Method and apparatus for wireless communication

Abstract

A method for wireless communication performed by a reader, the method comprising: receiving a set of response signals responsive to a radio signal from a set of A-IoT devices, a response signal in the set of response signals being modulated by a respective A-IoT device in the set of A-IoT devices to contain an identifier of the respective A-IoT device; identifying the corresponding A-IoT device based on the identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device, and performing measurement of a positioning parameter; and performing a positioning-related operation based on the identified A-IoT device and the measurement of the positioning parameter. According to the invention, wireless communication can be better carried out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to positioning user equipment (UE) and network equipment using a passive Internet of Things (IoT) device in mobile communications. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not constitute prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunication services, such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies that are capable of supporting communications with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of multiple-access technologies include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0004] The above-mentioned multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example of a telecommunication standard is the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the continuous mobile broadband evolution released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (such as with the Internet of Things (IoT)) and other requirements. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. 5G NR technology requires further improvements, which may also be applicable to other multiple access technologies and telecommunication standards that adopt these technologies. Summary of the invention

[0005] The following content presents a brief summary of one or more aspects, with the purpose of providing a basic understanding of these aspects. The present invention summary is not an extensive overview of all considered aspects, and is neither intended to identify the key or important elements of all aspects, nor to outline the scope of any or all aspects. The purpose of the present invention summary is only to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form, as a preface to the more detailed description that will be presented below.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a method for wireless communication, a computer-readable medium, and a device are provided. The device may be a reader. The reader receives a set of response signals from a set of A-IoT devices, the set of response signals responding to a radio signal, and the response signals in the set of response signals are modulated by corresponding A-IoT devices in the set of A-IoT devices to contain an identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device. The reader identifies the corresponding A-IoT device based on the identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device and performs a measurement of a positioning parameter. The reader performs operations related to positioning based on the identified A-IoT device and the measurement of the positioning parameter.

[0007] By utilizing the present invention, wireless communication can be better performed.

[0008] To accomplish the foregoing and related purposes, one or more aspects include the features fully described below and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of one or more aspects. However, these features are only indicative of some of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects can be employed, and the present invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication system and access network.

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating communication between a BS and a UE in an access network.

[0011] Figure 3 An exemplary logical architecture of a distributed access network is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 4 An exemplary physical architecture of a distributed access network is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing exemplary time slots centered on DL.

[0014] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing exemplary time slots centered around the UL.

[0015] FIG. 7(A) is a diagram schematically illustrating a wireless communication system including a base station and a UE.

[0016] FIG. 7(B) is a diagram schematically illustrating an example architecture for approximate positioning using an A-IoT device.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a timing diagram about approximate positioning.

[0018] Fig. 9 It is a timing diagram reflecting the process changes of an A-IoT device broadcasting a signal with its public key, a finder UE estimating the A-IoT device location using SL-RTT, and considering the use of a side link for communication.

[0019] Fig.10 The figure schematically shows the behaviors of UE and gNB and the signaling between them when UE acts as a security gateway for A-IoT devices.

[0020] Fig.11It is a schematic diagram schematically showing the behaviors of A-IoT devices, UE and gNB and the signaling between them when UE acts as a relay for A-IoT devices.

[0021] Fig.12 It is a timing diagram schematically showing the interaction between UE, gNB and A-IoT device regarding the use of public keys.

[0022] Fig.13 It is a timing diagram representing the behavior of UE and gNB.

[0023] Fig.14 It is a timing diagram representing another behavior of UE and gNB.

[0024] Fig.15 is a timing diagram representing further behaviors of UE and gNB.

[0025] Fig.16 is a timing diagram involving two different gNBs - one for the finder UE and the other for the owner UE.

[0026] Fig.17 An example communication system is shown having an example communication device and an example network device.

[0027] FIG18(A) is a diagram schematically illustrating an example architecture for precise positioning using multiple A-IoT devices.

[0028] Figure 18(B) is a timing diagram of UE behavior, gNB behavior and signaling.

[0029] FIG19(A) is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a scheme in which a gNB estimates the location of a passive A-IoT device with the assistance of multiple UE finders.

[0030] Figure 19(B) is a timing diagram of UE searcher behavior, gNB behavior and signaling.

[0031] FIG20(A) is a flow chart regarding positioning of UE and A-IoT devices.

[0032] FIG20(B) is another flowchart regarding positioning of UE and A-IoT devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The specific embodiments described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings are intended to be descriptions of various configurations, and are not intended to represent the only configurations that can practice the concepts described in the present invention. This specific embodiment part includes specific details, and the purpose is to provide a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, for those skilled in the art, these concepts can also be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, in order to avoid blurring these concepts, known structures and components are shown in block diagram form.

[0034] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatus and methods. The apparatus and methods will be described in the detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). The elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether these elements are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0035] For example, an element, any part of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented as a "processing system", where the processing system may include one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, systems on a chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described in the present invention. One or more processors in a processing system may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, processes, and functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0036] Therefore, in one or more exemplary aspects, the above functions can be implemented in hardware, software or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or encoded as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. The above-mentioned computer-readable medium may include a random access memory (Random-Access Memory, RAM), a read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM, EEPROM), an optical disk storage, a magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, a combination of computer-readable media of the above types, or any other medium that can be used to store computer executable code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer, which is used only as an example and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0037] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication system and access network 100. The wireless communication system (also referred to as a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)) includes a base station (BS) 102, a user equipment (UE) 104, an evolved packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (such as a 5G core network (5G Core, 5GC)). BS 102 may include a macro cell (a high-power cellular base station) and / or a small cell (a low-power cellular base station). A macro cell includes a BS, and a small cell includes a femtocell, a picocell, and a microcell.

[0038] BS 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) can be connected to the EPC 160 interface via a backhaul link 132 (such as an SI interface). BS 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) can be connected to the core network 190 interface via a backhaul link 184. Among other functions, BS 102 may perform one or more of the following functions: transfer of user data, radio channel cipher and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, distribution of non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN Information Management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. BS 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC 160 or core network 190) via a backhaul link 134 (e.g., an X2 interface). The backhaul link 134 may be wired or wireless.

[0039] BS 102 can communicate wirelessly with UE 104. Each BS 102 can provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area 110. There may be overlapping geographic coverage areas 110, for example, a small cell 102' can have a coverage area 110' that overlaps with the coverage area 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network that includes both small cells and macro cells can be called a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network can also include a home evolved Node B (eNB) (Home eNB, HeNB), where the HeNB can provide services to a restricted group called a closed subscriber group (CSG). The communication link 120 between BS 102 and UE 104 can include an uplink (UL) (also called a reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to BS 102 and / or a downlink (DL) (also called a forward link) transmission from BS 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 may use MIMO antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming and / or transmit diversity. The communication link may pass through one or more carriers. BS102 / UE 104 may use a spectrum with a bandwidth of up to 7 MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400 MHz, etc.) per carrier, where the carriers are allocated in carrier aggregation (CA) for transmission in each direction, where the carrier aggregation is up to Yx MHz (x component carriers) in total. The above carriers may be adjacent to each other or may not be adjacent to each other. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL than to UL). A component carrier may include a primary component carrier and one or more secondary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as a primary cell (PCell) and the secondary component carrier may be referred to as a secondary cell (SCell).

[0040] Some UEs 104 may communicate with each other using a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 may use DL / UL WWAN spectrum. The D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), and a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). D2D communication may be through various wireless D2D communication systems, such as FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on IEEE 802.11 standards, LTE, or NR.

[0041] The wireless communication system may also include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150, wherein the Wi-Fi AP 150 communicates with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in a 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. When communicating in the unlicensed spectrum, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) before communicating to determine whether the channel is available.

[0042] The small cell 102' may operate in a licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in an unlicensed spectrum, the small cell 102' may employ NR and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum as the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum used by the Wi-Fi AP 150. The small cell 102' employing NR in the unlicensed spectrum may increase the coverage of the access network and / or improve the capacity of the access network.

[0043] The base station 102 (whether a small cell 102' or a large cell (e.g., a macro base station)) may include an eNB, a gNodeB (gNB), or other types of base stations. Some base stations, such as gNB 180, may operate in the traditional sub-6 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, and / or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with the UE 104. When the gNB 180 operates at mmW or near-mmW frequencies, the gNB 180 may be referred to as a mmW base station. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a wavelength between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in the frequency band may be referred to as millimeter waves. Near mmW can extend down to frequencies of 3 GHz with a wavelength of 100 mm. The super high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and is also called centimeter waves. Communications using mmW / near mmW radio frequency bands (eg, 3 GHz-300 GHz) have extremely high path loss and short range. The mmW base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 with the UE 104 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range.

[0044] The base station 180 may transmit beamformed signals in one or more transmit directions 108a to the UE 104. The UE 104 may receive beamformed signals from the base station 180 in one or more receive directions 108b. The UE 104 may also transmit beamformed signals to the base station 180 in one or more transmit directions. The base station 180 may receive beamformed signals from the UE 104 in one or more receive directions. The base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the best receive and transmit directions for each base station 180 / UE 104. The transmit and receive directions for the base station 180 may be the same or different. The transmit and receive directions for the UE 104 may be the same or different.

[0045] The EPC 160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a serving gateway 166, an MBMS gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. The MME 162 may communicate with a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. The MME 162 is a control node that handles signaling between the UE 104 and the EPC 160. Typically, the MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transferred through the serving gateway 166, which itself is connected to the PDN Gateway 172. The PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The PDN Gateway 172 and the BM-SC 170 are connected to the IP Service 176. The IP services 176 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a Packet-Switched Streaming Service (PSS), and / or other IP services. The BM-SC 170 may provide functionality for provisioning and delivery of MBMS user services. The BM-SC 170 may serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS delivery, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), and may be used to schedule MBMS delivery. The MBMS Gateway 168 may be used to allocate MBMS traffic to the BS 102, and may be responsible for session management (start / end) and collection of charging information related to the evolved MBMS (eMBMS), where the BS 102 belongs to a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area that broadcasts specific services.

[0046] The core network 190 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, a location management function (LMF) 198, a session management function (SMF) 194, and a user plane function (UPF) 195. The AMF 192 may communicate with the Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. The AMF 192 is a control node that handles signaling between the UE 104 and the core network 190. Typically, the SMF 194 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet protocol (IP) packets are transmitted through the UPF 195. The UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The UPF 195 is connected to the IP service 197. The IP service 197 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), a PS streaming service, and / or other IP services.

[0047] The BS may also be referred to as a gNB, Node B (NB), eNB, access point, basic transceiver station, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), transmit reception point (TRP), or some other suitable term. The BS 102 provides an access point to the EPC 160 or core network 190 for the UE 104. Examples of UE 104 include a cellular phone, a smart phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a satellite radio, a global positioning system, a multimedia device, a video device, a digital audio player (such as an MP3 player), a camera, a game console, a tablet, a smart device, a wearable device, a vehicle, an electric meter, a gas pump, a large or small kitchen appliance, a medical device, an implant, a sensor / actuator, a display, or any other device with similar functions. Some of the UEs 104 may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking meters, gas pumps, ovens, vehicles, heart monitors, etc.) UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, a mobile station, a user station, a mobile unit, a user unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a remote device, a mobile user station, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0048] Although the present invention may be described with reference to 5G NR, the present invention may be applicable to other similar fields, such as LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, GSM or other wireless / radio access technologies.

[0049] Figure 22 is a block diagram of BS 210 and UE 250 communicating in an access network. In the DL, IP packets from EPC 160 may be provided to controller / processor 275. Controller / processor 275 implements layer 3 and layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and layer 2 includes the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 275 provides: RRC layer functions, wherein the RRC layer functions are associated with broadcasting of system information (such as Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), RRC connection control (such as RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions, wherein the PDCP layer functions are associated with header compression / decompression, security (ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functions, wherein the RLC layer functions are associated with transfer of higher layer Packet Data Unit (PDU), error correction through Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), RLC Service Data Unit (SDU) The MAC layer functions are associated with the concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC data PDU (SDU), the re-segmentation of RLC data PDU and the reordering of RLC data PDU; and MAC layer functions, wherein the MAC layer functions are associated with the mapping between logical channels and transport channels, the multiplexing of MAC SDU onto transport blocks (TB), the demultiplexing of MAC SDU from TB, scheduling information reporting, error correction through hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), priority processing and logical channel prioritization.

[0050] The transmit (TX) processor 216 and the receive (RX) processor 270 implement layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1 (including the physical (PHY) layer) may include error detection on the transmission channel, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of the transmission channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. The TX processor 216 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (such as binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The coded and modulated symbols can then be divided into parallel streams, each of which can then be mapped to an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) subcarrier, multiplexed with a Reference Signal (RS) (such as a pilot) in the time domain and / or frequency domain, and then combined using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to produce multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from the channel estimator 274 can be used to determine the coding and modulation schemes, as well as for spatial processing. Channel estimates can be derived from RS and / or channel state feedback transmitted by the UE 250. Each spatial stream can then be provided to a different antenna 220 via a separate transmitter 218TX. Each transmitter 218TX can modulate an RF carrier using each spatial stream for transmission.

[0051] At the UE 250, each receiver 254RX can receive a signal through each antenna 252. Each receiver 254RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the RX processor 256. The TX processor 268 and the RX processor 256 implement layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 256 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial stream to the UE 250. If there are multiple spatial streams to the UE 250, the multiple spatial streams can be combined into a single OFDM symbol stream by the RX processor 256. The RX processor 256 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The frequency domain signal includes separate OFDM symbol streams for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols and RS on each subcarrier are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation point transmitted by the BS 210. These soft decisions can be based on the channel estimates calculated by the channel estimator 258. These soft decisions may then be decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted on the physical channel by BS 210. The data and control signals may then be provided to controller / processor 259, which implements layer 3 and layer 2 functions.

[0052] The controller / processor 259 may be associated with a memory 260 that stores program codes and data. The memory 260 may be referred to as a computer readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 259 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing to recover IP packets from the EPC 160. The controller / processor 259 is also responsible for error detection using an Acknowledgement (ACK) and / or Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) protocol to support HARQ operations.

[0053] Similar to the functions described in conjunction with DL transmission of BS210, the controller / processor 259 provides: RRC layer functions, wherein the RRC layer functions are associated with acquisition of system information (such as MIB, SIB), RRC connection and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions, wherein the PDCP layer functions are associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions, wherein the RLC layer functions are associated with transfer of higher layer PDUs, error correction through ARQ, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs, re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions, wherein the MAC layer functions are associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto TBs, demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through HARQ, priority processing and logical channel prioritization.

[0054] The channel estimate derived from the RS or feedback transmitted by the channel estimator 258 from the BS 210 can be used by the TX processor 268 to select the appropriate codec and modulation scheme, and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 268 can be provided to different antennas 252 via separate transmitters 254TX. Each transmitter 254TX can modulate the RF carrier using each spatial stream for transmission. Similar to the description of the receiver function at the UE 250, UL transmission is processed in a similar manner at the BS 210. Each receiver 218RX receives a signal through each antenna 220. Each receiver 218RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the RX processor 270.

[0055] The controller / processor 275 may be associated with a memory 276 that stores program codes and data. The memory 276 may be referred to as a computer readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 275 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, control signal processing to recover IP packets from the UE 250. The IP packets from the controller / processor 275 may be provided to the EPC 160. The controller / processor 275 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operations.

[0056] NR may refer to a radio configured to operate according to a new air interface (e.g., in addition to an OFDMA-based air interface) or a fixed transport layer (e.g., in addition to IP). NR may utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both UL and DL, and may include support for half-duplex operation using time division duplexing (TDD). NR may include mission critical features such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services targeting wide bandwidths (e.g., above 80 MHz), mmW targeting high carrier frequencies (e.g., 60 GHz), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) targeting non-backward compatible Machine Type Communication (MTC) technologies, and / or Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services targeting.

[0057] A single component carrier bandwidth of 100 MHz can be supported. In one example, an NR resource block (RB) can span 12 subcarriers, where the 12 subcarriers have a subcarrier bandwidth of 60 KHz over a duration of 0.25 ms or a bandwidth of 30 KHz over a duration of 0.5 ms (similarly, 50 MHz bandwidth is used for a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) over a duration of 1 ms). Each radio frame may include 10 subframes (or 10, 20, 40, or 80 NR time slots) of length 10 ms. Each time slot may indicate the link direction (i.e., DL or UL) used for data transmission and the link direction for each time slot may be dynamically switched. Each time slot may contain DL / UL data and DL / UL control data. Please refer to the following Figure 5 and Figure 6 The UL and DL time slots for NR are described in more detail.

[0058] The NR RAN may include a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The NR BS (such as gNB, 5G NB, NB, Transmission Reception Point (TRP), AP) may correspond to one or more BSs. The NR cell may be configured as an access cell (ACell) or a data-only cell (DCell). For example, the RAN (such as a CU or DU) may configure the above cells. The DCell may be a cell for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity and may not be used for initial access, cell selection / reselection, or switching. In some cases, the DCell may not transmit a synchronization signal (SS), and in some cases, the DCell may transmit an SS. The NR BS may transmit a DL signal to the UE to indicate the cell type. Based on the cell type indication, the UE may communicate with the NR BS. For example, the UE may determine the NR BS based on the indicated cell type to consider cell selection, access, switching, and / or measurement.

[0059] Figure 3 An exemplary logical architecture of a distributed RAN 300 according to aspects of the present invention is illustrated. A 5G access node (AN) 306 may include an access node controller (ANC) 302. The ANC may be the CU of a distributed RAN. The backhaul interface to the Next Generation Core Network (NG-CN) 304 may terminate at the ANC. The backhaul interface to an adjacent next generation access node (NG-AN) 310 may terminate at the ANC. The ANC may include one or more TRPs 308 (TRPs may also be referred to as BSs, NR BSs, NBs, 5G NBs, APs, or some other terms). As described above, TRPs may be used interchangeably with "cells."

[0060] The TRP 308 may be a DU. The TRP may be connected to one ANC (ANC 302) or more than one ANC (not illustrated). For example, for RAN sharing, Radio as a Service (RaaS), and service-specific ANC deployments, the TRP may be connected to more than one ANC. The TRP may include one or more antenna ports. The TRP may be configured to independently (e.g., dynamically selected) or jointly (e.g., jointly transmitted) supply services to the UE.

[0061] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 300 can be used to illustrate the fronthaul definition. The architecture can be defined to support fronthaul solutions across different deployment types. For example, the architecture can be based on transmission network performance (such as bandwidth, latency and / or jitter). The architecture can share features and / or components with LTE. According to aspects of the present invention, the NG-AN310 can support dual connectivity with NR. The NG-AN can share a common fronthaul for LTE and NR.

[0062] The architecture may enable collaboration between TRPs 308. For example, collaboration may be provisioned within and / or across TRPs via ANC 302. According to aspects of the invention, an inter-TRP interface may not be required / existent.

[0063] According to aspects of the present invention, dynamic configuration of separate logical functions may exist within the architecture of the distributed RAN 300. PDCP, RLC, MAC protocols may be adaptively located at the ANC or TRP.

[0064] Figure 4 An exemplary physical architecture of a distributed RAN 400 according to aspects of the present invention is illustrated. A centralized core network unit (C-CU) 402 can host core network functions. The C-CU can be centrally deployed. To handle peak capacity, C-CU functions can be offloaded (e.g., to Advanced Wireless Service (AWS)). A centralized RAN unit (C-RU) 404 can host one or more ANC functions. Optionally, the C-RU can host core network functions locally. The C-RU can have a distributed deployment. The C-RU can be closer to the edge of the network. The DU 406 can host one or more TRPs. The DU can be located at the edge of the network with RF functions.

[0065] Figure 55 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary DL-centric time slot. The DL-centric time slot may include a control portion 502. The control portion 502 may be present in an initial or starting portion of the DL-centric time slot. The control portion 502 may include various scheduling information and / or control information corresponding to various portions of the DL-centric time slot. In some configurations, such as Figure 5 As shown, the control portion 502 can be a physical downlink control channel (Physical DL Control Channel, PDCCH). The DL-centric time slot can also include a DL data portion 504. The DL data portion 504 can sometimes be referred to as the payload of the DL-centric time slot. The DL data portion 504 can include communication resources for communicating DL data from a scheduling entity (such as a UE or a BS) to a subordinate entity (such as a UE). In some configurations, the DL data portion 504 can be a physical downlink shared channel (Physical DL Shared Channel, PDSCH).

[0066] The DL-centric time slot may also include a common UL portion 506. The common UL portion 506 may sometimes be referred to as a UL burst, a common UL burst, and / or various other suitable terms. The common UL portion 506 may include feedback information corresponding to various other portions of the DL-centric time slot. For example, the common UL portion 506 may include feedback information corresponding to the control portion 502. Non-limiting examples of feedback information may include ACK signals, NACK signals, HARQ indicators, and / or various other suitable types of information. The common UL portion 506 may include additional or further information, such as information about a random access channel (RACH) process, a scheduling request, and various other suitable types of information.

[0067] like Figure 5As shown, the end of the DL data portion 504 can be separated in time from the start of the common UL portion 506. This time separation may sometimes be referred to as a gap, a guard period, a guard interval, and / or various other suitable terms. This separation provides time for a switch-over from DL communications (e.g., a reception operation performed by a subordinate entity (e.g., a UE)) to UL communications (e.g., a transmission performed by a subordinate entity (e.g., a UE)). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely an example of a DL-centric time slot, and that alternative structures having similar features may exist without necessarily departing from the aspects described herein.

[0068] Figure 6 600 is a diagram of an exemplary UL-centric timeslot. The UL-centric timeslot may include a control portion 602. The control portion 602 may be present in an initial or starting portion of the UL-centric timeslot. Figure 6 The control part 602 in the above reference Figure 5 The control portion 502 described is similar. The UL-centric time slot may also include a UL data portion 604. The UL data portion 604 may sometimes be referred to as the payload of the UL-centric time slot. The UL portion may refer to communication resources used to communicate UL data from a subordinate entity (such as a UE) to a scheduling entity (such as a UE or a BS). In some configurations, the control portion 602 may be a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, the end of the control portion 602 can be separated in time from the beginning of the UL data portion 604. This time separation may sometimes be referred to as an interval, a guard period, a guard gap, and / or various other suitable terms. The separation provides time for switching from DL communications (such as reception operations performed by the scheduling entity) to UL communications (such as transmissions performed by the scheduling entity). The UL-centric timeslot may also contain a common UL portion 606. Figure 6 The common UL portion 606 in the embodiment may be similar to the above reference Figure 5The common UL portion 506 described herein. The common UL portion 606 may additionally or additionally include information about a channel quality indicator (CQI), a sounding reference signal (SRS), and various other suitable types of information. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely an example of a UL-centric time slot, and that alternative structures having similar features may exist without necessarily departing from the aspects described herein.

[0070] In some cases, two or more subordinate entities (such as UEs) can use sidelink signals to communicate with each other. The actual applications of such sidelink communications may include public safety, proximity services, UE-to-network relays, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, Internet of Everything (IoE) communications, IoT communications, mission-critical meshes, and / or various other suitable applications. Generally, a sidelink signal may refer to a signal that is communicated from one subordinate entity (such as UE1) to another subordinate entity (such as UE2) without relaying the communication through a scheduling entity (such as a UE or BS), even if the scheduling entity may be used for scheduling and / or control purposes. In some examples, a sidelink signal may use a licensed spectrum to communicate (unlike wireless local area networks that typically use unlicensed spectrum).

[0071] FIG7(A) is a schematic diagram 700 showing an example wireless communication system including a base station and a UE. In this example, a UE 704 is connected to a base station 702 located in a cell 706.

[0072] The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has necessitated efficient tracking. Current battery-powered and energy-harvesting solutions are not feasible, which has prompted the need for a new, low-power, and efficient Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device localization technology.

[0073] The present invention can focus on the UE using signals from A-IoT devices to estimate its own location or the location of A-IoT devices. It does this by receiving and analyzing signals, determining key parameters, and performing location calculations. The process leverages existing mechanisms, and the accuracy depends on multiple factors, such as the number of A-IoT devices and signal quality.

[0074] It is worth noting that although the description provided herein may be in the context of certain radio access technologies, networks and network topologies such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, LTE Advanced Professional Edition, Fifth Generation (5G), New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT) and Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Sixth Generation (6G), the proposed concepts, schemes and any variants / derivatives thereof may be implemented in, for and by other types of radio access technologies, networks and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples described herein.

[0075] Approximate positioning

[0076] FIG7(B) is a schematic diagram 750 illustrating an example architecture for approximate positioning using an A-IoT device. The A-IoT device pairs with an owner UE and registers with the gNB over a secure tunnel. The device then broadcasts its public key for discovery by other UEs, referred to as finder UEs. The finder UE can estimate the location of the A-IoT device using a signal-based approach and report it to the next generation NodeB (gNB). The gNB forwards this information to the Location Management Function (LMF) in the network, which decides whether to notify the owner UE about the new location of the A-IoT device. If the decision is to notify the owner, the gNB packages the location information as user data, encrypts it with the owner UE's key, and sends it to the owner UE. The owner UE decrypts the data and displays the updated location of the A-IoT device.

[0077] Figure 8is a timing diagram 800 regarding approximate positioning. In certain embodiments, an A-IoT device, which can be considered a UE, pairs with an owner UE and registers on a gNB through a secure tunnel. The device then broadcasts a signal, which includes its public key, for other UEs (referred to as finder UEs) to discover. These finder UEs can estimate the location of the A-IoT device using signal-based methods such as SideLink Round Trip Time (SL-RTT), which requires the A-IoT device and the finder UE to send SideLink Positioning Reference Signal (SL-PRS) to each other.

[0078] The finder UE then reports this location information to their respective gNBs. The gNB forwards this information to the Location Management Function (LMF) in the network, which decides whether to notify the owner UE about the new location of the A-IoT device. If the decision is to notify the owner, the gNB packages the location information as user data, encrypts it with the owner UE’s key, and sends it to the owner UE. The owner UE decrypts the data and displays the updated location of the A-IoT device.

[0079] This process can be further considered for communication using the sidelink, involving the network scheduling resources for transmissions between UEs. Two timing diagrams are proposed: one for communication between UEs using the sidelink and the other for point-to-point transmissions to estimate A-IoT device locations.

[0080] Fig. 9 is a timing diagram 900 reflecting the changes in the process, where the A-IoT device broadcasts a signal with its public key, the finder UE estimates the location of the A-IoT device using SL-RTT, and considers using the side link for communication.

[0081] Initial pairing and public keys

[0082] A-IoT devices are indirectly connected to the gNB through the UE, which is its owner. A-IoT devices do not interact directly with the gNB. Here is a simplified approach:

[0083] Device pairing: First pair the A-IoT device with the UE. This can be done through standard pairing procedures such as WIFI pairing, Bluetooth pairing, or NR sidelink pairing, during which a shared secret key is established.

[0084] Secure Tunnel Establishment: The UE (which has a direct connection with the gNB) establishes a secure tunnel for the A-IoT device. This can be done using existing NR security procedures. The UE acts as a security gateway for the A-IoT device.

[0085] Data transmission: When an A-IoT device has data to send, it first encrypts the data using a shared key and sends it to the UE. The UE then sends this data to the gNB through a secure tunnel. For incoming data, the process is reversed.

[0086] Key refresh and reset: The UE can perform key refresh and reset operations on behalf of the A-IoT device. This can be done using existing NR procedures.

[0087] The UE acts as a secure gateway for A-IoT devices, handling all interactions with the gNB. This ensures the security of A-IoT device data while minimizing changes to existing procedures.

[0088] Fig.10 1000 illustrates the behavior of a UE and a gNB and the signaling between them in a scenario where the UE acts as a security gateway for an A-IoT device. The UE pairs with the A-IoT device, establishes a secure tunnel with the gNB, and handles encryption, transmission, and decryption of data. The UE also requests key refresh and reset operations from the gNB as needed.

[0089] There is a sequence of steps to pair devices to ensure secure communication. Here is a simplified version of the process:

[0090] Discovery: A-IoT and UE perform a discovery procedure and establish a PC5-RRC connection using the NR sidelink PC5 unicast link establishment procedure.

[0091] Initial connection: A-IoT sends the first RRC message (i.e., RRCSetupRequest) through the UE using a specific PC5 relay RLC channel configuration to establish a connection with the gNB.

[0092] Relay channel establishment: gNB and UE perform the relay channel establishment procedure over Uu. Based on the gNB configuration, UE establishes a PC5 relay RLC channel to A-IoT relay SRB1 over PC5.

[0093] RRC connection establishment: A-IoT sends RRCSetupComplete message to gNB through UE by using SRB1 relay channel on PC5 and SRB1 relay channel on Uu configured to UE. Then A-IoT and gNB are in RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0094] Security establishment: A-IoT and gNB follow the Uu security mode procedures to establish security and forward security messages through the UE.

[0095] This process ensures that the A-IoT device and UE are securely paired and can communicate with each other.

[0096] Fig.11 1100 shows the behavior of the A-IoT device, UE, and gNB and the signaling between them in the scenario where the UE acts as a relay for the A-IoT device. The A-IoT device initiates a discovery request, and the UE forwards this request to the gNB. The gNB and UE then establish a relay channel. The A-IoT device sends an RRCSetupComplete message to the gNB through the UE and then requests a secure setup. The UE forwards this request and the gNB confirms the secure setup.

[0097] After pairing and security establishment, if the A-IoT device needs to broadcast a public key to be discovered by other UEs (non-owner UEs), it can use a specially generated public key for this purpose.

[0098] This public key is separate from the keys used for secure communication with the owner UE and gNB. Other UEs can use this public key to encrypt data sent to the A-IoT device, but it will not compromise the security of the A-IoT device because it cannot be used to decrypt any data.

[0099] A-IoT devices can periodically change this public key to further enhance security (a method called key rotation). That way, even if a malicious party obtains the public key, they can only use it for a limited time before it expires.

[0100] Therefore, the A-IoT device can broadcast this public key without losing security, allowing other UEs to discover and communicate with it securely.

[0101] Fig.12 is a timing diagram 1200 showing the interaction between the UE, gNB, and A-IoT device regarding the use of public keys.

[0102] In this sequence diagram, the A-IoT device first generates a public key and shares it with its owner UE. The owner UE then informs the gNB of the new public key. The gNB then broadcasts the public key to other UEs, which can be called finder UEs. These finder UEs can now send discovery requests to the gNB using the broadcasted public key. Upon receiving the request, the gNB forwards it to the owner UE, which in turn forwards the discovery request to the A-IoT device. This process ensures that other UEs can discover the A-IoT device using the broadcasted public key.

[0103] Broadcast public key

[0104] A-IoT devices can broadcast their public keys, which can be used by UEs for discovery. This public key can be broadcast periodically or in response to specific events or triggers.

[0105] Discovery by finder UE: The finder UE can use this broadcasted public key to identify the A-IoT device. It can use this public key to send a discovery request to the gNB. For example, the A-IoT device sends a discovery signal every 2 seconds, embedding the public key in the signal content. The discovery signal can reuse the NR Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) or the random access preamble sequence. Once the A-IoT device is discovered, the finder UE can use standard pairing procedures such as WIFI pairing, Bluetooth pairing, or NR sidelink pairing to establish a shared key with the A-IoT device.

[0106] Pairing with the finder UE: Once the A-IoT device is discovered, it can pair with the finder UE using a secure pairing procedure. This procedure may involve the exchange of additional keys or credentials assisted by the gNB or owner UE. This secure pairing can also be achieved using standard pairing procedures such as WIFI pairing, Bluetooth pairing or NR sidelink pairing, where a shared key is established.

[0107] Fig.13 is a timing diagram 1300 representing the behavior of the UE and gNB. In this timing diagram, the A-IoT device broadcasts its public key, which is captured by the finder UE. The finder UE initiates the standard pairing procedure with the A-IoT device. After pairing is successful and the shared key is established, the finder UE reports the location and public key of the A-IoT device back to the gNB, and the gNB then updates the location information in the network.

[0108] Finder UE Report

[0109] After successfully pairing with an A-IoT device, the finder UE is able to estimate the location of the A-IoT device and report it to the gNB. The finder UE knows its location through GPS or network-based positioning, and estimates the location of the A-IoT device using signal-based methods such as Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Round-Trip Time (RTT).

[0110] The RSSI method involves measuring the signal strength from the A-IoT device, understanding that signal strength decreases with distance. The RTT method involves sending a signal to the A-IoT device and measuring the time it takes for the signal to return, which can be used to calculate the distance to the A-IoT device.

[0111] Once the distance to the A-IoT device is estimated, the finder UE uses its own location to determine the location of the A-IoT device. If multiple finder UEs are involved, triangulation can be used to make a more accurate location estimate.

[0112] To transmit this location information and public key to the gNB, the finder UE follows the standard NR location reporting procedure using an uplink (UL) channel such as the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), or Random Access Channel (RACH). This ensures that the gNB is updated with the location of the A-IoT device.

[0113] Fig.14 is a timing diagram 1400 representing the behavior of the UE and the gNB. In this timing diagram, the finder UE initiates a pairing procedure with the A-IoT device. After the A-IoT device responds to the pairing procedure, a shared key is established. The finder UE then estimates the location of the A-IoT device using methods such as RSSI or RTT, and uses its own location to determine the location of the A-IoT device. This location information is then reported to the gNB via a channel such as PUSCH, PUCCH, or RACH. Finally, the gNB updates the A-IoT device location in the network.

[0114] In some embodiments, after a successful pairing with an A-IoT device, the relative distance to the A-IoT device can be estimated even if the seeker UE does not know its absolute location. This estimation can be done using signal-based methods such as signal strength (RSSI) and round-trip time (RTT).

[0115] The RSSI method involves measuring the signal strength from an A-IoT device, based on the principle that signal strength decreases as distance increases. The RTT method involves sending a signal to an A-IoT device and measuring the time it takes for the signal to return, thereby calculating the relative distance to the A-IoT device.

[0116] This relative position information, along with the public key of the A-IoT device, is then processed by a computing entity. This computing entity can be the LMF, the finder UE itself, or another UE. It is worth noting that this computing entity can utilize the sidelink positioning structure to process the measurements, providing a more efficient and accurate A-IoT device position estimate.

[0117] During the process, the finder UE transmits this information to the gNB using uplink (UL) channels such as the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or random access channel (RACH). This is consistent with the standard NR location reporting procedure, ensuring that the gNB is updated with the relative location information of the A-IoT device.

[0118] Fig.15is a timing diagram 1500 representing the behavior of the UE and the gNB. In this timing diagram, the finder UE initiates a pairing procedure with the A-IoT device. After the A-IoT device responds to the pairing procedure, a shared key is established. The finder UE then estimates the relative distance to the A-IoT device using methods such as RSSI or RTT, and these measurements can be processed by the computing entity. The relative distance information is then reported to the gNB along with the public key. Finally, the gNB updates the relative distance of the A-IoT device in the network.

[0119] LMF Search

[0120] When the gNB receives the location report from the finder UE along with the public key report from the A-IoT device, it can forward this information to the Location Management Function (LMF) in the network. Here is how this happens:

[0121] gNB to LMF: gNB can send location reports to LMF using standard interfaces (such as X2 interface in LTE or N2 interface in 5G NR). The report can include the public key of the A-IoT device, the identity of the finder UE and the estimated location of the A-IoT device.

[0122] LMF Processing: The LMF can process this report, update its location database, and decide whether to notify the owner UE about the new location of the A-IoT device. This decision can be based on various factors such as the accuracy of the new location, the time since the last update, and the owner's preferences.

[0123] LMF to gNB: If the LMF decides to notify the owner, it can send a message to the gNB serving the owner UE. The message can include the public key of the A-IoT device and its new location.

[0124] Fig.16 is a timing diagram 1600, including two different gNBs - one for the finder UE and the other for the owner UE. In this timing diagram, the finder UE reports the location and public key of the A-IoT device to its gNB (the finder's gNB). The gNB then sends the location report to the LMF using a standard interface (such as X2 or N2). The LMF processes the report, updates its location database, and decides whether to notify the owner UE about the new location of the A-IoT device. If the decision is to notify the owner, the LMF sends a message to the gNB serving the owner UE (the owner's gNB), which then notifies the owner UE about the new location of the A-IoT device.

[0125] Notify the owner UE

[0126] Once the gNB receives the updated location of the A-IoT device, it can securely package this information as user data to relay to the owner UE. The gNB can send this information using standard NR procedures for data transmission. For example, it can use PDSCH, which is primarily used to transmit user data in NR.

[0127] To ensure the privacy and integrity of the location information, the data is encrypted using the owner UE’s key. This encryption can be achieved using NR security procedures such as applying Non-Access Stratum (NAS) security or Access Stratum (AS) security.

[0128] After receiving the data, the owner device decrypts the location report using its key. This decryption can be performed using NR security procedures. Once decrypted, the owner UE can display the updated approximate location of the paired A-IoT device.

[0129] In the content of the present invention, a UE is provided, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, on which computer-executable instructions are embedded, and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: if the UE is paired with an A-IoT device and registered with the BS through a secure tunnel, receive a public key request of the A-IoT device from a base station (BS); if the UE is a finder UE and has established a shared key with the A-IoT device, use a signal-based method to determine the location of the A-IoT device; if the UE is the owner of the A-IoT device and has received encrypted location data from the BS, use the key to perform decryption of the location report; if the UE is a finder UE and has estimated the location of the A-IoT device, transmit the determined location of the A-IoT device together with the public key of the A-IoT device to the BS.

[0130] In the present invention, a UE is provided, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, on which computer-executable instructions are embedded, and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: if the UE is the owner of the A-IoT device and is directly connected to the BS, receive a secure tunnel of the A-IoT device from a base station (BS); if the A-IoT device is paired with the UE and has broadcast its public key for discovery, determine the public key of the A-IoT device; if the A-IoT device and the UE have established a shared key, perform key refresh and reset operations on behalf of the A-IoT device; if the A-IoT device has data to send and has encrypted the data using the shared key, transmit the data from the A-IoT device to the BS through a secure tunnel.

[0131] Fig.17 An example communication system 1700 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, which includes an example communication device 1710 and an example network device 1720. The communication device 1710 and the network device 1720 can perform various functions to implement the scheme, technology, process and method of using on-demand reference signals for network energy saving related to UE and network devices in mobile communications described in the present invention, including the scenarios / schemes described above.

[0132] The communication device 1710 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a UE, such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 1710 may be implemented in a smartphone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a computing device, such as a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook computer. The communication device 1710 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT), a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, such as a fixed or static device, a home device, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 1710 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the communication device 1710 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced-instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex-instruction-set-computing (CISC) processors. The communication device 1710 may include Fig.17 The communication device 1710 may also include one or more other components that are not related to the solution proposed in the present invention (e.g., an internal power supply, a display device, and / or a user interface device). Therefore, for the sake of brevity, these components of the communication device 1710 are not shown in FIG. Fig.17 It is not shown in the figure and is not described below.

[0133] Network device 1720 may be part of a network device, which may be a network node, such as a satellite, a base station, a small base station, a router, or a gateway. For example, network device 1720 may be implemented in an eNodeB in an LTE network, a gNB in ​​a 5G / NR, IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT network, or a satellite or base station in a 6G network. Alternatively, network device 1720 may be implemented in the form of one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. Network device 1720 may include Fig.17 1720, such as processor 1722. Network device 1720 may also include one or more other components that are not related to the solution proposed in the present invention (e.g., internal power supply, display device and / or user interface device), so for the sake of brevity, these components of network device 1720 are not shown in FIG. Fig.17 It is not shown in the figure and is not described below.

[0134] In one aspect, each of processor 1712 and processor 1722 may be implemented in the form of one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even if the singular term "a processor" is used herein to refer to processor 1712 and processor 1722, in some embodiments of the present invention, each of processor 1712 and processor 1722 may include multiple processors, while in other embodiments, it may include a single processor. In another aspect, each of processor 1712 and processor 1722 may be implemented in the form of hardware (and, optionally, firmware), including electronic components such as, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more variable capacitors, which are configured and arranged to achieve specific purposes according to the present invention. In other words, in at least some embodiments, processor 1712 and processor 1722 are special-purpose machines specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, such as autonomous reliability enhancement, in devices (e.g., as represented by communication device 1710) and networks (e.g., as represented by network device 1720) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0135] In some embodiments, the communication device 1710 may also include a transceiver 1716 coupled to the processor 1712 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, the communication device 1710 may also include a memory 1714 coupled to the processor 1712 and capable of being accessed by the processor 1712 and storing data therein. In some embodiments, the network device 1720 may also include a transceiver 1726 coupled to the processor 1722 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, the network device 1720 may also include a memory 1724 coupled to the processor 1722 and capable of being accessed by the processor 1722 and storing data therein. Therefore, the communication device 1710 and the network device 1720 may perform wireless communication through their respective transceivers 1716 and 1726. For better understanding, the following description of the operations, functions and capabilities of the communication device 1710 and the network device 1720 is provided in a mobile communication environment where the communication device 1710 is implemented as or as a communication device or UE and the network device 1720 is implemented as or as a network node of a communication network.

[0136] Precise positioning

[0137] FIG18(A) is a schematic diagram 1800 showing an example architecture for precise positioning using multiple A-IoT devices. As shown in FIG18, if the UE 1804 and the gNB 1802 know the geographic location of a set of A-IoT devices including multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n, and can receive their response signals, such as backscattered signals, then both the UE 1804 and the gNB 1802 can use the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n to estimate the location of the UE. Each A-IoT device may be passive. In the context of the present invention, an A-IoT device may be referred to as a "device" and a UE or a gNB may be referred to as a "reader". Therefore, communication from an A-IoT device to a reader may be referred to as device-to-reader (D2R) transmission, while communication from a reader to an A-IoT device may be referred to as reader-to-device (R2D) transmission.

[0138] SRS backscattering by UE: UE 1804 can broadcast a radio signal. For example, UE 1804 can transmit SRS. Passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n associated with gNB 1802 can intercept the signal. Each A-IoT device can modulate the received SRS by adding its unique identification (ID) and then reflect it back to gNB 1802 and UE 1804.

[0139] For example, if UE 1804 transmits an SRS, multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n listen to this signal. Each A-IoT device may add its unique ID to the signal and reflect it back. The reflected signal may now carry information about the original SRS and the A-IoT device unique ID.

[0140] In some embodiments, UE 1804 may also transmit a general radio signal. Passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n associated with gNB 1802 may listen to this signal. Each A-IoT device may modulate the received signal by adding its unique ID and then reflect it back to gNB 1802 and UE 1804. The network may configure UE 1804 to recognize the waveform of each A-IoT device, enabling UE 1804 to receive it.

[0141] Signal Measurements by gNB and UE: The gNB 1802 and UE 1804 may receive backscattered signals from multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n. They may perform measurements of positioning parameters. For example, the UE 1804 may measure positioning parameters such as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) or Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) from these signals and identify the originating A-IoT device using a unique ID embedded in the signal.

[0142] For example, the gNB 1802 and UE 1804 may measure the time it takes for the backscattered signal to reach them from each A-IoT device (TDOA) or the strength of the received signal (RSSI). In addition, they can extract a unique ID from the signal to identify the A-IoT device.

[0143] During this process, the following timestamps may be considered:

[0144] t1: UE sends a signal to the A-IoT device

[0145] t2: The signal reaches the A-IoT device

[0146] t3: A-IoT device sends a signal (induced transmission) to UE

[0147] t4: UE receives signal from A-IoT device

[0148] The processing time (t3-t2) should be known to UE 1804 or the network (NW) so that the propagation time can be determined by ((t4-t1)–(t3-t2)) / 2. The A-IoT device may not know the time of the network (NW), so the entire operation may be based on the UE's own time. For example, if the A-IoT device (such as A-IoT device 1806-1) is able to control the processing time (t3-t2) to exceed the duration of one symbol, then UE 1804 may transmit during the uplink (UL) symbol of the time slot, then when one RF chain is transmitting, UE 1804 may not need another RF chain to receive.

[0149] UE 1804 may receive an induced transmission from A-IoT device 1806-1 at a downlink symbol of a time slot. The transmission waveform of A-IoT device 1806-1, or the waveform triggered by UE 1804, may not be known to other UEs to avoid spoofing.

[0150] Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) may require the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n to be synchronized with the network (NW). However, some types of A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n may not be synchronized to the network to know the subframe / time slot boundaries.

[0151] Location calculation of gNB and UE: gNB 1802 and UE 1804 may use these measurements to calculate the location of the UE. In this case, gNB 1802 and UE 1804 may know the locations of A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, such as the geographic location of A-IoT device 1806-1.

[0152] In some embodiments, the location calculation may be performed by a computing entity: the computing entity may use measurements from the gNB 1802 and the UE 1804 to calculate the location of the UE. The computing entity may be the gNB 1802, the UE 1804, or another network element. In this case, the computing entity may know the geographic locations of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n.

[0153] In some embodiments, the location of UE 1804 may be triangulated through multiple measurements of positioning parameters from multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n. Positioning parameters may include time difference of arrival (TDOA), round trip time (RTT), and received signal strength indicator (RSSI), which are then used in subsequent operations as shown below:

[0154] Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA): By comparing the arrival times of signals from different A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, the gNB 1802 and UE 1804 can estimate the relative distance between the UE 1804 and each A-IoT device. By doing this for multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, they can triangulate the location of the UE 1804.

[0155] Round Trip Time (RTT): By measuring the round trip time (RTT) of the signal between the UE 1804 and each A-IoT device, the computing entity (e.g., the UE 1804 itself or the gNB 1802) can estimate the relative distance between the UE 1804 and each A-IoT device. This may require that the UE 1804 and each A-IoT device transmit a reference signal for measurement. By doing this for multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, the computing entity can triangulate the relative position of the UE 1804.

[0156] Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI): By measuring the signal strength of the backscattered signals from different A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, the gNB 1802 and UE 1804 can estimate the distance between the UE 1804 and each A-IoT device. Similarly, by doing this for multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, they can triangulate the location of the UE 1804.

[0157] Location Reporting: Once the gNB 1802 calculates the location of the UE 1804, it can be used for various network operations. For example, the gNB 1802 can use the UE's location to make handover decisions, optimize network performance, or provide location-based services. On the other hand, the UE 1804 can use its location for applications such as navigation or location-based services.

[0158] This process may allow the UE 1804 and gNB 1802 to estimate the UE's position using passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n and backscatter. It may leverage existing mechanisms such as SRS transmissions by the UE 1804, signal measurements by the gNB 1802 and UE 1804, and unique IDs of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n. The accuracy of this approach will depend on factors such as the number and distribution of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n, the quality of the backscatter signals, and the accuracy of the known positions of the A-IoT devices.

[0159] The passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n may use a technique called backscattering to reflect the SRS transmitted by the UE 1804. The backscattering process may involve modulating the received SRS by changing the characteristics of the signal, such as amplitude, phase, or frequency.

[0160] In certain embodiments, once the location of UE 1804 is calculated by a computing entity such as gNB 1802, it can be used for various network operations. For example, gNB 1802 can use the location of the UE to make handover decisions, optimize network performance, or provide location-based services. On the other hand, UE 1802 can use its location for navigation or location-based services.

[0161] This process may allow the UE 1804 and the computing entity to estimate the UE's location using passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n and backscatter. It may leverage existing mechanisms such as general radio signals transmitted by the UE 1804, signal measurements by the computing entity and the UE 1804, and unique IDs of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n. The accuracy of this approach will depend on factors such as the number and distribution of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n, the quality of the backscatter signals, and the accuracy of the known locations of the A-IoT devices.

[0162] Passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n may use a technique called backscattering to reflect the normal radio signal transmitted by UE 1804. The backscattering process may involve modulating the received signal by changing the characteristics of the signal, such as amplitude, phase, or even frequency. Changing the frequency is possible and may cause UE 1804 to receive a signal with a different root index due to frequency offset.

[0163] In another embodiment, the passive A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n may employ backscattering to change the characteristics of the radio signal transmitted by the UE 1804. Notably, the frequency may be changed. This adjustment may cause the UE 1804 to receive a signal with a different cyclic shift due to the frequency offset, which is reminiscent of the cyclic shift concept in the non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0164] In order to add information (such as a unique ID) to the reflected SRS, an A-IoT device such as A-IoT device 1806-1 may use modulation techniques such as On-Off Keying (OOK). The following is how it works:

[0165] SRS Reception and OOK Modulation: When the A-IoT device 1806-1 receives the SRS from the UE 1804, it may modulate the signal using OOK. In this process, the presence of a signal for a specific duration is represented as a binary '1', while the absence of a signal for the same duration is represented as a binary '0'. The A-IoT device 1806-1 may use this method to add its unique ID (in binary) to the reflected SRS.

[0166] For example, if the unique ID of an A-IoT device is '101', it may modulate the reflected SRS so that it transmits a signal (representing '1') for a certain duration, then has no signal (representing '0') for the same duration, and then transmits a signal again (representing '1') for the same duration.

[0167] In some embodiments, when the A-IoT device 1806-1 receives a general radio signal from the UE 1804, it may modulate the signal using OOK. In this process, the presence of a signal for a specific duration represents a binary '1', while the absence of a signal for the same duration represents a binary '0'. In this way, the A-IoT device 1806-1 may add its unique ID (in binary) to the reflected signal.

[0168] UE 1804 should know the waveform configuration from the higher layer signaling for the signal configuration that A-IoT device 1806-1 may transmit. The triggering of UE 1804 and the response of A-IoT device 1806-1 may be similar to the non-periodic SRS triggering. UE 1804 may read the downlink control information (DCI) to know that there is a non-periodic SRS triggering. The time from the last symbol of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to the time when UE 1804 knows the DCI content is the UE processing time. SRS may not be sent during the processing time.

[0169] There may be an A-IoT device whose processing time is controllable. Another possibility is that the gNB 1802 sends a trigger signal to the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n, and the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n respond with an induced transmission to the UE 1804. In this way, all UEs may receive the signal at the same time. If each UE triggers the induced transmission of the A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n, trigger interference between the UEs may occur. Alternatively, it can be scheduled by the network for each UE to trigger the transmission, similar to the network scheduling SRS transmission for each UE.

[0170] SRS reflection: After modulating the received SRS using OOK and adding its unique ID, the A-IoT device 1806-1 may reflect the signal back to the gNB 1802 and UE 1804. The reflected signal may now carry the original SRS as well as the unique ID of the A-IoT device 1806-1.

[0171] By using backscatter and OOK, the A-IoT device 1806-1 can effectively reflect the SRS and add its unique ID to the reflected signal. After receiving this reflected signal, the gNB 1802 and UE 1804 can identify the A-IoT device and use the signal for various purposes, such as UE positioning.

[0172] FIG18(B) is a timing diagram 1850 showing the behavior of the UE, the behavior of the gNB, and the signaling. As shown in FIG18(B), the UE 1804 may initiate this process by transmitting a radio signal, such as an SRS. An A-IoT device in the A-IoT device set (including one or more A-IoT devices), such as the A-IoT device 1806-1, may listen to this signal, add its unique ID using OOK, and reflect the modulated SRS back to the UE 1804 and the gNB 1802.

[0173] Then, UE 1804 and gNB 1802 may receive a backscattered signal from A-IoT device 1806-1, i.e., a response signal in response to the radio signal. The response signals received from all A-IoT devices in the A-IoT device set form a response signal set. The response signals in the response signal set may be modulated using OOK to include the ID of the corresponding A-IoT device, i.e., the A-IoT device that reflected the response signal, such as A-IoT device 1806-1.

[0174] The UE 1804 and gNB 1802 can then measure positioning parameters such as time difference of arrival (TDOA) or received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and identify the A-IoT device using the unique ID in the response signal.

[0175] The UE 1804 and gNB 1802 may then perform positioning-related operations based on the identified A-IoT devices and the measurements of positioning parameters. For example, performing positioning-related operations may include calculating the UE's location based on these measurements and the known geographic locations of the A-IoT devices. The gNB 1802 may use the calculated location for various network operations, and the UE 1804 may use it for its own applications. In some embodiments, determining that the A-IoT device 1806-1 is proximate to the UE 1804 may be based on the UE 1804 successfully receiving a D2R transmission from the A-IoT device 1806-1 in response to an R2D transmission.

[0176] Multiple UE Finders

[0177] FIG19(A) is a schematic diagram 1900 showing an example scenario of estimating the location of a passive A-IoT device by a gNB with the assistance of multiple UEs. In this case, the UE that assists in estimating the location of the passive A-IoT device is referred to as a UE finder, and the UE paired with the A-IoT device is referred to as a UE owner.

[0178] gNB Requests Sounding Reference Signal Transmission: As shown in FIG. 19(A), gNB 1902 may recognize that a specific A-IoT device needs to be located. It may then select one or more UE finders 1904-1, 1904-2, ..., 1904-n and send a request to them to transmit a special SRS. For example, gNB 1902 may select UE finders 1904-1 and 1904-2 and send a request to them to transmit a special SRS.

[0179] UE Finders Transmit SRS: The selected UE Finders 1904-1 and 1904-2 may transmit special SRS as requested by the gNB 1902. Nearby passive A-IoT devices 1906 may listen to these signals.

[0180] Backscattering of A-IoT device: After receiving the SRS, the A-IoT device 1906 can modulate the SRS by adding its unique ID using OOK and then reflect it back to the UE finder. For example, if the unique ID of the A-IoT device is '101', it can modulate the intercepted SRS and reflect it back to the UE finders 1904-1 and 1904-2.

[0181] Signal Measurements by UE Finders: UE Finders 1904-1 and 1904-2 can receive backscattered signals from A-IoT device 1906. They can measure positioning parameters such as time difference of arrival (TDOA) or received signal strength indicator (RSSI) from these signals and identify the originating A-IoT device using a unique ID embedded in the signal. For example, UE Finders 1904-1 and 1904-2 can measure the time it takes for the backscattered signal to reach them (TDOA) and the strength of the received signal (RSSI). They can also extract the unique ID '101' from the signal to identify the A-IoT device 1906.

[0182] Reporting measurement results to gNB: Each of the multiple UE finders 1904-1, 1904-2, ..., 1904-n can report their own positions and measured parameters (TDOA or RSSI) to gNB 1902. For example, UE finders 1904-1 and 1904-2 can report their own positions and measured TDOA and RSSI values ​​to gNB 1902.

[0183] gNB location calculation: gNB 1902 may use these measurements from UEfinders 1904-1, 1904-2, ..., 1904-n to determine the location of the A-IoT device. In this case, gNB 1902 may know the locations of UEfinders 1904-1, 1904-2, ..., 1904-n. For example, gNB 1902 may use the TDOA and RSSI values ​​reported by UEfinders 1904-1 and 1904-2, along with their known locations, to triangulate the location of A-IoT device 1906.

[0184] Location Reporting: Once the gNB 1902 calculates the location of the A-IoT device 1906, it can be used for various network operations. For example, the gNB 1902 can use the calculated location to optimize network performance or provide location-based services.

[0185] FIG19(B) is a timing diagram 1950 showing the behavior of the UE finder, the behavior of the gNB, and signaling. As shown in FIG19(B), the gNB 1902 may initiate this process by requesting the UE finder (e.g., UE finder 1904-1) to transmit a special SRS. The UE finder 1904-1 may transmit a radio signal, such as a special SRS, which is intercepted by the A-IoT device 1906. The A-IoT device 1906 may add its unique ID using OOK and reflect the modulated SRS back to the UE finder 1904-1. The UE finder 1904-1 may receive the backscattered signal, measure parameters such as TDOA or RSSI, and identify the A-IoT device using the unique ID in the signal. The UE finder 1904-1 may then report its own location and the measured parameters to the gNB 1902. The gNB 1902 may use these measurements to calculate the location of the A-IoT device and use the calculated location for various network operations.

[0186] In summary, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a UE, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embedded thereon, and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: receive SRS and backscatter signals from multiple A-IoT devices from a base station (gNB), if the UE and the gNB know the geographic location of the A-IoT devices and are able to receive backscatter signals from them; if the UE transmits SRS and multiple nearby A-IoT devices listen to this signal, determine the unique ID of the A-IoT device by modulating the received SRS and adding its unique ID to the signal; if the gNB and the UE receive backscatter signals from multiple A-IoT devices, perform parameter measurements, such as time difference of arrival (TDOA) or received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and identify the starting A-IoT device using the unique ID embedded in the signal; if the gNB and the UE use these measurements to calculate the UE's position, transmit the UE position calculated using these measurements and the known geographic location of the A-IoT devices to the gNB.

[0187] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a UE, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, on which computer-executable instructions are embedded, and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: receive SRS and backscatter signals from multiple A-IoT devices from a base station (gNB), if the UE and the gNB know the geographical location of the A-IoT devices and are able to receive backscatter signals from them; if the A-IoT device receives the SRS from the UE, modulate the received SRS using OOK modulation technology to determine the unique ID of the A-IoT device; if the A-IoT device uses OOK to modulate the received SRS using its unique ID, reflect the modulated SRS back to the gNB and UE; if the A-IoT device reflects the signal back to the gNB and UE after modulating the received SRS using OOK and using its unique ID, transmit the reflected signal to the gNB, which now carries the original SRS and the unique ID of the A-IoT device.

[0188] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a UE, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media on which computer-executable instructions are embedded, and at least one processor connected to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: receive SRS and backscatter signals from multiple A-IoT devices from a base station (BS), if the UE and the BS know the geographic location of the A-IoT devices and are able to receive backscatter signals from them; if the UE and the BS receive backscatter signals from multiple A-IoT devices, determine the arrival time difference (TDOA) or the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and use the unique ID embedded in the signal to identify the starting A-IoT device; if the gNB and the UE know the geographic location of the A-IoT device, perform position calculations using these measurements to estimate the position of the UE; if the gNB has calculated the position of the UE and can be used for various network operations, transmit the calculated position of the UE to the BS.

[0189] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a UE, comprising: one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embedded thereon, and at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to: receive a request from a base station (BS) to transmit a special SRS and a backscattered signal from a specific A-IoT device, if the gNB determines that a specific A-IoT device needs to be located and selects one or more UE finders; if the UE finder receives a backscattered signal from the A-IoT device, determine the time difference of arrival (TDOA) or the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and use a unique ID embedded in the signal to identify the starting A-IoT device; if the gNB knows the location of the UE finder, perform position calculations using these measurements to estimate the location of the A-IoT device; if the gNB has calculated the location of the A-IoT device and can be used for various network operations, transmit the calculated location of the A-IoT device to the BS.

[0190] 20(A) is a flow chart 2000 regarding UE and A-IoT device positioning. The process involves interactions between a gNB (e.g., gNB 1802), a UE (e.g., UE 1804), and an A-IoT device set (e.g., A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2..., 1806-n).

[0191] In block 2002, a reader may receive a set of response signals of response radio signals from a set of A-IoT devices (e.g., A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2, ..., 1806-n). The reader may be UE 1804 or gNB 1802. The radio signal may include an SRS. The radio signal may be transmitted by the reader itself, e.g., UE 1804. Alternatively, the radio signal may be transmitted by another computing entity. For example, the reader is UE 1804 and the other computing entity is gNB 1802.

[0192] A response signal in the response signal set may be modulated by a corresponding A-IoT device in the A-IoT device set, for example, A-IoT device 1806 - 1 , to include an identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device 1806 - 1 .

[0193] Then, in block 2004, a reader, such as UE 1804, may identify the corresponding A-IoT device based on the identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device and perform measurements of positioning parameters.

[0194] Finally, in block 2006 , the UE 704 may perform positioning-related operations based on the identified A-IoT devices and the measurements of positioning parameters.

[0195] In some embodiments, performing operations related to positioning may include: determining, by the reader, the position of the reader based on the measurement. Alternatively, in some embodiments, performing operations related to positioning may include: determining that the corresponding A-IoT device is near the reader based on the reader successfully receiving a device-to-reader (D2R) transmission from the corresponding A-IoT device, wherein the D2R transmission is a response to a reader-to-device (R2D) transmission, wherein the D2R transmission represents a communication from the corresponding A-IoT device to the reader, and the R2D transmission represents a communication from the reader to the corresponding A-IoT device. In some embodiments, the position of the reader may be determined by the reader calculating its position. Alternatively, the position of the reader may also be determined by another computing entity calculating the position of the reader.

[0196] In some embodiments, the response signal set may include multiple response signals from multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2... and 1806-n in the A-IoT device set. The location of UE 1804 may be triangulated through multiple measurement results of positioning parameters from multiple A-IoT devices 1806-1, 1806-2... and 1806-n.

[0197] The positioning parameters may include the time difference of arrival (TDOA) of multiple response signals. The positioning parameters may also include the round trip time (RTT) of the response signals in the response signal set, or the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the response signals in the response signal set.

[0198] In some embodiments, an identifier of a corresponding A-IoT device, such as the identifier of A-IoT device 1806-1, may be added to the response signal by A-IoT device 1806-1 changing a characteristic of a radio signal. In some embodiments, the change to the characteristic of the radio signal may include: using OOK to modulate a carrier waveform within the radio signal.

[0199] In some embodiments, performing positioning-related operations may include reporting location information of the A-IoT device to another computing entity.

[0200] 20(B) is another flow chart 2050 regarding UE and A-IoT device positioning. The process involves interactions between a gNB (e.g., gNB 1902), a set of UEs (e.g., UEs 1904-1, 1904-2 ... and 1904-n), and an A-IoT device (e.g., A-IoT device 1906).

[0201] In block 2052, the network (e.g., via gNB 1902) may request a UE set (e.g., including multiple UEs 1904-1, 1904-2... and 1904-n) to transmit radio signals.

[0202] Then, in block 2054, the gNB 1902 may receive a report from the set of UEs. The report may include a measurement result of a positioning parameter and an identifier of an A-IoT device, such as an identifier of the A-IoT device 1906, the measurement result indicating location information of the A-IoT device 1906.

[0203] Finally, in block 2056, gNB 1902 may determine the location of A-IoT device 1906 based on the measurement results.

[0204] In some embodiments, the location information of the A-IoT device may be obtained by a UE in the UE set, such as UE 1904-1, receiving a response signal in response to a radio signal from the A-IoT device 1906. The response signal may be modulated by the A-IoT device 1906 to include an identifier of the A-IoT device 1906.

[0205] In some embodiments, the method may further include reporting the location of the A-IoT device 1906 to a computing entity paired with the A-IoT device 1906 .

[0206] In some embodiments, the network may include multiple base stations, and the base station that receives reports from the set of UEs may be different from the base station that reports the location of the A-IoT device 1906 to the computing entity.

[0207] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowchart of the present invention is an example of an exemplary method. It should therefore be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowchart can be rearranged based on design preferences, and some blocks can be further combined or omitted. The attached method claims the elements presented by the various blocks in an exemplary order, but this does not mean that the present invention is limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0208] The previous description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to realize the various aspects described in the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications to these aspects, and can apply the general principles defined in the present invention to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown in the present invention, but should be given the full scope consistent with the claim language description. Wherein, unless otherwise specified, it is not intended to mean "one and only one" when referring to the singular element, but to mean "one or more". The word "exemplary" is used in the present invention to refer to "used as an example, example or illustration". Any aspect of the present invention described as "exemplary" is not necessarily understood to be preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" refers to one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B or C", "one or more of A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", "one or more of A, B and C" and "A, B, C or any combination thereof" include any combination of A, B and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" may include only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C, any of which may include one or more of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described in the present invention that are known or will become known to those skilled in the art may be expressly included in the present invention by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. In addition, the content disclosed in the present invention is not intended to be donated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. The words "module," "mechanism," "element," "device," etc. may not be substitutes for the word "means." Thus, unless an element in a claim is explicitly stated using the phrase "means for...", the element should not be understood as a functional limitation (means plus function).

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, performed by a reader, the method comprising: Receiving a set of response signals in response to the radio signal from the set of ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices, wherein the response signals in the set of response signals are modulated by corresponding A-IoT devices in the set of A-IoT devices to contain identifiers of the corresponding A-IoT devices; Based on the identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device, identify the corresponding A-IoT device and measure the positioning parameters; and Perform positioning-related operations based on the identified A-IoT devices and the measurements of the positioning parameters.

2. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The reader comprises a user equipment or a next generation Node B.

3. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The radio signal includes a sounding reference signal.

4. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: Operations related to positioning include: determining, by the reader, a position of the reader based on the measurements; or Based on the reader successfully receiving a device-to-reader (D2R) transmission from the corresponding A-IoT device, determining that the corresponding A-IoT device is in proximity to the reader, wherein the D2R transmission is a response to a reader-to-device (R2D) transmission, wherein the D2R transmission represents communication from the corresponding A-IoT device to the reader, and the R2D transmission represents communication from the reader to the corresponding A-IoT device.

5. The method for wireless communication according to claim 4, wherein: The position of the reader is determined by the reader calculating its position, or by another computing entity calculating the position of the reader.

6. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The radio signal is transmitted by the reader, or by another computing entity.

7. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The response signal set includes multiple response signals from multiple A-IoT devices in the A-IoT device set.

8. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The position of the reader is triangulated through multiple measurements of positioning parameters from the multiple A-IoT devices.

9. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The positioning parameters include arrival time differences of the plurality of response signals.

10. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The positioning parameter includes a round trip time of a response signal in the response signal set, or a received signal strength indicator of a response signal in the response signal set.

11. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: The identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device is added to the response signal by the A-IoT device by changing the characteristics of the radio signal.

12. The method for wireless communication according to claim 11, wherein: Changes to the characteristics of the radio signal include: On-off keying is used to modulate the carrier waveform in the radio signal.

13. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein: Operations related to positioning include: Report the location information of the A-IoT device to another computing entity.

14. A method for wireless communication, performed by a network device, the method comprising: requesting a set of user equipment to transmit a radio signal; Receiving a report from the set of user devices, the report including a measurement result of a positioning parameter and an identifier of an ambient Internet of Things A-IoT device, the measurement result indicating location information of the A-IoT device; as well as The location of the A-IoT device is determined based on the measurement result.

15. The method for wireless communication according to claim 14, wherein: The location information of the A-IoT device is obtained by a user device in the user device set receiving a response signal, which is in response to the radio signal from the A-IoT device, and the response signal is modulated by the A-IoT device to include an identifier of the A-IoT device.

16. The method for wireless communication according to claim 14, wherein: Further including: Report the location of the A-IoT device to a computing entity paired with the A-IoT device.

17. The method for wireless communication according to claim 16, wherein: The network device includes multiple base stations, and the base station that receives the report from the set of user equipment is different from the base station that reports the location of the A-IoT device to the computing entity.

18. A device for wireless communication, the device being a reader, comprising: Memory; as well as at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to the memory and configured to: Receiving a set of response signals in response to the radio signal from the set of ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices, wherein the response signals in the set of response signals are modulated by corresponding A-IoT devices in the set of A-IoT devices to contain identifiers of the corresponding A-IoT devices; Based on the identifier of the corresponding A-IoT device, identify the corresponding A-IoT device and measure the positioning parameters; and Perform positioning-related operations based on the identified A-IoT devices and the measurements of the positioning parameters.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: The reader comprises a user equipment or a next generation Node B.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: The radio signal includes a sounding reference signal.

21. A device for wireless communication, comprising: A processor, which, when executing program instructions stored in a storage medium, performs the method for wireless communication according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

22. A storage medium storing program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute the method for wireless communication according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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