Patent Application
20230171128
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to wireless communication, and, more particularly, to method and apparatus for joint communication and sensing with same radio resource in a mobile communication system.
In conventional wireless communication systems such as 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) 5G new radio (NR), the time-frequency resources of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system are used to carry communication signals between the user equipment (UE) and the network node. Currently, no sensing signals are carried in the time-frequency resources of OFDM system.
With the development of a new communication system (e.g., 6G), more applications will be introduced to enhance the utilities of the communication network. For example, more sensing technologies will be applied within the communication system. The UE and the network node may be designed to support a variety of sensing applications such as weather condition sensing, air quality sensing, velocity sensing, position sensing, etc. Therefore, more and more sensing signals need to be communicated between the devices within a communication system.
However, the current OFDM system are not designed for carrying sensing signals or support sensing technologies. The spectrum/radio resources allocation for both communication and sensing will become an important issue in a newly developed communication system. Thus, there is a need to provide proper schemes to accommodate both communication signals and sensing signal with high spectrum efficiency in a communication system.
Method and apparatus are provided for joint communication and sensing with same radio resource in a mobile communication system. In one aspect, an apparatus can receive a common signal from a network node. The apparatus can use the common signal as a pilot signal to perform a channel estimation. The apparatus can use the common signal as a sensing signal to perform a sensing. The common signal comprises the pilot signal and the sensing signal.
In another aspect, a network node can transmit a common signal to an apparatus. The network node can receive a communication signal from the apparatus in response to the common signal. The network node can receive a sensing feedback from the apparatus in response to the common signal. The common signal comprises a pilot signal for the communication signal and a sensing signal for the sensing feedback.
Other embodiments and advantages are described in the detailed description below. This summary does not purport to define the invention. The invention is defined by the claims.
The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate embodiments of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The BS 121 may provide communication coverage for a geographic coverage area in which communications with the UE 110 is supported via a communication link 101. The communication link 101 shown in the 6G network 100 may include UL transmissions from the UE 110 to the BS 121 (e.g., on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)) or downlink (DL) transmissions from the BS 121 to the UE 110 (e.g., on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH)).
Similarly, for the UE 110, antenna 177 transmits and receives RF signals. RF transceiver module 176, coupled with the antenna, receives RF signals from the antenna, converts them to baseband signals and sends them to processor 173. The RF transceiver 176 also converts received baseband signals from the processor 173, converts them to RF signals, and sends out to antenna 177. Processor 173 processes the received baseband signals and invokes different functional modules and circuits to perform features in the UE 110. Memory 172 stores program instructions and data 170 to control the operations of the UE 110.
The BS 121 and the UE 110 also include several functional modules and circuits that can be implemented and configured to perform embodiments of the present invention. In the example of
Note that the different functional modules and circuits can be implemented and configured by software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof. The function modules and circuits, when executed by the processors 193 and 173 (e.g., via executing program codes 190 and 170), allow the BS 121 and the UE 110 to perform embodiments of the present invention.
In the wireless communication system in accordance with one novel aspect, the functionalities of communication and sensing can utilize the same time-frequency resources (e.g., the same resource elements) to perform their works individually and simultaneously. In other words, the same resource elements can be used to carry a common signal for both communication and sensing. In particular, a common signal such as a chirp signal given as s(t) ∝ ejπµ1t2 can be used as the pilot signal for communication as well as the sensing signal for sensing. The chirp signal may comprise an equation (e.g., a polynomial of cosine) which is a function of square of time. In one embodiment, the resource elements 301 are used/allocated to carry the chirp signal. The same chirp signal may comprise two functionalities. The same chirp signal can be used as the pilot signal and the sensing signal for an apparatus in the wireless communication system.
Specifically, at the receiver side, an apparatus (e.g., a UE or a device) may be configured to receive the common signal from a network node. The apparatus may use the common signal as a pilot signal to perform a channel estimation. The pilot signal may comprise a reference signal or a broadcasted signal for channel estimation. The apparatus may use the common signal as a sensing signal to perform a sensing. The sensing signal may comprise any signals for sensing purpose. The common signal may comprise or have the functionalities of the pilot signal and the sensing signal. The pilot signal and the sensing signal may be the same signal.
For the functionality of communication, the common signal can be used by the receiver for estimating the channel state information (CSI), tracking the time and/or frequency of the received signal, estimating the channel for signal demodulation, etc. For the functionality of sensing, the common signal can be used by the receiver for estimating the location and/or velocities of an object (e.g., a surrounding object), monitoring the weather condition, monitoring the air quality, monitoring the temperature etc. The common signal may also be used for optical detection or sonic detection.
On the other hand, at the transmitter side, a network node may be configured to transmit the common signal to an apparatus (e.g., a UE or a device). The network node may use the common signal as a pilot signal for channel estimation. The pilot signal may comprise a reference signal or a broadcasted signal for channel estimation. The network node may further receive a communication signal from the apparatus in response to the common signal. The network node may use the common signal as a sensing signal for sensing. The sensing signal may comprise any signals for sensing purpose. The network node may further receive a sensing feedback from the apparatus in response to the common signal.
The common signal may comprise or have the functionalities of the pilot signal and the sensing signal. The pilot signal and the sensing signal may be the same signal. Using the common signal as the pilot signal and the sensing signal simultaneously is a new design in accordance with one novel aspect of the present disclosure. The pilot signal can be used for at least one of CSI estimation, time or frequency tracking and channel estimation for signal demodulation. The sensing signal can be used for at least one of location or velocity estimation of an object, weather condition monitoring and air quality monitoring. The network node may transmit the common signal on a time-frequency resource of an OFDM system. The common signal may comprise a chirp signal which is a function of square of time. Since the same time-frequency resource can be used for multiple functionalities (e.g., communication and sensing), the spectrum efficiency will be increased/improved. More applications may be developed with limited radio resources.
In scenario 402, the receivers of communication signal and sensing signal are both device B. Specifically, device A (e.g., a base station or a network node) may be configured to transmit the chirp signal for both communication and sensing. The chirp signal is received by device B (e.g., a UE) for communication and sensing. Device B may use the chirp signal to perform channel estimation or measurement. Device B may further transmit a CSI report or a measurement report to device A. On the other hand, the chirp signal is also received by device B for sensing. Device B may use the chirp signal to detect the weather condition, the air quality, the temperature, etc. Device B may further transmit a sensing result to device A or use the sensing result by itself. Similarly, when the chirp signal reaches device B, there will be a sensing feedback signal reflected by device B. Then, device A may receive the sensing feedback signal for sensing. For example, device A may detect/calculate the velocity or position of device B according to the sensing feedback signal.
In scenario 403, the receiver of communication signal is device B. The receiver of sensing signal is device C. Specifically, device A (e.g., a base station or a network node) may be configured to transmit the chirp signal for both communication and sensing. The chirp signal is received by device B (e.g., a UE) for communication. Device B may use the chirp signal to perform channel estimation or measurement. Device B may further transmit a CSI report or a measurement report to device A. On the other hand, the chirp signal is received by device C (e.g., a UE) for sensing. Device C may use the chirp signal to detect the weather condition, the air quality, the temperature, etc. Device C may further transmit a sensing result to device A or use the sensing result by itself. Similarly, when the chirp signal reaches device C, there will be a sensing feedback signal reflected by device C. Then, device A may receive the sensing feedback signal for sensing. For example, device A may detect/calculate the velocity or position of device C according to the sensing feedback signal.
In one implementation, the channel estimation comprises at least one of CSI estimation, time or frequency tracking and channel estimation for signal demodulation.
In one implementation, the sensing comprises at least one of location or velocity estimation of an object, weather condition monitoring and air quality monitoring.
In one implementation, the common signal is carried on a time-frequency resource of an OFDM system. In one implementation, the common signal comprises a chirp signal which is a function of square of time.
In one implementation, the pilot signal can be used for at least one of CSI estimation, time or frequency tracking and channel estimation for signal demodulation.
In one implementation, the sensing signal can be used for at least one of location or velocity estimation of an object, weather condition monitoring and air quality monitoring.
In one implementation, the network node transmits the common signal on a time-frequency resource of an OFDM system. In one implementation, the common signal comprises a chirp signal which is a function of square of time.
Although the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments for instructional purposes, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from U.S. Provisional Application Number 63/284,694, entitled “Joint Communication and Sensing with Same Radio Resource,” filed on Dec. 1, 2021, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63284694 | Dec 2021 | US |
