Wireless communication method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a wireless communication method and equipment, which introduces a carrier signal generated based on multicarrier modulation, can support a carrier signal and an energy supply signal for zero power consumption communication in a multicarrier system, reduces the complexity of a transmitter introduced for supporting zero power consumption communication, and improves the communication performance. And the compatibility with other equipment can also be maintained. The wireless communication method comprises the following steps: a first communication device receives a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; wherein the carrier signal is used for supplying energy to the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used for the first communication device to generate a backscattering signal through modulation.

Description

Wireless communication method and device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method and device for wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Currently, zero-power devices transmit data through backscattering. The carrier signal that backscattering relies on is often a narrowband signal, such as a sine wave. However, this carrier signal cannot better meet the communication needs of zero-power devices.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a method and device for wireless communication, which introduces a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation, can support carrier signals and power supply signals for zero-power communication in a multi-carrier system, reduce the complexity of the transmitter introduced to support zero-power communication, and maintain compatibility with other devices.

[0005] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] The first communication device receives a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation;

[0007] The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

[0008] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising:

[0009] The second communication device sends a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation;

[0010] The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

[0011] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided for executing the method in the first aspect.

[0012] Specifically, the communication device includes a functional module for executing the method in the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided for executing the method in the second aspect.

[0014] Specifically, the communication device includes a functional module for executing the method in the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0015] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device executes the method in the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device executes the method in the above-mentioned second aspect.

[0017] In a seventh aspect, a device is provided for implementing the method in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0018] Specifically, the apparatus includes: a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the apparatus executes the method in any one of the first to second aspects described above.

[0019] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, wherein the computer program enables a computer to execute the method in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0020] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions enable a computer to execute the method in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0021] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0022] Through the above technical solution, a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation is introduced, which can support carrier signals and power supply signals for zero-power communication in a multi-carrier system, reduce the complexity of the transmitter introduced to support zero-power communication, and maintain compatibility with other devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture applied in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG2 is a diagram of a receiver system based on zero-power wake-up provided by the present application.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a WUR PPDU frame provided by this application.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a WUR synchronization sequence OOK modulation provided by this application.

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of WUR data OOK modulation provided by this application.

[0028] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an MC-OOK signal generated by multi-carrier modulation provided by the present application.

[0029] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system provided by the present application.

[0030] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a backscatter communication principle provided by the present application.

[0031] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an energy harvesting principle provided by this application.

[0032] FIG10 is a circuit diagram of a resistive load modulation provided by the present application.

[0033] FIG11 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG12 is a flowchart of generating a carrier signal based on multi-carrier modulation according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of an equally spaced subcarrier pattern provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a carrier signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a backscattered signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of another carrier signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of another backscatter signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a subcarrier associated with a carrier signal and a subcarrier associated with a backscatter signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of another type of subcarriers associated with a carrier signal and subcarriers associated with a backscatter signal provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 20 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figure 21 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 22 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 23 is a schematic block diagram of a device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 24 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. With respect to the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system on unlicensed spectrum, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system on unlicensed spectrum, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Internet of Things (IoT), Wireless Fidelity (WFI) system. Fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5th-Generation, 5G) system, sixth-generation communication (6G) system or other communication systems.

[0049] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, sidelink (SL) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0050] In some embodiments, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, an independent (SA) networking scenario, or a non-standalone (NSA) networking scenario.

[0051] In some embodiments, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, where the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, where the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum.

[0052] In some embodiments, the communication system in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the FR1 frequency band (corresponding to the frequency band range of 410MHz to 7.125GHz), can also be applied to the FR2 frequency band (corresponding to the frequency band range of 24.25GHz to 52.6GHz), and can also be applied to new frequency bands such as high-frequency bands corresponding to the frequency band range of 52.6GHz to 71GHz or the frequency band range of 71GHz to 114.25GHz.

[0053] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0054] The terminal device can be a station (ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a next-generation communication system such as an NR network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0056] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, an in-vehicle communication device, a wireless communication chip / application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) / system on chip (SoC), etc.

[0057] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0058] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in WLAN, a base station (BTS) in GSM or CDMA, a base station (NodeB, NB) in WCDMA, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a network device or base station (gNB) or a transmission reception point (TRP) in a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or a network device in an NTN network, etc.

[0059] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. In some embodiments, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. In some embodiments, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0061] For example, a communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG1 . The communication system 100 may include a network device 110, which may be a device that communicates with a terminal device 120 (or a communication terminal or terminal). The network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area and may communicate with terminal devices within the coverage area.

[0062] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and two terminal devices. In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include another number of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0063] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 as an example, the communication device may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120 having a communication function. The network device 110 and the terminal device 120 may be the specific devices described above and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system 100, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0065] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0066] It should be understood that this document relates to a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device can be a terminal device, such as a mobile phone, machine facilities, customer premises equipment (CPE), industrial equipment, vehicles, etc.; the second communication device can be a peer communication device of the first communication device, such as a network device, mobile phone, industrial equipment, vehicles, etc. In the embodiments of the present application, the first communication device can be a terminal device, and the second communication device can be a network device (i.e., uplink communication or downlink communication); alternatively, the first communication device can be a first terminal, and the second communication device can be a second terminal (i.e., sideline communication).

[0067] The terms used in the embodiments of this application are intended only to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0068] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0070] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may be an evolution of an existing LTE protocol, NR protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, or a protocol related to other communication systems. The present application does not limit the protocol type.

[0072] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions of the present application are described in detail below through specific embodiments. The following related technologies can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. The embodiments of the present application include at least part of the following contents.

[0073] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the terminal energy saving based on waking up the receiver related to the present application is explained.

[0074] To further save power on the UE, a wake-up receiver is introduced to receive the wake-up signal. This wake-up receiver features extremely low cost, extremely low complexity, and extremely low power consumption. It primarily receives the wake-up signal (WUS) through envelope detection. Therefore, the modulation scheme and waveform of the wake-up signal (WUS) received by the wake-up receiver differ from those of the signal carried by the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The wake-up signal primarily consists of an envelope signal modulated by amplitude shift keying (ASK) on a carrier signal. The demodulation of the envelope signal is also primarily accomplished by driving a low-power circuit using energy provided by the wireless RF signal, making it passive. The wake-up receiver can also be powered by the terminal. Regardless of the power supply method, the wake-up receiver significantly reduces power consumption compared to the UE's traditional receiver. The wake-up receiver can be integrated with the UE as an additional module to the UE receiver, or it can function as a standalone wake-up module for the UE.

[0075] The block diagram of the receiver system based on zero-power wake-up can be shown in Figure 2. The wake-up receiver receives the wake-up signal and can instruct the UE to turn on the main receiver if the UE needs to turn on the receiver. Otherwise, the UE's main receiver can be turned off.

[0076] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the wake-up signal in the WiFi communication related to the present application is explained.

[0077] Wake-up radio (WUR) signals are used in WiFi communications to achieve energy saving of devices. The WUR access point (AP) notifies the WUR station (STA) of energy saving operations through the WUR wake-up frame. The wake-up frame is carried in the WUR physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame. A WUR PPDU frame contains three parts: the legacy preamble, WUR synchronization (WUR-Sync) and WUR data (WUR-Data). The legacy preamble is used to protect the WUR-Sync and WUR-Data parts. It is a non-WUR part retained for compatibility reasons. It uses traditional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation and 20MHz bandwidth. WUR-Sync is used to help identify and demodulate the WUR-data part. The WUR-Data part is used to carry the WUR physical layer service data unit (PSDU), as shown in Figure 3.

[0078] The WUR-Sync and WUR-data sections use on-off keying (OOK) modulation and 4MHz. OOK modulation modulates the carrier signal's amplitude to non-zero and zero values, corresponding to on and off, respectively, to represent information bits. OOK is also known as binary amplitude shift keying (2ASK). As shown in Figure 4, the WUR-Sync section carries a synchronization sequence repeated twice, with bits 1 modulated as on and bits 0 as off.

[0079] The synchronization sequence uses a predefined 32-bit sequence W, and different sequences indicate different data rates used by the WUR-data part.

[0080] The synchronization sequence corresponding to the WUR low data rate (LDR) is as follows:

[0081] W=[1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0]

[0082] The synchronization sequence corresponding to the WUR high data rate (HDR) is as follows:

[0083] W=[0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1]

[0084] Each bit in the WUR-Sync part is OOK modulated and mapped into a 2μs MC-OOK symbol.

[0085] The WUR-data part carries user information. After the user information is encoded, it is modulated using OOK to form MC-OOK symbols of corresponding length, as shown in Figure 5.

[0086] Among them, the MC-OOK symbol lengths corresponding to WUR LDR and WUR HDR are 4μs and 2μs respectively.

[0087] It should be noted that the above-mentioned OOK signal is generated through multi-carrier (MC), so it is called MC-OOK signal. The generation of MC-OOK signal can adopt multi-carrier modulation such as OFDM modulation to generate OOK signal, which can maintain good compatibility with OFDM system and reduce the transmitter complexity introduced by implementing WUR signal. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of MC-OOK signal generated by multi-carrier modulation. By mapping the corresponding amplitude values ​​to multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain, the waveform of the time domain signal converted by the inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) is similar to the waveform formed by ASK modulation, where bit 1 is represented by the high level of the signal and bit 0 is represented by the low level of the signal.

[0088] In order to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the zero-power consumption devices related to the present application are described.

[0089] In recent years, the application of zero-power devices has become increasingly widespread. A typical zero-power device is radio frequency identification (RFID), a technology that uses spatial coupling of radio frequency signals to achieve contactless automatic transmission and identification of tag information. RFID tags, also known as "radio frequency tags" or "electronic tags," can be categorized into active, passive, and semi-passive electronic tags based on their power supply method. Active electronic tags, also known as active tags, are powered by a battery. The battery, memory, and antenna together form an active electronic tag. Unlike passive RF activation, active tags transmit information over a set frequency band until the battery is replaced. Passive electronic tags, also known as passive electronic tags, do not support internal batteries. When a passive electronic tag is close to a reader, it is within the near field formed by the reader's antenna radiation. The tag antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the tag's chip circuit. The chip circuit transmits the identification information stored in the tag to the reader via the tag antenna. Semi-active electronic tags inherit the advantages of passive electronic tags, such as small size, light weight, low price and long service life. When there is no reader access, the built-in battery only provides power for a small number of circuits in the chip. Only when the reader accesses, the built-in battery supplies power to the RFID chip to increase the tag's reading and writing distance and improve communication reliability.

[0090] RFID is a wireless communication technology. The most basic RFID system consists of two parts: an electronic tag (TAG) and a reader / writer. The tag consists of a coupling component and a chip. Each tag has a unique electronic code and is placed on the target to mark the object. The reader / writer can not only read the information on the tag, but also write information to the tag and provide the energy required for communication. As shown in Figure 7, after the tag enters the electromagnetic field, it receives the radio frequency signal emitted by the reader / writer. Passive or passive tags use the energy generated by the electromagnetic field to transmit the information stored on the tag. The reader / writer reads the information and decodes it, thereby identifying the tag.

[0091] Key technologies for zero-power communication include energy harvesting, backscatter communication, and low-power computing. As shown in Figure 7, a typical zero-power communication system consists of a reader and a zero-power terminal. The reader transmits radio waves to provide energy to the zero-power terminal. An energy harvesting module installed in the zero-power terminal collects energy from radio waves in space (Figure 7 shows the radio waves emitted by the reader), which is used to drive the zero-power terminal's low-power computing module and implement backscatter communication. After harvesting energy, the zero-power terminal receives control commands from the reader and transmits data to the reader via backscatter based on control signaling. This data can be stored in the zero-power terminal itself (such as an identity tag or pre-programmed information, such as the product's production date, brand, and manufacturer). The zero-power terminal can also be equipped with various sensors, which can then report data collected by these sensors using a zero-power mechanism.

[0092] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, backscattering communication related to the present application is described.

[0093] As shown in Figure 8, the zero-power device (the backscatter tag in Figure 8) receives the carrier signal sent by the backscatter reader and collects energy through the radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting module. It then processes the low-power processing module (the logic processing module in Figure 8), modulates the incoming signal, and performs backscattering.

[0094] The main features of backscatter communication are as follows:

[0095] (1) The terminal does not actively transmit signals, but achieves backscatter communication by modulating the incoming signal;

[0096] (2) The terminal does not rely on traditional active power amplifier transmitters and uses low-power computing units, greatly reducing hardware complexity;

[0097] (3) Combined with energy harvesting, battery-free communication can be achieved.

[0098] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the RF energy harvesting (Power Harvesting) related to the present application is explained.

[0099] As shown in FIG9 , the RF module is used to collect electromagnetic wave energy in space through electromagnetic induction, and then drive the load circuit (low-power computing, sensor, etc.), which can achieve battery-free operation.

[0100] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the load modulation related to the present application is explained.

[0101] Load modulation is a common method used by electronic tags to transmit data to readers. Load modulation achieves this by adjusting the electrical parameters of the tag's oscillating circuit according to the data stream's rhythm, causing the tag's impedance and phase to change accordingly. There are two main types of load modulation: resistive load modulation and capacitive load modulation. In resistive load modulation, a resistor, called the load modulation resistor, is connected in parallel with the load. This resistor is switched on and off according to the data stream's clock, while the on and off of switch S is controlled by binary data encoding. The circuit schematic for resistive load modulation is shown in Figure 10.

[0102] In capacitive load modulation, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the load, replacing the load modulation resistor controlled by binary data encoding in Figure 10.

[0103] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the encoding technology related to the present application is explained.

[0104] The data transmitted by electronic tags can be represented by various codes to represent binary "1" and "0." RFID systems typically use one of the following encoding methods: non-return-to-zero (NRZ), Manchester, unipolar return-to-zero (Unipolar RZ), differential bi-phase (DBP), Miller, or differential encoding. In simple terms, different pulse signals are used to represent 0 and 1.

[0105] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the energy supply signal in the zero-power communication system related to the present application is explained.

[0106] From the perspective of energy supply signal carriers, it can be base stations, smart phones, smart gateways, charging stations, micro base stations, etc.

[0107] In terms of frequency band, the radio waves used for energy supply can be low frequency, medium frequency, high frequency, etc.

[0108] From the waveform, the radio wave used for power supply can be a sine wave, square wave, triangle wave, pulse, rectangular wave, etc. In addition, the radio wave used for power supply can be a continuous wave or a discontinuous wave (i.e., a certain time interruption is allowed).

[0109] The power supply signal may be a signal specified in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, such as the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), etc.

[0110] To facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the trigger signal in the zero-power communication system related to the present application is explained.

[0111] From the perspective of trigger signal carrier, it can be a base station, smart phone, smart gateway, etc.

[0112] In terms of frequency band, the radio waves used as triggers can be low frequency, medium frequency, high frequency, etc.

[0113] From the waveform, the radio wave used as a trigger can be a sine wave, square wave, triangle wave, pulse, rectangular wave, etc. In addition, the radio wave used as a trigger can be a continuous wave or a discontinuous wave (that is, a certain time interruption is allowed).

[0114] The trigger signal may be a signal specified in the 3GPP standard, such as SRS, PUSCH, PRACH, PUCCH, PDCCH, PDSCH, PBCH, etc.; or it may be a new signal.

[0115] In order to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the cellular passive Internet of Things related to the present application is explained.

[0116] As 5G industry applications expand, the types of connected objects and application scenarios will increase, placing higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a key technology for cellular IoT, expanding the types and number of terminals connected to 5G networks and truly realizing the interconnection of everything. Passive IoT devices can be based on existing zero-power devices, such as RFID technology, and can be extended to suit cellular IoT.

[0117] In order to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the problems solved by the present application are explained.

[0118] Currently, zero-power devices (such as RFID) transmit data through backscattering. The carrier signal that backscatter relies on is often a narrowband signal, such as a sine wave. This carrier signal has two drawbacks. First, it is incompatible with transmitters using multi-carrier modulation (such as OFDM transmitters), resulting in significant shortcomings in transmitter complexity and compatibility with other devices. Second, in unlicensed spectrum, devices that transmit signals using channels with a certain bandwidth have a certain limit on the signal transmission power per unit bandwidth. If a narrowband signal is used to transmit the carrier signal, the carrier signal's transmission power is also limited by the bandwidth and will be relatively small. This may not meet the signal power threshold required by the zero-power device for energy harvesting, making communication with the zero-power device impossible.

[0119] Based on the above problems, this application proposes a solution for generating carrier signals through multi-carrier modulation, and introduces a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation, which can support carrier signals and power supply signals for zero-power communication in a multi-carrier system, reducing the complexity of the transmitter introduced to support zero-power communication, and maintaining compatibility with other devices.

[0120] The technical solution of this application is described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0121] FIG11 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG11 , the wireless communication method 200 may include at least part of the following contents:

[0122] S210, the second communication device sends a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; wherein the carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation;

[0123] S220: The first communication device receives the carrier signal.

[0124] In an embodiment of the present application, a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation is introduced, and the carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used for the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation. The carrier signal and power supply signal for zero-power communication can be supported in a multi-carrier system, reducing the complexity of the transmitter introduced to support zero-power communication, and maintaining compatibility with other devices.

[0125] In the embodiments of the present application, the "backscattered signal" may also be referred to as a "reflected signal" or a "reflected signal", which is not limited in the present application.

[0126] In the embodiment of the present application, the carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, that is, the carrier signal may be a power supply signal of the first communication device.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first communication device may be a zero-power device. Optionally, the first communication device may obtain energy for communication, information collection, and processing through energy harvesting. That is, before the second communication device communicates with the first communication device, it must first ensure that the first communication device receives radio waves for wireless power supply and obtains wireless energy through energy harvesting. In other words, embodiments of the present application can be applied to zero-power communication technology.

[0128] It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific method in which the first communication device obtains energy through energy harvesting. As an example and not a limitation, the first communication device can obtain energy through wireless power supply methods such as wireless radio frequency signals, solar energy, pressure or temperature.

[0129] It should be noted that zero-power devices are a general name for devices with extremely low complexity and extremely low power consumption. Such devices do not rely on batteries, and the energy required for their operation comes from the environment, and they can have energy collection and storage capabilities. The communication of zero-power devices only supports simple modulation and demodulation methods, such as Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) / Frequency Shift Keying (FSK). Specifically, zero-power devices can refer to ambient power enabled (AMP) devices introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and WiFi technology (such as the 802.11 technical standard), or they can be a communication module of an existing device, such as the WUR functional module introduced in the 802.11ba technology and the wake-up receiver (Wake up receiver) of the terminal device introduced by 3GPP.

[0130] Specifically, the energy of an AMP device comes from the environment. Depending on the type of AMP device, some AMP devices may have active transmission capabilities rather than relying solely on backscatter. Therefore, the carrier signal generated by multi-carrier modulation in this application can also be used to generate a power supply signal, which is used to provide the energy required for the AMP device to operate via a wireless radio frequency signal.

[0131] In some embodiments, the second communication device may generate the carrier signal based on multi-carrier modulation; or, the second communication device may obtain the carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation from another device, and send the carrier signal to the first communication device.

[0132] In some embodiments, the second communication device is a device for communicating with the first communication device. Optionally, the second communication device may be a network device, or the second communication device may be a terminal device, or the second communication device may be a power supply node.

[0133] In some embodiments, the process of generating a carrier signal based on multi-carrier modulation can be shown in Figure 12. First, a non-zero amplitude value needs to be selected, then the selected non-zero amplitude value is mapped to multiple subcarriers, and then IDFT transformation is performed, and finally digital-to-analog conversion and RF are performed to obtain the carrier signal.

[0134] In some embodiments, in multi-carrier modulation, the carrier signal is modulated based on a plurality of sub-carriers having non-zero amplitude values.

[0135] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude values ​​respectively associated with the multiple subcarriers may be the same or different.

[0136] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the non-zero amplitude value is configured by a network.

[0137] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is one of the following:

[0138] Amplitude values ​​associated with Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), 16-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.

[0139] In some embodiments, the multiple subcarriers are arranged at equal intervals, or the multiple subcarriers are arranged at unequal intervals.

[0140] Specifically, when selecting subcarriers to generate carrier signals, in addition to considering the spacing between subcarriers, the number of subcarriers, or the bandwidth spanned by the subcarriers, must also be considered. In unlicensed spectrum, there are upper limits on the device's transmit power and signal power spectral density to ensure fair use of the spectrum between devices. For example, in the 2.4 GHz unlicensed spectrum, the device's power spectral density must not exceed 10 dBm / MHz. For example, for a 20 MHz bandwidth, the device's maximum power can reach 23 dBm. For another example, in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, the device's maximum transmit power is less than 23 dBm.

[0141] It should be noted that when transmitting carrier signals, it is desirable to utilize the device's maximum transmit power to achieve the maximum possible coverage. Considering the limitations of signal power spectral density, the frequency domain distribution of the multiple carriers generating the carrier signal must ensure that there is one or more subcarriers per MHz (power spectral density is measured in MHz). This power spectral density can reach an upper limit, such as 10dBm / MHz. For example, if the device's maximum power is 20dBm, the subcarriers generating the carrier signal must be distributed within a bandwidth of at least 10MHz, with one or more subcarriers guaranteed to exist within each MHz. If the bandwidth is less than 10MHz, the device's maximum transmit power cannot be utilized. Assuming the device's maximum transmit power is P, to transmit the carrier signal at P, the relationship between the signal bandwidth W and P must satisfy: P = 10log(10mw*W), where P is in dBm and W is in MHz.

[0142] In some embodiments, the methods for generating the power supply signal and the carrier signal can differ. The power supply signal may have lower requirements than the carrier signal, but interference still needs to be considered. However, the amplitude requirements can be lowered, while the power requirements (bandwidth) may not be reduced to achieve coverage. From the perspective of implementation complexity, both are generated using the same method, which is less complex.

[0143] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers are selected according to a target subcarrier pattern;

[0144] The target subcarrier pattern is agreed upon by a protocol, or the target subcarrier pattern is configured by a network.

[0145] For example, taking WiFi technology at 2.4GHz as an example, the subcarrier spacing used by OFDM is 312.5kHz, and there are 3 subcarriers within 1MHz. If a subcarrier with a larger spacing is selected to generate a carrier signal when selecting a subcarrier, it is necessary to ensure that there is at least one subcarrier in each MHz for generating a carrier signal. For example, for equally spaced subcarrier selection, the spacing between the selected subcarriers cannot exceed 1MHz. For non-equally spaced subcarrier selection, a certain subcarrier pattern needs to be determined to meet the above requirement of at least one subcarrier in each MHz. The specific pattern can be predefined or configured by the network. As shown in Figure 13, taking equally spaced subcarriers as an example, the selected subcarrier spacing is 312.5kHz*3, and the bandwidth is 10MHz. In order to ensure that there is at least one subcarrier in each MHz, pattern 1 requires 10 subcarriers and pattern 2 requires 11 subcarriers. Specifically, depending on the position of the selected subcarriers, the number of subcarriers contained in the pattern may be different.

[0146] Optionally, for non-equally spaced subcarrier selection, a certain number of subcarriers and their corresponding positions may be selected in each 1 MHz using MHz as a unit.

[0147] To achieve the device's maximum transmit power, subcarrier selection must consider the device's maximum transmit power and power spectrum density upper limit. This determines the bandwidth occupied by the carrier signal that can be transmitted at maximum transmit power, the spacing between subcarriers, and the distribution of subcarriers within the bandwidth. In practical applications, signal bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, and device transmit power can be flexibly selected based on different coverage scenarios.

[0148] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers is determined based on at least one of the following:

[0149] The transmission power of the device that generates the carrier signal (such as the maximum transmission power), the signal power spectrum density (the signal power spectrum density that needs to be met per MHz, which affects the distribution of subcarriers), the target transmission power of the carrier signal (the power required to transmit the carrier signal), and the bandwidth capability of the first communication device.

[0150] It should be noted that the carrier does not necessarily need to transmit at full power or close to the maximum transmission power (pursuing wide coverage). It is also possible to use lower power to pursue smaller coverage. At this time, the target transmission power of the carrier signal will be involved.

[0151] In the embodiment of the present application, the bandwidth processing capability of the first communication device for backscattering is also a factor to be considered. The bandwidth of the carrier signal backscattered by the first communication device has a certain range, and the bandwidth of the carrier signal cannot exceed the bandwidth capability requirement of the first communication device for backscattering.

[0152] In some embodiments, the carrier signal may be an OOK signal generated by multi-carrier modulation. Taking the OOK signal generated by OFDM modulation as an example, by setting certain non-zero amplitude values ​​for multiple subcarriers and performing the IDFT transformation of the transmitter, a corresponding on time domain waveform may be generated; and without assigning values ​​to the corresponding subcarriers, a corresponding off time domain waveform may be generated, thereby realizing the generation of OOK signals based on multi-carrier modulation. For example, in the WUR signal in the 802.11ba technology, the on waveform is generated using 13 subcarriers at the center of a 64-point IDFT within a 20MHz bandwidth. For a 2μs symbol length, 6 subcarriers with subcarrier indexes of k = (–6, –4, –2, 2, 4, 6) among the 13 subcarriers are assigned non-zero values ​​(i.e., non-zero amplitude values ​​are set), and the other subcarriers are not assigned values. For a 4μs symbol length, 12 of the 13 subcarriers with subcarrier index k = (–6, –5, … –1, 1, 2, … 6) are assigned non-zero values ​​(i.e., non-zero amplitude values ​​are set), and the other subcarriers are not assigned values. The generation method of the carrier signal in this application can refer to the WUR signal and will not be repeated here.

[0153] In some embodiments, the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscattered signal through modulation. That is, the first communication device modulates the carrier signal to carry information. The modulation method is, for example, ASK modulation. Therefore, the carrier signal generally has a relatively constant amplitude. The first communication device generates a backscattered ASK signal by amplitude modulating the carrier signal.

[0154] In a multi-carrier system, a more preferred method is to generate a carrier signal through multiple carriers. For example, WiFi technology and NR technology using OFDM modulation. The on waveform generated by OFDM modulation has a relatively flat amplitude, which can meet the requirements of being a carrier signal. On this basis, the first communication device can modulate its amplitude through load modulation to form an ASK backscatter signal. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, a corresponding non-zero assignment can be made by a group of subcarriers within the bandwidth, and a carrier signal can be generated by IDFT.

[0155] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 14, a group of subcarriers with a certain interval is selected, assigned non-zero values, and subjected to IDFT to generate continuous on symbols. From a time domain perspective, this signal appears as a carrier signal with a flat amplitude. Accordingly, the first communication device performs ASK modulation on the carrier signal to form a backscattered signal, as shown in Figure 15, which carries the information bits 10101011 through ASK modulation.

[0156] In some embodiments, the length of the generated on symbol varies depending on the spacing of the non-zero subcarriers. As shown in FIG16 , by adjusting the spacing of the non-zero subcarriers, a shorter symbol length can be achieved. Accordingly, the first communication device performs ASK modulation on the carrier signal to form a backscattered signal, as shown in FIG17 , which carries the information bits 1010101110101011 through ASK modulation.

[0157] In some embodiments, the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is the same as the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal, as shown in Figures 14 to 17.

[0158] In some embodiments, the symbol length associated with the carrier signal differs from the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal. Specifically, the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal may be independent of the symbol length used to generate the carrier signal. In other words, the symbol length of the backscatter signal may differ from the symbol length used to generate the carrier signal. Optionally, the first communications device may determine the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal based on its own data rate and perform ASK modulation on the carrier signal to form ASK symbols.

[0159] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain; or, the area in which the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal overlap in the frequency domain is smaller than a preset value.

[0160] It should be noted that if the carrier signal and the backscatter signal share the same frequency domain resources, this will significantly interfere with the reception of the backscatter signal. Furthermore, alignment of different subcarriers is difficult to achieve, so overlap may occur. In this case, the frequency domain overlap between the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal and the subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal can be set to a smaller value than a preset value.

[0161] Specifically, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal may be a subcarrier used to generate the carrier signal, and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal may be a subcarrier used to generate the backscatter signal.

[0162] In some embodiments, the preset value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the preset value is configured by a network, or the preset value is determined by the first communication device, or the preset value is determined by a device that generates the carrier signal.

[0163] In some embodiments, the number of subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal may be independent of the number of subcarriers associated with the carrier signal, or the number of subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal may be related to the number of subcarriers associated with the carrier signal.

[0164] For example, the number of subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal is less than the number of subcarriers associated with the carrier signal.

[0165] For another example, the number of subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal is greater than the number of subcarriers associated with the carrier signal.

[0166] For another example, the number of subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal is equal to the number of subcarriers associated with the carrier signal.

[0167] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain, or the area in which the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal overlap in the frequency domain is smaller than a preset value, which can reduce the interference caused by the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal to the reception of the backscatter signal.

[0168] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal is obtained by shifting part or all of the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal in the frequency domain.

[0169] In some embodiments, the non-zero subcarriers used to generate the carrier signal are selected at equal intervals within the channel bandwidth, and the subcarriers between adjacent non-zero subcarriers are not assigned a value, or are assigned a value of 0, that is, empty subcarriers. Accordingly, when the first communication device performs backscattering, it shifts in the frequency domain so that the non-zero subcarriers are offset to the empty subcarriers of the carrier signal. As shown in Figure 18, the non-zero subcarriers of the carrier signal are subcarriers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, and the backscattered signal generates an offset of one subcarrier, and the non-zero subcarriers are subcarriers 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.

[0170] In some embodiments, the embodiment shown in FIG18 above has high requirements on the frequency domain synchronization capability of the first communication device. If the backscattered signal cannot achieve a relatively accurate frequency domain offset of an integer multiple of the subcarrier (that is, an integer multiple of the frequency domain grid, and the offset of the complete frequency domain grid is beneficial to alignment and not easy to interfere), interference between subcarriers will also occur. Therefore, another way is that the first communication device moves the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal as a whole in the frequency domain during backscattering, so that the subcarrier set associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier set associated with the backscattered signal are isolated in the frequency domain. As shown in FIG19, the subcarrier set associated with the carrier signal is subcarriers 0-5. When the first communication device backscatters, it performs a relatively large range of frequency domain offsets, for example, offsetting to subcarriers 6-11, that is, the subcarrier set associated with the backscattered signal is subcarriers 6-11. This method can further reduce interference. At the same time, if there are no other signals in use within the frequency domain range where the backscatter signal of the first communication device is located, the frequency domain synchronization capability of the first communication device can be relaxed to a certain extent, and the frequency domain offset is not strictly required to be an integer multiple of the subcarrier. The backscatter signal can be received by the receiving end without being interfered with by other signals.

[0171] In some embodiments, the frequency domain offset is agreed upon by a protocol, configured by a network, determined by the first communications device, or determined by a device generating the carrier signal. In this case, the capability requirements for the first communications device are relatively low.

[0172] In some embodiments, the offset in the frequency domain is determined based on the capability of the first communications device.

[0173] In some embodiments, the frequency domain offset may include a range and a precision of the frequency domain offset.

[0174] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation is introduced, and the carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used for the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation. The carrier signal and power supply signal for zero-power communication can be supported in a multi-carrier system, reducing the complexity of the transmitter introduced to support zero-power communication, and maintaining compatibility with other devices.

[0175] Furthermore, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal does not overlap with the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal in the frequency domain, or the area in which the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal overlaps with the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal in the frequency domain is smaller than a preset value, which can reduce the interference caused by the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal to the reception of the backscatter signal.

[0176] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present application, the multi-carrier selection method can make full use of the transmission power of the device while meeting the power spectrum density limit of the signal, and the use of multi-carrier can also achieve frequency diversity gain.

[0177] The above text, in combination with Figures 11 to 19, describes in detail the method embodiment of the present application. The following text, in combination with Figures 20 to 24, describes in detail the device embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that the device embodiment and the method embodiment correspond to each other, and similar descriptions can refer to the method embodiment.

[0178] FIG20 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device 300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 300 is a first communication device. As shown in FIG20 , the communication device 300 includes:

[0179] The communication unit 310 is configured to receive a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation;

[0180] The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

[0181] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain; or, the area in which the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal overlap in the frequency domain is smaller than a preset value.

[0182] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal is obtained by shifting part or all of the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal in the frequency domain.

[0183] In some embodiments, the offset in the frequency domain is agreed upon by a protocol, or the offset in the frequency domain is configured by a network, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by the first communication device, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by a device that generates the carrier signal.

[0184] In some embodiments, the offset in the frequency domain is determined based on the capability of the first communications device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is the same as the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal, or the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is different from the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal.

[0186] In some embodiments, in multi-carrier modulation, the carrier signal is modulated based on a plurality of sub-carriers having non-zero amplitude values.

[0187] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the non-zero amplitude value is configured by a network.

[0188] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is one of the following:

[0189] Amplitude values ​​associated with binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-bit quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.

[0190] In some embodiments, the multiple subcarriers are arranged at equal intervals, or the multiple subcarriers are arranged at unequal intervals.

[0191] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers are selected according to a target subcarrier pattern;

[0192] The target subcarrier pattern is agreed upon by a protocol, or the target subcarrier pattern is configured by a network.

[0193] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers is determined based on at least one of the following:

[0194] The transmission power of the device generating the carrier signal, the signal power spectrum density, the target transmission power of the carrier signal, and the bandwidth capability of the first communication device.

[0195] In some embodiments, the communication unit may be a communication interface or a transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or a system on chip. The processing unit may be one or more processors.

[0196] It should be understood that the communication device 300 according to the embodiment of the present application may correspond to the first communication device in the method embodiment of the present application, and the above-mentioned and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the terminal device 300 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the first communication device in the method 200 shown in Figure 11. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0197] FIG21 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device 400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 400 is a second communication device. As shown in FIG21 , the communication device 400 includes:

[0198] The communication unit 410 is configured to transmit a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation;

[0199] The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

[0200] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain; or, the area in which the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal overlap in the frequency domain is smaller than a preset value.

[0201] In some embodiments, the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal is obtained by shifting part or all of the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal in the frequency domain.

[0202] In some embodiments, the offset in the frequency domain is agreed upon by a protocol, or the offset in the frequency domain is configured by a network, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by the first communication device, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by a device that generates the carrier signal.

[0203] In some embodiments, the offset in the frequency domain is determined based on the capability of the first communications device.

[0204] In some embodiments, the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is the same as the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal, or the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is different from the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal.

[0205] In some embodiments, in multi-carrier modulation, the carrier signal is modulated based on a plurality of sub-carriers having non-zero amplitude values.

[0206] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the non-zero amplitude value is configured by a network.

[0207] In some embodiments, the non-zero amplitude value is one of the following:

[0208] Amplitude values ​​associated with binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-bit quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.

[0209] In some embodiments, the multiple subcarriers are arranged at equal intervals, or the multiple subcarriers are arranged at unequal intervals.

[0210] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers are selected according to a target subcarrier pattern;

[0211] The target subcarrier pattern is agreed upon by a protocol, or the target subcarrier pattern is configured by a network.

[0212] In some embodiments, the plurality of subcarriers is determined based on at least one of the following:

[0213] The transmission power of the device generating the carrier signal, the signal power spectrum density, the target transmission power of the carrier signal, and the bandwidth capability of the first communication device.

[0214] In some embodiments, the communication unit may be a communication interface or a transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or a system on chip. The processing unit may be one or more processors.

[0215] It should be understood that the communication device 400 according to the embodiment of the present application may correspond to the second communication device in the method embodiment of the present application, and the above-mentioned and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the communication device 400 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the second communication device in the method 200 shown in Figure 11. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0216] Figure 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 500 shown in Figure 22 includes a processor 510, which can call and run a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0217] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG22 , the communication device 500 may further include a memory 520. The processor 510 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 520 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0218] The memory 520 may be a separate device independent of the processor 510 , or may be integrated into the processor 510 .

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 22 , the communication device 500 may further include a transceiver 530 , and the processor 510 may control the transceiver 530 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 530 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0220] The transceiver 530 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 530 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0221] In some embodiments, the processor 510 may implement the functions of a processing unit in a communication device, which will not be described in detail here for the sake of brevity.

[0222] In some embodiments, the transceiver 530 may implement the function of a communication unit in a communication device, which will not be described in detail here for the sake of brevity.

[0223] In some embodiments, the communication device 500 may specifically be the communication device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 500 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first communication device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0224] In some embodiments, the communication device 500 may specifically be the communication device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 500 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second communication device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0225] Figure 23 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 600 shown in Figure 23 includes a processor 610, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0226] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG23 , the apparatus 600 may further include a memory 620. The processor 610 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 620 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0227] The memory 620 may be a separate device independent of the processor 610 , or may be integrated into the processor 610 .

[0228] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may further include an input interface 630. The processor 610 may control the input interface 630 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data sent by other devices or chips. Optionally, the processor 610 may be located inside or outside the chip.

[0229] In some embodiments, the processor 610 may implement the functions of a processing unit in a communication device, which will not be described in detail here for the sake of brevity.

[0230] In some embodiments, the input interface 630 may implement the functionality of a communication unit in a communication device.

[0231] In some embodiments, the apparatus 600 may further include an output interface 640. The processor 610 may control the output interface 640 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may output information or data to other devices or chips. Optionally, the processor 610 may be located inside or outside the chip.

[0232] In some embodiments, the output interface 640 may implement the functionality of a communication unit in a communication device.

[0233] In some embodiments, the apparatus can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the apparatus can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0234] In some embodiments, the apparatus can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the apparatus can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second communication device in each method of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0235] In some embodiments, the device mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may also be a chip, such as a system-on-chip, a system-on-chip, a chip system, or a system-on-chip chip.

[0236] FIG24 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG24 , the communication system 700 includes a first communication device 710 and a second communication device 720 .

[0237] Among them, the first communication device 710 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the first communication device in the above method, and the second communication device 720 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the second communication device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, they are not repeated here.

[0238] It should be understood that the processor of the embodiments of the present application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or software instructions. The above processor can be 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, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0239] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus random access memory (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0240] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0241] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program.

[0242] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0243] In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the second communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0244] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions.

[0245] In some embodiments, the computer program product can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the first communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0246] In some embodiments, the computer program product can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the second communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0247] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program.

[0248] In some embodiments, the computer program can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application. When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes the corresponding processes implemented by the first communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0249] In some embodiments, the computer program can be applied to the communication device in the embodiments of the present application. When the computer program runs on the computer, the computer executes the corresponding processes implemented by the second communication device in the various methods of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0250] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0251] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0252] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0253] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and 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 these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0254] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0255] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. In view of this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0256] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The first communication device receives a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain; or, An overlapping area in the frequency domain between the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal is smaller than a preset value.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal are obtained by shifting part or all of the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal in the frequency domain.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The offset in the frequency domain is agreed upon by a protocol, or the offset in the frequency domain is configured by a network, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by the first communication device, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by a device that generates the carrier signal.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein The offset in the frequency domain is determined based on the capability of the first communication device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The symbol length associated with the carrier signal is the same as the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal, or the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is different from the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that In multi-carrier modulation, the carrier signal is modulated based on a plurality of sub-carriers having non-zero amplitude values.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The non-zero amplitude value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the non-zero amplitude value is configured by a network.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein The non-zero amplitude value is one of the following: Amplitude values ​​associated with binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-bit quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The multiple subcarriers are arranged at equal intervals, or the multiple subcarriers are arranged at unequal intervals.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The plurality of subcarriers are selected according to a target subcarrier pattern; The target subcarrier pattern is agreed upon by a protocol, or the target subcarrier pattern is configured by a network.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that The plurality of subcarriers is determined based on at least one of the following: The transmission power of the device generating the carrier signal, the signal power spectrum density, the target transmission power of the carrier signal, and the bandwidth capability of the first communication device.

13. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The second communication device sends a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal do not overlap in the frequency domain; or, An overlapping area in the frequency domain between the subcarrier associated with the carrier signal and the subcarrier associated with the backscatter signal is smaller than a preset value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The subcarriers associated with the backscatter signal are obtained by shifting part or all of the subcarriers associated with the carrier signal in the frequency domain.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The offset in the frequency domain is agreed upon by a protocol, or the offset in the frequency domain is configured by a network, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by the first communication device, or the offset in the frequency domain is determined by a device that generates the carrier signal.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein The offset in the frequency domain is determined based on the capability of the first communication device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that The symbol length associated with the carrier signal is the same as the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal, or the symbol length associated with the carrier signal is different from the symbol length associated with the backscatter signal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein In multi-carrier modulation, the carrier signal is modulated based on a plurality of sub-carriers having non-zero amplitude values.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The non-zero amplitude value is agreed upon by a protocol, or the non-zero amplitude value is configured by a network.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein: The non-zero amplitude value is one of the following: Amplitude values ​​associated with binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-bit quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64-QAM, and 256-QAM.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that The multiple subcarriers are arranged at equal intervals, or the multiple subcarriers are arranged at unequal intervals.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein The plurality of subcarriers are selected according to a target subcarrier pattern; The target subcarrier pattern is agreed upon by a protocol, or the target subcarrier pattern is configured by a network.

24. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein The plurality of subcarriers is determined based on at least one of the following: The transmission power of the device generating the carrier signal, the signal power spectrum density, the target transmission power of the carrier signal, and the bandwidth capability of the first communication device.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a first communication device, and the communication device includes: A communication unit, configured to receive a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a second communication device, and the communication device includes: A communication unit, configured to transmit a carrier signal generated based on multi-carrier modulation; The carrier signal is used to power the first communication device, and / or the carrier signal is used by the first communication device to generate a backscatter signal through modulation.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

28. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor and a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory, so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

29. A chip, characterized in that: The device comprises: a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

30. A chip, characterized in that: The device comprises: a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

31. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that For storing a computer program, when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that For storing a computer program, when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions, which, when executed, implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

34. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions which, when executed, implement the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

35. A computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented.

36. A computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

Images