CN117461326A

CN117461326A - Ranging method, ranging device, communication equipment and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN117461326A
Application number: CN202280001663.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 沈洋; 王鑫丽
Original assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-06
Filing date: 2022-05-06
Publication date: 2024-01-26
Also published as: WO2023212951A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the disclosure relates to an information transmission method, an information transmission device, a communication device and a storage medium. A Network Function (NF) determines an access and mobility management function (AMF) for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of User Equipments (UEs) to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be measured; and sending a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection link.

Description

Ranging method, ranging device, communication equipment and storage medium

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, but is not limited to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular, to a ranging method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

Background

Ranging may include determining ranging parameters between two User Equipments (UEs) through a direct link (Sidelink); wherein the ranging parameters may include at least one of the following: distance between two UEs, direction of one UE to another UE, relative position of one UE to another UE. Ranging may also include direct link positioning, i.e. positioning the UE by the PC 5. Ranging in general includes distance measurement, direction measurement, positioning, or both.

As shown in fig. 1, the observer UE, i.e., the ranging client or the ranging request end, which requests ranging, has a reference plane and a reference direction. The direction of the target UE to the observer UE is the angle between the line connecting the observer UE and the target UE and the reference direction, which is represented by the azimuth direction and the elevation direction. The azimuth angle of the target UE is a reference direction, and an angle formed by a straight line projection from the observer UE to the target UE on the same plane as the reference direction orthogonal to the zenith. The elevation direction of the target UE is an angle above the horizontal plane.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a ranging method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium.

According to a first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging method, wherein the ranging method is performed by a Network Function (NF) of a core Network, the method including:

determining an access and mobility management function (AMF, access and Mobility Management Function) for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be measured;

and sending a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection link.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

and receiving a ranging result from an AMF, wherein the ranging result is sent to the AMF by a positioning management function (LMF, location Management Function), and the ranging result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator to perform ranging based on a direct link.

In one embodiment, the determining the AMF for ranging based on the UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging includes one of the following:

selecting an AMF corresponding to one UE to be measured in a plurality of UEs to be measured;

and selecting one AMF for ranging from a plurality of AMFs corresponding to the UE to be measured.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to a plurality of to-be-measured distance UE respectively from unified data management (UDM, unified Data Management);

determining whether to initiate ranging based on direct link according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured;

the determining the AMF for ranging based on the UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging includes:

and determining an AMF for ranging according to the privacy configuration information indicating that a plurality of UEs to be ranging are allowed to range based on the direct link.

In one embodiment, the privacy setting information includes at least a subscriber permanent identity (SUPI, subscriber Permanent Identifier) of the UE to be tested;

the determining the AMF for ranging based on the plurality of UEs to be ranging includes:

and determining the AMF of the UE to be measured based on the SUPI of the UE to be measured.

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

According to a second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging method, wherein the method is performed by an access and mobility management function AMF of a core network, the method comprising:

receiving a ranging request from a network function NF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of User Equipment (UE) to be measured based on direct connection link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

a ranging request is sent to the location management function LMF.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

receiving ranging results from a plurality of the UEs to be measured of a location management function (LMF, location Management Function); the distance measurement result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator to perform distance measurement based on direct link;

And sending the ranging result to NF.

In one embodiment, the ranging result is determined by the LMF based on measurement results of a plurality of UEs to be ranging, where the measurement results are obtained by taking the UE to be ranging corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator and performing measurement between a plurality of UEs to be ranging based on direct link, where the measurement results are sent to the LMF by the UE to be ranging corresponding to the AMF;

or,

and the distance measurement result is sent to the LMF by the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF, wherein the distance measurement result is determined by taking a plurality of UEs to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator, measuring among a plurality of UEs to be measured based on direct connection links, and according to the measurement result obtained by the measurement.

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

According to a third aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a processing module configured to determine an access and mobility management function AMF for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be measured;

And the first transceiver module is configured to send a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection links.

In one embodiment, the first transceiver module is further configured to:

and receiving a ranging result from an AMF, wherein the ranging result is sent to the AMF by a positioning management function LMF, and the ranging result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator to perform ranging based on a direct link.

In one embodiment, the processing module is specifically configured to be one of:

In one embodiment, the first transceiver module is further configured to: acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to each of a plurality of to-be-measured distance UE from the UDM;

the processing module is specifically further configured to: determining whether to initiate ranging based on direct link according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured;

the processing module is specifically configured to:

In one embodiment, the privacy setting information includes at least a subscriber permanent identity SUPI of the UE to be tested;

the processing module is specifically configured to:

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a ranging apparatus applied to an access and mobility management function AMF of a core network, wherein the apparatus includes:

a second transceiver module configured to receive a ranging request from a network function NF, where the ranging request is used to instruct ranging between a plurality of UE to be measured based on a direct link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

the second transceiver module is further configured to send a ranging request to a location management function LMF.

In one embodiment, the second transceiver module is further configured to:

receiving ranging results of a plurality of to-be-measured UEs from the LMF; the distance measurement result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator to perform distance measurement based on direct link;

and sending the ranging result to NF.

or,

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

The identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

According to a fifth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication device apparatus comprising a processor, a memory and an executable program stored on the memory and capable of being executed by the processor, wherein the processor performs the steps of the ranging method according to the first or second aspect when the executable program is executed by the processor.

According to a sixth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a storage medium having stored thereon an executable program, wherein the executable program when executed by a processor implements the steps of the ranging method according to the first or second aspect.

According to the ranging method, the device, the communication equipment and the storage medium provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, NF determines AMF for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be ranging, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be ranging; and sending a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection link. Thus, NF sends a ranging request to AMF to initiate ranging based on direct link, thereby realizing control of core network to the ranging based on direct link, improving coverage of the core network to UE communication management and improving communication security.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of embodiments of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a UE ranging according to an example embodiment;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

fig. 3a is another schematic diagram of UE ranging according to an example embodiment;

fig. 3b is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another UE ranging according to an example embodiment;

fig. 3c is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another UE ranging according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating another ranging method according to an example embodiment;

fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating yet another ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating yet another ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating yet another ranging method according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of information interaction of a ranging method, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a ranging device shown according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of another ranging device shown according to an exemplary embodiment;

fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for ranging according to an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings refer to the same or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with embodiments of the invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with aspects of embodiments of the invention as detailed in the accompanying claims.

The terminology used in the embodiments of the disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments of the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in embodiments of the present disclosure to describe various information, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one type of information from another. For example, the first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as first information, without departing from the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. The word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at … …" or "at … …" or "responsive to a determination", depending on the context.

Referring to fig. 2, a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is shown. As shown in fig. 2, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on a cellular mobile communication technology, and may include: a number of terminals 11 and a number of base stations 12.

Where the terminal 11 may be a device providing voice and/or data connectivity to a user. The terminal 11 may communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (Radio Access Network, RAN), and the terminal 11 may be an internet of things terminal such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and a computer with an internet of things terminal, for example, a stationary, portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted device. Such as a Station (STA), subscriber unit (subscriber unit), subscriber Station (subscriber Station), mobile Station (mobile Station), mobile Station (mobile), remote Station (remote Station), access point, remote terminal (remote terminal), access terminal (access terminal), user equipment (user terminal), user agent (user agent), user device (user equipment), or user terminal (UE). Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle device. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be a vehicle-mounted device, for example, a car-driving computer having a wireless communication function, or a wireless communication device externally connected to the car-driving computer. Alternatively, the terminal 11 may be a roadside device, for example, a street lamp, a signal lamp, or other roadside devices having a wireless communication function.

The base station 12 may be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. Wherein the wireless communication system may be a fourth generation mobile communication technology (the 4th generation mobile communication,4G) system, also known as a long term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) system; alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a 5G system, also known as a New Radio (NR) system or a 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next generation system of the 5G system. Among them, the access network in the 5G system may be called NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network, new Generation radio access network). Or, an MTC system.

Wherein the base station 12 may be an evolved base station (eNB) employed in a 4G system. Alternatively, the base station 12 may be a base station (gNB) in a 5G system employing a centralized and distributed architecture. When the base station 12 employs a centralized and distributed architecture, it typically includes a Centralized Unit (CU) and at least two Distributed Units (DUs). A protocol stack of a packet data convergence protocol (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP) layer, a radio link layer control protocol (Radio Link Control, RLC) layer, and a medium access control (Media Access Control, MAC) layer is provided in the centralized unit; a Physical (PHY) layer protocol stack is provided in the distribution unit, and the specific implementation of the base station 12 is not limited by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

A wireless connection may be established between the base station 12 and the terminal 11 over a wireless air interface. In various embodiments, the wireless air interface is a fourth generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard-based wireless air interface; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on a fifth generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, for example, the wireless air interface is a new air interface; alternatively, the wireless air interface may be a wireless air interface based on a 5G-based technology standard of a next generation mobile communication network.

In some embodiments, an E2E (End to End) connection may also be established between terminals 11. Such as V2V (vehicle to vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle) communications, V2I (vehicle to Infrastructure, vehicle-to-road side equipment) communications, and V2P (vehicle to pedestrian, vehicle-to-person) communications among internet of vehicles communications (vehicle to everything, V2X).

In some embodiments, the above wireless communication system may further comprise a network management device 13.

Several base stations 12 are connected to a network management device 13, respectively. The network management device 13 may be a core network device in a wireless communication system, for example, the network management device 13 may be a mobility management entity (Mobility Management Entity, MME) in an evolved packet core network (Evolved Packet Core, EPC). Alternatively, the network management device may be other core network devices, such as a Serving Gateway (SGW), a public data network gateway (Public Data Network Gate Way, PGW), a policy and charging rules function (Policy and Charging Rules Function, PCRF) or a home subscriber server (Home Subscriber Server, HSS), etc. The embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the implementation form of the network management device 13.

Execution bodies to which embodiments of the present disclosure relate include, but are not limited to: a UE such as a mobile phone terminal in a cellular mobile communication system, and network side equipment such as access network equipment such as a base station, and a core network.

In a 5G cellular mobile communication system, a ranging service can be performed regardless of whether there is coverage of a 5G signal. As shown in fig. 3a, both UEs are ranging under the coverage of the 5G signal; as shown in fig. 3b, one UE of the two UEs is in coverage of the 5G signal for ranging; as shown in fig. 3c, both UEs of the two UEs are out of coverage of the 5G signal for ranging.

Ranging under the coverage of 5G signals, and if ranging is performed using a licensed band, the ranging needs to be performed under the control of the network.

Therefore, how to disclose the ranging service to the 5GC NF is a problem to be solved.

As shown in fig. 4, the present exemplary embodiment provides a ranging method, which may be performed by a ranging network function NF of a cellular mobile communication system, including:

step 401: determining an AMF for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be ranging, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be ranging;

step 402: and sending a ranging request to an AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct link (sidelink).

In all embodiments of the present disclosure, the plurality of UEs to be measured includes at least one observer UE and at least one target UE, so as to measure the distance for the target UE through the observer UE. Here, the "AMF for ranging" may be an AMF corresponding to the observer UE or an AMF corresponding to the target UE. Of course, if the target UE and the observer UE are in the same AMF, the "AMF for ranging" is the AMF. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a detailed description is omitted.

The method of the embodiment can be applied to, but not limited to, a ranging network function NF of a core network. NF may be used to manage the UE's ranging services. The method of the embodiment can be applied to a 5G cellular mobile communication system and the like. NF may include, but is not limited to: NF in a 5G cellular mobile communication system. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging network function NF may be an independent newly added network element, or may be a new function (function) implemented by an existing network element, for example, implemented by expanding an existing NF, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Ranging may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: determining a distance between two or more UEs through a direct link; determining the relative direction of one UE and another UE through a direct link; the relative position of one UE to another UE is determined by a direct link. Ranging may also include direct link positioning, i.e. positioning the UE by the PC 5.

For example, the target UE may be ranging in combination with multiple UEs, and the distance and/or direction values between the target UE and the multiple UEs may be determined. And a triangle positioning method and the like can be adopted, and the coordinates of the target UE are determined through the ranging results of a plurality of UEs and the target UE, so that the direct link positioning is realized.

In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "ranging" may include at least one of: determining a distance between two or more UEs through a direct link, determining a relative direction of one UE to another UE through a direct link, determining a relative position of one UE to another UE through a direct link, locating a UE through a direct link, and the like. Wherein determining the relative direction and relative position of one UE to another UE through a direct link is often performed together.

In an embodiment, ranging between the UEs to be measured based on the direct connection link may be used to determine distances and/or directions between N UEs to be measured in the UEs to be measured and other UEs in the UEs to be measured, and may also be used to determine positions of N UEs to be measured in the UEs to be measured, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to the total number of UEs to be measured.

Ranging through the direct link can be realized by measuring signals transmitted by a PC5 port of the direct link by UE and the like.

For example, the UE and/or core network device (e.g., LMF, etc.) may determine the distance between UEs based on the time of flight, etc., of signals transmitted by the PC5 ports between the UEs. Further, positioning of the UE with the unknown position, that is, positioning of the UE with the unknown position, may be achieved based on relative positions between the UEs with a plurality of known positions and the UE with the unknown position. Here, the location of the UE may include, but is not limited to: the geographic coordinate location of the UE, the relative location of the UE with respect to a reference point (e.g., a base station or a known location UE), etc. And are not limited thereto.

Ranging between UEs using a direct link may be controlled by NF. Ranging between UEs using a direct link includes, but is not limited to: and in the authorized frequency band, adopting the ranging of direct connection links between the UE.

The UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging may be UE information of a plurality of UEs participating in ranging. UE information of a plurality of UEs to be ranging may be sent to NF by the ranging request terminal. The ranging request may include at least one of: one or more of the plurality of UEs to be ranging; network-side devices (e.g., access network devices or core network devices); an external device.

The UE information may include, but is not limited to, identification information of the UE, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: an IMSI;5G-GUTI; public user identity (GPSI, generic Public Subscription Identifier); user permanent identification (SUPI, subscriber Permanent Identifier), etc.

The NF may send a ranging request to the AMF, which initiates ranging. The NF may determine the AMF based on UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging. In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

The identification information of the UE to be ranging includes, but is not limited to, at least one of: an IMSI;5G-GUTI; GPSI; SUPI, etc. NF may indicate to AMF the UE that needs ranging through the identification information.

Ranging type information, which may be used to indicate a ranging type required by NF, which may include at least one of: at least two distances between the UEs to be measured; at least two directions between the UEs to be measured; positioning locations of one or more UEs to be ranging.

Ranging accuracy information, including at least one of: distance accuracy between a plurality of UEs to be measured; the direction precision among a plurality of UE to be measured; positioning location accuracy of one or more UEs to be ranging.

And the allowed ranging delay information is used for indicating the maximum duration allowed by the NF for ranging. Some time may be required due to the ranging process. Accordingly, the AMF performing the ranging process may continue until the ranging result is determined. Or, the AMF stops ranging when the procedure for performing ranging exceeds the allowed ranging delay.

The ranging request type information may be used to indicate to the AMF whether the ranging request allows for delayed execution. I.e. indicating that the ranging request has a higher priority and needs to be performed immediately, or that the ranging request has a lower priority, the performance may be delayed

Therefore, NF sends a ranging request to AMF to initiate ranging based on direct link, control of core network to ranging based on direct link is realized, coverage of core network to UE communication management is improved, and communication security is improved.

As shown in fig. 5, the present exemplary embodiment provides a ranging method, which may be performed by a ranging network function NF of a cellular mobile communication system, including:

step 501: acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to each of a plurality of to-be-measured distance UE from the UDM;

step 502: and determining whether to initiate direct link (sidelink) based ranging according to privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured.

Step 501 and/or step 502 may be implemented alone or in combination with step 401 and/or step 402.

When NF performs ranging for a plurality of UEs to be ranging, NF may check the privacy configuration information of the UEs to be ranging from the UDM. The privacy configuration information may include a privacy profile in the UDM.

The privacy configuration information may be used to indicate whether the UE to be ranging is allowed to perform ranging.

Illustratively, the NF may invoke a nudm_sdm_get service operation to the UDM of the UE to be measured to obtain privacy configuration information by the target UE. The UDM returns privacy configuration information of the UE to be ranging.

In one embodiment, the privacy configuration information of the UE to be measured is identified using a general public user identity (GPSI, generic Public Subscription Identifier) and/or a user permanent identity (SUPI, subscriber Permanent Identifier) of the target UE.

The UDM may store the privacy configuration information of the target UE in a unified data store (UDR, unified Data Repository). And the identification is carried out by adopting the identification of the target UE.

When the privacy configuration information indicates that the plurality of UEs to be measured allow the measurement based on the direct link, NF may determine that an AMF corresponding to one of the plurality of UEs to be measured starts the measurement.

In this way, it is determined whether the UE to be ranging is allowed to range based on the direct link according to the privacy configuration information. And further, the protection of the position privacy of the UE to be measured is improved.

In one embodiment, the NF may determine the address of the AMF of the UE to be measured based on the UE information of the UE to be measured.

The NF may obtain the AMF address of the UE to be ranging from the UDM based on the SUPI of the UE to be ranging.

The NF may request the UDM for the AMF address of the UE to be measured one at a time, determining the selected available AMF as the one that initiates ranging.

The NF may request the UDM for AMF addresses of a plurality of UEs to be ranging at the same time, and if only one AMF is available, the NF may determine the AMF as the AMF that initiates ranging.

The NF may request the UDM for AMF addresses of a plurality of UEs to be ranging at the same time, and if the acquired AMFs are all available, the NF may select one of the AMFs to determine as the AMF for starting ranging. For example, the NF may randomly select one AMF from among a plurality of AMFs to be determined as the AMF that starts ranging.

After the NF determines the AMF, a ranging request may be sent to the AMF.

In one embodiment, NF may use the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF that receives the ranging request as the initiator UE for ranging.

The initiator UE may initiate ranging to other UEs to be ranging from among the plurality of UEs to be ranging, and report a ranging result, and/or report a measurement result obtained by performing direct link measurement in the ranging process.

It should be noted that the above method may be implemented alone or in combination with other embodiments in the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 6, the present exemplary embodiment provides a ranging method, which may be performed by a ranging network function NF of a cellular mobile communication system, including:

Step 601: and receiving a ranging result from an AMF, wherein the ranging result is sent to the AMF by a positioning management function LMF, and the ranging result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator to perform ranging based on a direct link.

Step 601 may be implemented alone or in combination with step 401, step 402, step 501 and/or step 502.

As described above, the plurality of UEs to be measured includes at least one observer UE and at least one target UE, so as to measure the distance by using the observer UE as the target UE.

After the AMF receives the ranging request, it may select an LMF to perform ranging. The AMF may select an LMF for ranging from among available LMFs. The AMF may also select a local LMF for ranging. For example, the AMF may select an LMF for ranging from available LMFs based on a load of the LMFs, etc.

Illustratively, the available LMFs may be indicated according to the information available in the AMFs defined in 3GPP Standard document TS 23.273[3 ].

The AMF may send a ranging request to the LMF, indicate to the LMF the UE that needs ranging, the ranging requirements, etc.

After receiving the ranging request, the LMF may instruct the plurality of UEs to be ranging to perform ranging based on the direct link based on the ranging request.

The UE to be measured can perform signal measurement of direct link between multiple UEs to be measured, and determine measurement results of the signal measurement. And further determining ranging results of a plurality of UEs to be ranging. In all embodiments of the present disclosure, the LMF instructs a plurality of UEs to be measured to perform ranging based on a direct link, and receives a ranging result fed back by one or more UEs to be measured among the plurality of UEs to be measured. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a detailed description is omitted.

The ranging results may include, but are not limited to, at least one of: the distance between the plurality of UEs to be measured, the direction value between the plurality of UEs to be measured, such as the relative azimuth, the relative position between the plurality of UEs to be measured, and the position of at least one UE to be measured among the plurality of UEs to be measured.

The measurement results may be used to determine ranging results. The measurement results include, but are not limited to, at least one of: the method comprises the steps of flight time of direct link signals among a plurality of UEs to be measured, incidence angle of the direct link signals transmitted by at least one second UE to be measured in the plurality of UEs to be measured received by a first UE to be measured in the plurality of UEs to be measured, transmission angle of the direct link signals transmitted by the UEs to be measured, and the like.

For example, the LMF may transmit a ranging request to an initiator UE of the determined plurality of UEs to be ranging. And initiating signal measurement of direct connection links with other to-be-measured UE in the plurality of to-be-measured UE by the initiator UE so as to determine a measurement result.

Here, it may be determined by one or more of the plurality of UEs to be measured that the ranging result is calculated based on the measurement result, and the ranging result is transmitted to the LMF. For example, it may be determined by an initiator UE from among a plurality of UEs to be ranging that a ranging result is calculated based on the measurement result and the ranging result is transmitted to the LMF.

One or more of the plurality of UEs to be measured (e.g., initiator UE) sends the measurement result to the LMF, which calculates the measurement result based on the measurement result.

After the LMF obtains the ranging result, the ranging result can be reported to the AMF, and the AMF sends the ranging result to the NF. Thus, NF control of the ranging based on the direct link is completed.

As shown in fig. 7, the present exemplary embodiment provides a ranging method, which may be performed by a ranging access and mobility management function AMF of a cellular mobile communication system, including:

step 701: receiving a ranging request from NF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of User Equipment (UE) to be measured based on direct connection link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

step 702: a ranging request is sent to the LMF.

The method of the present embodiment may be applied to, but not limited to, a ranging server AMF of a core network. The method of the embodiment can be applied to a 5G cellular mobile communication system and the like. The AMF may include, but is not limited to: AMF in a 5G cellular mobile communication system. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging network function NF may be an independent newly added network element, or may be a new function (function) implemented by an existing network element, for example, implemented by expanding an existing NF, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Ranging may include, but is not limited to, at least one of: determining a distance between two or more UEs through a direct link; determining the relative direction of one UE and another UE through a direct link; the relative positions of one UE and another UE are determined by means of a direct link. Ranging may also include direct link positioning, i.e. positioning the UE by the PC 5.

For example, the target UE may be ranging in combination with multiple UEs to determine a distance and/or direction value between the target UE and the multiple UEs. And a triangle positioning method and the like can be adopted, and the coordinates of the target UE are determined through the ranging results of a plurality of UEs and the target UE, so that the direct link positioning is realized.

The NF may send a ranging request to the AMF, which initiates ranging. The NF may determine the AMF based on UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging.

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

Allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

In one embodiment, NF obtains privacy configuration information corresponding to each of the plurality of UEs to be measured from UDM;

and the NF determines whether to initiate the ranging based on the direct link sidelink according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured.

And the NF responds to the privacy configuration information to indicate that a plurality of the UE to be measured allow the measurement based on the direct link, and determines the AMF for measuring the distance.

NF is based on a plurality of UE waiting to range, confirms the AMF that carries out range finding, includes:

NF determines AMF of the UE to be measured based on SUPI of the UE to be measured.

In one embodiment, NF selects an AMF corresponding to one UE to be measured among the plurality of UEs to be measured; or NF selects one AMF for ranging from a plurality of AMFs corresponding to the UEs to be measured.

After the NF determines the AMF, a ranging request may be sent to the AMF.

As shown in fig. 8, the present exemplary embodiment provides a ranging method, which may be performed by a ranging access and mobility management function AMF of a cellular mobile communication system, including:

Step 801: receiving ranging results from the LMF for a plurality of the UE to be measured; the distance measurement result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator to perform distance measurement based on direct link;

step 802: and sending the ranging result to NF.

Step 801 and/or step 802 may be performed alone or in combination with step 5701 and/or step 702.

In one embodiment, the ranging result is sent to the LMF by the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF, where the ranging result is determined by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator, performing measurement between the UEs to be measured based on direct connection, and according to a measurement result obtained by performing the measurement.

A specific example is provided below in connection with any of the embodiments described above:

when the 5GC NF wants to obtain ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) information about one or more UEs, i.e. ranging results, the NF can check the privacy profile of the UE from the UDM. If direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning is allowed, the NF obtains the AMF address of the UE from the UDM.

After the UDM performs privacy checking and AMF address querying, the NF selects an available AMF and determines the corresponding initiator UE.

Upon selection of the AMF, the NF will send a ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link location) request to the AMF. The AMF may make an LMF selection and forward the ranging request to the initiator UE over the LMF.

The 5GC NF may include in the ranging request the UE ID, the direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning requirements (including: distance and/or direction between two or more UEs), the allowed delay, accuracy and request type (e.g., immediate or delay).

Since the ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) process may take some time, the ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) process is performed until the ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) information is reported or until NF provides an allowable delay.

Based on measurement reports from the initiator UE, calculation of ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) information may occur in the initiator UE or in the LMF.

As shown in fig. 9, the specific steps of ranging using the privacy configuration information include:

step 901: and (5) checking privacy. The 5GC NF that needs ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link location) information invokes a service operation to the UDM of the UE to obtain the privacy settings of the UE. The UDM returns the privacy settings and SUPI of the UE. NF checks the privacy profile of the UE. If the UE does not allow direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning, steps 902-911 are skipped.

Here, NF may request ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) information between two or more UEs in this example, two UEs (UE 1 and UE 2) are taken as an example to illustrate the procedure.

Step 902: the AMF address is obtained. The NF invokes a service operation to the UDM of the UE using the SUPI received in step 901. The UDM returns the network address of the current serving AMF or the UE no-service AMF.

Here NF may request the AMF address of one UE at a time from the UDM or simultaneously request the AMF addresses of two UEs from the UDM.

Step 903: AMF is selected. The NF selects an available AMF and determines the corresponding UE (e.g., UE 1) as the initiator UE.

Here, if the NF requests the AMF address of one UE at a time, the first available AMF will be selected. If the NF requests the AMF addresses of both UEs at the same time and both AMFs are available, the NF will randomly select one AMF.

Step 904: the NF sends a ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) request to the AMF selected in step 903 to acquire ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) information between UE1 and UE 2. The ranging request may include UE1D and UE2ID, ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) requirements (e.g., distance and/or direction between two or more UEs), allowed delay, accuracy, and request type (e.g., immediate or delayed).

Step 905: LMF selection. The AMF determines to select the LMF based on available information or local configuration of the AMF. For example, AMF selects LMF based on available information or local configuration in AMF defined in TS23.273[3]

Step 906: the AMF sends a ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link location) request to the LMF. The AMF requests ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) between UE1 and UE2 from the LMF.

Step 907: the LMF sends a ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) request to the UE 1. The LMF triggers UE1 to perform ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) with UE 2.

Step 908: UE1 performs ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) together with UE 2. The NG-RAN node is involved if the UE is within network coverage and uses operator managed radio resources.

Here, it may be negotiated by the UE which is a Reference (observer) UE and which is a Target (Target) UE.

Step 909a: UE1 reports ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) results to the LMF.

Step 909b.1: UE1 reports measurement results to LMF

Step 909b.2: the AMF calculates a ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) result from the measurement result received from the UE 1.

Step 910: and returning the ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) result to the AMF.

Step 911: the AMF forwards ranging (direct link distance measurement and/or direct link positioning) results to the NF.

The embodiment of the present invention further provides a ranging device, as shown in fig. 10, applied to NF of cellular mobile radio communication, where the device 100 includes:

a processing module 110 configured to determine an access and mobility management function AMF for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be measured;

The first transceiver module 120 is configured to send a ranging request to the AMF, where the ranging request is used to instruct ranging between the UEs to be measured based on the direct link.

In one embodiment, the first transceiver module 120 is further configured to:

In one embodiment, the processing module 110 is specifically configured to be one of:

In one embodiment, the first transceiver module 120 is further configured to: acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to each of a plurality of to-be-measured distance UE from the UDM;

the processing module 110 is further configured to: determining whether to initiate ranging based on direct link according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured;

the processing module 110 is specifically configured to:

the processing module is specifically configured to:

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

The embodiment of the present invention further provides a ranging apparatus, as shown in fig. 11, applied to an AMF of cellular mobile radio communication, where the apparatus 200 includes:

a second transceiver module 210 configured to receive a ranging request from the network function NF, where the ranging request is used to instruct ranging between a plurality of UE to be measured based on a direct link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

the second transceiver module 210 is further configured to send a ranging request to the location management function LMF.

In one embodiment, the second transceiver module 210 is further configured to:

and sending the ranging result to NF.

or,

In one embodiment, the ranging request includes at least one of:

The identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.

In an exemplary embodiment, the processing module 110, the first receiving module 120, the second receiving module 210, etc. may be implemented by one or more central processing units (CPU, central Processing Unit), graphics processors (GPU, graphics Processing Unit), baseband processors (BP, baseband Processor), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC, application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLD, programmable Logic Device), complex programmable logic devices (CPLD, complex Programmable Logic Device), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA, field-Programmable Gate Array), general purpose processors, controllers, microcontrollers (MCU, micro Controller Unit), microprocessors (Microprocessor), or other electronic components for performing the aforementioned methods.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 3000 for ranging according to an example embodiment. For example, apparatus 3000 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast terminal, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness device, personal digital assistant, or the like.

Referring to fig. 12, the apparatus 3000 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 3002, a memory 3004, a power component 3006, a multimedia component 3008, an audio component 3010, an input/output (I/O) interface 3012, a sensor component 3014, and a communication component 3016.

The processing component 3002 generally controls overall operations of the device 3000, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing assembly 3002 may include one or more processors 3020 to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Further, the processing component 3002 may include one or more modules to facilitate interactions between the processing component 3002 and other components. For example, the processing component 3002 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 3008 and the processing component 3002.

The memory 3004 is configured to store various types of data to support operations at the apparatus 3000. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on device 3000, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, video, and the like. The memory 3004 may be implemented by any type or combination of volatile or non-volatile memory devices, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disk.

The power supply assembly 3006 provides power to the various components of the device 3000. The power supply components 3006 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 3000.

The multimedia component 3008 includes a screen between the device 3000 and the user that provides an output interface. In some embodiments, the screen may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a Touch Panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may sense not only the boundary of a touch or sliding action, but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or sliding operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia assembly 3008 includes a front camera and/or a rear camera. When the apparatus 3000 is in an operation mode, such as a photographing mode or a video mode, the front camera and/or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

The audio component 3010 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, audio component 3010 includes a Microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when device 3000 is in an operational mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a speech recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in the memory 3004 or transmitted via the communication component 3016. In some embodiments, the audio component 3010 further comprises a speaker for outputting audio signals.

The I/O interface 3012 provides an interface between the processing component 3002 and a peripheral interface module, which may be a keyboard, click wheel, button, or the like. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: homepage button, volume button, start button, and lock button.

The sensor assembly 3014 includes one or more sensors for providing status assessment of various aspects of the device 3000. For example, sensor assembly 3014 may detect the on/off state of device 3000, the relative positioning of the components, such as the display and keypad of device 3000, sensor assembly 3014 may also detect a change in position of device 3000 or a component of device 3000, the presence or absence of user contact with device 3000, the orientation or acceleration/deceleration of device 3000, and a change in temperature of device 3000. The sensor assembly 3014 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects in the absence of any physical contact. The sensor assembly 3014 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 3014 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscopic sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The communication component 3016 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the apparatus 3000 and other devices. The device 3000 may access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 3016 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 3016 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short range communications. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 3000 may be implemented by one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), digital Signal Processors (DSPs), digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic elements for executing the methods described above.

In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium is also provided, such as memory 3004, including instructions executable by processor 3020 of apparatus 3000 to perform the above-described methods. For example, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium may be ROM, random Access Memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc.

Other implementations of the examples of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of embodiments of the invention following, in general, the principles of the embodiments of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the embodiments of the invention pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the embodiments being indicated by the following claims.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, which have been described above, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of embodiments of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

A ranging method, wherein the method is performed by a network function NF of a core network, the method comprising:

determining an access and mobility management function (AMF) for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UE to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UE to be measured;

And sending a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection link.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

and receiving a ranging result from an AMF, wherein the ranging result is sent to the AMF by a positioning management function LMF, and the ranging result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator to perform ranging based on a direct link.
The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the AMF for ranging based on the UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging comprises one of:

selecting an AMF corresponding to one UE to be measured in a plurality of UEs to be measured;

and selecting one AMF for ranging from a plurality of AMFs corresponding to the UE to be measured.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to a plurality of UE to be measured from a Unified Data Management (UDM);

determining whether to initiate ranging based on direct link according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured;

the determining the AMF for ranging based on the UE information of the plurality of UEs to be ranging includes:

And determining an AMF for ranging according to the privacy configuration information indicating that a plurality of UEs to be ranging are allowed to range based on the direct link.
The method of claim 4, wherein the privacy setting information includes at least a subscriber permanent identity SUPI of the UE to be tested;

the determining the AMF for ranging based on the plurality of UEs to be ranging includes:

and determining the AMF of the UE to be measured based on the SUPI of the UE to be measured.
The method of claim 1, wherein the ranging request comprises at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.
A ranging method, wherein the method is performed by an access and mobility management function AMF of a core network, the method comprising:

receiving a ranging request from a network function NF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of User Equipment (UE) to be measured based on direct connection link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

a ranging request is sent to the location management function LMF.
The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

Receiving ranging results of a plurality of to-be-measured UEs from the LMF; the distance measurement result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator to perform distance measurement based on direct link;

and sending the ranging result to NF.
The method of claim 8, wherein,

the distance measurement result is determined by the LMF based on measurement results of a plurality of to-be-measured UE, wherein the measurement results are obtained by taking the to-be-measured UE corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator and measuring among the plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection, and the measurement results are sent to the LMF by the to-be-measured UE corresponding to the AMF;

or,

and the distance measurement result is sent to the LMF by the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF, wherein the distance measurement result is determined by taking a plurality of UEs to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator, measuring among a plurality of UEs to be measured based on direct connection links, and according to the measurement result obtained by the measurement.
The method of any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ranging request comprises at least one of:

The identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.
A ranging apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a processing module configured to determine an access and mobility management function AMF for ranging based on UE information of a plurality of UEs to be measured, wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs to be measured;

and the first transceiver module is configured to send a ranging request to the AMF, wherein the ranging request is used for indicating to perform ranging among a plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection links.
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first transceiver module is further configured to:

and receiving a ranging result from an AMF, wherein the ranging result is sent to the AMF by a positioning management function LMF, and the ranging result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a ranging initiator to perform ranging based on a direct link.
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing module is specifically configured to one of:

selecting an AMF corresponding to one UE to be measured in a plurality of UEs to be measured;

And selecting one AMF for ranging from a plurality of AMFs corresponding to the UE to be measured.
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein,

the first transceiver module is further configured to: acquiring privacy configuration information corresponding to a plurality of UE to be measured from a Unified Data Management (UDM);

the processing module is further configured to determine whether to initiate ranging based on direct link according to the privacy configuration information respectively corresponding to the UE to be measured;

the processing module is specifically configured to:

and determining an AMF for ranging according to the privacy configuration information indicating that a plurality of UEs to be ranging are allowed to range based on the direct link.
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the privacy settings information includes at least a subscriber permanent identity, SUPI, of the UE to be measured;

the processing module is specifically configured to:

and determining the AMF of the UE to be measured based on the SUPI of the UE to be measured.
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ranging request comprises at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

Ranging request type information.
A ranging apparatus, wherein an access and mobility management function AMF applied to a core network, the apparatus comprising:

a second transceiver module configured to receive a ranging request from a network function NF, where the ranging request is used to instruct ranging between a plurality of UE to be measured based on a direct link; wherein the AMF is associated with at least one of the plurality of the to-be-measured UEs;

the second transceiver module is further configured to send a ranging request to a location management function LMF.
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second transceiver module is further configured to:

receiving ranging results of a plurality of to-be-measured UEs from the LMF; the distance measurement result is obtained by taking the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator to perform distance measurement based on direct link;

and sending the ranging result to NF.
The apparatus of claim 18, wherein,

the distance measurement result is determined by the LMF based on measurement results of a plurality of to-be-measured UE, wherein the measurement results are obtained by taking the to-be-measured UE corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator and measuring among the plurality of to-be-measured UE based on direct connection, and the measurement results are sent to the LMF by the to-be-measured UE corresponding to the AMF;

Or,

and the distance measurement result is sent to the LMF by the UE to be measured corresponding to the AMF, wherein the distance measurement result is determined by taking a plurality of UEs to be measured corresponding to the AMF as a distance measurement initiator, measuring among a plurality of UEs to be measured based on direct connection links, and according to the measurement result obtained by the measurement.
The apparatus of any of claims 17-19, wherein the ranging request comprises at least one of:

the identification information of the UE to be measured;

ranging type information;

ranging accuracy information;

allowed ranging delay information;

ranging request type information.
A communication device apparatus comprising a processor, a memory and an executable program stored on the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor performs the steps of the ranging method of any of claims 1 to 6, or 7 to 10 when the executable program is run by the processor.
A storage medium having stored thereon an executable program which when executed by a processor performs the steps of the ranging method of any of claims 1 to 6, or 7 to 10.