A network resource allocation method and related device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a network resource allocation method and related equipment, which are applied to the technical field of communication and include the following steps: a first device determines a communication channel to be occupied, the communication channel is located between the first device and a second device; the first device determines a time domain starting position corresponding to a first time period; the time domain starting position is scheduled by a centralized control unit; the first device judges whether the communication channel can be occupied within the first time period; when the first device determines that the communication channel can be occupied, the first device occupies the communication channel within a second time period and communicates with the second device through the communication channel; wherein the first time period is located before the second time period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network resource allocation method and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is a non-contact automatic identification technology. Specifically, the reader sends an excitation signal to the tag to charge it. After receiving the signal from the reader, the tag sends a feedback signal back to the reader through a reflected signal. In this way, the reader can identify the tag and perform read and write operations on it.

[0003] Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems also include centralized control units (such as base stations) to control and schedule the link resources used by readers to communicate with tags and the timing of readers' signal transmission. Existing centralized control units control the communication process of each reader separately according to the needs of each reader. Therefore, the RFID communication between each reader and tag is independent and there is no coordination between them.

[0004] Because the communication process between readers is uncoordinated, simultaneous communication between readers in close proximity will cause interference, affecting RFID communication quality and reducing reader coverage. Therefore, how to rationally schedule RFID communication among readers, fully utilize time-domain resources, and improve the communication efficiency of each reader has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a network resource allocation method and related equipment; used to control RFID communication between readers, coordinate network resource scheduling, reduce mutual interference between readers during RFID communication, and thereby improve time domain resource utilization and communication efficiency of each reader.

[0006] A first aspect of this application provides a network resource allocation method, including:

[0007] When the first device and the second device communicate, it is necessary to first determine the communication channel to be occupied between the first device and the second device, and then determine the start position of the time domain corresponding to the first time period. The start position of the time domain is uniformly scheduled by the centralized control unit to determine the start position of the first time period. Then, the first device determines whether the communication channel to be occupied can be occupied in the first time period. If it can be occupied, it occupies the communication channel in the subsequent second time period and communicates with the second device through the communication channel.

[0008] In the above method, the centralized control unit uniformly schedules the time domain start position of the first device. Then, starting from the time domain start position, the first device does not send communication signals initially, but instead performs backoff listening for a first time period. This is only used to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied. If it can be occupied, the device will preempt the communication channel after the first time period and communicate through that channel. Since the first device has already performed backoff listening within the first device, and only uses the channel when it is determined that it can be occupied, the interference between multiple first devices during communication can be reduced. Multiple readers can make reasonable use of time domain resources. When interference is reduced, the communication efficiency and coverage of each reader can also be improved.

[0009] In an optional implementation, if the first device determines that the communication channel to be occupied is unavailable based on the listening results within the first time period, it can report a failure indication message to the central control unit to notify the central control unit that it has failed to occupy the communication channel. In this way, the central control unit can respond to the failure indication message and perform subsequent processing.

[0010] When the first device fails to occupy the communication channel, it can report its own occupation status to the centralized control unit. This allows the centralized control unit to know the communication status of each reader, which facilitates subsequent scheduling by the centralized control unit. This enables the centralized control unit to uniformly schedule multiple readers and ensures collaborative communication among multiple readers.

[0011] In one optional implementation, the first device needs to determine the duration of the first time period; for example, the first device can choose the length of the first time period for backoff listening based on a fixed range, or it can be uniformly determined by the central control unit; specifically, the central control unit can send a duration indication information to the first device, and then the first device determines the duration of its own first time period based on the duration indication information.

[0012] In the above embodiments, the centralized control unit uniformly sets the duration of the reader's backoff listening time, realizes unified scheduling, and further ensures the collaborative communication of multiple readers.

[0013] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit to the first device includes a duration range. The first device can then randomly determine a specific value within the duration range as the duration of the first time period, and then determine the first time period for backoff from eavesdropping based on the time domain start position and duration. The embodiments of this application provide a method for determining the first time period, which enriches the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0014] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit to the first device also includes a specific duration value. The first device can then determine this fixed value as the duration of the first time period, and then determine the first time period for backing off eavesdropping based on the time domain start position and duration. The embodiments of this application provide another method for determining the first time period, which enriches the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0015] In an optional implementation, the centralized control unit can schedule multiple first devices to simultaneously occupy multiple communication channels. Therefore, for a first device, the first device must first determine which of the multiple communication channels it can occupy. If the first device determines that there are multiple communication channels that can be occupied within a first time period, it can arbitrarily select one of the channels (the first channel) to occupy, and then use that channel to communicate with the second device.

[0016] In an optional implementation, if the first device determines that multiple communication channels can be occupied within a first time period, it can also report the identifiers of all the communication channels that it can occupy to the centralized control unit; then the centralized control unit selects a communication channel for the first device to communicate and notifies the first device through channel indication information; in this way, the first device can communicate with the second device according to the second channel selected for it by the centralized control unit.

[0017] In an optional implementation, when the first device finds that all communication channels are unavailable within a first time period, it can continue to listen for and acquire the identifiers of interfering devices, and then include the identifiers of these interfering devices in the reported failure indication information; it is understood that these interfering devices are other devices that have successfully occupied the communication channels and whose communication signals will cause interference to the first device.

[0018] In an optional implementation, after the first device successfully occupies the communication channel, the first device needs to send its corresponding identifier to the outside world during the communication process. In this way, the first devices can obtain each other's identifiers, identify the interfering device based on their own listening and detection process, and report it to the centralized control unit.

[0019] In one optional implementation, after successfully occupying the communication channel, the first device can use the communication channel for communication; after the communication ends, it needs to send a first indication message to the central control unit to notify the central control unit that the communication channel has been occupied. In this way, the central control unit can subsequently schedule other devices to occupy the channel, thereby improving the channel utilization efficiency.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the central control unit can also control the first device that has successfully occupied the communication channel. In some scenarios, even if the first device has successfully occupied the communication channel and is communicating, the central control unit can send a second instruction to interrupt its occupation of the communication channel.

[0021] The second aspect of this application provides another method for allocating network resources, including:

[0022] The centralized control unit can allocate a communication channel between the first device and the second device, and then schedule the corresponding time domain start position for the first device. In this way, the first device can determine its corresponding first time period based on the time domain start position, and then listen to the communication status of the communication channel during the first time period. If the communication channel can be occupied, it will directly occupy the communication channel and communicate with the second device; if it cannot be occupied, it will report to the centralized control unit. That is, the second device needs to report its occupation status to the centralized control unit through occupation indication information, and the centralized control unit will then perform subsequent processing based on the content of the occupation indication information.

[0023] In the above method, the centralized control unit uniformly schedules the time domain start position of the first device. Then, the first device first backs off listening within the first time period, determines whether the communication channel can be occupied, and reports the occupation status to the centralized control unit. This enables the centralized control unit to uniformly schedule multiple first devices, realize the collaborative communication of multiple first devices, and improve the communication efficiency and coverage of each reader.

[0024] In an optional implementation, when the first device fails to occupy a communication channel, it needs to send a failure indication message to the central control unit to notify the central control unit that all communication channels allocated to it are unavailable. In this way, the central control unit can perform subsequent processing. For example, it can reschedule the communication channel to be preempted and the time domain start position for the first device, so that the first device can re-occupy the communication channel.

[0025] In an optional implementation, when the first device determines that there is an available communication channel among multiple communication channels, it can report the identifier of the available communication channel to the central control unit. Then, the central control unit selects one channel (the first channel) from the multiple available communication channels and notifies the first device by sending a channel indication information. In this way, the first device occupies the channel according to the instruction of the central control unit and uses the channel to communicate with the second device.

[0026] In one optional implementation, the first device needs to determine the duration of the first time period; for example, it can be uniformly determined by the centralized control unit; specifically, the centralized control unit can send a duration indication information to the first device, and then the first device determines the duration of its own first time period according to the duration indication information.

[0027] In the above embodiments, the centralized control unit uniformly sets the duration of the reader's backoff listening time, realizes unified scheduling, and further ensures the collaborative communication of multiple readers.

[0028] The centralized control unit sends duration indication information to the first device; the duration indication information is used to instruct the first device to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period according to the duration indication information.

[0029] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit to the first device includes a duration range. The first device can then randomly determine a specific value within the duration range as the duration of the first time period, and then determine the first time period for backoff from eavesdropping based on the time domain start position and duration. The embodiments of this application provide a method for determining the first time period, which enriches the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0030] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit to the first device also includes a specific duration value. The first device can then determine this fixed value as the duration of the first time period, and then determine the first time period for backing off eavesdropping based on the time domain start position and duration. The embodiments of this application provide another method for determining the first time period, which enriches the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0031] In an optional implementation, when the first device finds that all communication channels are unavailable within a first time period, it can continue to listen for and acquire the identifiers of the interfering devices, and then include the identifiers of these interfering devices in the reported failure indication information; then the central control unit can adjust the power of the interfering signal to reduce interference.

[0032] In one optional implementation, after the central control unit obtains the identifier of the interference signal, it can also send a second indication message to the interference reader, which is used to interrupt the communication corresponding to the interference device.

[0033] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, the communication device comprising:

[0034] A determining unit is used to determine the communication channel to be occupied, wherein the communication channel is located between the communication device and the second device;

[0035] The determining unit is further configured to determine the time domain start position corresponding to the first time period; the time domain start position is scheduled by the centralized control unit;

[0036] The judgment unit is used to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied within the first time period;

[0037] An execution unit is configured to occupy the communication channel for a second time period when the determination unit determines that the communication channel is available, and communicate with the second device through the communication channel.

[0038] The first time period is located before the second time period.

[0039] In an optional implementation, the execution unit is further configured to report a failure indication message to the centralized control unit when the judgment unit determines that the communication channel is unusable.

[0040] In an optional implementation, the communication device further includes a receiving unit, specifically configured to receive duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit;

[0041] The determining unit is further configured to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information.

[0042] In an optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a duration range, and the determining unit is specifically used to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration range.

[0043] In an optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a first value, and the determining unit is specifically used to determine that the duration corresponding to the first time period is the first value.

[0044] In an optional implementation, if the determining unit determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the execution unit is specifically used to determine the first channel among the multiple available communication channels, occupy the first channel, and communicate with the second device through the first channel.

[0045] In an optional implementation, if the determining unit determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the execution unit is specifically used to report the identifiers corresponding to the multiple available communication channels to the centralized control unit; receive channel indication information sent by the centralized control unit; determine the second channel among the multiple available communication channels according to the channel indication information; occupy the second channel; and communicate with the second device through the first channel.

[0046] In an optional implementation, the failure indication information includes an identifier of an interfering device, wherein the interfering device is a communication device that successfully occupies the communication channel.

[0047] In an optional implementation, the communication device further includes a transmitting unit, which is used to transmit an identifier corresponding to the communication device.

[0048] In an optional implementation, the sending unit is further configured to send first indication information to the central control unit, the first indication information being used to indicate to the central control unit that the communication device has ended its occupation of the communication channel.

[0049] In an optional implementation, the receiving unit is further configured to receive second instruction information sent by the centralized control unit; the executing unit is further configured to terminate the occupation of the communication channel according to the second instruction information.

[0050] A fourth aspect of this application provides a centralized control device, the centralized control device comprising:

[0051] An allocation unit is configured to allocate at least one communication channel to a first device; the communication channel is located between the first device and the second device.

[0052] The processing unit is used to schedule the time domain start position corresponding to the first device, wherein the time domain start position is used to determine the first time period corresponding to the first device;

[0053] The receiving unit is used to receive the occupancy indication information sent by the first device, wherein the occupancy indication information is used to indicate the judgment result of the first device in determining whether the communication channel is available for occupancy within the first time period.

[0054] In an optional implementation, the occupancy indication information includes failure indication information; the failure indication information is used to indicate to the first device that the communication channel is unoccupiable.

[0055] In one optional implementation, the occupancy indication information includes an identifier corresponding to an available communication channel; the centralized control device further includes a transmitting unit; the processing unit is further configured to determine a first channel among the available communication channels based on the occupancy indication information.

[0056] The transmitting unit is used to transmit channel indication information to the first device; the channel indication information includes the channel identifier corresponding to the first channel.

[0057] In an optional implementation, the sending unit is configured to send duration indication information to the first device; the duration indication information is used to instruct the first device to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information.

[0058] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a preset duration range or a preset value.

[0059] In an optional implementation, the preemption indication information may also include the identifier of the interfering device.

[0060] In an optional implementation, the processing unit is further configured to adjust the power of the transmitted signal corresponding to the interference device.

[0061] In an optional implementation, the transmitting unit is configured to send a second indication message to the interference reader, the second indication message being used to instruct the interference reader to end its occupation of the communication channel.

[0062] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device, comprising: at least one processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions executable on the processor, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device performs the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0063] A sixth aspect of this application provides a centralized control device, comprising: at least one processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions executable on the processor, wherein when the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the centralized control device performs the method described in the second aspect above or any possible implementation thereof.

[0064] A seventh aspect of this application provides a network resource allocation system, comprising: a first device, a second device, and a centralized control device; one end of the first device is connected to the centralized control device, the other end of the first device is connected to the second device, and a communication channel exists between the first device and the second device;

[0065] The first device is the communication device described in any of the possible embodiments of the third aspect to the third aspect above.

[0066] The centralized control device is the centralized control device described in any of the possible embodiments of the fourth aspect to the fourth aspect above.

[0067] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform a network resource allocation method as described in any one of the possible embodiments of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0068] The ninth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and at least one processor being interconnected via a line, the at least one processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to perform the network resource allocation method described in any of the first aspects to any of the possible implementations of the first aspect;

[0069] The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, pins, or circuits.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the chip or chip system described above in this application further includes at least one memory storing instructions. The memory can be an internal storage unit of the chip, such as a register or cache, or it can be a storage unit of the chip itself (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, etc.).

[0071] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and at least one processor being interconnected via a line, the at least one processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to perform the network resource allocation method described in any of the second aspects to any of the possible implementations of the second aspect;

[0072] The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, pins, or circuits.

[0073] In one possible implementation, the chip or chip system described above in this application further includes at least one memory storing instructions. The memory can be an internal storage unit of the chip, such as a register or cache, or it can be a storage unit of the chip itself (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, etc.).

[0074] The eleventh aspect of this application provides a computer program product, which includes computer software instructions that can be loaded by a processor to implement the network resource allocation method of any one of the first to second aspects described above.

[0075] In this embodiment, the centralized control unit uniformly schedules the time domain start position of the first device. Then, starting from the time domain start position, the first device does not send communication signals initially, but instead performs backoff listening for a first time period. This is only used to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied. If it can be occupied, the device will preempt the communication channel after the first time period and communicate through the channel. Since the first device has already performed backoff listening within the first device, and only uses the channel when it is determined that it can be occupied, the interference between multiple first devices during communication can be reduced. Multiple readers can make reasonable use of time domain resources. When interference is reduced, the communication efficiency and coverage of each reader can also be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0076] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency identification system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency identification system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 3 A network architecture diagram of a radio frequency identification system provided in this application embodiment;

[0079] Figure 4 A time-domain schematic diagram of a backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a network resource allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 6 A time-domain schematic diagram of another backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0082] Figure 7 A time-domain schematic diagram of another backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0083] Figure 8 A time-domain schematic diagram of another backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0084] Figure 9 A time-domain schematic diagram of another backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0085] Figure 10 A time-domain schematic diagram of a centralized control unit performing fine-grained resource allocation, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0086] Figure 11 A time-domain schematic diagram of a centralized control unit performing fine-grained resource allocation, provided as an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 12 A time-domain schematic diagram of another network resource allocation provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0088] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0089] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a centralized control device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0090] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0091] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another centralized control device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0092] This application provides a network resource allocation method and related equipment; used to control RFID communication between readers, coordinate network resource scheduling, reduce mutual interference between readers during RFID communication, and thereby improve time domain resource utilization and communication efficiency of each reader.

[0093] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0094] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0095] Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a non-contact automatic identification technology. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio frequency identification system provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1As shown, the radio frequency identification (RFID) system includes a first device, such as a reader or a reader-writer, and a second device, such as a tag. The reader powers the tag by sending an excitation signal to the low-cost tag. After receiving the excitation signal from the reader, the tag responds to the excitation signal and sends a signaling message back to the reader via a reflected signal. In this way, the reader can both identify the tag's identifier and perform read and write operations on the tag, realizing communication between the reader and the tag.

[0096] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency identification system provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the reader can also adopt a split architecture, consisting of a receiver unit and a helper unit. The reader and the tag are connected by a forward link and a reverse link, while the receiver and the helper are connected by a forward uplink and a forward downlink. The helper is responsible for sending an excitation signal to the tag via the forward link. Upon receiving the excitation signal, the tag responds by sending a reflected signal back to the receiver via the reverse link. The receiver is responsible for generating RFID-related signaling and sending it to the helper, which then forwards it on the forward link to achieve communication.

[0097] The forward link between the helper and the receiver can use 5G new radio (NR) transmission technology. That is, when the receiver generates radio frequency identification technology-related signaling, it transmits it to the helper through 5G air interface technology, and the helper then forwards the signaling on the forward link.

[0098] Figure 3 A network architecture diagram of a radio frequency identification system provided in this application embodiment is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the reader not only needs to communicate with the tag through the forward and reverse links, but also needs to communicate with the centralized control unit, such as the base station. The centralized control unit can schedule and control the frequency domain resources of the forward link used by the reader and the reader's transmission behavior, thereby controlling the communication process between the reader and the tag.

[0099] Understandable, Figures 1 to 3 In the architecture shown, NR technology can be used between the central control unit and the reader. The forward link can continuously transmit excitation signal waveforms (continuous wave, CW) and can also send RFID signals such as Query and QueryRep.

[0100] Currently, multiple readers operate independently, and their communication processes with tags are also independent, lacking coordination. This leads to situations where multiple readers send communication signals simultaneously. Understandably, if multiple readers are close together, it is highly likely to cause interference between them, affecting the normal communication of each reader and reducing the reader's coverage area. If multiple readers are mechanically controlled to send communication signals at different times, it will waste resources and reduce the communication efficiency between readers and tags. Therefore, how to rationally allocate resources to readers and schedule multiple readers to communicate collaboratively has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0101] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a method and related equipment for allocating network resources. The reader utilizes a backoff eavesdropping mechanism to occupy network resources, which include time-domain and frequency-domain resources, thereby achieving a rational allocation of network resources and improving resource utilization efficiency. The backoff eavesdropping mechanism is described below.

[0102] The centralized control unit schedules the reader (first device) at the start position in the time domain on the forward link and allocates an available communication channel for the forward link. Starting from the start position in the time domain, the reader first goes through a first time period (backoff listening time). During this backoff listening time, the reader does not communicate but only listens to see if the communication channel is available. If the reader finds the channel available after backoff and listening, the reader can occupy the communication channel and communicate with the tag (second device) via RFID, for example, such as performing an inventory process. If the reader finds the channel unavailable after backoff and listening, meaning the reader cannot preempt the communication channel, then the reader needs to notify the centralized control unit that it failed to preempt the channel and wait for subsequent scheduling by the centralized control unit.

[0103] For example, Figure 4 A time-domain schematic diagram of a backoff eavesdropping mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application; as shown Figure 4 As shown, the centralized control unit allocates available communication channels for reader 1 and reader 2. For the same communication channel, the centralized control unit schedules the same time-domain start position for both readers, and both readers simultaneously begin the backoff and listening process. This is understandable. Figure 4 In the diagram, the horizontal line represents the time axis. Reader 1 has a shorter backoff listening time. Once Reader 1 finishes its backoff listening time and finds the communication channel available, it preempts the channel and communicates with the tag. Reader 2, on the other hand, has a longer backoff listening time. During this period, Reader 2 will detect that Reader 1 has already occupied the communication channel. Therefore, Reader 2 cannot preempt the channel and must notify the central control unit, indicating its failure to preempt the channel. The base station can then reschedule Reader 2.

[0104] For example, in the above example, reader 1 communicates with the tag using the communication channel. When the communication ends, it can also report the end of the communication to the central control unit. In this way, the central control unit can schedule the time domain start position for reader 2 that failed to preempt the channel and re-control reader 2 to preempt the communication channel again.

[0105] The following section provides a detailed description of the backoff eavesdropping mechanism, using specific examples:

[0106] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a network resource allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the network resource allocation method includes:

[0107] 501. The centralized control unit allocates at least one communication channel to the first device.

[0108] The centralized control unit needs to control and schedule the communication process of the reader (first device). When using the backoff eavesdropping mechanism to schedule network resources, the centralized control unit needs to first allocate available frequency domain resources, i.e., available communication channels, for the forward link. In this way, the reader can determine the communication channel it needs to eavesdrop on and preempt based on the allocation information from the centralized control unit. For example, the centralized control unit may instruct the reader to allocate communication resources in the following ways:

[0109] Method 1: The centralized control unit notifies the reader of the channel resources used, such as the resource block (RB) number, through control signaling. For example, the centralized control unit allocates RB2 from multiple RB resources to the forward link, directly indicating that the channel resource to be preempted by the reader is RB2. It can be understood that RB2 can be used for subsequent RFID communication between the reader and the tag.

[0110] Method 2: In frequency hopping scenarios, the centralized control unit can also notify the reader of the set of available communication channels and the starting channel through control signaling. In this way, the reader can determine the channel resources to be preempted based on the control signaling. For example, if the centralized control unit instructs the reader that the available channels are RB1 to RB8, the starting channel is RB2, and the frequency hopping step size can be 2, then the reader can determine that the channel resources to be preempted are RB2, RB4, RB6, and RB8.

[0111] Method 3: The centralized control unit can also notify the reader of the set of available channel resources, such as the set of RB resource numbers or the range of RB resources, through control signaling; the reader directly selects the channel to be preempted from the set of channel resources and conducts RFID communication with the second device (tag) based on the selected channel to be preempted.

[0112] Understandably, when the first device occupies a communication channel, its waiting communication channel may not be allocated by the centralized control unit, but may directly occupy the fixed communication channel between the first device and the second device, without any specific restrictions.

[0113] 502. The central control unit schedules the time domain start position corresponding to the first device.

[0114] The time-domain start position is used to determine the position of the reader's corresponding backoff listening time in the time domain. The reader uses this backoff listening time to determine whether it can occupy the communication channel for communication. Understandably, the centralized control unit can schedule the same time-domain start position for multiple readers that need to communicate, allowing each reader to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied based on its corresponding backoff listening time. Specifically, during the backoff listening time, the reader does not communicate but listens for relevant measurements. Thus, for one reader, if it detects interference from other readers' communication during the backoff listening time, it will not occupy the communication channel and will wait for subsequent scheduling by the centralized control unit. If no interference is detected, it can occupy the communication channel for communication. This reduces interference between multiple readers, improving their coverage and capacity. If multiple readers find no interfering readers during the backoff listening time, they can simultaneously occupy the communication channel, improving the efficiency of time-domain resource utilization and facilitating better resource allocation and scheduling by the centralized control unit.

[0115] 503. The first device determines the first time period (backoff listening time) based on the starting position in the time domain.

[0116] Specifically, the reader starts backing off from the time-domain start position indicated by the central control unit, with a fixed time length as the granularity. This fixed time length can be absolute time, such as microseconds (µs) (1µs or more), or relative time, such as several symbols (1 symbol or more symbols, depending on the subcarrier spacing used, corresponding to different symbol lengths), etc. There is no specific limitation. It can be understood that the reader does not transmit anything during the backoff listening time, but only listens.

[0117] The duration of the eavesdropping avoidance time can be determined in various ways, without any specific limitation. For example, it may include the following:

[0118] The first method involves the reader determining the duration itself. For example, in this system, the backoff listening time has a fixed range of values. The reader can randomly select a duration value within this range to determine the backoff listening time. For instance, if the range is 0 to 10 fixed durations, the reader can randomly select a value within this range. For example, if it selects 7, it will backoff for 7 fixed durations. The reader can have a fixed duration value or it can randomly select a value each time it attempts to preempt the other; there is no specific limitation.

[0119] The second method involves a centralized control unit instructing the reader on the duration of the backoff listening time. Specifically, the centralized control unit can send duration instruction information to the reader, and the reader then determines its own backoff listening time based on this instruction. For example, the centralized control unit can send a duration range to each reader. The centralized control unit can define multiple duration ranges and then instruct the reader to use which range. After receiving the duration range, the reader selects a value within that range to determine the final duration value. For example, the centralized control unit can directly notify the reader of a specific backoff value (the first value). For instance, the centralized control unit can directly notify reader 1 to backoff for 7 fixed time lengths and reader 2 to backoff for 10 fixed time lengths. The specific implementation is not limited.

[0120] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the centralized control unit schedules Reader 1 and Reader 2 to the same time-domain start position. Reader 1 has a backoff time of 4 fixed durations, and Reader 2 has a backoff time of 6 fixed durations. If Reader 1 finds that the communication channel is available before the end of its backoff listening time, it will occupy the communication channel and communicate. However, Reader 2 has a longer backoff listening time. If Reader 2 finds that Reader 1's communication will interfere with Reader 2 within the last 2 durations, then Reader 2 can consider the communication channel unavailable and needs to notify the centralized control unit that its channel occupancy has failed.

[0121] 504. The first device determines whether the communication channel can be occupied within the first time. If it can be occupied, then proceed to step 505. If it cannot be occupied, then proceed to step 506.

[0122] During the backoff listening period, the reader can evaluate whether the communication channel can be occupied from multiple aspects. Specifically, the reader can continuously measure a certain quantity during the backoff listening period. When the measured value of the quantity is higher than a certain threshold, or when the duration of the measured value being higher than a certain threshold is greater than the duration threshold, it is considered that the channel is occupied by other readers that can cause interference, and the reader fails to preempt the channel. Otherwise, the channel is considered to be idle and can be occupied.

[0123] The reader can measure the received reference signal power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), received reference signal quality (RSRQ), and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). The thresholds, limits, or duration limits for these measurements can be determined by the reader itself, or determined by the central control unit and then communicated to the reader; there is no specific limitation.

[0124] Optionally, the reader can also report the above measurement results to the central control unit, so that the central control unit can know the reader's transmission environment in a timely manner, and then formulate a more reasonable scheduling mechanism.

[0125] For example, the reader may measure the aforementioned quantities throughout the entire backoff time, or it may measure them only at intervals within a portion of the time period; for example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the reader's backoff time is four fixed durations. The reader can listen for the reference received signal strength for all four fixed durations, or only for a portion of the duration, such as only for the last fixed duration. During this backoff listening time, the reader measures the received signal strength on the channel. If the average value of the measured received signal strength exceeds a first threshold, or if the measured received signal strength exceeds the first threshold for more than half of the listening time (duration threshold), then the reader considers the channel to be occupied by an interfering reader, and therefore cannot preempt the communication channel; otherwise, it is considered that preemption is permissible.

[0126] 505. The first device occupies the communication channel and communicates with the tag through the communication channel.

[0127] Understandably, the centralized control unit can schedule multiple readers to preempt a single channel, or it can control them to preempt multiple channels simultaneously. When the centralized control unit schedules multiple readers to preempt a single channel, for a single reader, the channel is either preemptible or non-preemptible. When the single channel is available, it is directly occupied and communicates with the tag through the channel.

[0128] When multiple readers simultaneously attempt to acquire multiple channels, several scenarios may occur for a single reader: First, all channels are available, allowing the reader to choose any channel and successfully acquire it. Second, all channels are unavailable, resulting in a failed acquisition and execution of step 506. Third, some channels are available while others are unavailable. In one possible implementation, the reader directly selects one of the available channels, successfully acquiring it. Another possible implementation involves the reader not initially acquiring a channel but instead reporting available channels to the central control unit, which then selects a channel for the reader and notifies it via channel indication information, controlling its communication. Yet another possible implementation is that the reader may also determine that the acquisition failed and report the available channels to the central control unit for subsequent scheduling.

[0129] Optionally, after successfully occupying a channel, the reader can also notify the central control unit of its own occupation status, including the identifier of the channel it is currently occupying, so that the central control unit can be informed of the channel occupation status in a timely manner and formulate subsequent scheduling strategies. Optionally, after the communication between the reader and the tag that has successfully occupied the channel ends, the reader can also notify the central control unit that its communication has ended, so that the base station can reclaim the channel resources in a timely manner and schedule other readers to occupy the channel.

[0130] 506. The first device reports a failure indication to the centralized control unit.

[0131] A reader that fails to preempt a channel can notify the central control unit of its failure via a failure indication message. The central control unit can then know that the reader has failed to preempt a channel based on this failure indication message, and can promptly schedule the reader to preempt another channel.

[0132] Understandably, in this embodiment, the signaling or information exchanged between the centralized control unit and the reader can be radio resource control (RRC) signaling, such as system broadcast messages and RRC-specific signaling; Layer 2 signaling, such as medium access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer signaling; Layer 1 signaling, such as downlink control information (DCI) and uplink control information (UCI); or application layer signaling, etc. No specific limitation is imposed. A new signaling line can be added to indicate relevant information, or a new field can be added to the existing signaling to indicate relevant information; no specific limitation is imposed.

[0133] In the above embodiments, the centralized control unit can schedule the same time-domain start position for multiple readers that need to communicate. This allows multiple readers to determine whether the communication channel to be preempted can be occupied based on their corresponding backoff listening time. During the backoff listening time, the readers do not communicate but listen for relevant measurements. Thus, for one reader, if it detects interference from other readers' communication during the backoff listening time, it will no longer occupy the communication channel. If no interference is detected, it can occupy the communication channel for communication. This reduces the possibility of interference between multiple readers, which is beneficial to improving the coverage and capacity of the readers. If multiple readers find no readers interfering with each other during the backoff listening time, they can occupy the communication channel simultaneously. This improves the efficiency of time-domain resource utilization and is also beneficial for the centralized control unit to perform better resource allocation and scheduling in the future.

[0134] If the reader determines that it cannot occupy the communication channel during the entire backoff period, the centralized control unit needs to control and schedule its communication process. The following sections will describe several specific scenarios:

[0135] A reader that fails to seize the channel can send the identifier of the interfering reader to the central control unit, which will then adjust the transmission power of the interfering reader's communication signal.

[0136] Specifically, a reader that successfully preempts a communication channel can include its own reader identifier in the forward RFID signaling when communicating with the tag, so that other readers can know the identifier of the reader currently occupying the channel. Then, a reader that fails to preempt a channel can receive the forward RFID signaling sent by the reader that is currently occupying the channel for RFID communication, and decrypt the identifier of the interfering reader from the signaling, and report the identifier of the interfering reader to the central control unit. It can be understood that in multi-channel preemption, readers can report the identifier of the interfering reader on each non-preemptible channel to assist the central control unit in subsequent scheduling.

[0137] The reader's identifier can be a unique fixed identifier for each reader, a unique identifier within the network, or a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) used for communication between the reader and the centralized control unit; there are no specific limitations. The reader's identifier can be transmitted in newly added RFID signaling or in a newly added field of existing signaling; there are no specific limitations.

[0138] Optionally, the reader can also report its measurement results to the centralized control unit. This can include measurements of the entire channel, such as the measured values ​​of various quantities during the listening phase; it can also include measurements of interfering readers, such as measurements during the RFID signaling phase of attempting to decode other readers after determining that channel preemption has failed, or reporting both simultaneously. For measurements of interfering readers, the measured quantities can be received signal power, received signal strength, received signal quality, received signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, etc.; it can be a measurement of one or more parts of the RFID signaling format of the interfering reader, such as delimiter, data-0, RTcal, TRcal, and the data part of the signaling excluding the frame header, etc.; it can also be a measurement of the continuous wave part of the interfering reader, and there is no specific limitation.

[0139] Optionally, based on information such as interfering readers reported by the readers and measurement results, the base station can adjust the transmission power of the communication signals of multiple readers. For example, the base station can send power information to an interfering reader that is occupying the channel, instructing the interfering reader to adjust its power, such as instructing the interfering reader to reduce its RFID forward link power by 3dB, or instructing the interfering reader to set its RFID forward link power limit. The centralized control unit can also instruct newly scheduled readers to send power information, such as instructing the new reader to set its RFID forward link transmission power value, or instructing the new reader to set its RFID forward link power limit, or instructing the reader to reduce its RFID forward link power by 3dB based on the limit or default value, etc., without specific limitations.

[0140] In this embodiment, the reader that successfully preempts the channel sends its own identifier in the RFID signaling. This allows the reader that fails to preempt the channel to attempt to decode the identifier of the interfering reader and report it to the central control unit. This allows the base station to more accurately identify which readers may be interfering with each other and reduce the interference by adjusting the power, thereby increasing the resource utilization of the communication channel.

[0141] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the centralized control unit schedules readers 1 through 3 to have the same time-domain starting position. Then, the three readers simultaneously begin a random backoff and listening process. Readers 1 and 2 successfully preempt the channel and use it to communicate with the tag via RFID, including their own identifier in the RFID signaling. Reader 3 fails to preempt the channel and continues to attempt to decode the RFID signaling sent by other readers. It then learns that the interfering reader's identifier is 1. At this point, the reader needs to notify the base station that it failed to preempt the channel and report the interfering reader's identifier. This allows the centralized control unit to adjust the transmission power of interfering readers 1 and 3 to reduce interference between them.

[0142] A reader that fails to preempt the channel can send the identifier of the interfering reader to the central control unit, which will then issue a stop channel occupation indication to the central control unit.

[0143] The centralized control unit can control a reader that is currently occupying a channel for RFID communication to stop occupying the channel. For example, there are priority levels among multiple readers, and readers with higher priority need to occupy the communication channel as early as possible; therefore, when a high-priority reader fails to preempt the communication channel, it can obtain the identifier of the corresponding interfering reader and report the interfering reader identifier to the centralized control unit through a failure indication message.

[0144] The centralized control unit needs to determine the priority of the interference reader and the reader that reports failure indication information. If the interference reader is found to have a lower priority, it can send a stop channel occupation indication (second indication information) to the interference reader, instructing the interference reader to stop occupying the channel. Subsequently, the higher priority reader can be scheduled to preempt the channel. Optionally, after the interference reader ends the communication channel, it can notify the base station of the interruption.

[0145] For example, such as Figure 9As shown, the centralized control unit schedules Reader 1 and Reader 2 to the same resource starting position. Both readers simultaneously begin a random backoff and listening process. Reader 1 is a high-priority reader with a longer backoff time, while Reader 2 is a low-priority reader with a shorter backoff time. After the backoff and listening process, Reader 2 successfully preempts the channel and initiates RFID communication, while Reader 1 fails to preempt the channel. At this point, Reader 1 decodes the signaling and identifies Reader 2 as the interfering reader, then reports the interfering reader. Upon receiving this report, the base station discovers that Reader 2, acting as the interfering reader, has a lower priority than Reader 1, and therefore can notify Reader 2 to cease occupying the channel. Reader 1 can then be rescheduled to re-preempt the channel.

[0146] In one optional implementation, each reader can bind its backoff listening time to its priority level when determining the duration. That is, the reader determines its backoff listening time based on its own priority. Understandably, higher-priority readers have shorter backoff listening times, ensuring that higher-priority readers can occupy the channel more quickly. For example, if the backoff listening time ranges from 1 to 8 fixed time units, and the reader has 4 possible priorities, then in one possible implementation, the first priority (highest priority) reader's backoff listening time can be 1 to 2 fixed time units, the second priority reader's backoff listening time can be 3 to 4 fixed time units, the third priority reader's backoff listening time can be 5 to 6 fixed time units, and the fourth priority reader's backoff listening time can be 7 to 8 fixed time units. In another possible implementation, the first priority reader can have a backoff listening time of 1 to 2 fixed time units, the second priority reader's backoff listening time of 1 to 4 fixed time units, the third priority reader's backoff listening time of 1 to 6 fixed time units, and the fourth priority reader's backoff listening time of 1 to 8 fixed time units. The reader's priority can be a default priority, an instruction from the central control unit, or a priority determined by the reader itself according to a grading standard; there is no specific limitation. In one possible approach, the priority can be determined based on the number of times the reader fails to preempt the channel. For example, the reader has the lowest priority when it first preempts the channel, and its priority increases by one level for each subsequent failure, until it reaches the highest priority.

[0147] In the above embodiments, the readers are prioritized, and the central control unit needs to ensure that the highest priority reader occupies the channel as early as possible. In this way, the high priority reader is more likely to occupy the channel, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0148] The following describes the communication process of the centralized control unit controlling the reader:

[0149] like Figure 10As shown, the centralized control unit can perform fine-grained resource allocation. That is, the centralized control unit generates RFID forward signaling, sends the RFID signaling and fine-grained resource allocation information to the reader, and instructs the reader to forward the signaling on the forward link.

[0150] The centralized control unit needs to indicate the resource start position to the reader. Once the reader occupies the communication channel, the centralized control unit instructs the reader on the time interval between the end of receiving signaling and the start of transmission on the forward link. For example, this time can be an absolute time, such as a certain number of microseconds, or a relative time, such as the number of time slots or symbols. After this time interval, the reader begins transmitting signaling to the tag on the RFID forward link. Simultaneously, the centralized control unit can determine the reader's communication duration and notify the reader of this duration, allowing the reader to occupy the communication channel accordingly. Alternatively, the reader's communication duration can be uniquely determined by RFID signaling, in which case notification to the reader is unnecessary; the specific method is not limited.

[0151] Specifically, there are several ways for the centralized control unit to indicate the starting position of a resource to the reader. For example, the indication information can be carried in the control signaling, and the centralized control unit can send the scheduling control signaling corresponding to the RFID signaling to the reader; or the RFID inventory-related SMS signaling can be directly transmitted in the scheduling control signaling; for example, the signaling can also be indicated along the RFID signaling, such as through MAC CE, etc., without any specific limitation.

[0152] like Figure 11 As shown, the centralized control unit can also perform coarse-grained resource allocation. That is, the reader generates RFID signaling itself, and the centralized control unit only notifies the reader of coarse-grained resource allocation information, instructing it to send signaling on the forward link. The allocation of the starting position of resources under coarse-grained resource allocation can refer to the fine-grained resource allocation method, which will not be elaborated here. As for the indication of the occupation time, it can be indicated by the centralized control unit for the duration of continuous occupation of the communication channel, or it can be determined by the reader itself. That is, when the reader's RFID communication process ends, it stops occupying the channel and notifies the centralized control unit to end the inventory.

[0153] The reader determines the communication duration itself. When the reader's RFID communication process ends, it stops occupying the channel and actively notifies the central control unit that the inventory is complete.

[0154] In an optional embodiment, the reader does not perform random backoff and eavesdropping beforehand, but directly begins RFID communication. During communication, it is instructed to attempt to decode the RFID signaling of other readers and report the identifiers of the intercepting readers to the base station. Upon receiving this information, the base station can instruct certain readers to cease occupying the channel. Figure 12As shown, the centralized control unit schedules readers 1 to 3 to have the same time domain start position. The three readers simultaneously occupy the channel for communication. During the communication process, they monitor each other and identify the identifiers of the readers that are interfering with each other. As shown in the figure, readers 2 and 3 are interfering with each other. At this time, the situation can be reported, and the centralized control unit sends a stop occupation command to reader 2. Reader 2 then stops the communication process to ensure the normal communication of reader 3.

[0155] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application; as shown below. Figure 13 As shown, the communication device includes:

[0156] The determining unit 1301 is used to determine the communication channel to be occupied, wherein the communication channel is located between the communication device and the second device;

[0157] The determining unit 1301 is further configured to determine the time domain start position corresponding to the first time period; the time domain start position is scheduled by the centralized control unit.

[0158] The judgment unit 1302 is used to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied during the first time period;

[0159] The execution unit 1303 is configured to occupy the communication channel during a second time period when the determination unit 1302 determines that the communication channel is available, and communicate with the second device through the communication channel.

[0160] The first time period is located before the second time period.

[0161] In an optional implementation, the execution unit 1303 is further configured to report a failure indication message to the centralized control unit when the judgment unit 1302 determines that the communication channel is unusable.

[0162] In an optional implementation, the communication device further includes a receiving unit 1304, which is specifically used to receive duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit.

[0163] The determining unit 1301 is further configured to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information.

[0164] In an optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a duration range, and the determining unit 1301 is specifically used to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration range.

[0165] In an optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a first value, and the determining unit 1301 is specifically used to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period as the first value.

[0166] In an optional implementation, if the determination unit 1302 determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the execution unit 1303 is specifically used to determine the first channel among the multiple available communication channels, occupy the first channel, and communicate with the second device through the first channel.

[0167] In an optional implementation, if the determination unit 1302 determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the execution unit 1303 is specifically used to report the identifiers corresponding to the multiple available communication channels to the centralized control unit; receive channel indication information sent by the centralized control unit; determine the second channel among the multiple available communication channels according to the channel indication information; occupy the second channel; and communicate with the second device through the first channel.

[0168] In an optional implementation, the failure indication information includes an identifier of an interfering device, wherein the interfering device is a communication device that successfully occupies the communication channel.

[0169] In an optional embodiment, the communication device further includes a transmitting unit 1305, which is used to transmit an identifier corresponding to the communication device.

[0170] In an optional implementation, the sending unit 1305 is further configured to send a first indication message to the centralized control unit, the first indication message being used to indicate to the centralized control unit that the communication device has ended its occupation of the communication channel.

[0171] In an optional implementation, the receiving unit 1304 is further configured to receive second instruction information sent by the centralized control unit; the execution unit 1303 is further configured to terminate the occupation of the communication channel according to the second instruction information.

[0172] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a centralized control device provided in an embodiment of this application; as shown below. Figure 14 As shown, the centralized control device includes:

[0173] The allocation unit 1401 is used to allocate at least one communication channel to a first device; the communication channel is located between the first device and the second device.

[0174] Processing unit 1402 is used to schedule the time domain start position corresponding to the first device, wherein the time domain start position is used to determine the first time period corresponding to the first device;

[0175] The receiving unit 1403 is used to receive the occupancy indication information sent by the first device, the occupancy indication information being used to indicate the first device's judgment result on whether the communication channel is available for occupancy within the first time period.

[0176] In an optional implementation, the occupancy indication information includes failure indication information; the failure indication information is used to indicate to the first device that the communication channel is unoccupiable.

[0177] In an optional implementation, the occupancy indication information includes an identifier corresponding to an available communication channel; the centralized control device further includes a sending unit 1404; the processing unit 1402 is further configured to determine a first channel among the available communication channels based on the occupancy indication information.

[0178] The transmitting unit 1404 is used to transmit channel indication information to the first device; the channel indication information includes the channel identifier corresponding to the first channel.

[0179] In an optional implementation, the sending unit 1404 is configured to send duration indication information to the first device; the duration indication information is used to instruct the first device to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information.

[0180] In one optional implementation, the duration indication information includes a preset duration range or a preset value.

[0181] In an optional implementation, the preemption indication information may also include the identifier of the interfering device.

[0182] In an optional implementation, the processing unit 1402 is further configured to adjust the power of the transmitted signal corresponding to the interference device.

[0183] In an optional implementation, the transmitting unit 1404 is further configured to send a second indication message to the interference reader, the second indication message being used to instruct the interference reader to end its occupation of the communication channel.

[0184] Please see Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1500 includes: a processor 1501, a memory 1502, and a communication interface 1503.

[0185] The processor 1501, memory 1502, and communication interface 1503 are interconnected via a bus; the bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 15 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0186] Memory 1502 may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM); memory may also include non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD); memory 1502 may also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0187] Processor 1501 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. Processor 1501 may further include hardware chips. These hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0188] The communication interface 1503 can be a wired communication interface, a wireless communication interface, or a combination thereof. The wired communication interface can be, for example, an Ethernet interface. The Ethernet interface can be an optical interface, an electrical interface, or a combination thereof. The wireless communication interface can be a WLAN interface, a cellular network communication interface, or a combination thereof, etc.

[0189] The processor 1501 is used to run computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 1502 to perform... Figures 5 to 12 The network resource allocation method described in any of the possible implementations of the illustrated embodiments.

[0190] Please see Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another centralized control device provided in an embodiment of this application. The centralized control device 1600 includes: a processor 1601, a memory 1602, and a communication interface 1603.

[0191] The processor 1601, memory 1602, and communication interface 1603 are interconnected via a bus; the bus can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 16 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0192] Memory 1602 may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM); memory may also include non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD); memory 1602 may also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0193] Processor 1601 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. Processor 1601 may further include hardware chips. These hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0194] The communication interface 1603 can be a wired communication interface, a wireless communication interface, or a combination thereof. The wired communication interface can be, for example, an Ethernet interface. The Ethernet interface can be an optical interface, an electrical interface, or a combination thereof. The wireless communication interface can be a WLAN interface, a cellular network communication interface, or a combination thereof, etc.

[0195] The processor 1601 is used to run computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 1602 to perform... Figures 5 to 12 The network resource allocation method described in any of the possible implementations of the illustrated embodiments.

[0196] This application also provides a chip or chip system, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to run computer programs or instructions to perform... Figures 5 to 12 The network resource allocation method described in any of the possible implementations of the illustrated embodiments;

[0197] The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, pins, or circuits.

[0198] In one possible implementation, the chip or chip system described above in this application further includes at least one memory storing instructions. The memory can be an internal storage unit of the chip, such as a register or cache, or it can be a storage unit of the chip itself (e.g., read-only memory, random access memory, etc.).

[0199] This application also provides a computer storage medium for storing computer software instructions used for the aforementioned network device or centralized control device, including instructions for executing programs designed for the network device or centralized control device.

[0200] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer software instructions that can be loaded by a processor to implement the above-described process of the network resource allocation method.

[0201] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product.

[0202] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0203] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0204] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0205] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0206] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A method for allocating network resources, characterized in that, The method includes: A first device determines a communication channel to be occupied, the communication channel being located between the first device and a second device; the first device is a reader, and the second device is a tag; The first device determines the time domain start position corresponding to the first time period; the time domain start position is scheduled by the centralized control unit; multiple first devices correspond to the same time domain start position; The first device determines whether the communication channel can be occupied within the first time period; When the first device determines that the communication channel is available, the first device occupies the communication channel for a second time period and communicates with the second device through the communication channel. The first time period is located before the second time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the first device determines that the communication channel is unavailable, the first device reports a failure indication message to the centralized control unit.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that... The method further includes: The first device receives the duration indication information sent by the centralized control unit; The first device determines the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The duration indication information includes a duration range. The first device determines the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information, including: The first device determines the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration range.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The duration indication information includes a first value. The first device determines the duration corresponding to the first time period based on the duration indication information, including: The first device determines the duration corresponding to the first time period as the first value.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, If the first device determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the first device occupies the communication channels during the second time period, including: The first device determines a first channel among the plurality of available communication channels; The first device occupies the first channel and communicates with the second device through the first channel.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, If the first device determines that there are multiple available communication channels, the first device occupies the communication channels during the second time period, including: The first device reports the identifiers corresponding to the plurality of available communication channels to the centralized control unit; The first device receives channel indication information sent by the centralized control unit, and determines the second channel among the plurality of available communication channels based on the channel indication information; The first device occupies the second channel and communicates with the second device through the second channel.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The failure indication information includes the identifier of the interfering device, wherein the interfering device is a communication device that successfully occupies the communication channel.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first device sends the identifier corresponding to the first device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first device sends a first indication message to the central control unit, the first indication message being used to indicate to the central control unit that the first device has ended its occupation of the communication channel.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first device receives the second instruction information sent by the centralized control unit; The first device terminates its occupation of the communication channel according to the second instruction information.

12. A method for allocating network resources, characterized in that, The method includes: A centralized control unit allocates at least one communication channel to a first device; the communication channel is located between the first device and a second device; the first device is a reader, and the second device is a tag; The centralized control unit schedules the time domain start position corresponding to the first device, and the time domain start position is used to determine the first time period corresponding to the first device; the centralized control unit schedules multiple first devices with the same time domain start position; The centralized control unit receives occupancy indication information sent by the first device. The occupancy indication information is used to indicate the first device's judgment result on whether the communication channel is available for occupancy within the first time period.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The occupation indication information includes failure indication information; the failure indication information is used to instruct the first device to determine that the communication channel is unoccupiable.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The occupancy indication information includes an identifier corresponding to an available communication channel; the method further includes: The centralized control unit determines the first channel among the available communication channels based on the occupancy indication information; The centralized control unit sends channel indication information to the first device; the channel indication information includes the channel identifier corresponding to the first channel.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The centralized control unit sends duration indication information to the first device; the duration indication information is used to instruct the first device to determine the duration corresponding to the first time period according to the duration indication information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The duration indication information includes a preset duration range or a preset value.

17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The occupancy indication information also includes the identifier of the interfering device.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that... The method further includes: The centralized control unit adjusts the power of the transmitted signal corresponding to the interference device.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: The centralized control unit sends a second instruction message to the interference reader, the second instruction message being used to instruct the interference reader to end its occupation of the communication channel.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: A determining unit is used to determine a communication channel to be occupied, the communication channel being located between the communication device and the second device; the communication device is a reader, and the second device is a tag; The determining unit is further configured to determine the time domain start position corresponding to the first time period; the time domain start position is scheduled by the centralized control unit; the time domain start positions corresponding to multiple communication devices are the same; The judgment unit is used to determine whether the communication channel can be occupied within a first time period. An execution unit is configured to occupy the communication channel for a second time period when the determination unit determines that the communication channel is available, and communicate with the second device through the communication channel. The first time period is located before the second time period.

21. A centralized control device, characterized in that, The centralized control equipment includes: An allocation unit is used to allocate at least one communication channel to a first device; the communication channel is located between the first device and a second device; the first device is a reader, and the second device is a tag; The processing unit is used to schedule the time-domain start position corresponding to the first device, and the time-domain start position is used to determine the first time period corresponding to the first device; the centralized control device schedules the same time-domain start position for multiple first devices. The receiving unit receives occupancy indication information sent by the first device. The occupancy indication information is used to indicate the first device's judgment result on whether the communication channel is available for occupancy within the first time period.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The method includes a processor and a memory, the processor and the memory being coupled together, the memory storing program instructions, which, when executed by the processor, implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

23. A centralized control device, characterized in that, The method includes a processor and a memory coupled together, the memory storing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the method of any one of claims 12 to 19.

24. A network resource allocation system, characterized in that, The network resource allocation system includes: a first device, a second device, and a centralized control device; one end of the first device is connected to the centralized control device, the other end of the first device is connected to the second device, and a communication channel exists between the first device and the second device; Wherein, the first device is for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; the centralized control device is for performing the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 19.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes a program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19.

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