Systems and methods for communicating in a passive / semi-passive internet of things

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) are presented. A wireless communication node can determine an identity of a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node can send an authentication instruction message to the wireless communication device. The authentication instruction message can include the identity of the wireless communication device and an identity of the wireless communication node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, including but not limited to systems and methods for communication in passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT). Background Technology

[0002] The standards organization Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently developing a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: the 5G Access Network (5G-AN), the 5G Core Network (5GC), and User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the implementation of different data services and needs, the elements of the 5GC (also known as Network Functions) have been simplified so that some are software-based and some are hardware-based, allowing these elements to be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to address problems related to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art and provide additional features that will become apparent when taken into account in conjunction with the following drawings and by reference to the following detailed description. Exemplary systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it is to be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not restrictive, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have read this disclosure that various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium that includes the following: A wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS)) can determine an identifier associated with a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE). The wireless communication node can send an authentication instruction message to the wireless communication device. The authentication instruction message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device and an identifier of the wireless communication node.

[0005] In some embodiments, the authentication instruction message may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, an identifier of the wireless communication device, and an identifier of the wireless communication node in sequence.

[0006] In some embodiments, the wireless communication node may receive a response message acknowledging the authentication instruction message. The wireless communication node may determine that the wireless communication device can be authenticated in response to the determination that the response message indicates that the wireless communication node's identifier may have been correctly received.

[0007] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may send a first type message or a second type message to an authenticated wireless communication device. A wireless communication node may also send a second type message to an unauthenticated wireless communication device. The first type message may include an identifier of the wireless communication node. The second type message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device. The first type message may include at least one of the following: an inventory instruction message, a response trigger instruction message, a read instruction message, or a write instruction message.

[0008] In some embodiments, the response trigger command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node. A read command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node, or a write command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node.

[0009] In some embodiments, the second type of message may include at least one of the following: a location instruction message or an authentication instruction message. The wireless communication node may send a response trigger instruction message. The response trigger instruction message may be configured to trigger a wireless communication device to send a response message. The wireless communication node may receive the response message. The wireless communication node may determine, based on the response message, that the wireless communication device may be within the wireless communication node's coverage area.

[0010] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may send no more than one response trigger instruction message within a frequency resource and at the same time. The response trigger instruction message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0011] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive an authentication instruction message from a wireless communication node, the authentication instruction message including an identifier of the wireless communication device and an identifier of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the authentication instruction message matches an identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may send a response message to the wireless communication node acknowledging the authentication instruction message.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive a first type message from a wireless communication node, the first type message including an identifier of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the first type message may be invalid in response to determining that the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the first type message does not match an identifier of a wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device. The first type message may include a response trigger instruction message. The wireless communication device may send a response message acknowledging the response trigger instruction message in response to determining that: (i) the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the response trigger instruction message matches an identifier of a wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device; and (ii) the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the response trigger instruction message matches an identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device.

[0013] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may send a location instruction message to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may estimate the power of the response signal transmitted by the wireless communication device in response to the location instruction message. The wireless communication node may determine the location of the wireless communication device based on a plurality (N) of wireless communication nodes with the highest received power of the response signal. The location instruction message may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identifier of the wireless communication device in sequence.

[0014] In some embodiments, determining the location of the wireless communication device may include determining the location based on the respective locations of N wireless communication nodes and the respective tilt angles of the N wireless communication nodes. Each tilt angle may be defined as the deflection angle of the vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0015] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may transmit no more than one location instruction message within a single time period and frequency resource. The location instruction message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0016] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive a location instruction message from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identifier of the wireless communication device indicated in the location instruction message matches an identifier of a wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may send a response signal acknowledging the location instruction message. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. These figures are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only exemplary embodiments of the present solution to aid the reader's understanding of it. Therefore, the figures should not be considered as limitations on the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that these figures are not necessarily drawn to scale for clarity and ease of explanation.

[0018] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network that implements the techniques disclosed herein is shown according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 Block diagrams of example base stations and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A flowchart for communication in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0022] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which the technologies disclosed herein can be implemented. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS102", also called wireless communication nodes) and user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE104", also called wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1 In this context, BS102 and UE 104 are contained within their respective geographical boundaries in cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating on its allocated bandwidth to provide sufficient radio coverage to its intended users.

[0023] For example, BS102 can operate on the allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS102 and UE 104 can communicate via downlink radio frame 118 and uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can also be divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS102 and UE 104 are described herein as "communication nodes," non-limiting examples of methods generally practiced herein. According to various embodiments of this solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0024] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) / OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) signals) according to some embodiments of this solution is shown. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating characteristics that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 may be used in wireless communication environments (such as those described above) Figure 1 Communication (e.g., sending and receiving) of data symbols in a wireless communication network and / or system 100.

[0025] System 200 typically includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE204"). BS202 includes a BS (Base Station) transceiver module 210 (hereinafter also referred to as: BS transceiver 210, transceiver 210), a BS antenna 212 (hereinafter also referred to as: antenna 212 or downlink antenna 212), a BS processor module 214 (hereinafter also referred to as: processor module 214), a BS memory module 216 (hereinafter also referred to as: memory module 216), and a network communication module 218. Each module is coupled to and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE 204 includes a UE (User Equipment) transceiver module 230 (also referred to as UE transceiver 230, transceiver 230), a UE antenna 232 (hereinafter also referred to as antenna 232 or uplink antenna 232), a UE memory module 234 (hereinafter also referred to as memory module 234), and a UE processor module 236 (hereinafter also referred to as processor module 236), each module being coupled and interconnected to each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the data transmission described herein.

[0026] As those skilled in the art will understand, system 200 may also include, in addition to Figure 2 Any number of modules other than those shown. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described in general terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art described herein can implement this functionality appropriately for each specific application; however, such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0027] According to some embodiments, UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230 including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and RF receiver including circuitry coupled to antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210 including an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each RF transmitter and RF receiver including circuitry coupled to antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-division duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 so that transmissions are received over the wireless transmission link 250 while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be time-coordinated so that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212, so that transmissions can be received via the wireless transmission link 250 while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in the duplex direction.

[0028] UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with RF antennas 212 / 232 arranged in a suitable configuration to support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some illustrative embodiments, UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and related protocols. Rather, UE transceiver 230 and base transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols (including future standards or variations thereof).

[0029] According to various embodiments, BS202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell, or a picocell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be implemented in various types of user equipment, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptops, wearable computing devices, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, content-addressable memory, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other combination of such configurations.

[0030] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be directly implemented in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236 respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processor modules 214 and 236 respectively, such that processor modules 214 and 236 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 can also be integrated into their respective processor modules 214 and 236. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor modules 214 and 236 respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively.

[0031] Network communication module 218 typically represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) services. In a typical deployment, but without limitation, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface, allowing base station transceiver 210 to communicate with traditional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this way, network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms “configured as,” “configured to,” and their variations, used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., which is physically constructed, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0032] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "OSI model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) for interconnecting and communicating with other systems. The model is divided into seven sub-components or layers, each representing a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and efficiently describes computer packet transmission using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is other layers.

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to create and use this solution. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of this solution after reading this disclosure. Therefore, this solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely exemplary. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of this solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an exemplary order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, this solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0034] 2. Systems and methods for communication in passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT)

[0035] In passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) communication, users can attach / connect / couple passive / semi-passive communication terminals to their assets and items. Users can use communication nodes (e.g., base stations or micro base stations) to perform operations such as inventory, location, and / or reading and writing information about assets and items. However, other users' passive / semi-passive communication terminals may be present within the base station's coverage area. During communication operations on a user's own assets, the base station signal may be transmitted to all passive / semi-passive communication terminals within the coverage area. Other users' passive / semi-passive communication terminals may respond to this base station signal, resulting in unnecessary network overhead and privacy and security breaches.

[0036] This invention proposes a system and method for sending and receiving information, which enables base stations and terminals to authenticate each other. Certain types of information are only valid for authenticated terminals, thereby avoiding unnecessary information feedback from unauthenticated terminals and improving network security. Based on the above method, terminal positioning operations can be implemented.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first communication node can be a sending node, and the second communication node can be a receiving node. Example 1: Mutual authentication between the first communication node (e.g., a base station or micro base station) and the second communication node (e.g., an electronic tag).

[0038] In some embodiments, the first communication node may be a base station, a micro base station, or a communication device with a reader / writer. The second communication node may be a passive electronic terminal. The third communication node may be a user's terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone).

[0039] In some embodiments, a third communication node (e.g., a UE) may send authentication request information to a first communication node. The authentication request information may include the identifier of the second communication node. The authentication request information can be used to trigger the establishment of a mutual authentication relationship between the first and second communication nodes.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first communication node may send authentication instruction information to the second or third communication node. The first communication node may receive authentication request information. The first communication node may send authentication instruction information to the second (or third) communication node based on the identifier of the second communication node included in the authentication request information. The authentication instruction information may include the identifier of the first communication node and the identifier of the second (or third) communication node.

[0041] In the authentication instruction information, the bits corresponding to the identification code of the second (or third) communication node can be higher than the bits of the first communication node. For example, the identification code of the second (or third) communication node can correspond to the bits of sequence E. The identification code of the first communication node can correspond to the bits of sequence D. In the authentication instruction information, the bits of sequence E can be compared with the bits of sequence D. The bits of sequence E can be the most significant bits. The bits of sequence D can be the least significant bits. The advantage of this process is that the second (or third) communication node can prioritize determining the most significant bits. If the identification code of the second (or third) communication node in the authentication instruction information does not meet the requirements, the second (or third) communication node can omit the processing or determination of subsequent bits.

[0042] The authentication command information signal, in the time domain, may sequentially include a preamble sequence, a command code, a second communication node identifier code, and a first communication node identifier code. These components may not be contiguous in the time domain. The second communication node can determine the start time of the authentication command information based on the preamble sequence. The second communication node can receive the authentication command information periodically or synchronously. The command code can be used to indicate the type of command. Each command code can correspond to a command type. The command code included in the authentication command information can correspond to an authentication command type.

[0043] The identifier can be a bit sequence. For example, the identifier can be a sequence of 8 G bits. G can be greater than or equal to 1. The identifier can be a complete unique identifier or a part of a unique identifier. The unique identifier can be unique among all first communication nodes or all second communication nodes. The unique identifiers can be different between different first communication nodes or second communication nodes.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second communication node may send confirmation information associated with the authentication instruction information. When the second communication node receives the authentication instruction information, if the identifier of the second communication node included in the authentication instruction information is the same as the identifier of the first communication node, the second communication node may send confirmation information corresponding to the authentication instruction information to the first communication node. The authentication instruction information may include the identifier of the first communication node. The second communication node may store the identifier of the first communication node included in the authentication instruction information.

[0045] The confirmation message may include the identifier of the first communication node or a correct decoding indication. The correct decoding indication can be used to notify whether the authentication command information has been correctly decoded. The confirmation message signal may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence and the identifier of the first communication node in sequence. The preamble sequence and the identifier of the first communication node may be discontinuous in the time domain. Alternatively, the confirmation message signal may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence and a correct decoding indication in sequence. The preamble sequence and the correct decoding indication may be discontinuous in the time domain.

[0046] In some embodiments, a first communication node can determine that authentication with a second communication node can be completed based on confirmation information. The confirmation information may include an identifier of the first communication node. The first communication node can receive the confirmation information. If the identifier of the first communication node is the same as the identifier of the first communication node included in the confirmation information, authentication between the first and second communication nodes can be completed. The first communication node can determine that the second communication node is an authenticated second communication node.

[0047] If the identifier of the first communication node differs from the identifier of the first communication node included in the confirmation message (or if the first communication node has not received the confirmation message), the first communication node may delay for a fixed period of time. After the fixed period of time, the first communication node may resend the authentication command.

[0048] The confirmation information may include a correct decoding indication. The first communication node may receive the confirmation information. If the correct decoding indication shows that the authentication command information has been correctly decoded, the first communication node can determine that it can complete authentication with the second communication node. The first communication node can then determine that the second communication node is an authenticated second communication node. If the correct decoding indication shows that the authentication command information has not been correctly decoded, the first communication node may resend the authentication command after a fixed delay period.

[0049] The first communication node can send either type 1 or type 2 information to an authenticated second communication node. The first communication node can also send type 2 information to an unauthenticated second communication node.

[0050] The first type of information may include a first communication node identifier. The first type of information may include at least one of the following: inventory instruction information, response trigger instruction information (e.g., acknowledgment of a trigger message), read instruction information, or write instruction information. The inventory instruction information may be used to obtain a unique identifier for the second communication node. The response trigger instruction information may be used to trigger the second communication node to send a response message. The read instruction information may be used to read the stored content of the second communication node. The write instruction information may be used to write the stored content of the second communication node. The response trigger instruction information, read instruction information, and write instruction information may include a first communication node identifier and a second communication node identifier.

[0051] The second type of information may include at least one of the following: authentication command information or location command information. Location command information can be used to trigger the second communication node to send a location response signal. The second type of information may include a second communication node identifier.

[0052] The second communication node can receive the first type of information. If the first communication node identifier included in the first type of information is different from the first communication node identifier stored in the second communication node, the second communication node can determine that the first type of information may be invalid.

[0053] The second communication node can receive first type information. The first type information may include a first communication node identifier and a second communication node identifier. If the identifier of the second communication node stored in the second communication node is the same as the identifier of the second communication node included in the first type information, and the first communication node identifier stored by the second communication node is the same as the first communication node identifier included in the first type information, then the second communication node can determine that the first type information is valid. If the second communication node identifier stored in the second communication node is different from the second communication node identifier included in the first type information (or the first communication node identifier stored by the second communication node is different from the first communication node identifier included in the first type information), then the second communication node can determine that the first type information may be invalid.

[0054] The second communication node can receive the second type of information. If the second communication node identifier included in the second type of information is the same as the second communication node identifier stored in the second communication node, then the second communication node can determine that the second type of information may be valid. Otherwise, the second communication node can determine that the second type of information may be invalid.

[0055] Example 2 of implementation: Coarse location for authenticating a second communication node (e.g., a terminal)

[0056] In passive / semi-passive communication, communication nodes (e.g., readers or base stations) may need to perform an inventory of passive / semi-passive electronic terminals to identify those within the communication range (e.g., the passive electronic terminals within the communication range). The communication node can send commands related to a dynamic time slot selection algorithm or a Q-selection algorithm. The communication node can identify each passive / semi-passive electronic terminal individually in the time domain. The communication node can obtain a unique identifier for each passive electronic terminal. After the inventory operation is complete, the communication node can perform operations such as reading and writing, and send related commands such as reading information and writing information.

[0057] In some embodiments, when a user needs to perform operations such as reading, writing, or positioning on a specific passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the user can use a terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) to send a unique identifier of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. After obtaining the unique identifier of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the communication node (e.g., a reader or base station) can use this unique identifier to directly send relevant command signals to the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal for operations such as reading, writing, or positioning. Furthermore, no additional inventory operation is required before these operations.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first communication node may send response trigger instruction information. The response trigger instruction information may include a first communication node identifier and a second communication node identifier. The response trigger instruction information may be used to trigger a second communication node to send response information. The signal of the response trigger instruction information may, in the time domain, sequentially include a preamble sequence, an instruction code, the first communication node identifier, and the second communication node identifier. The preamble sequence, the instruction code, the first communication node identifier, and the second communication node identifier may be discontinuous in the time domain. The instruction code may correspond to the response trigger instruction type in the frame structure of the response trigger instruction.

[0059] In some embodiments, the second communication node may send response information corresponding to the response trigger instruction information. When the second communication node receives the response trigger instruction information, if the identification code of the second communication node is the same as the second communication node identification code included in the response trigger instruction information, and the first communication node identification code stored by the second communication node is the same as the first communication node identification code included in the response trigger instruction information, then the second communication node may send response information corresponding to the response trigger instruction information. Otherwise, the second communication node may determine that the response trigger instruction information may be invalid.

[0060] The identifier can be a bit sequence. For example, the identifier can be a sequence of 8 G bits. G can be greater than or equal to 1. The identifier can be a complete unique identifier or a part of a unique identifier. The unique identifier can be unique among all first communication nodes or all second communication nodes. The unique identifiers can be different between different first communication nodes or second communication nodes.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first communication node can determine the possible location of the second communication node based on the response information. The first communication node can receive the response information. The response information can be a signal with a fixed format. If the received response information conforms to the fixed format, the first communication node can determine that the response information can be detected. The first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be located within the coverage area of ​​the first communication node. Otherwise, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be outside the coverage area of ​​the first communication node.

[0062] The response information can be a signal with a fixed format. The receiving end can obtain the peak power by detecting the response information. If the first communication node detects the peak power, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be within the coverage area of ​​the first communication node. Otherwise, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be outside the coverage area of ​​the first communication node.

[0063] The response information may include bit information. If the first communication node correctly decodes the response information, it can determine that the second communication node may be within its coverage area. Otherwise, it can determine that the second communication node may be outside its coverage area.

[0064] On a frequency domain resource, the first communication node can simultaneously send no more than one response trigger command message. The response trigger command message may include the second communication node identifier code.

[0065] Example 3 of implementation: Precise positioning of the second communication node

[0066] In passive / semi-passive communication, communication nodes (e.g., readers or base stations) may need to perform an inventory of passive / semi-passive electronic terminals to identify those within the communication range (e.g., the passive electronic terminals within the communication range). The communication node can send commands related to a dynamic time slot selection algorithm or a Q-selection algorithm. The communication node can identify each passive / semi-passive electronic terminal individually in the time domain. The communication node can obtain a unique identifier for each passive electronic terminal. After the inventory operation is complete, the communication node can perform operations such as reading and writing, and send related commands such as reading information and writing information.

[0067] In some embodiments, when a user needs to perform operations such as reading, writing, or positioning on a specific passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the user can use a terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) to send a unique identifier of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. After obtaining the unique identifier of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the communication node (e.g., a reader or base station) can use this unique identifier to directly send relevant command signals to the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal for operations such as reading, writing, or positioning. Furthermore, no additional inventory operation is required before these operations.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first communication node may send location command information. This location command information may include the identification code of the second communication node.

[0069] The positioning command information signal can sequentially include a preamble sequence, a command code, and a second communication node identifier code in the time domain. The preamble sequence, command code, and second communication node identifier code may be discontinuous in the time domain. The command code may correspond to the type of positioning command. The identifier code may be a bit sequence. For example, the identifier code may be a sequence comprising 8·G bits. G may be greater than or equal to 1. The identifier code may be a complete unique identifier or a part of a unique identifier. The unique identifier may be unique among each first communication node or each second communication node. Different first communication nodes or second communication nodes may have different unique identifiers.

[0070] In some embodiments, the second communication node can send a response signal in response to positioning instruction information. The second communication node can also receive positioning instruction information. If the identification code of the second communication node contained in the positioning instruction information is the same as its own identification code, the second communication node can send a response signal in response to the positioning instruction information. This response signal may include the location information of the second communication node. Alternatively, the response signal may be a fixed-format signal. When a fixed-format signal is detected, the first communication node can obtain a power peak.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node based on a response signal. The first communication node can receive the response signal. Based on the response signal, the first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node. The response signal may include location information of the second communication node. The first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node based on this location information.

[0072] Alternatively, the response signal can be a fixed-format signal. Based on the N first communication nodes with the strongest received response signals, the first communication nodes can determine the location of the second communication node. The first communication nodes can detect the response signals to obtain detection power. The N first communication nodes with the highest detection power can jointly determine the location of the second communication node. N can be greater than or equal to 2. Among the N first communication nodes, each first communication node can determine a deflection angle based on the direction of reception of the response signal. The deflection angle can be an angle of the vector direction from the first communication node to the second communication node. The location of the second communication node can be determined based on the locations of the N first communication nodes and their deflection angles. In some embodiments, determining the location of the wireless communication device can include determining the location based on the respective locations of the N wireless communication nodes and their respective tilt angles. Each tilt angle can be defined as the deflection angle of the vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0073] On a given frequency domain resource, the first communication node can simultaneously transmit no more than one positioning command message. The positioning command message may include the identification code of the second communication node.

[0074] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method 300 for communication in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) is shown. This can be used in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 2 Method 300 is implemented by any one or more of the plurality of components and devices described in detail. Generally, in some embodiments, method 300 may be performed by a wireless communication node. Depending on the embodiment, additional operations, fewer operations, or different operations may be performed in method 300. At least one aspect of these operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0075] In step 305, the wireless communication node (e.g., BS) can determine an identifier associated with the wireless communication device (e.g., passive UE). In step 310, the wireless communication node can send an authentication instruction message to the wireless communication device. The authentication instruction message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node.

[0076] In some embodiments, the authentication instruction message may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, an identifier of the wireless communication device, and an identifier of the wireless communication node in sequence.

[0077] In some embodiments, the wireless communication node may receive a response message acknowledging the authentication instruction message. The wireless communication node may determine that the wireless communication device can be authenticated in response to the determination that the response message indicates that the wireless communication node's identifier may have been correctly received.

[0078] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may send a first type message or a second type message to an authenticated wireless communication device. A wireless communication node may also send a second type message to an unauthenticated wireless communication device. The first type message may include an identifier of the wireless communication node. The second type message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device. The first type message may include at least one of the following: an inventory instruction message, a response trigger instruction message, a read instruction message, or a write instruction message.

[0079] In some embodiments, the response trigger command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node. A read command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node, or a write command message may include the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node.

[0080] In some embodiments, the second type of message may include at least one of the following: a location instruction message or an authentication instruction message. The wireless communication node may send a response trigger instruction message. The response trigger instruction message may be configured to trigger a wireless communication device to send a response message. The wireless communication node may receive the response message. The wireless communication node may determine, based on the response message, that the wireless communication device may be within the wireless communication node's coverage area.

[0081] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may send no more than one response trigger instruction message within a frequency resource and at the same time. The response trigger instruction message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0082] In some embodiments, in step 315, the wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive an authentication instruction message from a wireless communication node, the authentication instruction message including an identifier of the wireless communication device and an identifier of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the authentication instruction message matches an identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may send a response message to the wireless communication node confirming the authentication instruction message.

[0083] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive a first type message from a wireless communication node, the first type message including an identifier of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the first type message may be invalid in response to determining that the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the first type message does not match an identifier of a wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device. The first type message may include a response trigger instruction message. The wireless communication device may send a response message acknowledging the response trigger instruction message in response to determining that: (i) the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the response trigger instruction message matches an identifier of a wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device; and (ii) the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the response trigger instruction message matches an identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device.

[0084] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may send a location instruction message to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may estimate the power of the response signal transmitted by the wireless communication device in response to the location instruction message. The wireless communication node may determine the location of the wireless communication device based on a plurality (N) of wireless communication nodes with the highest received power of the response signal. The location instruction message may include, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identifier of the wireless communication device in sequence.

[0085] In some embodiments, determining the location of the wireless communication device may include determining the location based on the respective locations of N wireless communication nodes and the respective tilt angles of the N wireless communication nodes. Each tilt angle may be defined as the deflection angle of the vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0086] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node may transmit no more than one location instruction message within a single time period and frequency resource. The location instruction message may include an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0087] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive a location instruction message from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identifier of the wireless communication device indicated in the location instruction message matches an identifier of a wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may send a response signal acknowledging the location instruction message.

[0088] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only and not as limitations. Similarly, various diagrams may depict exemplary architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand exemplary features and functionality of the present solution. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the solution is not limited to the illustrated exemplary architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0089] It should also be understood that any reference to elements using names such as "first," "second," etc., in this document generally does not restrict the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be used or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0090] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referenced in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of program or design code in conjunction with instructions (which may be referred to herein as "software" or "software module"), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation will not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

[0092] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration that performs the functions described herein.

[0093] If these functions are implemented in software, they can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that enables the transfer of computer programs or code from one location to another. Storage media can be any available medium that is accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that is accessible to a computer.

[0094] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of such elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Furthermore, for purposes of discussion, various modules are described as separate modules; however, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0095] Furthermore, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be used in embodiments of this solution. It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description refers to embodiments of this solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality among different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains can be used without diminishing the effectiveness of this solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, references to specific functional units are merely references to suitable means for providing the described functionality and do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0096] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as described in the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method applied to a wireless communication node, comprising: Identify the wireless communication device; Send an authentication instruction message to the wireless communication device, wherein the authentication instruction message includes, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, the identifier of the wireless communication device, and the identifier of the wireless communication node in sequence; Receive a response message confirming the authentication instruction message; and If the response message indicates that the identifier of the wireless communication node has been correctly received, the wireless communication device is determined to be authenticated, wherein the method further includes: Send a first type of message to the certified wireless communication device, wherein the first type of message includes an identifier of the wireless communication node and further includes at least one of the following: an inventory instruction message, a response trigger instruction message, a read instruction message, or a write instruction message.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, after determining the identifier of the wireless communication device, the method further includes: Send a second type of message to the unauthenticated wireless communication device; wherein the second type of message includes the identifier of the wireless communication device.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein, The response trigger command message includes the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node; the read command message includes the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node; or the write command message includes the identifier of the wireless communication device and the identifier of the wireless communication node.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein, The second type of message includes at least one of the following: a location instruction message or the authentication instruction message.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: When the first type of message includes the response trigger instruction message, the response trigger instruction message is configured to trigger the wireless communication device to send a response message, wherein the method further includes: Receive the response message; and Based on the response message, it is determined that the wireless communication device is within the coverage area of ​​the wireless communication node.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: Send no more than one of the aforementioned response trigger instruction messages within the same time period and within a frequency resource; The response trigger command message includes the identifier of the wireless communication device.

7. A wireless communication method applied to a wireless communication device, comprising: Receive an authentication instruction message from a wireless communication node, wherein the authentication instruction message includes, in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, the identifier of the wireless communication device, and the identifier of the wireless communication node in sequence; Determine that the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the authentication instruction message matches the identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device; Send a response message to the wireless communication node confirming the authentication instruction message; as well as Receive a first type of message from a wireless communication node, the first type of message including the identifier of the wireless communication node, and further including at least one of the following: an inventory instruction message, a response trigger instruction message, a read instruction message, or a write instruction message.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 7, further comprising: If it is determined that the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the first type of message does not match the identifier of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device, the first type of message is determined to be invalid.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 7, wherein, When the first type of message includes the response trigger instruction message, the method further includes: A response message acknowledging the response trigger instruction message is sent if: the identifier of the wireless communication node contained in the response trigger instruction message matches the identifier of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device; and the identifier of the wireless communication device contained in the response trigger instruction message matches the identifier of the wireless communication device stored by the wireless communication device.

10. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium having code stored on the computer-readable program medium, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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