Joint Communication Sensing Base Station Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems face challenges in efficiently performing uplink multi-static sensing operations in data channels without significant impacts on hardware requirements and signaling overhead.

Innovation Solution

The system employs a serving base station and a supporting base station to transmit scheduling grants and sensing support information, allowing the receiving of uplink transmissions and data signals for sensing operations, while optimizing channel state information extraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If uplink multi-static sensing is performed using both uplink pilot information and uplink data, then sensing performance is improved, but hardware requirements and signaling overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing performanceVSAvoidhardware requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The uplink data channel is designed to serve dual purposes: communication (data transmission) and sensing (environmental perception). The same physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resources are utilized for both conveying user data and enabling multi-static sensing operations, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensing hardware or channels at the UE side.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The network side (base stations) performs sensing operations autonomously using received uplink data transmissions. The UE simply transmits data normally while the network infrastructure extracts sensing information from these transmissions, making the sensing function self-service without requiring active participation or additional hardware at the UE end.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If uplink multi-static sensing is performed using both uplink pilot information and uplink data, then sensing performance is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing performanceVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Existing uplink data channels and resources are repurposed to simultaneously support communication and sensing functions. The PUSCH resources allocated for data transmission are also utilized by the network for sensing operations, eliminating the need for separate sensing-specific signaling channels or overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The network infrastructure acts as an intermediary that processes received uplink data for dual purposes. Rather than requiring the UE to generate separate sensing signals, the network extracts sensing information from the data transmissions intended for communication, reducing signaling overhead by leveraging existing communication traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If uplink multi-static sensing is performed using both uplink pilot information and uplink data, then sensing performance is improved, but energy consumption at the UE increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing performanceVSAvoidenergy consumption at the UE

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The UE's uplink transmission serves dual purposes: communicating data and enabling sensing. By using the same transmission for both communication and sensing purposes, the UE does not need to generate additional separate sensing signals, thereby avoiding extra energy consumption while still achieving improved sensing performance through the combined use of pilot and data channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If sensing support information is transmitted to supporting base stations, then sensing operation coordination is improved, but network signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing operation coordinationVSAvoidnetwork signaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The sensing support information transmission is selectively applied only to base stations that are actually needed for the sensing operation. Rather than broadcasting to all base stations, the system identifies and communicates with specific supporting base stations, segmenting the signaling overhead to match the actual sensing requirements and reducing unnecessary network traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250097937A1Methods and apparatuses for joint communication and sensing

Publication Date: 2025.03.20 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

AI summary

A serving base station is disclosed, serving a user equipment, includes means for: transmitting, to the user equipment, a scheduling grant for an uplink transmission; transmitting, to at least one supporting base station, sensing support information associated with the scheduling grant; receiving, from the user equipment, an uplink transmission in accordance with the scheduling grant; determining sensing information based on the received uplink transmission. Also disclosed are: a method, performed by a serving base station; a supporting base station, supporting a serving base station serving a user equipment in a sensing operation; a method, performed by a supporting base station; a sensing management function; a network entity including means for performing a sensing management function, and a system including at least one user equipment, at least one serving base station and at least one supporting base station.