signal, a radar detection signal, an environmental sensing signal, a pulse signal, or a signal in a wireless communication system. The sensing signal can also be a reference signal; for example, its initial amplitude and phase information can be pre-configured to the receiver through a configuration sequence. The sensing signal can also be a data signal; the receiver can calculate the initial amplitude and phase of each data signal using known modulation methods such as data verification. The sensing signal can also have other names, which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0094] In one possible implementation, terminal device 220 is a user-side device with communication capabilities. Optionally, terminal 220 may also have sensing capabilities. A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal, terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, user unit, user station, access station, UE station, remote station, or wireless communication device, etc. Exemplarily, a terminal device may be a fixed device, a handheld device (e.g., a mobile phone), a wearable device, an in-vehicle device, a computing device, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, or a wireless device (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip system, etc.) built into the aforementioned devices. Terminal devices are used to connect people, objects, machines, etc., and can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D communication, V2X communication, MTC communication, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, etc.

[0095] In one possible implementation, the terminal device 220 can be a handheld terminal in cellular communication, a communication device in D2D, an IoT device in MTC, a camera in intelligent transportation and smart cities, or a communication device on a drone; alternatively, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, tag, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device.

[0096] In one possible implementation, RAN 200 can be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, an NTN system (e.g., an NTN supporting pass-through mode and / or regenerative mode, or an NTN supporting eye-viewing mode (earth fixed cell) and / or non-eye-viewing mode (earth moving cell), or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 200 can also be an O-RAN, a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 200 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0097] A RAN node is a network-side device with wireless transceiver capabilities. RAN nodes, sometimes also referred to as RAN entities or access nodes, form part of a communication system and help terminal devices achieve wireless access.

[0098] As one possible implementation, a RAN node can be an access network device, such as a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a future mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 3, 210a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 3, 210b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario.

[0099] Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0100] As another possible implementation, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist the terminal device in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the functions of the base station. For example, RAN nodes can be CU, DU, CU - control plane (CP), CU - user plane (UP), radio unit (RU), or sensing unit (SU), etc.

[0101] For example, the SU is mainly used to implement sensing and / or positioning-related functions, such as sending sensing signals and / or receiving echo signals of sensing signals, performing corresponding signal processing based on the received echo signals to obtain sensing measurement data, and performing sensing-related processing, etc.

[0102] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the CU, DU, and RU cooperate to assist the terminal device in achieving wireless access. The CU, DU, and RU can be included in the RAN node. Referring to Figure 4, the RAN node communicates with core network equipment (such as mobility management network elements) via a backhaul link and with the terminal device via an air interface. Specifically, the CU communicates with the core network equipment via the backhaul link, and the RU communicates with at least one terminal device via the air interface. The DU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link, and the CU communicates with at least one DU via a midhaul link.

[0103] Optionally, the CU and DU can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). The BBU and RU can be co-located or not.

[0104] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an O-RAN central unit (O-CU), DU can also be called an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an O-RAN central unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an O-RAN central unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU).

[0105] As one possible implementation, the CU and DU each implement some of the protocol layer functions of the RAN node. For example, some protocol layer functions are implemented in the CU, and the remaining or all protocol layer functions are implemented in the DU. The CU can control one or more DUs.

[0106] For example, referring to Figure 5, the CU / O-CU is used to implement the functions of the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer in the 3GPP standard.

[0107] Furthermore, CU-CP / O-CU-CP is also used to implement the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is part of CU / O-CU. CU-UP / O-CU-UP is used to implement the functions of the SDAP layer and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer, and is also part of CU / O-CU.

[0108] For example, the DU / O-DU is based on low-layer function segmentation to implement the functions of the radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, and higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer in the 3GPP standard. The higher physical layer functions include one or more of the following: forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding, scrambling / descrambling, or modulation / demodulation.

[0109] RU / O-RU is based on low-layer function partitioning and is used to implement lower physical layer (lower PHY) functions and radio frequency (RF) functions in the 3GPP standard. These lower physical layer functions include one or more of the following: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) / Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, or extraction and filtering of the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). It is similar to TRP or RRH in 3GPP, but includes lower physical layer functions such as FFT / IFFT or PRACH extraction.

[0110] For example, depending on the functions of the DU and RU, and / or the different ways of splitting, the interface between the DU and RU can be a common public radio interface (CPRI) or an enhanced common public radio interface (eCPRI).

[0111] As one possible implementation, the CU can be used to perform some functions of layer 2 (L2) and layer 3 (L3). L2 can include one or more of the following: MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, or SDAP layer, and L3 includes the RRC layer. Furthermore, the CU can also have some core network functions. The DU can be used to perform layer 1 (L1) functions and some L2 functions, and the RU can be used to perform L1 computing and radio frequency (RF) digital functions. L1 can include the PHY layer. The midhaul and backhaul interfaces are used to carry traffic between the CU and DU, and between the CU and the core network. The fronthaul interface is used to carry traffic between the RU and DU. An integrated DU can include the aforementioned DU and RU functions.

[0112] For example, in terms of hardware, both the CU and DU can include a chassis platform, motherboard, peripheral devices, and cooling equipment. The motherboard includes a processing unit, memory, internal input / output (I / O) interfaces, and external connection ports. The hardware of the CU and DU may also include a hardware accelerator. The hardware accelerator includes interfaces and hardware functional components, including: storage for software, hardware, and system debugging interfaces, and a single-board management controller. For example, the processing unit may include a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0113] In one possible implementation, the DU is typically implemented using a multi-core processor and one or more hardware accelerators. Parts of the DU protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the multi-core processor, while computationally intensive L1 and L2 functions can be offloaded to a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) / graphics processing unit (GPU)-based hardware accelerator; or all L1 functions can be offloaded to an FPGA / GPU-based hardware accelerator, while other protocol stack content is implemented in software running on the processor; or the entire protocol stack can be implemented in software running on the processor. The hardware accelerator supports interconnection with x86 or non-x86 processors. Similarly, the accelerator has a multi-channel peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface pointing to the CPU and external connectivity via gigabit Ethernet (GE) connections.

[0114] An RU may include an O-RAN processing unit (OPU), a digital processing unit (DPU), and an RF processing unit.

[0115] The OPU is used to receive Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) frames from the O-RAN fronthaul and perform fronthaul interface, L1 layer (coding, scrambling, modulation, layer mapping, precoding), synchronization, beamforming, and resource unit mapping. The OPU can be implemented as a CPU, FPGA, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0116] The DPU is used to perform synchronization, uplink (UL) digital downconversion (DDC), downlink (DL) digital upconversion (DUC), channel failure ratio (CFR), and digital pre-distortion (DPD) processing. It improves power amplifier efficiency by reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) / adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the RF front-end. The DPU can be implemented as an FPGA or ASIC.

[0117] The RF processing unit includes a transceiver module, up / down converters, power amplifiers (PA), low-noise amplifiers (LNA), and Tx / Rx filters. Conversion between the analog and digital domains can be performed within the transceiver module. This conversion includes, but is not limited to: digital-to-analog converter (DAC), analog-to-digital converter (ADC), RF sampling, and frequency conversion using a mixture of RF, intermediate frequency (IF), and local oscillator (LO) during up-conversion and down-conversion. Optionally, the physical and logical partitions within the RF processing unit do not require specific boundaries; that is, it is not necessary to distinguish between physical and logical partitions.

[0118] In one possible implementation, the core network 300 includes a mobility management network element. This mobility management network element, upon receiving a sensing request instructing a terminal device to request low-latency sensing, determines that the RAN node should perform low-latency sensing, and sends the sensing request to the RAN node. In other words, the mobility management network element is used to implement the functions of the mobility management network element in subsequent embodiments.

[0119] Optionally, the mobility management network element may also implement at least one of the following functions: device registration (e.g., assigning a unique identifier), device access management (e.g., user authentication, authorization, and billing), mobility management (e.g., managing device handover between RAN nodes or cells), session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, or termination), user data management (e.g., storing and managing user data), security management (e.g., key management or encryption / decryption), control plane management (e.g., processing and forwarding control signaling), or fault management (e.g., network anomaly monitoring and alarms).

[0120] For example, a mobility management network element can be an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element in a 5G communication system, or it can be a network element newly defined in the protocol to implement all or some of the above functions.

[0121] Optionally, the core network 300 may also include sensing network elements. For example, sensing network elements may also be called sensing function (SF) network elements or sensing management function (SMF) network elements. Of course, sensing network elements may have other names, and this application does not specifically limit them.

[0122] As a first possible implementation, the sensing network elements can be deployed independently. For example, Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. This network architecture includes: AMF network elements, network exposure function (NEF) network elements, network data analytics function (NWDAF) network elements, location management function (LMF) network elements, sensing network elements, terminal devices, and RAN nodes, etc.

[0123] For example, the AMF network element is responsible for user access and mobility management. The NEF network element is mainly used to open up the capabilities of various network functions and is responsible for converting internal and external information. The LMF network element is mainly responsible for location management. The NWDAF network element is responsible for performing intelligent analysis and prediction.

[0124] It is understandable that in future mobile communication systems, AMF network elements, NEF network elements, NWDAF network elements, and LMF network elements may have other names, and this application does not make specific restrictions on them.

[0125] For example, the interfaces between nodes in the above network architecture are described below:

[0126] NS1 interface: Interface between sensing network element and AMF network element; NS2 interface: Interface between sensing network element and NEF network element; NS3 interface: Interface between sensing network element and NWDAF; NS4 interface: Interface between AMF and LMF network elements; NG interface: Interface between AMF and RAN node; Uu interface: Interface between RAN node and terminal device.

[0127] It is understandable that the system shown in Figure 3 can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 6. For example, the terminal device 220 in Figure 3 corresponds to the terminal device in Figure 6, the RAN node 210 in Figure 3 corresponds to the RAN node in Figure 6, and the mobility management network element in the core network 300 shown in Figure 3 corresponds to the AMF network element in Figure 6.

[0128] In addition to the network architecture shown in Figure 6, this application also provides another network architecture, as shown in Figure 7. In this network architecture, the sensing network elements are relatively independent of the core network; that is, the sensing network elements do not need to interact with the core network, or perform minimal interaction with the core network. For scenarios where sensing needs exist in a specific area, this architecture can provide sensing services without core network control or with the participation of some network elements. Furthermore, by deploying sensing network elements locally, sensing measurement data or results can remain within the campus, thereby meeting enterprises' needs for the security and privacy of sensing measurement data or results, and reducing sensing latency. This architecture is simple, flexible, efficient, has few transmission nodes, is easy to deploy, and can optionally support sensing needs related to terminal devices, considering implementation schemes for functions such as authorization, mobility management, and billing as needed.

[0129] As shown in Figure 7, in this architecture, the sensing network element directly establishes a connection with the RAN node. The sensing network element and the RAN node can exchange sensing control plane signaling messages and sensing measurement data through the newly defined interface NS1. Furthermore, there may also be interfaces between the sensing network element and AMF, NEF, or NWDAF network elements to control the application function (AF) network elements to provide sensing service requirements to the sensing network element through core network functions. For example, the descriptions of each interface in this architecture are as follows:

[0130] NS1 interface: Interface between sensing network element and RAN node; NS2 interface: Interface between sensing network element and AMF network element; NS3 interface: Interface between sensing network element and NEF network element; NS4 interface: Interface between sensing network element and NWDAF network element; NG interface: Interface between AMF network element and RAN node; Uu interface: Interface between RAN node and terminal device.

[0131] Optionally, in actual deployment, either the NS2 interface or the NS3 interface can be selected. For example, the NS2 interface can be deployed without the NS3 interface. In this case, the AF network element can indirectly send sensing service requests to the sensing network element through the NS2 interface (AMF network element), or directly send sensing service requests to the sensing network element; or, the AF network element can indirectly send sensing service requests to the sensing network element through both the N33 interface and the NS3 interface.

[0132] It is understandable that the system shown in Figure 3 can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 7. For example, the terminal device 220 in Figure 3 corresponds to the terminal device in Figure 7, the RAN node 210 in Figure 3 corresponds to the RAN node in Figure 7, and the mobility management network element in the core network 300 shown in Figure 3 corresponds to the AMF network element in Figure 7.

[0133] As a second possible implementation, the sensing network element can be co-located with other network elements in the core network. For example, the sensing network element can be co-located with the LMF network element, meaning that sensing and localization are implemented by the same network element.

[0134] The above explanation uses the deployment of sensing network elements in the core network as an example. In addition, sensing network elements can also be deployed on the RAN side; this application does not specify a particular deployment location for sensing network elements.

[0135] All or part of the functions of the terminal device, RAN node, and mobility management network element in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform), or through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. The terminal device / RAN node / mobility management network element in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device / RAN node / mobility management network element functions, or a device with some terminal device / RAN node / mobility management network element functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device / RAN node / mobility management network element.

[0136] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0137] The communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described below with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 3, taking the interaction between the terminal device, RAN node, and mobility management network element as an example. For example, the terminal device in the following embodiments may be the terminal device 220 in the system shown in Figure 3, the RAN node in the following embodiments may be the RAN node 210 in the system shown in Figure 3, and the mobility management network element may be a network element in the core network 300 shown in Figure 3.

[0138] It should be noted that in the following embodiments of this application, the message names, parameter names, or information names between the terminal device, RAN node, and mobility management network element are just examples. Other names may also be used in other embodiments, and the method provided in this application does not specifically limit them.

[0139] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device, RAN node, and mobility management network element may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0140] It is understood that this application uses terminal devices, RAN nodes, and mobility management network elements as examples to illustrate the execution entities of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution entities of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the RAN node in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the RAN node (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the RAN node's functions, such as a CU module or a DU module, or a combination of both; the method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the terminal device (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device's functions; the method executed by the mobility management network element in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the mobility management network element (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the mobility management network element's functions.

[0141] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a mobility management network element)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being a mobility management network element. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a mobility management network element. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a RAN node)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., a RAN node)" or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a RAN node)" or the relevant illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being a RAN node, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a RAN node. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood in a similar way, and will not be repeated here.

[0142] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below. Referring to Figure 8, a communication method provided in the embodiments of this application may include the following steps:

[0143] S801, the terminal device sends a second sensing request to the mobility management network element. Correspondingly, the mobility management network element receives the second sensing request from the terminal device. The second sensing request instructs the terminal device to request low-latency sensing.

[0144] For example, the second perception request used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency perception can be understood as follows: the perception requested by the second perception request sent by the terminal device (which may also be called perception service, perception business, perception task, or other names) is low-latency perception with a target response latency less than or equal to a preset threshold; or, it can also be understood as the target response latency of the perception information requested by the second perception request sent by the terminal device is less than or equal to a preset threshold; or, it can also be understood as the second perception request sent by the terminal device is a perception request for requesting low-latency perception (or the type of the second perception request is a low-latency perception request).

[0145] As one possible implementation, the target response latency can be understood as the target interval between the time from when the terminal device sends the second sensing request to when the terminal device receives the response information in response to the second sensing request (i.e., the first sensing information in the following embodiments); or, it can also be understood as the target interval between the time from when the terminal device sends the second sensing request to when the terminal device determines the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the response information in response to the second sensing request (i.e., the first sensing information in the following embodiments).

[0146] In one possible implementation, the second sensing request includes at least one of the following: a latency requirement for low-latency sensing (or low-latency sensing requested by the terminal device) requested by the second sensing request, information about a low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request, or information indicating that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0147] In other words, the second sensing request can indicate at least one of the following: the latency requirement of the requested sensing, the low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request, or the sensing request type of the second sensing request, so that the mobility management network element receiving the second sensing request can determine that the type of sensing requested by the second sensing request (or the terminal device through the second sensing request) is low-latency sensing.

[0148] Optionally, the types of perception include low-latency perception and non-low-latency perception; the types of perception requests include low-latency perception requests and non-low-latency perception requests.

[0149] For example, the latency requirement of perception can be understood as the requirement of perception on the magnitude of response latency, such as the magnitude of the target response latency of perception, the maximum value of the target response latency of perception, etc.

[0150] As one possible implementation, the latency requirement for low-latency sensing includes at least one of the following: the target response latency of low-latency sensing is less than or equal to a first threshold, the target response latency of low-latency sensing is in the millisecond range, or the magnitude of the target response latency of low-latency sensing is a first value. Wherein, the first value is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0151] In other words, the information carried in the second perception request can indicate at least one of the following: the target response delay requested by the second perception request is less than or equal to the first threshold, the target response delay requested by the second perception request is a millisecond-level delay, or the target response delay requested by the second perception request is a first value.

[0152] Optionally, the first threshold may be determined according to the maximum response delay of low latency perception predefined in the protocol, for example, the first threshold is less than or equal to the size of the maximum response delay of low latency perception; or, it may be determined in advance by the mobility management network element and / or RAN node based on the maximum response delay of low latency perception, for example, the first threshold is less than or equal to the size of the maximum response delay of low latency perception predefined by the RAN node; or, the first threshold is predefined in the protocol.

[0153] For example, if the second perception request includes a latency requirement for low-latency perception (such as the magnitude of the target response latency) requested by the second perception request, after receiving the second perception request, the mobility management network element can determine the latency requirement for perception requested by the second perception request based on the information indicating the latency requirement for perception requested by the second perception request, and determine whether the latency requirement for perception meets the low-latency perception requirement. If the latency requirement for perception meets the low-latency perception requirement, the perception requested by the second perception request is determined to be low-latency perception.

[0154] Optionally, the information indicating the latency requirement of the perception requested by the second perception request can be directly represented by the latency requirement of the perception (such as the target response latency size, the maximum value of the target response latency, or the unit of measurement of the target response latency, etc.), or it can be represented by the identifier / index associated with the latency requirement, without limitation.

[0155] For example, if the second perception request includes information about the low-latency service that triggered the second perception request, after receiving the second perception request, the mobility management network element can first determine whether the service that triggered the second perception request is a low-latency service. If it is determined that the service that triggered the second perception request is a low-latency service, the perception requested by the second perception request is determined to be low-latency perception.

[0156] For example, the information that triggers the low-latency service request for the second sensing request may be indication information of the low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request (such as identification / index); or it may be the service type of the low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request; or it may be the latency information of the low-latency service that triggers the second sensing request (such as the target latency of the low-latency service).

[0157] Optionally, low-latency services can be predefined by the protocol; or they can be predetermined by the RAN node and / or mobility management network element. For example, low-latency services include at least one of the following: intelligent transportation services (such as autonomous driving services), telemedicine services (such as vital sign monitoring services), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) management services, or smart factory services (such as robot path navigation services).

[0158] For example, if the second sensing request includes information indicating that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request, after receiving the second sensing request, the mobility management network element can first determine whether the type of the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request. If it is determined that the service requested by the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request, then the sensing requested by the second sensing request is determined to be low-latency sensing.

[0159] As one possible implementation, the information indicating that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request can be implemented through a reserved field or an extended field in the second sensing request. For example, taking a second sensing request that includes a reserved field of length 1 bit indicating the type of sensing request, if the reserved bit is set to 1, indicating that the type of the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request, then after receiving the second sensing request, the mobility management network element, upon detecting that the reserved bit in the second sensing request is 1, determines that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request and identifies the sensing requested by the second sensing request as low-latency sensing.

[0160] Furthermore, the above explanation uses the example of setting the reserved bit to 1 to indicate that the type of the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request. In practice, the reserved bit can also be set to 0 to indicate that the type of the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request. The length of the reserved bit can also be any value other than 1, without restriction.

[0161] Based on this scheme, the mobility management network element can accurately determine whether the perception requested by the second perception request belongs to low-latency perception by parsing the second perception request. This is beneficial for the mobility management network element to determine the processing device and subsequent processing flow of the perception based on the type of perception requested by the second perception request.

[0162] In addition, the second perception request may also include at least one of information indicating the perception target of the second perception request and information indicating the perception result associated with the second perception request.

[0163] For example, taking the second sensing request as a sensing request for low-latency positioning predefined in the protocol, the second sensing request includes the identifier / index (such as a unique identification code) of the sensing target of the second sensing request, and the device performing low-latency positioning locates the sensing target according to the identifier / index of the sensing target.

[0164] For example, taking the second sensing request as a low-latency positioning sensing request predefined in the protocol, the second sensing request includes the geographical area where the sensing target of the second sensing request is located and the type of the sensing target (such as a building, car or road). The device performing low-latency positioning determines the sensing target in the geographical area and locates the sensing target based on the geographical area where the sensing target is located and the type of the sensing target.

[0165] It is worth mentioning that the perception target of the second perception request can be understood as the perception target of the perception service requested by the second perception request, or it can also be understood as the perception target that the second perception request requests to perceive. In subsequent embodiments of this application, the meaning of the perception target of the first perception request is similar to the meaning of the perception target of the second perception request, and will not be repeated here.

[0166] S802, the mobility management network element sends a first sensing request to the RAN node. Correspondingly, the RAN node receives the first sensing request from the mobility management network element. The first sensing request is determined based on a second sensing request and is used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency sensing.

[0167] For example, the first perception request is determined based on the second perception request, which can be understood as the perception result associated with the first perception request being used to determine the perception result associated with the second perception request.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the first perception request and the second perception request satisfy at least one of the following: the perception target of the first perception request is the same as the perception target of the second perception request, and the perception information requested by the first perception request is the same as the perception information requested by the second perception request; the perception target of the second perception request includes the perception target of the first perception request, and the perception information requested by the second perception request includes the perception information requested by the first perception request; the perception result associated with the second perception request is the same as the perception result associated with the first perception request; or, the perception result associated with the second perception request includes the perception result associated with the first perception request.

[0169] For example, the fact that the perception result associated with the second perception request is the same as the perception result associated with the first perception request can be understood as the first perception request and the second perception request being perception requests that request the same perception information, and the perception target of the second perception request being the same as the perception target of the first perception request, or in other words, the first perception request and the second perception request being two perception requests that request the same perception information with the same perception target.

[0170] For example, the perception result associated with the second perception request including the perception result associated with the first perception request can be understood as follows: the first perception request and the second perception request are perception requests that request the same perception information, and the perception target of the second perception request includes the perception target of the first perception request; or, the first perception request and the second perception request are perception requests that request to perceive the same perception target, and the perception information requested by the second perception request includes the perception information requested by the first perception request.

[0171] As one possible implementation, the first perception request is a perception request generated based on the second perception request.

[0172] For example, after receiving a second sensing request, the mobility management network element determines the sensing requested by the terminal device or the sensing information requested by the terminal device by parsing the second sensing request. Based on the sensing requested by the terminal device or the sensing information requested by the terminal device, it generates a first sensing request that requests the RAN node to execute the sensing requested by the terminal device, or generates a first sensing request that requests the RAN node to determine the sensing information requested by the terminal device.

[0173] As another possible implementation, the first perception request is the second perception request forwarded by the mobility management network element.

[0174] For example, after receiving the first sensing request, the mobility management network element can determine that the sensing requested by the terminal device is low-latency sensing by parsing the first sensing request. Then, it can directly forward the first sensing request as the second sensing request to the RAN node. Alternatively, according to the communication protocol between the mobility management network element and the RAN node, it can re-encapsulate / de-encapsulate the first sensing request and send the re-encapsulated / de-encapsulated first sensing request as the second sensing request to the RAN node.

[0175] Optionally, the RAN node can be the RAN node managing the cell currently accessed by the terminal device, or in other words, the RAN node is the RAN node to which the cell currently accessed by the terminal device belongs; alternatively, the RAN node can be the RAN node whose coverage includes the current location of the terminal device. For example, the RAN node can be the RAN node managing the reselected cell determined by the terminal device through cell reselection, or in other words, the RAN node is the RAN node to which the reselected cell determined by the terminal device through cell reselection belongs; alternatively, the RAN node can be the RAN node managing the neighboring cells of the cell currently accessed by the terminal device, or in other words, the RAN node is the RAN node to which the neighboring cells of the cell currently accessed by the terminal device belong. For ease of understanding, the following embodiments of this application will use the RAN node to which the cell currently accessed by the terminal device belongs as an example for explanation. That is, when the mobility management network element receives the second sensing request and determines that the sensing requested by the second sensing request is low-latency sensing, it determines that the RAN node should perform the low-latency sensing requested by the terminal device, and then sends a first sensing request to the RAN node to perform low-latency sensing according to the low-latency sensing requested by the terminal device.

[0176] Based on this scheme, when the terminal device is identified as requesting low-latency sensing, the mobility management network element can directly hand over the low-latency sensing request to the RAN node for processing, without having to process the low-latency sensing request from the sensing network element in the core network. This helps to reduce the number of nodes involved in the low-latency sensing processing and improve the processing efficiency of low-latency sensing.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the first sensing request includes at least one of the following: latency requirement for low-latency sensing requested by the first sensing request, information of a low-latency service that triggers the first sensing request, or information indicating that the first sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

[0178] The implementation method of the first perception request is similar to that of the second perception request in the aforementioned embodiments, and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here. In addition, the low-latency service that triggers the first perception request can be understood as the low-latency service that triggers the terminal device to send the second perception request, or it can also be understood as the low-latency service that triggers the mobility management network element to send the first perception request to the RAN node.

[0179] S803, the RAN node performs sensing based on the first sensing request and determines the first sensing information. The first sensing information is used to determine the sensing result associated with the first sensing request.

[0180] For example, the first perception information may include perception measurement data for determining the perception result associated with the first perception request, or the first perception information may include the perception result associated with the first perception request.

[0181] For example, if the perception result associated with the first perception request includes the point cloud of the perception target of the first perception request, the first perception information may include the point cloud of the perception target of the first perception request, or the first perception information may also include perception measurement data used to determine the point cloud of the perception target of the first perception request.

[0182] It is worth noting that, since the first perception request is generated based on the second perception request, or the first perception request is forwarded by the mobility management network element as a second perception request, the first perception information determined by the RAN node based on the first perception request can also be used to determine the perception result associated with the second perception request. In other words, the first perception information includes perception measurement data used to determine the perception result associated with the second perception request, or the first perception information includes the perception result associated with the second perception request.

[0183] Optionally, the RAN node performs sensing based on the first sensing request, including the following three possible implementation methods:

[0184] Method 1: RAN nodes directly perform sensing through the RAN node-based sensing sub-process.

[0185] For example, the RAN node can independently transmit a sensing reference signal, which, after being reflected by the sensing target, can return to the RAN node. Upon receiving the sensing reference signal reflected from the sensing target, the RAN node can determine the length of the reflection path associated with the sensing reference signal using ranging technology, or determine the length of the reflection path based on the time delay information corresponding to the reflection path. Furthermore, it can determine the angle information of the reflection path associated with the sensing reference signal using angle estimation technology, thereby determining the sensing measurement data of the sensing target. If the first sensing information includes the sensing result of the sensing target, the RAN node can combine the RAN node's position and antenna orientation to calculate the position of at least one reflection point included in the sensing target, determining the point cloud result associated with the sensing target (i.e., the sensing result of the sensing target).

[0186] Method 2: RAN nodes perform sensing through a sensing sub-process assisted by terminal devices.

[0187] Referring to Figure 9, with the RAN node's coordinates as (x, y), terminal device 1 assisting the RAN node in sensing is located at (x1, y1), and terminal device 2 is located at (x2, y2). Sensing reference signals are transmitted by terminal device 1 and terminal device 2 respectively. The sensing reference signals reach the RAN node either directly via a direct path or after reflection from a sensing target. The sensing target includes at least one reflection point, denoted as (x0, y0). The direct path distance from the sensing reference signal transmitted by terminal device 1 to the RAN node is... The distance of the reflection path of the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 1 to the RAN node after reflection at reflection point S is: d RAN,S Let S be the distance of the direct path between the reflection point S and the RAN node. The direct path distance from the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 1 to the reflection point S is denoted as α0, where the angle between the direct path associated with the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 1 and the reflection path is α0; the direct path distance from the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 2 to the RAN node is denoted as α0. The distance of the reflection path of the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 2 to the RAN node after reflection at reflection point S is: d RAB,S Let S be the distance of the direct path between the reflection point S and the RAN node. The direct path distance from the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 2 to the reflection point S is α1, and the angle between the direct path associated with the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 2 and the reflection path is α1.

[0188] For example, the distance of the sensing reference signal of the terminal device assisting RAN node perception to the direct path and the distance of the reflection path to the RAN node can be determined by the RAN node through ranging technology. The angle between the direct path and the reflection path can be determined by angle estimation technology based on the distance difference between the reflection path and the direct path.

[0189] According to the Law of Cosines:

[0190] Wherein, Δd1 is the distance difference between the direct path and the reflection path associated with the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 1, and Δd2 is the distance difference between the direct path and the reflection path associated with the sensing reference signal sent by terminal device 2. ).

[0191] Then, according to Δd1 and α0, calculate a d RAN,S :

[0192] It can also be based on Δd2 and α1, calculate a d RAN,S :

[0193] If the initial sensing information includes the sensing result of the target, the RAN node can solve for the position of the reflection point (x0, y0) using the following equation:

[0194] After determining the location of at least one reflection point associated with the perceived target, the RAN node can send the point cloud result formed by at least one reflection point associated with the perceived target to the terminal device in the first perception information.

[0195] Method 3: RNA nodes perceive information through a terminal device-based sensing sub-process.

[0196] The implementation of the terminal device-based sensing sub-process is similar to that of the terminal device-assisted sensing sub-process. The difference lies in that, in the terminal device-based sensing sub-process, the RAN node sends a sensing reference signal, and the terminal device executing the sensing sub-process determines the sensing measurement data or sensing result of the sensing target based on the received sensing reference signal, and then reports the determined sensing measurement data or sensing result to the RAN node. The specific implementation method of the terminal device determining the sensing measurement data or sensing result of the sensing target based on the sensing reference signal can be referred to the relevant description in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0197] Furthermore, the above embodiments illustrate the example of a sensing signal reaching the RAN node through reflection from a sensing target. In practice, the sensing signal can also reach the RAN node through scattering or diffraction from the sensing target. When the sensing signal reaches the RAN node through scattering / diffraction, the scattering / diffraction point is determined. The method for determining the location of the scattering / diffraction point is similar to that for determining the location of the reflection point, except that the information of the reflection path is replaced with the information of the scattering / diffraction path, which will not be elaborated further here. For ease of explanation, the following embodiments of this application use the propagation of the sensing signal through reflection as an example.

[0198] S804, the RAN node sends the first sensing information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first sensing information from the RAN node.

[0199] For example, the RAN node sends the first sensing information to the terminal device via RRC signaling, MAC CE, or RLC signaling.

[0200] S805. The terminal device determines the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information.

[0201] For example, determining the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information can be understood as directly obtaining the perception result associated with the second perception request carried in the first information by parsing the first perception information; or, it can also be understood as parsing the first perception information to obtain the perception measurement data carried in the first perception information, and calculating the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the perception measurement data.

[0202] In other words, when the first perception information includes information indicating the perception result of the perception target, the terminal device can obtain information indicating the perception result associated with the second perception request by parsing the first perception information, and directly determine the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the information; when the first perception information includes perception measurement data indicating the perception target, the terminal device can obtain information indicating the perception measurement data associated with the perception target by parsing the first perception information, obtain the perception measurement data of the perception target based on the information, calculate the perception result of the perception target based on the perception measurement data, and use the calculated perception result as the perception result associated with the second perception request.

[0203] Optionally, the information indicating the perception result of the perceived target can be an identifier / index associated with the perception result of the perceived target, or it can be the perception result of the perceived target itself. For example, taking a point cloud composed of the coordinates of multiple reflection points of the perceived target of the second perception request as an example, the information indicating the perception result of the perceived target can be an index of the coordinates of each reflection point, or it can be the actual coordinates of each reflection point.

[0204] Based on the above scheme, when the current service has high requirements for the latency of perception, or in other words, requires low latency for the response to perception, the terminal device can send a perception request (i.e., a second perception request) to the mobility management network element requesting low-latency perception. This allows the mobility management network element to determine, based on the second perception request, that the RAN node should perform the low-latency perception requested by the terminal device, and send a first perception request to the RAN node instructing the terminal device to request low-latency perception. The RAN node performs perception based on the first perception request and sends the determined first perception information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information. In other words, the terminal device can send a low-latency sensing request to the mobility management network element (MLE), which triggers the low-latency sensing processing flow on the network side. After determining that the sensing requested by the terminal device is low-latency sensing, the MLE sends a low-latency sensing sensing request to the RAN node. The RAN node performs sensing based on the low-latency sensing sensing request sent by the MLE and sends the determined first sensing information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request. This eliminates the need for the sensing network element to participate in the low-latency sensing processing, reduces the number of nodes involved in the sensing request processing, and helps to improve the sensing response speed and reduce the latency of the sensing service provided by the network side.

[0205] The overall flow of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described above. The specific implementation of some steps is described below.

[0206] In one possible implementation, when the sensing result associated with the second sensing request includes the point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request (i.e., the sensing result associated with the first sensing request includes the point cloud of the sensing target of the first sensing request), the sensing measurement data carried in the first sensing information is multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target. In other words, the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target. The multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target is used to indicate the multipath delay and multipath angle between the RAN node and the sensing target.

[0207] For example, when the RAN node determines the first sensing information through the RAN node-based sensing sub-process, the multipath delay between the RAN node and the sensing target can be understood as the length / delay information of the reflection path associated with each reflection point on the sensing target, and the angle information of the reflection path associated with each reflection point; or, it can also be understood as the length / delay information of the reflection path associated with each sensing signal and the angle information of the reflection path associated with each sensing signal when multiple sensing signals arrive at the RAN node through reflection from the same reflection point on the sensing target.

[0208] When the RAN node determines the first sensing information through a sensing sub-process assisted by a terminal device, the multipath delay between the RAN node and the sensing target can be understood as the signal transmission delay between the direct path and the reflected path associated with each reflection point when the sensing signal reaches the RAN node through the direct path and reflected path associated with multiple reflection points on the sensing target; or, it can be understood as the signal transmission delay between the direct path and the reflected path associated with each sensing signal when multiple sensing signals reach the RAN node through reflection from the same reflection point on the sensing target. Similarly, the multipath angle between the RAN node and the sensing target can be understood as the angle between the direct path and the reflected path associated with each reflection point when the sensing signal reaches the RAN node through the direct path and the reflected path associated with multiple reflection points; or, it can be understood as the angle between the direct path and the reflected path associated with each sensing signal when multiple sensing signals reach the RAN node through reflection from the same reflection point.

[0209] In addition, the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target may also include: the distance of the direct path of the sensing signal between the RAN node and the sensing target, the distance of the reflection path of the sensing signal between the RAN node and the sensing target, etc., which helps to reduce the amount of computation in the process of the terminal device determining the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target.

[0210] When the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, the terminal device determines the sensing result associated with the second sensing request (i.e., the point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request) based on the first sensing information in the following two possible ways:

[0211] Method 1: The terminal device determines the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the location information of the RAN node and the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target.

[0212] As one possible implementation, the RAN node location information is used to indicate at least one of the RAN node's location or the RAN node's antenna orientation. For example, the RAN node location information includes indication information of the RAN node's location, or the RAN node location information includes both indication information of the RAN node's location and indication information of the RAN node's antenna orientation.

[0213] Optionally, the location information of the RAN node may include its latitude and longitude coordinates or global positioning coordinates. In other words, the location of the RAN node is used to identify its precise position on the map. The antenna orientation information of the RAN node may include the azimuth angle of its antenna.

[0214] For example, taking the sensing result associated with the second sensing request as the point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request, the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target includes the time delay of the sensing signals sent by the two terminal devices assisting the RAN node in sensing reaching the RAN node through the direct path and the reflection path, as well as the angle between the direct path and the reflection path. The terminal device can first determine the length of the direct path associated with the sensing signal, the length of the reflection path, and the orientation of the sensing target relative to the RAN node (such as the azimuth angle of the sensing target relative to the RAN node) based on the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target and the antenna orientation of the RAN node. Then, combined with the coordinates corresponding to the position of the RAN node, the coordinates of each reflection point of the sensing target are calculated, thereby obtaining the sensing result associated with the second sensing request (i.e., the point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request). The implementation method of determining the coordinates of the reflection points based on the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target and the position of the RAN node can be referred to the relevant description in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] Based on this scheme, the terminal device can accurately determine the perception result of the perceived target based on the acquired perception measurement data of the perceived target. In addition, since the perception result of the perceived target is determined by the terminal device, it is beneficial to further reduce the processing latency of the terminal device's perception request on the network side.

[0216] Method 2: When the terminal includes a first sensing unit, the terminal device acquires second sensing information through the first sensing unit. Based on the first and second sensing information, it determines the sensing result associated with the second sensing request (such as the point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request). Alternatively, it determines the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the location information of the RAN node, the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, and the second sensing information. The second sensing information is used to instruct the first sensing unit on the sensing result of the sensing target of the second sensing request.

[0217] For example, the term "terminal including first sensing unit" can be understood as meaning that the first sensing unit is a sensing unit installed on the terminal device; or, it can also be understood as meaning that the first sensing unit is a sensing unit pre-configured / associated with the terminal device and connected to the terminal device via a wired or wireless means. As one possible implementation, the first sensing unit may include at least one of the following: a visual sensor, millimeter-wave radar, or lidar, etc.

[0218] For example, taking the perception result associated with the second perception request as the point cloud of the perception target of the second perception request, the multipath information between the RAN node and the perception target includes the time delay of the perception signals sent by the two terminal devices assisting the RAN node in perception reaching the RAN node through the direct path and the reflection path, and the angle between the direct path and the reflection path, for example. After the terminal device determines the coordinates of the reflection point according to the method mentioned in the above embodiment, it can register the coordinates of the reflection point according to the perception result of the first perception unit. For example, it can perform weighted fusion of the perception result of the first perception unit and the calculated coordinates of the reflection point according to a preset weight, and determine the registered result as the coordinates of the reflection point, thereby determining the perception result associated with the second perception request.

[0219] In other words, the terminal device can fuse the perception result determined by the first perception information and the perception result determined by the first perception unit for the perceived target. By using perception fusion, the final perception result of the perceived target can be determined, which is beneficial to improving the perception accuracy and reliability of the perceived target.

[0220] Furthermore, the first sensing information may also include multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, as well as the sensing result of the sensing target calculated by the RAN node. After receiving the first sensing information, the terminal device obtains the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target by parsing the first sensing information, and determines the sensing result of the sensing target based on the multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target. Then, it uses the sensing result of the sensing target calculated by the RAN node carried in the first sensing information as reference information. Based on the magnitude of the error between the reference information and the sensing result determined by the terminal device, it detects the reliability of the sensing result. If the error is large (e.g., greater than a first threshold), the sensing result is determined to be unreliable, and the terminal device can re-initiate low-latency sensing of the sensing target to the network side; if the error is small (e.g., less than or equal to the first threshold), the sensing result is determined to be reliable.

[0221] In one possible implementation, prior to S805, the RAN node sends its location information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the RAN node location information from the RAN node.

[0222] Optionally, RAN nodes can send their location information to terminal devices via RRC signaling, MAC CE, or RLC signaling.

[0223] In addition, sending the RAN node's location information is an optional step. If the terminal device has already obtained the RAN node's location information, the RAN node does not need to send the RAN node's location information to the terminal device again. Alternatively, if the time interval between the last time the RAN node's location information was sent to the terminal device and the current time is less than the second threshold, the RAN node does not need to send the RAN node's location information to the terminal device in response to the terminal device's sensing request.

[0224] In other words, if the terminal device stores valid location information of the RAN node, or if the location information of the RAN node stored in the terminal device is valid, the RAN node does not need to send the RAN node's location information to the terminal device.

[0225] Based on this scheme, the terminal device can accurately obtain the location information of the RAN node, which is beneficial for the terminal device to accurately determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the obtained first sensing information.

[0226] As one possible implementation, in scenarios where the RAN node's functionality is implemented by CU and DU, or by O-CU and O-DU, the method shown in Figure 8 can be modified to the method described in Figure 10. Referring to Figure 10, the method includes the following steps:

[0227] S1001, the terminal device sends a second sensing request to the mobility management network element. Correspondingly, the mobility management network element receives the second sensing request from the terminal device. The second sensing request is used to request low-latency sensing.

[0228] S1002, the mobility management network element sends a first perception request to the CU. Correspondingly, the CU receives the first perception request from the mobility management network element. The first perception request is used to request low-latency perception.

[0229] The implementation of S1001 is similar to that of S801 in the previous embodiment, and the implementation of S1002 is similar to that of S802 in the previous embodiment. The difference is that the function of the RAN node is implemented by the CU. For the specific implementation method, please refer to the relevant description in the previous embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0230] S1003, the CU sends an instruction message to the DU. Correspondingly, the DU receives the instruction message from the CU. The instruction message instructs the DU to perform the low-latency sensing requested by the first sensing request.

[0231] S1004 and DU perform sensing based on the instruction information and determine the first sensing information.

[0232] For example, the DU executes the perception requested by the first perception request through a perception sub-process based on the RAN node or a perception sub-process assisted by the terminal device, according to the instruction information; or, the DU executes the perception requested by the first perception request through a perception sub-process based on the terminal device, according to the instruction information.

[0233] S1005, DU sends first sensing information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first sensing information from DU. The specific implementation of the first sensing information can be found in the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0234] S1006. The terminal device determines the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information.

[0235] The implementation of S1006 is similar to that of S805 in the aforementioned embodiments. For details of the implementation, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0236] As another possible implementation, in scenarios where the RAN node's functionality is implemented by CU and DU, or by O-CU and O-DU, the method shown in Figure 8 can be modified to the method described in Figure 11. Referring to Figure 11, the method includes the following steps:

[0237] S1101, the terminal device sends a second sensing request to the mobility management network element. Correspondingly, the mobility management network element receives the second sensing request from the terminal device. The second sensing request is used to request low-latency sensing.

[0238] S1102, the mobility management network element sends a first perception request to the CU. Correspondingly, the CU receives the first perception request from the mobility management network element. The first perception request is used to request low-latency perception.

[0239] The implementation of S1101 is similar to that of S801 in the previous embodiment, and the implementation of S1102 is similar to that of S802 in the previous embodiment. The difference is that the function of the RAN node is implemented by the CU. For the specific implementation method, please refer to the relevant description in the previous embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0240] S1103, CU performs perception based on the first perception request and determines the first perception information. The first perception information is used to determine the perception result associated with the first perception request.

[0241] For example, the CU sends instruction information to the DU based on the received first sensing request, implements a sensing sub-process based on the RAN node or a sensing sub-process based on the terminal device through the DU, and determines the first sensing information based on the sensing measurement data of the sensing target reported by the DU; or, the CU sends instruction information to the terminal device based on the received first sensing request, implements a sensing sub-process based on the terminal device through the terminal device, and determines the first sensing information based on the sensing measurement data of the sensing target reported by the terminal device.

[0242] The CU performs perception based on the first perception request and determines the first perception information in a manner similar to S903 in the aforementioned embodiment. Please refer to the relevant descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0243] S1104. The CU sends the first sensing information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first sensing information from the CU. For example, after determining the first sensing information based on the acquired sensing measurement data, the CU sends the first sensing information to the terminal device via the DU. The specific implementation of the first sensing information can be found in the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0244] S1105. The terminal device determines the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information.

[0245] The implementation of S1105 is similar to that of S805 in the aforementioned embodiments. For details of the implementation, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0246] The method provided in this application has been described above. In addition, this application also provides a communication device for implementing the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0247] It is understood that, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0248] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0249] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device 120. The communication device 120 includes a processing module 1201 and a transceiver module 1202. This communication device 120 can be used to implement the functions of the aforementioned terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element.

[0250] In some embodiments, the communication device 120 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG12) for storing program instructions and data.

[0251] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1202, also referred to as a transceiver unit, is used to implement sending and / or receiving functions. The transceiver module 1202 may consist of a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0252] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1202 may include a receiving module and a sending module, respectively configured to perform the receiving and sending steps performed by the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1201 may be configured to perform the processing steps performed by the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element in the above method embodiments, and / or other processes to support the technology described herein.

[0253] When the communication device 120 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device, the transceiver module 1202 is used to send a second perception request to the mobility management network element, the second perception request being used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency perception; receive first perception information from the RAN node, the first perception information being determined by the RAN node based on the first perception request sent by the mobility management network element, the first perception request being determined based on the second perception request; and the processing module 1201 is used to determine the perception result associated with the second perception request based on the first perception information.

[0254] In one possible implementation, the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target. The transceiver module 1202 is also used to receive the location information of the RAN node, and the processing module 1201 is also used to determine the point cloud of the sensing target based on the multipath information and the location information of the RAN node.

[0255] In one possible implementation, the terminal device includes a first sensing unit, and a processing module 1201 is used to acquire second sensing information through the first sensing unit. The second sensing information is used to indicate the sensing result of the sensing target of the second sensing request. The processing module 1201 is also used to determine the sensing result associated with the second sensing request based on the first sensing information and the second sensing information.

[0256] When the communication device 120 is used to implement the functions of the RAN node, the transceiver module 1202 is used to receive the first perception request from the mobility management network element. The first perception request is used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency perception. The processing module 1201 is used to perform perception according to the first perception request and determine the first perception information. The first perception information is used to determine the perception result associated with the first perception request. The transceiver module 1202 is also used to send the first perception information to the terminal device.

[0257] In one possible implementation, the first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target. The transceiver module 1202 is also used to send the location information of the RAN node to the terminal device. The point cloud of the sensing target is determined based on the multipath information and the location information of the RAN node.

[0258] When the communication device 120 is used to implement the functions of a mobility management network element, the transceiver module 1202 is used to receive a second sensing request from a terminal device, the second sensing request being used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency sensing; the processing module 1201 is used to determine, based on the second sensing request, that the RAN node shall perform low-latency sensing; the transceiver module 1202 is also used to send a first sensing request to the RAN node, the first sensing request being determined based on the second sensing request, the first sensing request being used to instruct the terminal device to request low-latency sensing.

[0259] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] In this application, the communication device 120 can be presented in an integrated manner by dividing it into various functional modules. Here, "module" can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0261] In some embodiments, when the communication device 120 in FIG12 is a chip or chip system, the function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 can be implemented through the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1201 can be implemented through the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or chip system.

[0262] Since the communication device 120 provided in this embodiment can execute the above method, the technical effects it can achieve can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0263] As a possible product form, the terminal device or RAN node described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0264] As another possible product form, the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element described in this application embodiment can be implemented using a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of the communication device 1300 provided in this application embodiment. The communication device 1300 includes a processor 1301 and a transceiver 1302. The communication device 1300 can be a terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 1300 can be a RAN node, or a chip or module therein; or the communication device 1300 can be a mobility management network element, or a chip or module therein. Figure 13 only shows the main components of the communication device 1300. In addition to the processor 1301 and transceiver 1302, the communication device may further include a memory 1303 and input / output devices (not shown in the figure).

[0265] Optionally, the processor 1301 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs, thereby implementing the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. The memory 1303 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1302 may include a radio frequency (RF) circuit and an antenna. The RF circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0266] Optionally, the processor 1301, transceiver 1302, and memory 1303 can be connected via a communication bus.

[0267] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1301 can read the software program in the memory 1303, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1301 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1301. The processor 1301 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0268] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be set up independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna can be arranged remotely, independent of the communication device.

[0269] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described communication device 120 can take the form of the communication device 1300 shown in FIG13 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0270] As an example, the function / implementation of the processing module 1201 in Figure 12 can be achieved by the processor 1301 in the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1303. The function / implementation of the transceiver module 1202 in Figure 12 can be achieved by the transceiver 1302 in the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13.

[0271] As another possible product form, the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element in this application can adopt the composition structure shown in FIG14, or include the components shown in FIG14. FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the composition of a communication device 1400 provided in this application. The communication device 1400 can be a terminal device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in a terminal device; or, it can be a RAN node or a module or chip or system-on-a-chip in a RAN node; or it can be a mobility management network element or a module or chip or system-on-a-chip in a mobility management network element.

[0272] As shown in FIG14, the communication device 1400 includes at least one processor 1401 and at least one communication interface (FIG14 is merely an example illustrating the inclusion of a communication interface 1404 and a processor 1401). Optionally, the communication device 1400 may further include a communication bus 1402 and a memory 1403.

[0273] Processor 1401 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a PLD, or any combination thereof. Processor 1401 can also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0274] Communication bus 1402 is used to connect different components in communication device 1400, enabling communication between them. Communication bus 1402 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 14, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0275] Communication interface 1404 is used for communicating with other devices or communication networks. Exemplarily, communication interface 1404 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication. Optionally, the communication interface 1404 can also be an input / output interface located within processor 1401, used to implement signal input and signal output for the processor.

[0276] The memory 1403 may be a device with storage function, used to store instructions and / or data. The instructions may be computer programs.

[0277] For example, the memory 1403 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0278] It should be noted that the memory 1403 may exist independently of the processor 1401 or may be integrated with the processor 1401. The memory 1403 may be located within or outside the communication device 1400, without limitation. The processor 1401 may be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1403 to implement the methods provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0279] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1400 may also include an output device 1405 and an input device 1406. The output device 1405 communicates with the processor 1401 and can display information in various ways. For example, the output device 1405 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector, etc. The input device 1406 communicates with the processor 1401 and can receive user input in various ways. For example, the input device 1406 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchscreen device, or sensing device, etc.

[0280] In some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication device 120 shown in FIG12 can take the form of the communication device 1400 shown in FIG14 in terms of hardware implementation.

[0281] As an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1201 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the processor 1401 in the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 calling computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1403. The function / implementation process of the transceiver module 1202 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the communication interface 1404 in the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14.

[0282] It should be noted that the structure shown in Figure 14 does not constitute a specific limitation on the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element. For example, in other embodiments of this application, the terminal device, RAN node, or mobility management network element may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0283] In some embodiments, this application also provides a communication device, which includes a processor for implementing the methods in any of the above method embodiments.

[0284] As one possible implementation, the communication device also includes a memory. This memory stores necessary computer programs and data. The computer program may include instructions, which a processor can invoke to instruct the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory may not be present in the communication device.

[0285] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes an interface circuit, which is a code / data read / write interface circuit, used to receive computer execution instructions (which are stored in memory and may be read directly from memory or may be transmitted through other devices) and transmit them to the processor.

[0286] As another possible implementation, the communication device also includes a communication interface for communicating with modules outside the communication device.

[0287] It is understood that the communication device can be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0288] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0289] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0290] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a RAN node and a mobility management network element. The RAN node is used to implement the functions implemented by the RAN node in any of the above method embodiments, and the mobility management network element is used to implement the functions of the mobility management network element in any of the above method embodiments.

[0291] Optionally, the communication system further includes a terminal device, which is used to implement the functions implemented by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0292] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0293] It is understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application can also be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0294] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0295] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0296] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). In this embodiment, the computer may include the aforementioned apparatus.

[0297] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0298] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from its scope. Thus, if such modifications and modifications fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: A method applied to a radio access network (RAN) node or a module in the RAN node, the method comprising: receiving a first sensing request from a mobility management network element, the first sensing request being used to indicate that a terminal device requests low-latency sensing; performing sensing according to the first sensing request, determining first sensing information, the first sensing information being used to determine a sensing result associated with the first sensing request; sending the first sensing information to the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first sensing request comprises at least one of the following: a latency requirement of the low-latency sensing, information of low-latency traffic triggering the first sensing request, or information indicating that the first sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The latency requirement of the low-latency sensing comprises at least one of the following: a target response latency of the low-latency sensing is less than or equal to a first threshold value, a target response latency of the low-latency sensing is a millisecond-level latency, or a size of a target response latency of the low-latency sensing is a first value, the first value being less than or equal to the first threshold value.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The sensing result associated with the first sensing request comprises a point cloud of a sensing target of the first sensing request. The first sensing information comprises multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, the multipath information being used to indicate a multipath latency and a multipath angle between the RAN node and the sensing target; or The first sensing information comprises a point cloud of the sensing target.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first sensing information comprises multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, the method further comprising: sending location information of the RAN node to the terminal device, the point cloud of the sensing target being determined according to the multipath information and the location information of the RAN node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The location information of the RAN node is used to indicate at least one of a location of the RAN node or an antenna orientation of the RAN node.

7. A communication method characterized by comprising: A method applied to a terminal device or a module in the terminal device, the method comprising: sending a second sensing request to a mobility management network element, the second sensing request being used to indicate that the terminal device requests low-latency sensing; receiving first sensing information from a radio access network (RAN) node, the first sensing information being determined by the RAN node according to a first sensing request sent by the mobility management network element, the first sensing request being determined according to the second sensing request; determining a sensing result associated with the second sensing request according to the first sensing information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The first sensing request and the second sensing request satisfy at least one of the following: The sensing target of the first sensing request is the same as the sensing target of the second sensing request, and the sensing information requested by the first sensing request is the same as the sensing information requested by the second sensing request, the sensing target of the second sensing request includes the sensing target of the first sensing request, and the sensing information requested by the second sensing request includes the sensing information requested by the first sensing request, the associated sensing result of the second sensing request is the same as the associated sensing result of the first sensing request, or the associated sensing result of the second sensing request includes the associated sensing result of the first sensing request.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The second sensing request includes at least one of the following: The latency requirement of the low-latency sensing, information of low-latency service triggering the second sensing request, or information indicating that the second sensing request is a low-latency sensing request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The latency requirement of the low-latency sensing includes at least one of the following: The target response latency of the low-latency sensing is less than or equal to a first threshold value, the target response latency of the low-latency sensing is a millisecond-level latency, or the size of the target response latency of the low-latency sensing is a first value, and the first value is less than or equal to the first threshold value.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7-10, characterized in that, The associated sensing result of the second sensing request includes a point cloud of the sensing target of the second sensing request; The first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, and the multipath information is used to indicate a multipath latency and a multipath angle between the RAN node and the sensing target; or The first sensing information includes a point cloud of the sensing target.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first sensing information includes multipath information between the RAN node and the sensing target, and the method further includes: Receiving position information of the RAN node; The determining, according to the first sensing information, of the associated sensing result of the second sensing request includes: Determining, according to the multipath information and the position information of the RAN node, a point cloud of the sensing target.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The position information of the RAN node is used to indicate at least one of a position of the RAN node or an antenna orientation of the RAN node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a first sensing unit, and the method further includes: Obtaining, by the first sensing unit, second sensing information, the second sensing information being used to indicate a sensing result of the sensing target of the second sensing request; The determining, according to the first sensing information, of the associated sensing result of the second sensing request includes: Determining, according to the first sensing information and the second sensing information, the associated sensing result of the second sensing request.

15. A method of communication, comprising: A module applied to a mobility management network element or in the mobility management network element, and the method includes: Receiving a second sensing request from a terminal device, the second sensing request being used to indicate that the terminal device requests low-latency sensing; Determining, according to the second sensing request, that a low-latency sensing is performed by a radio access network (RAN) node; sending the first awareness request to the RAN node, the first awareness request being determined according to the second awareness request, the first awareness request being used to indicate that the terminal device requests low latency awareness.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first awareness request and the second awareness request satisfy at least one of the following: The awareness target of the first awareness request is the same as the awareness target of the second awareness request, and the awareness information requested by the first awareness request is the same as the awareness information requested by the second awareness request, the awareness target of the second awareness request includes the awareness target of the first awareness request, and the awareness information requested by the second awareness request includes the awareness information requested by the first awareness request, the awareness result associated with the second awareness request is the same as the awareness result associated with the first awareness request, or the awareness result associated with the second awareness request includes the awareness result associated with the first awareness request.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first awareness request includes at least one of the following: The latency requirement of the low latency awareness, information of low latency service triggering the first awareness request, or information indicating that the first awareness request is a low latency awareness request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The latency requirement of the low latency awareness includes at least one of the following: The target response latency of the low latency awareness is less than or equal to a first threshold value, the target response latency of the low latency awareness is a millisecond level latency, or the size of the target response latency of the low latency awareness is a first value, the first value being less than or equal to the first threshold value.

19. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a module for performing the method of any one of claims 1-6, or a module for performing the method of any one of claims 7-14, or a module for indicating the method of any one of claims 15-18.

20. A communication system, characterized by The communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) node and a mobility management network element; The RAN node is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-6, and the mobility management network element is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 15-18.

21. A communications device, characterized by The communication device includes a processor coupled with a memory, the memory being used to store programs or instructions, when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the method of any one of claims 1-6 is performed, or the method of any one of claims 7-14 is performed, or the method of any one of claims 15-18 is performed.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs, when the computer instructions or programs are run on a computer, the method of any one of claims 1-6 is performed, or the method of claim 7-14 is performed, or the method of any one of claims 15-18.

23. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises computer instructions; when part or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-6 is executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 7-14 is executed, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 15-18 is executed.

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