CN115918183A

CN115918183A - Distance measuring method, distance measuring device, terminal equipment and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN115918183A
Application number: CN202180000565.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 洪伟; 于磊
Original assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-25
Filing date: 2021-02-25
Publication date: 2023-04-04
Also published as: WO2022178789A1

Abstract

A distance measuring method, a distance measuring device, terminal equipment and a storage medium belong to the technical field of measurement. The method comprises the following steps: the method comprises the steps that a ranging terminal device UE receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter (101); the ranging UE determines a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request, wherein the ranging role comprises observation UE or target UE (102); the ranging UE performs ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role (103). By the ranging method, the two UEs to be ranged can be directly found based on the identification in the ranging service request, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be ranged can automatically carry out ranging, and the ranging efficiency is improved.

Description

Distance measuring method, distance measuring device, terminal equipment and storage medium

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of measurement technologies, and in particular, to a distance measuring method, apparatus, terminal device, and storage medium.

Background

The ranging technique mainly determines a distance parameter and/or a relative direction parameter between two nodes (e.g., two UEs). And, with the continuous popularization of terminal devices, the demand for distance measurement of terminal devices is becoming stronger and stronger, and the application of distance measurement technology in various fields (such as navigation, smart home, smart factory, positioning, etc.) is becoming more and more extensive. Therefore, a high-efficiency, high-precision, low-power consumption and automatic ranging method is needed to improve the user experience.

Disclosure of Invention

The distance measuring method, the distance measuring device, the terminal equipment and the storage medium are used for solving the problems of low efficiency, low precision, high power consumption and poor user experience of the distance measuring method in the related technology.

An embodiment of the disclosure provides a ranging method, including:

the method comprises the steps that a ranging terminal device UE receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the ranging UE determines a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier, wherein the ranging role comprises observation UE or target UE;

and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role.

The distance measurement method provided by another embodiment of the disclosure includes:

the ranging application server determines ranging UE;

and the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.

An embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure provides a ranging method, including:

a core network device (NEF) receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the NEF determines the AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identifier according to the identifier;

the NEF sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a ranging apparatus, including:

the system comprises a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module, wherein the receiving module is used for receiving a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, and the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the processing module is used for determining the ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request;

the processing module is further used for ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging roles.

a determining module, configured to determine a ranging UE;

and the sending module is used for sending a ranging service request to the ranging UE, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.

the processing module is used for determining the AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identifier according to the identifier;

a sending module, configured to send the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.

An embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure provides a terminal device, including: a transceiver; a memory; and the processor is respectively connected with the transceiver and the memory, is configured to control the transceiver to transmit and receive wireless signals by executing the computer-executable instructions on the memory, and can implement the method provided by the embodiment of the aspect.

An embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure provides an application server, including: a processor and a memory configured to execute computer-executable instructions on the memory and to implement the method set forth in another aspect of the disclosure above.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a core network device includes: a processor and a memory configured to execute computer-executable instructions on the memory and to implement the method set forth in the above-described embodiment of a further aspect of the present disclosure.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, enable the method described above to be implemented.

According to the ranging method, the ranging device, the terminal equipment and the computer storage medium provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging terminal equipment UE can receive a ranging service request which is sent by a ranging application server and comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter, and determines a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier, wherein the ranging role comprises observation UE or target UE, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the ranging parameter and the ranging role. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the identifier in the ranging service request, two UEs to be ranged can be directly found, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be ranged can automatically perform ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Additional aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

Drawings

The foregoing and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

fig. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a ranging method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of observing relative positions of a UE and a target UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 is an architecture diagram of a ranging service provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to still another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 19 is a block diagram of a terminal device UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

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

The terminology used in the embodiments of the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments of the present disclosure. As used in the disclosed embodiments 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 and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

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

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to the like or similar elements throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary and intended to be illustrative of the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

In the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, a ranging terminal device UE may receive a ranging service request including an identifier and a ranging parameter sent by a ranging application server, and determine a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request, where the ranging role includes an observation UE or a target UE, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the ranging parameter and the ranging role. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the identifier in the ranging service request, direct discovery can be performed between two UEs to be subjected to ranging, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be subjected to ranging can automatically perform ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

The ranging method, apparatus, UE, and storage medium provided by the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a UE, and as shown in fig. 1, the ranging method may include the following steps:

step 101, a ranging UE (User Equipment) receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter.

It should be noted that the ranging method of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to any UE. A UE may refer to a device providing voice and/or data connectivity to a user. The UE may communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN), and the UE may be an internet of things terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or called "cellular" phone), and a computer having the internet of things terminal, and may be a fixed, portable, pocket, handheld, computer-included, or vehicle-mounted device, for example. For example, a Station (STA), a subscriber unit (subscriber unit), a subscriber Station (subscriber Station), a mobile Station (mobile), a remote Station (remote Station), an access point, a remote terminal (remote), an access terminal (access terminal), a user equipment (user terminal), or a user agent (user agent). Alternatively, the UE may also be a device of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Or, the UE may also be a vehicle-mounted device, for example, a vehicle computer with a wireless communication function, or a wireless terminal externally connected to the vehicle computer. Alternatively, the UE may be a roadside device, for example, a street lamp, a signal lamp or other roadside device with a wireless communication function.

The ranging parameters may include ranging contents (e.g., a distance value between the observing UE and the target UE, an angle value, a direction from the target UE to the observing UE, etc.), quality of Service (QoS) requirements, and reporting periodicity, among others. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the identification of the ranging service request may include an identification of an observing UE and an identification of a target UE, wherein the observing UE may be a UE for performing a ranging operation. The observation UE is used to perform ranging for the target UE. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the observing UE may range the target UE based on the ranging parameters to generate a ranging result. Of course, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the identification of the ranging service request may include only the identification of the observing UE or the identification of the target UE. For example, if the ranging service request is sent only to the observing UE, the identity of the ranging service request may only include the identity of the target UE, so that the observing UE may determine the target UE according to the identity of the target UE.

As an example, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of relative positions of an observing UE and a target UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 2, the observing UE has a reference plane and a reference direction. And, the direction from the target UE to the observing UE may be a direction pointing to the reference direction from a connection line of the observing UE and the target UE, that is, a direction a shown in fig. 2. Where the direction from the target UE to the observation UE may be represented by an azimuth direction and an elevation direction of the target UE, as can be seen with reference to fig. 2, the azimuth direction of the target UE is an angle formed from the reference direction to a line projected from the observer UE to the target UE on the same plane as the reference direction orthogonal to the zenith. And the target UE is also provided with an elevation direction, and the elevation direction is a direction from the horizontal plane to observe a connecting line between the UE and the target UE.

The observing UE can measure the distance between the target UE and the observing UE and the direction from the target UE to the observing UE as shown in fig. 2. The ranging service can be performed regardless of the presence or absence of 5G coverage.

As shown in fig. 3, the ranging service architecture includes a ranging application server AF for generating a ranging service request, an observation UE a, and a target UE B, where the observation UE a may perform ranging on the target UE B based on the ranging service request sent by the ranging application server AF. And, referring to fig. 3, the distance measurement application server AF and the observation UE a may implement interaction based on an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and a Network Exposure Function (NEF) in a 3GPP control plane. Similarly, the interaction between the AF and the target UE B may also be implemented based on the AMF and the NEF in the 3GPP control plane.

Step 102, the ranging UE determines a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request, wherein the ranging role comprises observation UE or target UE.

As a possible implementation manner, the method for the ranging UE to determine the ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request may include:

if the identification of the ranging UE is consistent with the identification of the observation UE, determining the ranging role of the ranging UE as the observation UE; and if the identification of the ranging UE is consistent with the identification of the target UE, determining the ranging role of the ranging UE as the target UE.

And 103, the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role.

According to the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging terminal device UE can receive the ranging service request which is sent by the ranging application server and comprises the identifier and the ranging parameter, and determines the ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the ranging parameter and the ranging role. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the identifier in the ranging service request, two UEs to be ranged can be directly found, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be ranged can automatically perform ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging UE, and as shown in fig. 4, the method may include:

step 201, performing ranging service authentication on the ranging UE.

As a possible implementation manner, performing ranging service authentication on the ranging UE may include authorizing the ranging service of the ranging UE, and specifically may include: mutual discovery of two UEs to be ranged, privacy, or specification of ranging service policies or ranging parameters.

Step 202, a PDU (Packet Data Unit) session is established between the ranging UE and the ranging application server.

After a PDU session is established between the ranging UE and the ranging application server, the ranging UE and the ranging application server can communicate at an application program layer through the PDU session.

In step 203, the ranging UE receives a ranging service request sent by the ranging application server through a PDU session, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter.

And step 204, the ranging UE determines the ranging role of the ranging UE as the observation UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request.

Step 205, the ranging UE determines the target UE according to the identifier of the target UE.

As a possible implementation manner, the ranging UE may broadcast the identifier of the target UE, so that each UE receives the identifier of the target UE, compares the identifier of the UE with the identifier of the target UE, and when the identifier of a certain UE is consistent with the identifier of the target UE, determines that the certain UE is the target UE, and the target UE may feed back notification information to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE determines the target UE based on the notification information.

In step 206, the ranging UE performs ranging on the target UE according to the ranging parameters.

As a possible implementation, the ranging UE may implement ranging on the target UE by determining a distance, an angle between the ranging UE and the target UE, and a direction from the target UE to the ranging UE.

Step 207, the ranging UE generates a ranging result and feeds back the ranging result to the ranging application server through the PDU session.

According to the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the observation UE can receive the ranging service request which is sent by the ranging application server and comprises the identifier and the ranging parameter through the PDU session, and the target UE is determined according to the identifier in the ranging service request, so that the observation UE can perform ranging on the target UE according to the ranging parameter to generate a ranging result, and the ranging result is fed back to the ranging application server. Therefore, the observation UE and the ranging application server in the embodiment of the disclosure can realize the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result on the application program layer based on the PDU session, so that the starting of the ranging service can be realized on the basis of the application program layer, the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging UE, and as shown in fig. 5, the method may include:

step 301, performing ranging service authentication on the ranging UE.

Step 302, a PDU session is established between the ranging UE and the ranging application server.

Step 303, the ranging UE receives a ranging service request sent by the ranging application server through the PDU session, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter.

Step 304, the ranging UE determines the ranging role of the ranging UE as the target UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request.

Step 305, the ranging UE determines the observation UE according to the identity of the observation UE.

As a possible implementation manner, the ranging UE may broadcast the identifier of the observing UE, so that each UE receives the identifier of the observing UE, compares the identifier of the UE with the identifier of the observing UE, determines a certain UE as the observing UE when the identifier of the certain UE is consistent with the identifier of the observing UE, and the observing UE may feed back notification information to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE determines the observing UE based on the notification information.

Step 306, the ranging UE sends the ranging parameter to the observing UE, so that the observing UE performs ranging on the ranging UE according to the ranging parameter.

In one possible implementation manner, after the observation UE completes ranging on the ranging UE to generate a ranging result, the ranging result is directly fed back to the ranging application server.

In another possible implementation manner, after the UE finishes ranging the ranging UE to generate the ranging result, the ranging result is fed back to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE forwards the ranging result to the ranging application server based on the PDU session.

According to the distance measuring method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the target UE can receive the distance measuring service request which is sent by the distance measuring application server and comprises the identification and the distance measuring parameter through the PDU session, the observation UE is determined according to the identification in the distance measuring service request, and the distance measuring parameter is sent to the observation UE, so that the observation UE can measure the distance of the distance measuring UE according to the distance measuring parameter. Therefore, the target UE and the ranging application server in the embodiment of the disclosure can realize the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result on the application program layer based on the PDU session, so that the starting of the ranging service can be realized on the basis of the application program layer, the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging UE, and as shown in fig. 6, the method may include:

step 401, perform ranging service authentication on the ranging UE.

Step 402, the ranging UE receives a ranging service request forwarded by a core network device serving the ranging UE from a ranging application server.

The core network device may include an AMF and a NEF, and the ranging service request may be sent by the ranging application server to the AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF, and then forwarded to the ranging UE by the AMF serving the ranging UE; the AMF serving the ranging UE may be determined by the NEF by detecting UDM (Unified Data Management).

As a possible implementation manner, the method for determining, by the NEF, the AMF serving the ranging UE by detecting the unified data management UDM may include:

the NEF inquires a Unified Data Management (UDM) according to the identification of the observation UE and the identification of the target UE; if the NEF inquires a first AMF serving the observation UE, the NEF determines the observation UE as a ranging UE and sends a ranging service request to the first AMF; if the NEF inquires a second AMF serving the target UE, the NEF determines the target UE as the ranging UE and sends the ranging service request to the second AMF; if the NEF inquires a first AMF serving the target UE and a second AMF serving the observer UE, the NEF determines any one of the target UE and the observer UE as a ranging UE, and transmits a ranging service request to the AMF serving the ranging UE (i.e., any one of the first AMF and the second AMF).

In step 403, the ranging UE determines the ranging role of the ranging UE as the observation UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request.

Step 404, the ranging UE determines the target UE according to the identifier of the target UE.

Step 405, the ranging UE performs ranging on the target UE according to the ranging parameters.

In step 406, the ranging UE generates a ranging result and feeds back the ranging result to the AMF serving the ranging UE, so that the AMF serving the ranging UE (i.e. the AMF corresponding to the ranging UE) forwards the ranging result to the ranging application server.

According to the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the observation UE can receive the ranging service request which is sent by the ranging application server and comprises the identifier and the ranging parameter through the core network equipment AMF and the NEF corresponding to the observation UE, and the target UE is determined according to the identifier in the ranging service request, so that the observation UE can perform ranging on the target UE according to the ranging parameter to generate a ranging result, and the ranging result is fed back to the ranging application server. As can be seen from fig. 3, the core network devices AMF and NEF are substantially located in the 3GPP control plane. Therefore, in the embodiment of the disclosure, the observation UE and the ranging application server can realize the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result on the 3GPP control plane, that is, the starting of the ranging service can be realized based on the 3GPP control plane, so that the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the low-delay ranging service can be ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging UE, and as shown in fig. 7, the method may include:

step 501, performing ranging service authentication on the ranging UE.

Step 502, the ranging UE receives a ranging service request forwarded by a core network device serving the ranging UE from a ranging application server.

Step 503, the ranging UE determines the ranging role of the ranging UE as the target UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request.

In step 504, the ranging UE determines the observing UE according to the identifier of the observing UE.

And 505, the ranging UE sends the ranging parameter to the observing UE, so that the observing UE performs ranging on the ranging UE according to the ranging parameter.

In one possible implementation manner, after the observation UE performs ranging on the ranging UE to obtain a ranging result, the ranging result is directly fed back to the ranging application server.

In another possible implementation manner, the observation UE obtains a ranging result after performing ranging on the ranging UE, and sends the ranging result to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE forwards the ranging result to the AMF corresponding to the ranging UE, and the AMF corresponding to the ranging UE forwards the ranging result to the ranging application server.

In the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the target UE may receive, through the core network device (i.e., the AMF and the NEF in the 3GPP control plane) corresponding to the target UE, a ranging service request including an identifier and a ranging parameter sent by the ranging application server, determine the observation UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request, and send the ranging parameter to the observation UE, so that the target UE performs ranging on the ranging UE according to the ranging parameter. Therefore, in the embodiment of the disclosure, the observation UE and the ranging application server can realize the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result on the 3GPP control plane, that is, the starting of the ranging service can be realized based on the 3GPP control plane, so that the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the low-delay ranging service can be ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 8 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 8, the method may include:

step 601, the ranging application server determines the ranging UE.

Step 602, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the identifier of the ranging service request includes an identifier of the observation UE and an identifier of the target UE, and the ranging UE performs ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the ranging UE is an observation UE, the ranging application server may also receive a ranging result transmitted by the ranging UE.

According to the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging application server can send the ranging service request including the identifier and the ranging parameter to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, direct discovery between two UEs to be subjected to ranging can be performed based on the identifier in the ranging service request, so that ranging can be performed automatically by the ranging UE among the two UEs to be subjected to ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 9, the method may include:

step 701, a PDU session is established between the ranging UE and the ranging application server.

In step 702, the ranging application server determines a ranging UE.

In step 703, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the PDU session.

In step 704, the ranging application server receives the ranging result through the PDU session.

According to the ranging method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging application server can send the ranging service request including the identifier and the ranging parameter to the ranging UE through the PDU session, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter. Therefore, the ranging UE and the ranging application server in the embodiment of the disclosure can realize the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result on the application program layer based on the PDU session, so that the starting of the ranging service can be realized on the basis of the application program layer, the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Fig. 10 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 10, the method may include:

step 801, a PDU session is established between a ranging UE and a ranging application server.

Step 802, the ranging application server determines a ranging UE.

Step 803, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the PDU session, where the ranging UE is an observation UE.

In step 804, the ranging application server receives the ranging result through the PDU session.

Fig. 11 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied in a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 11, the method may include:

step 901, a PDU session is established between the ranging UE and the ranging application server.

In step 902, the ranging application server determines a ranging UE.

Step 903, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the PDU session, where the ranging UE is a target UE.

In step 904, the ranging application server receives the ranging result through the PDU session.

Fig. 12 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied in a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 12, the method may include:

in step 1001, the ranging application server determines a ranging UE.

In step 1002, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the core network device.

The core network device may include an AMF and an NEF, and as a possible implementation manner, the method for the ranging application server to send the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the core network device may include: the ranging application server sends the ranging service request to an AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF, so that the AMF forwards the ranging service request to the ranging UE. Wherein the AMF serving the ranging UE may be determined by the NEF by detecting the unified data management UDM.

Wherein if the NEF queries the AMF serving the observation UE, the NEF sends a ranging service request to the AMF serving the observation UE; if the NEF inquires the AMF serving the target UE, the NEF sends a ranging service request to the AMF serving the target UE; if the NEF inquires the AMF serving the target UE and the AMF serving the observer UE, the NEF transmits a ranging service request to any one of the AMF serving the target UE and the AMF serving the observer UE.

And step 1003, the ranging application server receives the ranging result fed back by the core network device.

As a possible implementation manner, the method for the ranging application server to receive the ranging result sent by the ranging UE may include: the ranging application server receives the ranging result sent by the AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF.

In the ranging method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging application server may send a ranging service request including an identifier and a ranging parameter to the ranging UE through the core network device (i.e., the AMF and the NEF in the 3GPP control plane), and receive a ranging result. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging UE and the ranging application server may implement the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result in the 3GPP control plane, that is, may implement the starting of the ranging service based on the 3GPP control plane, so as to ensure the automation of the ranging method, ensure the low-delay ranging service, improve the ranging efficiency and precision, reduce the power consumption, and improve the user experience.

Fig. 13 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied in a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 13, the method may include:

in step 1101, the ranging application server determines a ranging UE.

Step 1102, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the core network device, where the ranging UE is an observation UE.

Step 1103, the ranging application server receives the ranging result fed back by the core network device.

As a possible implementation, the ranging application server may receive the ranging result fed back by the NEF, and the NEF receives the ranging result through the AMF serving the observing UE.

In the ranging method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging application server may send a ranging service request including an identifier and a ranging parameter to the ranging UE through the core network device (i.e., the AMF and the NEF in the 3GPP control plane), and receive a ranging result. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging UE and the ranging application server may implement the exchange of the ranging service request and the ranging result in the 3GPP control plane, that is, the starting of the ranging service may be implemented based on the 3GPP control plane, so as to ensure the automation of the ranging method, ensure the low-delay ranging service, improve the ranging efficiency and precision, reduce the power consumption, and improve the user experience.

Fig. 14 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied in a ranging application server, and as shown in fig. 14, the method may include:

step 1201, the ranging application server determines the ranging UE.

Step 1202, the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE through the core network device, where the ranging UE is a target UE.

Step 1203, the ranging application server receives a ranging result fed back by the core network device.

Fig. 15 is a schematic flowchart of a ranging method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to the NEF, and as shown in fig. 15, the method may include:

in step 1301, the nef receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter.

In step 1302, the nef determines an AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identity based on the identity.

As a possible implementation manner, the method for the NEF to determine, according to the identifier, the AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identifier may include:

And step 1303, the NEF sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.

As a possible implementation manner, after the NEF sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF, the ranging UE may perform ranging based on the ranging parameter to obtain a ranging result, and send the ranging result to the NEF, so that the NEF forwards the ranging result to the ranging application server.

In the ranging method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging application server may send a ranging service request including an identifier and a ranging parameter to the ranging UE through the AMF and the NEF in the 3GPP control plane. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging UE and the ranging application server may implement the exchange of the ranging service request in the 3GPP control plane, that is, may implement the starting of the ranging service based on the 3GPP control plane, so as to ensure the automation of the ranging method, ensure the low-delay ranging service, improve the ranging efficiency and precision, reduce the power consumption, and improve the user experience.

Fig. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to an embodiment of the disclosure, and as shown in fig. 15, a distance measuring device 1600 may include:

a first receiving module 1601, configured to receive a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter;

a processing module 1602, configured to determine a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request;

the processing module is further used for ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role.

The ranging apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured in any UE to perform any of the ranging methods in fig. 1 to 7.

According to the ranging device provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging terminal equipment UE can receive the ranging service request which is sent by the ranging application server and comprises the identification and the ranging parameters, and determines the ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identification in the ranging service request, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the identifier in the ranging service request, two UEs to be ranged can be directly found, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be ranged can automatically perform ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

In one possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the identifier includes an identifier of an observing UE and an identifier of a target UE, where the processing module 1602 is further configured to:

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, when the ranging UE determines that the ranging role is an observing UE, the processing module 1602 is further configured to: and determining target UE according to the identifier of the target UE, and ranging the target UE according to the ranging parameters.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the apparatus is further configured to: and sending the ranging result to the ranging application server.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, when the ranging UE determines that the ranging role is the target UE, the processing module 1602 is further configured to: determining the observation UE according to the identification of the observation UE; and sending the ranging parameters to the observation UE, wherein the observation UE carries out ranging on the ranging UE according to the ranging parameters.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the receiving module 1601 is further configured to: and receiving the ranging service request sent by the ranging application server through a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the apparatus is further configured to: and sending the ranging result to the ranging application server through the PDU session.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the apparatus is further configured to: and sending a ranging result to core network equipment, wherein the core network equipment comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF).

It should be noted that the foregoing explanations on the embodiments of the distance measuring method shown in fig. 1 to fig. 7 also apply to the distance measuring device 1600 shown in fig. 16, and are not repeated herein.

Fig. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 17, a distance measuring device 1700 may include:

a determining module 1701 for determining ranging UEs;

a sending module 1702, configured to send a ranging service request to the ranging UE, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the ranging UE performs ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.

The ranging apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured in a ranging application server to perform any one of the ranging methods shown in fig. 8 to 14.

According to the ranging device provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging application server can send the ranging service request comprising the identifier and the ranging parameter to the ranging UE, so that the ranging UE can perform ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the identifier in the ranging service request, two UEs to be ranged can be directly found, so that the ranging UE in the two UEs to be ranged can automatically perform ranging, the ranging efficiency and accuracy are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

In one possible implementation form of the present disclosure, when the ranging UE is an observation UE, the apparatus is further configured to: and receiving a ranging result sent by the ranging UE.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the identification of the ranging service request includes an identification of the observing UE and an identification of the target UE.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the sending module 1702 is further configured to: and sending the ranging service request to the ranging UE through a PDU session.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the apparatus is further configured to: and receiving the ranging result through the PDU session.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the sending module 1702 is further configured to: and sending the ranging service request to the ranging UE through core network equipment.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the core network devices are an AMF and a network open function NEF, where the sending module 1702 is further configured to: sending the ranging service request to an AMF serving the ranging UE, so that the AMF forwards the ranging service request to the ranging UE.

Further, in another possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the receiving module 1701 is further configured to: receiving the ranging result sent by the AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF.

It should be noted that the foregoing explanations of the embodiments of the distance measuring method shown in fig. 8-14 are also applicable to the distance measuring device 1700 shown in fig. 17, and are not repeated here.

Fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a distance measuring device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 18, the distance measuring device 1800 may include:

a receiving module 1801, configured to receive a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, where the ranging service request includes an identifier and a ranging parameter;

a processing module 1802, configured to determine, according to the identifier, an AMF serving a ranging UE corresponding to the identifier;

a sending module 1803, configured to send the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.

The ranging apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured in a ranging application server to perform the ranging method shown in fig. 15.

According to the ranging device provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the ranging application server and the ranging UE can realize the exchange of the ranging service request on the 3GPP control plane through the ranging device, that is, the starting of the ranging service can be realized based on the 3GPP control plane, so that the automation of the ranging method is ensured, the low-delay ranging service can be ensured, the ranging efficiency and precision are improved, the power consumption is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

In one possible implementation form of the present disclosure, the identifier includes an identifier of an observing UE and an identifier of a target UE, where the determining module 1802 is further configured to: inquiring a Unified Data Management (UDM) according to the identifier of the observation UE and the identifier of the target UE; if a first AMF serving the observed UE is queried, sending the ranging service request to the first AMF; if a second AMF serving the target UE is inquired, sending the ranging service request to the second AMF; transmitting the ranging service request to any one of the first AMF and the second AMF if the first AMF and the second AMF serving the target UE and the observing UE are queried.

In order to implement the above embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a computer storage medium.

The computer storage medium provided by the embodiment of the disclosure stores an executable program; after being executed by the processor, the executable program can implement the ranging method provided by any of the foregoing technical solutions, for example, as at least one of fig. 1 to 15.

In order to implement the above embodiments, the present disclosure also proposes a computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the ranging method as described before.

In addition, in order to implement the above embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a computer program, which when executed by a processor, implements the ranging method described in fig. 1 to 7 or fig. 8 to 14 of the present disclosure.

Fig. 19 is a block diagram of a terminal device UE1900 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the UE1900 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal device, a messaging device, a gaming console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, and so forth.

Referring to fig. 19, the ue1900 may include at least one of the following components: processing components 1902, memory 1904, power components 1906, multimedia components 19015, audio components 1910, input/output (I/O) interfaces 1912, sensor components 1914, and communication components 1916.

The processing component 1902 generally controls overall operation of the UE1900, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing assembly 1902 may include at least one processor 1920 executing instructions to perform all or a portion of the steps of the method described above. Further, the process component 1902 can include at least one module that facilitates interaction between the process component 1902 and other components. For example, the processing component 1902 can include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 19015 and the processing component 1902.

The memory 1904 is configured to store various types of data to support operations at the UE 1900. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the UE1900, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, and so forth. The memory 1904 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile memory device or combination thereof, 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 component 1906 provides power to the various components of the UE 1900. The power components 1906 can include a power management system, at least one power supply, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the UE 1900.

The multimedia component 1908 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the UE1900 and the user. 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 an input signal from a user. The touch panel includes at least one touch sensor to sense touch, slide, and gesture on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundary of a touch or slide action, but also detect a wake-up time and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 1908 includes a front-facing camera and/or a rear-facing camera. The front-facing camera and/or the rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data when the UE1900 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

Audio component 1910 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 1910 includes a Microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when the UE1900 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal may further be stored in the memory 1904 or transmitted via the communication component 1916. In some embodiments, audio component 1910 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

The I/O interface 1912 provides an interface between the processing component 1902 and peripheral interface modules, which may be keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

The sensor component 1914 includes at least one sensor to provide various aspects of state assessment for the UE 1900. For example, the sensor component 1914 can detect an open/closed state of the device 1900, relative positioning of components such as a display and keypad of the UE1900, a change in position of the UE1900 or a component of the UE1900, presence or absence of user contact with the UE1900, orientation or acceleration/deceleration of the UE1900, and a change in temperature of the UE 1900. The sensor component 1914 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of a nearby object without any physical contact. The sensor component 1914 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 1914 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The communication component 1916 is configured to facilitate communications between the UE1900 and other devices in a wired or wireless manner. The UE1900 may access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi,2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 1916 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast associated information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 1916 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 UE1900 may be implemented by at least one Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Digital Signal Processing Device (DSPD), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other electronic components for performing the above-described method.

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

It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

A method of ranging, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that a ranging terminal device UE receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the ranging UE determines a ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier, wherein the ranging role comprises observation UE or target UE;

and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role.
The method of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises an identification of an observing UE and an identification of a target UE, wherein the ranging UE determines a ranging role for the ranging UE based on the identification in the ranging service request, comprising:

if the identification of the ranging UE is consistent with the identification of the observation UE, the ranging UE determines the ranging role of the ranging UE as the observation UE; and

and if the identification of the ranging UE is consistent with the identification of the target UE, the ranging UE determines that the ranging role of the ranging UE is the target UE.
The method of claim 2, wherein when the ranging UE determines that the ranging role is an observing UE, the ranging UE ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role, comprising:

the ranging UE determines target UE according to the identification of the target UE;

and the ranging UE carries out ranging on the target UE according to the ranging parameters.
The method of claim 2, further comprising:

and the ranging UE sends the ranging result to the ranging application server.
The method of claim 2, wherein when the ranging UE determines that the ranging role is the target UE, the ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging role comprises:

the ranging UE determines observation UE according to the identification of the observation UE;

and the ranging UE sends the ranging parameters to the observation UE, wherein the observation UE carries out ranging on the ranging UE according to the ranging parameters.
The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the ranging UE receiving a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, comprises:

and the ranging UE receives the ranging service request sent by the ranging application server through a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session.
The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

and the ranging UE sends the ranging result to the ranging application server through the PDU session.
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

and the ranging UE sends a ranging result to core network equipment, and the core network equipment comprises an access and mobility management function AMF.
A method of ranging, comprising:

the ranging application server determines ranging UE;

and the ranging application server sends a ranging service request to the ranging UE, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.
The method of claim 9, further comprising:

and the ranging application server receives the ranging result sent by the ranging UE.
The method of claim 9, wherein the identification of the ranging service request comprises an identification of an observing UE and an identification of a target UE.
The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the ranging application server sending a ranging service request to the ranging UE, comprising:

and the ranging application server sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through a PDU session.
The method of claim 12, wherein the ranging application server receives ranging results, comprising:

and the ranging application server receives the ranging result through the PDU session.
The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the ranging application server sending a ranging service request to the ranging UE, comprising:

and the ranging application server sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through core network equipment.
The method of claim 14, wherein the core network device comprises an AMF and a network open function (NEF), and wherein the sending, by the ranging application server, the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the core network device comprises:

the ranging application server sends the ranging service request to an AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF, so that the AMF forwards the ranging service request to the ranging UE.
The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving, by the ranging application server, the ranging result sent by the ranging UE comprises:

the ranging application server receives the ranging result sent by the AMF serving the ranging UE through the NEF.
A method of ranging, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that a NEF receives a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the NEF determines the AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identifier according to the identifier;

the NEF sends the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.
The method of claim 17, wherein the identification comprises an identification of an observing UE and an identification of a target UE, wherein the NEF determines, from the identification, an AMF serving a ranging UE to which the identification corresponds, comprising:

the NEF inquires a Unified Data Management (UDM) according to the identification of the observation UE and the identification of the target UE;

if the NEF queries a first AMF serving the observed UE, the NEF sends the ranging service request to the first AMF;

if the NEF inquires a second AMF serving the target UE, the NEF sends the ranging service request to the second AMF;

if the NEF queries a first AMF and a second AMF serving the target UE and the observation UE, the NEF transmits the ranging service request to any one of the first AMF and the second AMF.
A ranging apparatus, comprising:

the system comprises a receiving module, a sending module and a processing module, wherein the receiving module is used for receiving a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, and the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the processing module is used for determining the ranging role of the ranging UE according to the identifier in the ranging service request;

the processing module is further used for ranging according to the ranging parameters and the ranging roles.
A ranging apparatus, comprising:

a determining module, configured to determine a ranging UE;

and the sending module is used for sending a ranging service request to the ranging UE, wherein the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter, and the ranging UE carries out ranging according to the identifier and the ranging parameter.
A ranging apparatus, comprising:

the system comprises a receiving module, a ranging module and a processing module, wherein the receiving module is used for receiving a ranging service request sent by a ranging application server, and the ranging service request comprises an identifier and a ranging parameter;

the processing module is used for determining the AMF serving the ranging UE corresponding to the identifier according to the identifier;

a sending module, configured to send the ranging service request to the ranging UE through the AMF.
A terminal device, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; a processor, coupled to the transceiver and the memory, respectively, configured to control the transceiver to transmit and receive wireless signals by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 8.
An application server, comprising: a processor and memory configured to carry out the computer-executable instructions on the memory and to enable the method of any one of claims 9 to 16 to be carried out.
A core network device, comprising: a processor and memory configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 17 to 18 by executing computer executable instructions on said memory.
A computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; the computer executable instructions, when executed by a processor, are capable of implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 or 9 to 16 or 17 to 18.