WO2025047504A1 - Communication method, communication device, and network node - Google Patents

Abstract

This communication method, which is executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system, includes: a step for transmitting, to the network node, sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has a sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or position of a user device; a step for receiving, from the network node, a control signal for requesting or setting transmission of sensing result information indicating a result of the sensing; and a step for transmitting the sensing result information to the network node on the basis of the control signal.

Description

COMMUNICATION METHOD, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND NETWORK NODE

This disclosure relates to a communication method, a communication device, and a network node for use in a mobile communication system.

In recent years, the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system has been attracting attention. NR (New Radio), the wireless access technology of the 5G system, is capable of broadband transmission using higher frequency bands than LTE (Long Term Evolution), the fourth generation wireless access technology.

High-frequency radio signals (radio waves) in the millimeter wave or terahertz wave bands have a high degree of directionality, which makes it difficult to reduce the coverage of network nodes (e.g., base stations). To solve this problem, attention has been focused on repeater devices, which are a type of relay device that relays radio signals between network nodes and user devices and can be controlled from network nodes (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

Such a repeater device can expand the coverage of a network node while suppressing interference by, for example, amplifying radio signals received from a base station and transmitting the signals using directional transmission (beamforming). Note that such a repeater device is also called an NCR (Network-controlled Repeater).

3GPP contribution: RP-213700, “New SI: Study on NR Network-controlled Repeaters”

The communication method according to the first aspect is a method executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system. The communication method includes a step of transmitting sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or position of a user device to the network node, a step of receiving a control signal from the network node requesting or setting the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing, and a step of transmitting the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal.

The communication device according to the second aspect is a device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system. The communication device includes a transmitter that transmits sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or location of a user device to the network node, a receiver that receives a control signal from the network node that requests or sets the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing, and a controller that controls the transmission of the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal.

The network node according to the third aspect is a node that performs wireless communication with a communication device in a mobile communication system. The network node includes a receiving unit that receives sensing capability information from the communication device indicating that the communication device has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or location of a user device, a transmitting unit that transmits a control signal to the communication device requesting or setting the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing, and a control unit that acquires the sensing result information transmitted from the communication device.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mobile communication system according to an embodiment. A diagram showing the configuration of a protocol stack of a radio interface of a user plane that handles data. A diagram showing the configuration of a protocol stack of the wireless interface of the control plane that handles signaling (control signals). FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application scenario of an NCR device (relay device) according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application scenario of the NCR device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control method for an NCR device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a protocol stack in a mobile communication system having an NCR device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an NCR device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a UE (user equipment) according to an embodiment. A diagram showing an example configuration of a gNB (network node) according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a basic operation according to the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing the basic operation of an NCR device (NCR-MT) according to a first embodiment. A figure showing a specific example of the operation of the mobile communication system according to the first embodiment. 13 is a diagram for explaining a RIS device (relay device) according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a RIS device according to a second embodiment.

The repeater device described in the background art above can detect the presence (and/or location) of a user device through sensing, and can control beamforming for the user device based on the sensing results. Such sensing results can be beneficial to a network node. However, there is a problem in that there is no mechanism for a network node to appropriately acquire such sensing results. Note that this problem is not limited to repeater devices, but also applies to user devices that have sensing capabilities.

The present disclosure therefore aims to enable a network node to appropriately acquire sensing results from a communication device.

The mobile communication system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

(1) First Embodiment A description will be given of the first embodiment. A relay device according to the first embodiment is a repeater device (that is, an NCR device) that can be controlled from a network.

(1.1) Overview of the Mobile Communication System First, an overview of a mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mobile communication system according to the first embodiment.

The mobile communication system 1 complies with the 5th Generation System (5GS) standard of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (registered trademark; the same applies below). In the following description, 5GS is used as an example, but the LTE (Long Term Evolution) system may also be applied at least in part to the mobile communication system. The sixth generation (6G) system may also be applied at least in part to the mobile communication system.

The mobile communication system 1 has a user equipment (UE) 100, a 5G radio access network (NG-RAN: Next Generation Radio Access Network) 10, and a 5G core network (5GC: 5G Core Network) 20. In the following, the NG-RAN 10 may be simply referred to as the RAN 10. Also, the 5GC 20 may be simply referred to as the core network (CN) 20. The RAN 10 and the CN 20 constitute the network 5 of the mobile communication system 1.

UE100 is a mobile wireless communication device. UE100 may be any device that is used by a user. For example, UE100 is a mobile phone terminal (including a smartphone), a tablet terminal, a notebook PC, a communication module (which may be a communication card or chipset), a sensor or a device provided in a sensor, a vehicle or a device provided in a vehicle (Vehicle UE), or an aircraft or a device provided in an aircraft (Aerial UE).

NG-RAN10 includes base station 200 (referred to as "gNB" or "NG-RAN node" in the 5G system), which is a type of network node. gNB200 are connected to each other via an Xn interface, which is an inter-node interface (inter-base station interface). gNB200 manages one or more cells. gNB200 performs wireless communication with UE100 that has established a connection with its own cell. gNB200 has a radio resource management (RRM) function, a routing function for user data (hereinafter simply referred to as "data"), a measurement control function for mobility control and scheduling, etc. "Cell" is used as a term indicating the smallest unit of a wireless communication area. "Cell" is also used as a term indicating a function or resource for performing wireless communication with UE100. One cell belongs to one carrier frequency (hereinafter simply referred to as "frequency").

The gNB200 may be functionally divided into a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU controls the DU. The CU is a unit that includes upper layers included in the protocol stack described below, such as the RRC layer, the SDAP layer, and the PDCP layer. The CU is connected to the core network via the NG interface, which is a backhaul interface. The CU is connected to an adjacent base station via the Xn interface. The DU forms a cell. The DU202 is a unit that includes lower layers included in the protocol stack described below, such as the RLC layer, the MAC layer, and the PHY layer. The DU is connected to the CU via the F1 interface, which is a fronthaul interface.

In addition, gNBs can also be connected to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), which is the core network of LTE. LTE base stations can also be connected to 5GC. LTE base stations and gNBs can also be connected via a base station-to-base station interface.

5GC20 includes AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) and UPF (User Plane Function) 300. AMF performs various mobility controls for UE100. AMF manages the mobility of UE100 by communicating with UE100 using NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling. UPF controls data forwarding. AMF and UPF are connected to gNB200 via the NG interface, which is an interface between a base station and a core network.

Figure 2 shows the protocol stack configuration of the wireless interface of the user plane that handles data.

The user plane radio interface protocol has a physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer.

The PHY layer performs encoding/decoding, modulation/demodulation, antenna mapping/demapping, and resource mapping/demapping. Data and control information are transmitted between the PHY layer of UE100 and the PHY layer of gNB200 via a physical channel. The PHY layer of UE100 receives downlink control information (DCI) transmitted from gNB200 on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Specifically, UE100 performs blind decoding of the PDCCH using a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) and obtains the successfully decoded DCI as DCI addressed to the UE. The DCI transmitted from gNB200 has CRC bits scrambled by the RNTI added.

The gNB 200 also transmits a synchronization signal block (SSB: Synchronization Signal/PBCH block). For example, the SSB is composed of four consecutive OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) symbols, and includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH)/master information block (MIB), and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for the PBCH. The bandwidth of the SSB is, for example, 240 consecutive subcarriers, i.e., a bandwidth of 20 RBs.

The MAC layer performs data priority control, retransmission processing using Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ), and random access procedures. Data and control information are transmitted between the MAC layer of UE100 and the MAC layer of gNB200 via a transport channel. The MAC layer of gNB200 includes a scheduler. The scheduler determines the uplink and downlink transport format (transport block size, modulation and coding scheme (MCS)) and the resource blocks to be assigned to UE100.

The RLC layer uses the functions of the MAC layer and PHY layer to transmit data to the RLC layer on the receiving side. Data and control information are transmitted between the RLC layer of UE100 and the RLC layer of gNB200 via logical channels.

The PDCP layer performs header compression/decompression, encryption/decryption, etc.

The SDAP layer maps IP (Internet Protocol) flows, which are the units by which the core network controls QoS (Quality of Service), to radio bearers, which are the units by which the AS (Access Stratum) controls QoS. Note that if the RAN is connected to the EPC, SDAP is not necessary.

Figure 3 shows the configuration of the protocol stack for the wireless interface of the control plane that handles signaling (control signals).

The protocol stack of the radio interface of the control plane has an RRC (Radio Resource Control) layer and a NAS (Non-Access Stratum) layer instead of the SDAP layer shown in Figure 2.

RRC signaling for various settings is transmitted between the RRC layer of UE100 and the RRC layer of gNB200. The RRC layer controls logical channels, transport channels, and physical channels in response to the establishment, re-establishment, and release of radio bearers. When there is a connection (RRC connection) between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of gNB200, UE100 is in an RRC connected state. When there is no connection (RRC connection) between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of gNB200, UE100 is in an RRC idle state. When the connection between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of gNB200 is suspended, UE100 is in an RRC inactive state.

The NAS layer, which is located above the RRC layer, performs session management, mobility management, etc. NAS signaling is transmitted between the NAS layer of UE100 and the NAS layer of AMF300A. In addition to the radio interface protocol, UE100 also has an application layer, etc. Also, the layer below the NAS layer is called AS (Access Stratum).

(1.2) Example of application scenario of the relay device Next, an application scenario of the NCR device (relay device) according to the first embodiment will be described. Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example of an application scenario of the NCR device according to the first embodiment. Note that the NCR device may be referred to as an NCR node.

Compared to 4G/LTE, 5G/NR is capable of wideband transmission using higher frequency bands. Radio signals in high frequency bands such as the millimeter wave band or terahertz wave band have high line-of-sight properties, so reducing the coverage of gNB200 becomes an issue. In FIG. 4, UE100 may be located outside the coverage area of gNB200, for example, outside the area where radio signals can be received directly from gNB200. There may be an obstruction between gNB200 and UE100, and UE100 may not be able to communicate with gNB200 within line-of-sight.

As shown in FIG. 4, an NCR device 500A, which is a type of repeater device that relays wireless signals between a gNB 200 and a UE 100 and can be controlled from a network 5, is introduced into a mobile communication system 1. Such a repeater device may be referred to as a smart repeater device.

For example, the NCR device 500A amplifies the radio signal (radio wave) received from the gNB 200 and transmits it by directional transmission. Specifically, the NCR device 500A receives the radio signal transmitted by the gNB 200 by beamforming. The NCR device 500A then amplifies the received radio signal without demodulating or modulating it, and transmits the amplified radio signal by directional transmission. Here, the NCR device 500A may transmit the radio signal with a fixed directivity (beam). The NCR device 500A may transmit the radio signal with a variable (adaptive) directional beam. This allows the coverage of the gNB 200 to be efficiently expanded.

Also, as shown in FIG. 5, a new UE (hereinafter referred to as "NCR-MT (Mobile Termination)") 100B, which is a type of control terminal for controlling the NCR device 500A, is introduced. That is, the NCR device 500A has an NCR-Fwd (Forwarding) 510A, which is a type of repeater that relays wireless signals transmitted between the gNB 200 and the UE 100, specifically, that changes the propagation state of the wireless signal without demodulating or modulating the wireless signal, and an NCR-MT 520A that controls the NCR-Fwd 510A by performing wireless communication with the gNB 200.

In this way, NCR-MT520A establishes a wireless connection with gNB200 and performs wireless communication with gNB200, thereby controlling NCR device 500A in cooperation with gNB200. This allows efficient coverage expansion to be achieved using NCR device 500A. NCR-MT520A controls NCR device 500A according to control from gNB200. Note that NCR-MT520A also has functions similar to those of UE100.

NCR-MT520A may be configured separately from NCR-Fwd510A. For example, NCR-MT520A may be located near NCR-Fwd510A and electrically connected to NCR-Fwd510A. NCR-MT520A may be connected to NCR-Fwd510A by wire or wirelessly. Alternatively, NCR-MT520A may be configured integrally with NCR-Fwd510A. NCR-MT520A and NCR-Fwd510A may be fixedly installed, for example, at the coverage edge (cell edge) of gNB200 or on a wall or window of a building. NCR-MT520A and NCR-Fwd510A may be installed, for example, in a vehicle or the like, and may be mobile. Additionally, one NCR-MT520A may control multiple NCR-Fwd510A.

Note that the configuration is not limited to one in which the NCR-MT 520A directly controls one or more NCR-Fwds 510A, and may be one in which the NCR-MT 520A indirectly controls one or more NCR-Fwds 510A. For example, the NCR-MT 520A may control one or more NCR-Fwds 510A via a higher layer (e.g., an application layer).

In the example shown in FIG. 5, NCR device 500A (NCR-Fwd 510A) dynamically or quasi-statically changes the beam to be transmitted or received. For example, NCR-Fwd 510A forms a beam toward each of UE 100a and UE 100b. NCR-Fwd 510A may also form a beam toward gNB 200. For example, in the communication resources between gNB 200 and UE 100a, NCR-Fwd 510A transmits a radio signal received from gNB 200 toward UE 100a by beamforming, and/or transmits a radio signal received from UE 100a by beamforming toward gNB 200. In the communication resources between the gNB 200 and the UE 100b, the NCR-Fwd 510A transmits a radio signal received from the gNB 200 to the UE 100b by beamforming, and/or transmits a radio signal received from the UE 100b by beamforming to the gNB 200. Instead of or in addition to forming a beam, the NCR-Fwd 510A may form a null (so-called null steering) toward the UE 100 (not shown) and/or the adjacent gNB 200 (not shown) that are not communication partners in order to suppress interference.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a control method for the NCR device 500A according to the first embodiment.

NCR-Fwd510A relays radio signals (also referred to as "UE signals") between gNB200 and UE100. UE signals include uplink signals (also referred to as "UE-UL signals") transmitted from UE100 to gNB200 and downlink signals (also referred to as "UE-DL signals") transmitted from gNB200 to UE100. NCR-Fwd510A relays UE-UL signals from UE100 to gNB200 and UE-DL signals from gNB200 to UE100. The radio link between NCR-Fwd510A and UE100 is also referred to as "access link". The radio link between NCR-Fwd510A and gNB200 is also referred to as "backhaul link".

NCR-MT520A transmits and receives wireless signals (herein referred to as "NCR-MT signals") to and from gNB200. NCR-MT signals include uplink signals (herein referred to as "NCR-MT-UL signals") transmitted from NCR-MT520A to gNB200, and downlink signals (herein referred to as "NCR-MT-DL signals") transmitted from gNB200 to NCR-MT520A. NCR-MT-DL signals include signaling (e.g., NCR control signals) for controlling NCR device 500A. The wireless link between NCR-MT520A and gNB200 is also referred to as the "control link."

gNB200 directs a beam to NCR-MT520A based on the NCR-MT-UL signal from NCR-MT520A. Because NCR device 500A is co-located with NCR-MT520A, if the backhaul link and the control link have the same frequency, when gNB200 directs a beam to NCR-MT520A, the beam will also be directed to NCR-Fwd510A. gNB200 uses the beam to transmit NCR-MT-DL signals and UE-DL signals. NCR-MT520A receives the NCR-MT-DL signal. In addition, when the NCR-Fwd 510A and the NCR-MT 520A are at least partially integrated, the functions (e.g., antennas) for transmitting, receiving, or relaying UE signals and/or NCR-MT signals may be integrated in the NCR-Fwd 510A and the NCR-MT 520A. Note that the beam includes a transmitting beam and/or a receiving beam. A beam is a general term for transmission and/or reception under control to maximize the power of the transmitting wave and/or receiving wave in a specific direction by adjusting/adapting the antenna weight, etc.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a protocol stack in the NCR device 500A according to the first embodiment.

NCR-Fwd510A relays wireless signals transmitted and received between gNB200 and UE100. NCR-Fwd510A has an RF (Radio Frequency) function that amplifies and relays received wireless signals, and performs directional transmission using beamforming (e.g., analog beamforming).

NCR-MT520A has entities for each layer: Layer 1 and/or Layer 2 (L1/L2), RRC, and NAS. NCR-MT520A's L1/L2 (especially PHY, MAC) and RRC are also referred to as "NCR-MT520A's AS."

NCR-MT520A may have at least one of the following: an OAM client that communicates with OAM (Operation, Administration, Maintenance) server 400, a NAS layer that communicates with AMF300A, and an F1-AP (Application Protocol) layer. The OAM client, NAS layer, and F1-AP layer of NCR-MT520A are also referred to as the "upper layers of NCR-MT520A" based on the AS of NCR-MT520A.

A backhaul link is established between gNB200 and NCR-Fwd510A. An access link is established between UE100 and NCR-Fwd510A. NCR-Fwd510A relays wireless signals transmitted between gNB200 and UE100 via the backhaul link and the access link. NCR-Fwd510A changes the propagation state of the wireless signal without demodulating or modulating the wireless signal.

Also, a control link is established between gNB200 and L1/L2 of NCR-MT520A. L1/L2 of NCR-MT520A transmits and receives L1/L2 signaling with gNB200 via the control link. An RRC connection is established between gNB200 and RRC of NCR-MT520A. RRC of NCR-MT520A transmits and receives RRC messages with gNB200 via the RRC connection. NCR-MT520A receives downlink signaling (also referred to as "NCR control signal" or simply "control signal") from gNB200 via the RRC connection and/or the control link.

The gNB 200 (transmitter 210) transmits an NCR control signal to the NCR-MT 520A. The NCR control signal may be an RRC message, which is a control signal of the RRC layer (i.e., layer 3). The NCR control signal may be a MAC CE (Control Element), which is a control signal of the MAC layer (i.e., layer 2). The NCR control signal may be downlink control information (DCI), which is a control signal of the PHY layer (i.e., layer 1). The NCR control signal may be UE-specific signaling. The NCR control signal may be broadcast signaling. The NCR control signal may be a fronthaul message (e.g., an F1-AP message). If the NCR-MT 520A is a type or part of a base station, the NCR-MT 520A may communicate with the gNB 200 via an Xn AP (Xn-AP), which is an interface between base stations.

Hereinafter, the NCR control signal transmitted in the RRC message (and/or MAC CE) and used for static or quasi-static control of the NCR-Fwd 510A is also referred to as "NCR setting information" or simply "setting information". Such setting information may be referred to as "Side Control Configuration". Here, the RRC message may be an RRC Reconfiguration message. The NCR setting information includes, for example, information for setting the on/off of the NCR-Fwd 510A. The NCR setting information may include, for example, information for quasi-static beam setting of the NCR-Fwd 510A.

On the other hand, the NCR control signal transmitted in the L1/L2 signaling, i.e., DCI (and/or MAC CE), and used for dynamic control of the NCR-Fwd 510A is also referred to as "NCR control information" or simply "control information". The NCR control information may also be referred to as "Side Control Information". The CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Code) bits of the PDCCH carrying the NCR control information are scrambled by a newly introduced dedicated RNTI. The dedicated RNTI is also referred to as "NCR-RNTI". The NCR control information may include, for example, information on dynamic beam control of the NCR-Fwd 510A. The NCR setting information may include information instructing dynamic on/off of the NCR-Fwd 510A.

For example, when NCR-MT 520A is in the RRC connected state, NCR device 500A can turn NCR-Fwd 510A on or off according to the NCR control information received from gNB 200. On the other hand, after NCR-MT 520A transitions to the RRC inactive state, NCR device 500A can turn NCR-Fwd 510A on or off according to the latest (last) setting information received from gNB 200.

Note that the NCR control signal (e.g., NCR setting information by RRC and/or NCR control information by L1/L2 signaling) held by the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT 520A) may be referred to as an NCR-Fwd context.

Also, if a radio link failure (RLF) with gNB200 is detected by NCR-MT520A, NCR-MT520A performs cell selection and triggers RRC connection re-establishment (also referred to as "RRC re-establishment"). Here, if NCR-MT520A enters the RRC idle state because a suitable cell cannot be found in cell selection, NCR device 500A turns off NCR-Fwd510A. Note that NCR-Fwd510A is off during the RRC connection re-establishment procedure.

The NCR control signal may include frequency control information that specifies the center frequency of the radio signal (e.g., component carrier) that NCR-Fwd 510A is to relay. When the NCR control signal received from gNB 200 includes frequency control information, NCR-MT 520A (control unit 523) controls NCR-Fwd 510A to relay the radio signal having the center frequency indicated by the frequency control information (step S2A). The NCR control signal may include multiple pieces of frequency control information that specify different center frequencies. By including frequency control information in the NCR control signal, gNB 200 can specify, via NCR-MT 520A, the center frequency of the radio signal that NCR-Fwd 510A is to relay.

The NCR control signal may include mode control information that specifies the operation mode of the NCR-Fwd 510A. The mode control information may be associated with frequency control information (center frequency). The operation mode may be any of the following modes: a mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs omnidirectional transmission and/or reception, a mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs fixed directional transmission and/or reception, a mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs transmission and/or reception using a variable directional beam, and a mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) relay transmission. The operation mode may be any of the following modes: a beamforming mode (i.e., a mode that emphasizes improvement of the desired wave) and a null steering mode (i.e., a mode that emphasizes suppression of interference waves). When the NCR control signal received from the gNB 200 includes mode control information, the NCR-MT 520A (control unit 523) controls the NCR-Fwd 510A to operate in the operation mode indicated by the mode control information (step S2A). By including the mode control information in the NCR control signal, the gNB 200 can specify the operation mode of the NCR-Fwd 510A via the NCR-MT 520A.

Here, the mode in which the NCR device 500A performs non-directional transmission and/or reception is a mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs relaying in all directions, and may be referred to as an omni mode. The mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs fixed directional transmission and/or reception may be a directional mode realized by one directional antenna. The mode may be a beamforming mode realized by applying fixed phase/amplitude control (antenna weight control) to multiple antennas. Any of these modes may be specified (set) by the gNB 200 to the NCR-MT 520A. The mode in which the NCR-Fwd 510A performs transmission and/or reception using a variable directional beam may be a mode in which analog beamforming is performed. The mode may be a mode in which digital beamforming is performed. The mode may be a mode in which hybrid beamforming is performed. The mode may be a mode in which an adaptive beam specific to the UE 100 is formed. Any of these modes may be specified (set) from the gNB 200 to the NCR-MT 520A. In addition, in the operation mode in which beamforming is performed, beam control information described later may be provided from the gNB 200 to the NCR-MT 520A. The mode in which the NCR device 500A performs MIMO relay transmission may be a mode in which SU (Single-User) spatial multiplexing is performed. The mode may be a mode in which MU (Multi-User) spatial multiplexing is performed. The mode may be a mode in which transmit diversity is performed. Any of these modes may be specified (set) from the gNB 200 to the NCR-MT 520A. The operation mode may include a mode in which relay transmission by the NCR-Fwd 510A is turned on (activated) and a mode in which relay transmission by the NCR-Fwd 510A is turned off (deactivated). Any of these modes may be specified (set) by an NCR control signal from gNB200 to NCR-MT520A.

The NCR control signal may include beam control information that specifies the transmission direction, transmission weight, or beam pattern when the NCR-Fwd 510A performs directional transmission. The beam control information may be associated with frequency control information (center frequency). The beam control information may include a PMI (Precoding Matrix Indicator). The beam control information may include beam formation angle information. When the NCR control signal received from the gNB 200 includes beam control information, the NCR-MT 520A (control unit 523) controls the NCR-Fwd 510A to form the transmission directivity (beam) indicated by the beam control information. By including beam control information in the NCR control signal, the gNB 200 can control the transmission directivity of the NCR device 500A via the NCR-MT 520A.

The NCR control signal may include power control information that specifies the degree (gain) or transmission power by which the NCR-Fwd 510A amplifies the radio signal. The power control information may be information indicating a difference value (i.e., a relative value) between the current gain or transmission power and the target gain or transmission power. When the NCR control signal received from the gNB 200 includes power control information, the NCR-MT 520A (control unit 523) controls the NCR-Fwd 510A to change the gain or transmission power to the gain or transmission power indicated by the transmission power control. The power control information may be associated with frequency control information (center frequency). The power control information may be information that specifies any one of the amplifier gain, beamforming gain, and antenna gain of the NCR-Fwd 510A. The power control information may be information that specifies the transmission power of the NCR-Fwd 510A.

When one NCR-MT 520A controls multiple NCR-Fwds 510A, the gNB 200 (transmitter 210) may transmit an NCR control signal to the NCR-MT 520A for each NCR-Fwd 510A. In this case, the NCR control signal may include an identifier (NCR identifier) of the corresponding NCR-Fwd 510A. The NCR-MT 520A (controller 523) that controls multiple NCR-Fwds 510A determines the NCR-Fwd 510A to which the NCR control signal is to be applied based on the NCR identifier included in the NCR control signal received from the gNB 200. Note that the NCR identifier may be transmitted from the NCR-MT 520A to the gNB 200 together with the NCR control signal, even when the NCR-MT 520A controls only one NCR-Fwd 510A.

In this way, NCR-MT520A (control unit 523) controls NCR-Fwd510A based on an NCR control signal from gNB200. This enables gNB200 to control NCR-Fwd510A via NCR-MT520A.

(1.3) Example of the Configuration of Each Device Next, an example of the configuration of each device in the mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an NCR device 500A (relay device) according to the first embodiment. The NCR device 500A includes an NCR-Fwd 510A, an NCR-MT 520A, and an interface 530.

The NCR-Fwd 510A has a radio unit 511A and an NCR control unit 512A. The radio unit 511A has an antenna unit 511a including multiple antennas (multiple antenna elements), an RF circuit 511b including an amplifier, and a directivity control unit 511c that controls the directivity of the antenna unit 511a. The RF circuit 511b amplifies and relays (transmits) radio signals transmitted and received by the antenna unit 511a. The RF circuit 511b may convert an analog radio signal into a digital signal and reconvert it into an analog signal after digital signal processing. The directivity control unit 511c may perform analog beamforming by analog signal processing. The directivity control unit 511c may perform digital beamforming by digital signal processing. The directivity control unit 511c may perform hybrid analog and digital beamforming. The NCR control unit 512A controls the radio unit 511A in response to a control signal from the NCR-MT 520A. The NCR control unit 512A may include at least one processor.

The NCR-MT 520A has a receiving unit 521, a transmitting unit 522, and a control unit 523. The receiving unit 521 performs various receptions under the control of the control unit 523. The receiving unit 521 includes an antenna and a receiver. The receiver converts a radio signal (wireless signal) received by the antenna into a baseband signal (received signal) and outputs it to the control unit 523. The transmitting unit 522 performs various transmissions under the control of the control unit 523. The transmitting unit 522 includes an antenna and a transmitter. The transmitter converts a baseband signal (transmitted signal) output by the control unit 523 into a radio signal and transmits it from the antenna. The control unit 523 performs various controls in the NCR-MT 520A. The operations of the NCR-MT 520A (and the NCR device 500A) described above and below may be operations under the control of the control unit 523. The control unit 523 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores the programs executed by the processor and information used in the processing by the processor. The processor may include a baseband processor and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The baseband processor performs modulation/demodulation and encoding/decoding of baseband signals. The CPU executes the programs stored in the memory to perform various processes. The control unit 523 also executes the functions of at least one of the layers of PHY, MAC, RRC, and F1-AP.

The interface 530 electrically or logically connects the NCR-Fwd 510A and the NCR-MT 520A. The control unit 523 of the NCR-MT 520A controls the NCR-Fwd 510A via the interface 530. The interface 530 may be a logical entity of a higher layer (e.g., an application layer).

In the first embodiment, the receiver 521 of the NCR-MT 520A receives signaling (NCR control signal) used to control the NCR device 500A from the gNB 200 via wireless communication. The controller 523 of the NCR-MT 520A controls the NCR device 500A based on the signaling. This enables the gNB 200 to control the NCR-Fwd 510A via the NCR-MT 520A.

(1.3.2) Example of user device configuration FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the UE 100 (user device) according to the first embodiment. The UE 100 has a receiving unit 110, a transmitting unit 120, and a control unit 130. The receiving unit 110 and the transmitting unit 120 configure a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the gNB 200.

The receiving unit 110 performs various types of reception under the control of the control unit 130. The receiving unit 110 includes an antenna and a receiver. The receiver converts the radio signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal (received signal) and outputs it to the control unit 130.

The transmitting unit 120 performs various transmissions under the control of the control unit 130. The transmitting unit 120 includes an antenna and a transmitter. The transmitter converts the baseband signal (transmission signal) output by the control unit 130 into a radio signal and transmits it from the antenna.

The control unit 130 performs various controls and processes in the UE 100. Such processes include processes for each layer described below. The operations of the UE 100 described above and below may be operations under the control of the control unit 130. The control unit 130 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores programs executed by the processor and information used in the processing by the processor. The processor may include a baseband processor and a CPU. The baseband processor performs modulation/demodulation and encoding/decoding of baseband signals. The CPU executes programs stored in the memory to perform various processes.

(1.3.3) Example of network node configuration FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a gNB 200 (network node) according to the first embodiment. The gNB 200 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a control unit 230, and a backhaul communication unit 240.

The transmitting unit 210 performs various transmissions under the control of the control unit 230. The transmitting unit 210 includes an antenna and a transmitter. The transmitter converts a baseband signal (transmission signal) output by the control unit 230 into a radio signal and transmits it from the antenna. The receiving unit 220 performs various receptions under the control of the control unit 230. The receiving unit 220 includes an antenna and a receiver. The receiver converts a radio signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal (reception signal) and outputs it to the control unit 230. The transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be capable of beamforming using multiple antennas.

The control unit 230 performs various controls in the gNB 200. The operations of the gNB 200 described above and below may be operations under the control of the control unit 230. The control unit 230 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores programs executed by the processor and information used in processing by the processor. The processor may include a baseband processor and a CPU. The baseband processor performs modulation/demodulation and encoding/decoding of baseband signals. The CPU executes programs stored in the memory to perform various processes.

The backhaul communication unit 240 is connected to adjacent base stations via an inter-base station interface. The backhaul communication unit 240 is connected to the AMF/UPF 300 via a base station-core network interface. Note that the gNB is composed of a CU (Central Unit) and a DU (Distributed Unit) (i.e., the functions are divided), and the two units may be connected via an F1 interface.

In the first embodiment, the transmitter 210 of the gNB 200 transmits signaling (NCR control signal) used to control the NCR-Fwd 510A to the NCR-MT 520A via wireless communication. This enables the gNB 200 to control the NCR device 500A via the NCR-MT 520A.

(1.4) Operation of the Mobile Communication System Next, a description will be given of the operation of the mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the basic operation according to the first embodiment.

In the illustrated example, the NCR device 500A is installed at the edge of the cell of the gNB 200. The NCR device 500A is a RAN node having an NCR-Fwd 510A and an NCR-MT 520A. The NCR-Fwd 510A relays and transmits signals between the gNB 200 and the UE 100, specifically amplifying and relaying (forwarding) UL/DL RF signals. The operation of the NCR-Fwd 510A is controlled according to side control information (control signal/NCR control signal) received by the NCR-MT 520A from the gNB 200. The NCR-MT 520A communicates with the gNB 200 via a control link to receive the side control information. The control link is based on the NR Uu interface.

In the illustrated example, UE100 is located outside the cell of gNB200 (i.e., outside the coverage). NCR device 500A has a sensor 550 for detecting the presence (and/or position) of UE100. The sensor 550 may be provided in NCR-Fwd 510A or NCR-MT 520A. NCR device 500A detects the presence (and/or position) of UE100 by sensing, and controls NCR-Fwd 510A based on the sensing result. For example, NCR device 500A controls beamforming for UE100 based on the sensing result. Note that the control of NCR-Fwd 510A based on the sensing result may be performed by NCR-MT 520A. The control may be performed by NCR-Fwd 510A itself.

The NCR device 500A may detect by sensing whether or not a UE 100 is present in the vicinity of the NCR device 500A (specifically, within the communication range of the NCR-Fwd 510A), and may control the NCR-Fwd 510A to perform relay transmission only if a UE 100 is present in the vicinity of the NCR device 500A. The NCR device 500A may detect by sensing the position of the UE 100 in the vicinity of the NCR device 500A, and may control the NCR-Fwd 510A to perform beamforming to direct a beam to the position. The NCR device 500A may transmit (report) sensing results indicating the presence and/or position of the UE 100 in the vicinity of the NCR device 500A to the gNB 200, and may perform beamforming under the control of the gNB 200. The gNB200 may grasp the communication environment of the NCR device 500A based on the sensing results from the NCR device 500A, and use the grasped communication environment for network optimization.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the basic operation of the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) according to the first embodiment.

In step S1, the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT 520A) transmits sensing capability information to the gNB 200 indicating that the NCR device 500A has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or position of the UE 100. The NCR device 500A (NCR-MT 520A) may transmit an RRC message including the sensing capability information as an information element. Note that the location of the UE 100 may be the detailed geographic location of the UE 100, for example, the latitude and longitude (and altitude) of the UE 100. The location of the UE 100 may be the approximate location of the UE 100, for example, the direction in which the UE 100 is located.

In step S2, the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT 520A) receives a control signal from the gNB 200 requesting or configuring the transmission of sensing result information indicating the results of sensing to detect the presence and/or position of the UE 100. The control signal may be an RRC message, a MAC CE, or a DCI.

In step S3, the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) transmits sensing result information to the gNB 200 based on the control signal received from the gNB 200 in step S2. Here, the NCR device 500A may perform sensing to detect the presence and/or position of the UE 100 using electromagnetic waves (including light) or sound waves of a frequency different from the communication frequency of the mobile communication system 1. The NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) may transmit an RRC message including the sensing result information or a MAC CE including the sensing result information to the gNB 200.

In this way, NCR-MT520A transmits sensing capability information and sensing result information to gNB200, and receives control signals from gNB200. According to the operation shown in FIG. 12, gNB200 can appropriately acquire the sensing results by NCR device 500A.

The NCR-MT 520A, which operates as shown in FIG. 12, has a transmitter 522 that transmits sensing capability information to the gNB 200 indicating that the NCR device 500A has the sensing capability to detect the presence and/or position of the UE 100, a receiver 521 that receives a control signal from the gNB 200 requesting or setting the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing, and a controller 523 that controls the transmission of the sensing result information to the gNB 200 based on the received control signal (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, the gNB 200 has a receiver 220 that receives sensing capability information from the NCR device 500A, a transmitter 210 that transmits a control signal to the NCR device 500A requesting or setting the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing to the NCR device 500A, and a controller 230 that acquires the sensing result information transmitted from the NCR device 500A (see FIG. 10).

The sensing capability information may include sensing type information indicating the type of sensing for which the NCR device 500A has the capability. If there are multiple types, the sensing type information may include a list indicating the multiple types. An entry in the list may be a set of information indicating the type of sensing and an identifier assigned by the NCR device 500A. A control signal from the gNB 200 may include an index (e.g., an identifier) corresponding to any entry in the list. The NCR device 500A may perform sensing of the type specified by the index.

If radio resource scheduling for sensing is required, the sensing capability information may include scheduling-related information indicating that radio resource scheduling for sensing is required. Radio resource scheduling for sensing may mean that gNB200 allocates radio resources to NCR-MT520A to be used for sensing. The radio resource scheduling may mean that gNB200 suspends or limits the allocation of radio resources to NCR-MT520A.

The control signal from gNB200 may include information requesting the transmission of sensing result information. In this case, in step S3, NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) may transmit the sensing result information in response to the reception of the control signal from gNB200.

The control signal from gNB200 may include information for setting the transmission period of the sensing result information. In this case, in step S3, NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) may periodically transmit the sensing result information according to the set period.

The control signal from gNB200 may include information that sets a trigger condition for transmitting the sensing result information. In this case, in step S3, NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A) may transmit the sensing result information when the set transmission trigger condition is satisfied.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of the operation of the mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment.

In step S11, NCR-MT520A is in an RRC connected state in the cell of gNB200.

In step S12, NCR-MT520A transmits sensing capability information indicating its own sensing capability to gNB200. gNB200 receives the sensing capability information. NCR-MT520A may transmit an RRC message including the sensing capability information to gNB200. For example, NCR-MT520A may transmit the sensing capability information to gNB200 by including it in a UE Capability message, a UE Assistance Information message, or a newly introduced message (UE Sensing Capability message).

The sensing capability information may include sensing type information regarding sensing capabilities of the NCR device 500A. The sensing type information includes at least one of the following information 1) to 3).

1) Information indicating the sensing method (sensor type):
The sensing method (sensor type) may be any method capable of detecting the presence and/or position of the UE 100 in the vicinity of the NCR device 500A (specifically, within the communication range of the NCR-Fwd 510A), and may be, for example, at least one of a radar sensor, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, a camera/image sensor (and image recognition), a human sensor, and a proximity sensor (such as a sonar). These sensors are examples of sensors that use electromagnetic waves (including light) or sound waves of a frequency different from the communication frequency of the mobile communication system 1. The sensing method may include side link positioning using a side link between the NCR-MT 520A and the UE 100.

2) Information indicating the type of sensing result:
The type of the sensing result may be either an absolute position (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) or a relative position (direction, distance, etc.). The sensing result may be a measurement result such as an object being present in a certain range in a certain direction, such as a human presence sensor and/or a proximity sensor.

3) Information indicating sensing accuracy:
The information may be error information or measurement frequency (measurement period, measurement interval).

The sensing capability information may be a list including an identifier (sensing ID) for each sensing type. The sensing ID may be determined by the UE 100. Using the sensing ID, the gNB 200 can control the NCR device 500A. For example, the gNB 200 can specify, by the sensing ID, the sensing type for which the sensing result should be notified (reported).

The sensing capability information may include scheduling-related information. The scheduling-related information may be information indicating whether or not radio resources within the communication frequency range of the mobile communication system 1 (radio resources of the mobile communication system 1) are required. For example, radio resources of the mobile communication system 1 are required for sidelink positioning. The scheduling-related information may be information indicating whether or not reservation of processing resources of the NCR-MT520A is required. For example, when performing image processing (image recognition) in the NCR-MT520A, the processor load becomes heavy, so the information may be information indicating whether or not restrictions on wireless communication (e.g., reducing the number of MIMO layers) are required.

Based on the sensing capability information from NCR-MT520A, gNB200 decides to perform control and/or sensing result requests from gNB200 to NCR device 500A (NCR-MT520A).

In step S13, gNB200 transmits a control signal to NCR-MT520A requesting (setting) the transmission of sensing results. NCR-MT520A receives the control signal. The setting may include a sensing ID. The setting may include a setting of the frequency (period) of result transmission. For example, gNB200 may specify a period such as once per second within the capabilities of NCR device 500A. The setting may include trigger information specifying a trigger. For example, the trigger may be that NCR device 500A has detected UE100. The trigger may be that NCR device 500A has detected a predetermined number of UE100 (e.g., three). The trigger may be that UE100 has been detected in a certain geographical range.

In step S14, NCR-MT520A performs sensing using sensor 550. In response to receiving the control signal in step S13, NCR-MT520A may perform sensing of the type specified in the control signal. Alternatively, NCR-MT520A may perform sensing at a stage before receiving the control signal. For example, NCR-MT520A may sense the direction of UE100 using LiDAR for its own beamforming. In other words, NCR-MT520A may share sensing result information indicating the results with gNB200, assuming that the sensing is being performed for its own control.

In step S15, NCR-MT520A transmits sensing result information indicating the results of the sensing in step S14 to gNB200. gNB200 receives the sensing result information. In response to receiving the control signal in step S13, NCR-MT520A may transmit sensing result information to gNB200 indicating the sensing result of the type specified in the control signal.

(2) Second embodiment Next, the second embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the differences from the above-mentioned embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the relay device according to the second embodiment is a RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) device 500B that performs relay transmission by changing the propagation direction of an incident radio wave (wireless signal) by reflection or refraction. "NCR" in the above-mentioned embodiment can be read as "RIS".

RIS is a type of repeater (hereinafter also referred to as "RIS-Fwd") that can perform beamforming (directivity control) in the same way as NCR by changing the properties of the metamaterial. In the case of RIS, the range (distance) of the beam may also be changeable by controlling the reflection direction and/or refraction direction of each unit element. For example, the configuration may be such that, in addition to controlling the reflection direction and/or refraction direction of each unit element, it can also focus (direct the beam) on a nearby UE or a distant UE.

The RIS device 500B has a new UE (hereinafter referred to as "RIS-MT") 520B, which is a control terminal for controlling the RIS-Fwd 510B. The RIS-MT 520B establishes a wireless connection with the gNB 200 and performs wireless communication with the gNB 200, thereby controlling the RIS-Fwd 510B in cooperation with the gNB 200. The RIS-Fwd 510B may be a reflective RIS. Such a RIS-Fwd 510B changes the propagation direction of the incident radio waves by reflecting the radio waves. Here, the reflection angle of the radio waves can be variably set. The RIS-Fwd 510B reflects the radio waves incident from the gNB 200 toward the UE 100. The RIS-Fwd 510B may be a transparent RIS. Such a RIS-Fwd 510B changes the propagation direction of the radio waves by refracting the incident radio waves. Here, the refraction angle of the radio waves can be variably set.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a RIS-Fwd (repeater) 510B and a RIS-MT (control terminal) 520B according to the second embodiment. The RIS-MT 520B has a receiver 521, a transmitter 522, and a controller 523. This configuration is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment. The RIS-Fwd 510B has a RIS 511B and a RIS controller 512B. The RIS 511B is a metasurface made of a metamaterial. For example, the RIS 511B is made by arranging very small structures in an array relative to the wavelength of radio waves, and by making the structures have different shapes depending on the arrangement location, it is possible to arbitrarily design the direction and/or beam shape of the reflected wave. The RIS 511B may be a transparent dynamic metasurface. RIS511B is configured by overlaying a transparent glass substrate on a transparent metasurface substrate on which a large number of small structures are regularly arranged, and by minutely moving the overlaid glass substrate, it may be possible to dynamically control three patterns: a mode that transmits incident radio waves, a mode that transmits some of the radio waves and reflects some of them, and a mode that reflects all of the radio waves. RIS control unit 512B controls RIS511B in response to a RIS control signal from control unit 523 of RIS-MT520B. RIS control unit 512B may include at least one processor and at least one actuator. The processor decodes the RIS control signal from control unit 523 of RIS-MT520B and drives the actuator in response to the RIS control signal.

In the second embodiment, the RIS device 500B has a sensor 550 for detecting the presence (and/or position) of the UE 100, similar to the first embodiment. The sensor 550 may be provided in the RIS-Fwd 510B or the RIS-MT 520B. The RIS device 500B detects the presence (and/or position) of the UE 100 by sensing, and controls the RIS-MT 520B based on the sensing result.

(3) Other embodiments In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was described in which the communication device having the sensor 550 for detecting the presence (and/or position) of the UE 100 is a relay device (NCR device 500A or RIS device 500B). However, the communication device having the sensor 550 is not limited to the relay device (NCR device 500A or RIS device 500B) and may be the UE 100. That is, the UE 100 may detect the presence (and/or position) of another UE 100 by sensing using the sensor 550. In this case, the UE 100 may perform the same operation as the NCR device 500A (NCR-MT 520A) according to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, in step S1, the UE 100 transmits sensing capability information indicating that the NCR device 500A has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or position of another UE to the gNB 200. In step S2, the UE 100 receives a control signal requesting or setting the transmission of sensing result information indicating the result of the sensing from the gNB 200. In step S3, the UE 100 transmits the sensing result information to the gNB 200 based on the control signal received from the gNB 200 in step S2.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the relay device performing the relay transmission is an NCR device 500A or a RIS device 500B. However, the relay device performing the relay transmission is not limited to an NCR device 500A or a RIS device 500B, and may be an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node defined in the 3GPP technical specifications.

Each of the above-mentioned operation flows can be implemented not only separately but also by combining two or more operation flows. For example, some steps of one operation flow can be added to another operation flow, or some steps of one operation flow can be replaced with some steps of another operation flow. In each flow, it is not necessary to execute all steps, and only some of the steps can be executed.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the base station is an NR base station (gNB) has been described, but the base station may also be an LTE base station (eNB). The base station may also be a relay node such as an IAB node. The base station may also be a Distributed Unit (DU) of an IAB node. The UE 100 may also be a Mobile Termination (MT) of an IAB node.

In other words, UE100 may be a terminal function unit (a type of communication module) that allows a base station to control a repeater that relays signals. Such a terminal function unit is called an MT. Examples of MT include, in addition to IAB-MT, NCR (Network Controlled Repeater)-MT and RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface)-MT.

The term "network node" primarily refers to a base station, but may also refer to a core network device or part of a base station (CU, DU, or RU). A network node may also be composed of a combination of at least part of a core network device and at least part of a base station.

A program may be provided that causes a computer to execute each process performed by the communication device according to the above-described embodiment, for example, the UE100 (NCR-MT520A, RIS-MT520B) or the gNB200. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. Using the computer-readable medium, it is possible to install the program on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transient recording medium. The non-transient recording medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. In addition, circuits that execute each process performed by the UE100 or the gNB200 may be integrated, and at least a part of the UE100 or the gNB200 may be configured as a semiconductor integrated circuit (chip set, SoC: System on a chip).

The functions realized by UE100 or gNB200 (network node) may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPUs (Central Processing Units), conventional circuits, and/or combinations thereof, programmed to realize the described functions. A processor includes transistors and other circuits and is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry. A processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory. In this specification, circuitry, unit, and means are hardware that is programmed to realize the described functions or hardware that executes them. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed or capable of performing the described functions. If the hardware is a processor considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and/or processor.

As used in this disclosure, the terms "based on" and "depending on/in response to" do not mean "based only on" or "only in response to," unless otherwise specified. The term "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least in part on." Similarly, the term "in response to" means both "only in response to" and "at least in part on." The terms "include," "comprise," and variations thereof do not mean including only the items listed, but may include only the items listed, or may include additional items in addition to the items listed. In addition, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean an exclusive or. Furthermore, any reference to elements using designations such as "first," "second," etc., as used in this disclosure is not intended to generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed therein, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner. In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as, for example, a, an, and the in English, these articles are intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The above describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-137039 (filed August 25, 2023), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

(4) Supplementary Notes The following supplementary notes will be given regarding the features of the above-described embodiment.

(Appendix 1)
A communication method executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system, comprising:
sending sensing capability information to the network node indicating that the communications device has sensing capability for detecting the presence and/or location of a user equipment;
receiving a control signal from the network node requesting or configuring transmission of sensing result information indicative of a result of the sensing;
transmitting the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal.

(Appendix 2)
The communication device is a relay device including a relay device that relays a radio signal transmitted between the network node and the user device, and a control terminal that controls the relay device;
The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the control terminal transmits the sensing capability information and the sensing result information to the network node, and receives the control signal from the network node.

(Appendix 3)
The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of performing the sensing using electromagnetic waves or sound waves having a frequency different from a communication frequency of the mobile communication system.

(Appendix 4)
The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the step of transmitting the sensing capability information includes a step of transmitting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including the sensing capability information as an information element.

(Appendix 5)
The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensing capability information includes sensing type information indicating a type of sensing for which the communication device has the capability.

(Appendix 6)
When the number of types is multiple, the sensing type information includes a list indicating the multiple types,
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the control signal includes an index corresponding to one of the entries in the list.

(Appendix 7)
The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, wherein, when the radio resource scheduling for the sensing is required, the sensing capability information includes scheduling-related information indicating that the radio resource scheduling is required.

(Appendix 8)
8. The communication method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control signal is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Medium Access Control and Control Element (MAC CE), or Downlink Control Information (DCI).

(Appendix 9)
the control signal includes information requesting transmission of the sensing result information,
The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein the step of transmitting the sensing result information includes a step of transmitting the sensing result information in response to reception of the control signal from the network node.

(Appendix 10)
the control signal includes information for setting a transmission cycle of the sensing result information,
The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the step of transmitting the sensing result information includes a step of periodically transmitting the sensing result information in accordance with the set period.

(Appendix 11)
the control signal includes information for setting a trigger condition for transmitting the sensing result information,
The communication method according to any one of appendices 1 to 10, wherein the step of transmitting the sensing result information includes a step of transmitting the sensing result information when the set transmission trigger condition is satisfied.

(Appendix 12)
The communication method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 11, wherein the step of transmitting the sensing result information includes a step of transmitting the sensing result information by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including the sensing result information or a Medium Access Control and Control Element (MAC CE) including the sensing result information.

(Appendix 13)
A communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system,
a transmitter for transmitting sensing capability information to the network node, the sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has a sensing capability for detecting a presence and/or a location of a user equipment;
a receiving unit that receives a control signal from the network node requesting or setting transmission of sensing result information indicating a result of the sensing;
a control unit that performs control to transmit the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal.

(Appendix 14)
A network node that performs wireless communication with a communication device in a mobile communication system,
a receiving unit for receiving sensing capability information from the communication device, the sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has a sensing capability for detecting a presence and/or a position of a user device;
a transmission unit configured to transmit to the communication device a control signal requesting or setting transmission of sensing result information indicating a result of the sensing;
A network node comprising: a control unit that acquires the sensing result information transmitted from the communication device.

1: Mobile communication system 100: UE
200: gNB
210: Transmitter 220: Receiver 230: Controller 240: Backhaul communication unit 300A: AMF
400: OAM server 500A: NCR device 510A: NCR-Fwd
520A:NCR-MT
500B: RIS device 510B: RIS-Fwd
520B:RIS-MT
511A: Wireless unit 511a: Antenna section 511b: RF circuit 511c: Directivity control section 512A: NCR control section 512B: RIS control section 521: Receiving section 522: Transmitting section 523: Control section 530: Interface 550: Sensor

Claims (14)

A communication method executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system, comprising:
transmitting sensing capability information to the network node indicating that the communications device has sensing capability for detecting a presence and/or location of a user equipment;
receiving a control signal from the network node requesting or configuring transmission of sensing result information indicative of a result of the sensing;
transmitting the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal. The communication device is a relay device including a relay device that relays a radio signal transmitted between the network node and the user device, and a control terminal that controls the relay device;
The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the control terminal transmits the sensing capability information and the sensing result information to the network node, and receives the control signal from the network node. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising performing the sensing using electromagnetic waves or sound waves having a frequency different from a communication frequency of the mobile communication system. The communication method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the sensing capability information includes transmitting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including the sensing capability information as an information element. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing capability information includes sensing type information indicating a type of sensing for which the communication device has the capability. When the number of types is multiple, the sensing type information includes a list indicating the multiple types,
The method of claim 5 , wherein the control signal includes an index corresponding to one of the entries in the list. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the radio resource scheduling for the sensing is required, the sensing capability information includes scheduling-related information indicating that the radio resource scheduling is required. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Medium Access Control and Control Element (MAC CE), or a Downlink Control Information (DCI). the control signal includes information requesting transmission of the sensing result information,
The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the sensing result information includes transmitting the sensing result information in response to reception of the control signal from the network node as a trigger. the control signal includes information for setting a transmission cycle of the sensing result information,
The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the sensing result information includes periodically transmitting the sensing result information in accordance with the set period. the control signal includes information for setting a trigger condition for transmitting the sensing result information,
The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the sensing result information includes transmitting the sensing result information when the set transmission trigger condition is satisfied. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the sensing result information includes transmitting the sensing result information by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message including the sensing result information or a Medium Access Control and Control Element (MAC CE) message including the sensing result information. A communication device that performs wireless communication with a network node in a mobile communication system,
a transmitter for transmitting sensing capability information to the network node, the sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has a sensing capability for detecting a presence and/or a location of a user equipment;
a receiving unit that receives a control signal from the network node requesting or setting transmission of sensing result information indicating a result of the sensing;
a control unit that performs control to transmit the sensing result information to the network node based on the control signal. A network node that performs wireless communication with a communication device in a mobile communication system,
a receiving unit for receiving sensing capability information from the communication device, the sensing capability information indicating that the communication device has a sensing capability for detecting a presence and/or a position of a user device;
a transmission unit configured to transmit to the communication device a control signal requesting or setting transmission of sensing result information indicating a result of the sensing;
A network node comprising: a control unit that acquires the sensing result information transmitted from the communication device.

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