Dynamic operation of wireless communications with energy harvesting

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) is configured to decode a first configuration for wireless communication with a network based on a signal received from the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated procedures are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; decoding a second configuration of scheduling restrictions for energy harvesting based on signals received from the network, the second configuration including a duration during which some or all of the wireless communications with the network are suspended; reducing a power state of the wireless communication module and initiating an energy harvesting operation by the energy harvesting module during the duration of the scheduling limit; and after the duration of the scheduling limit, recovering the power state of the wireless communication module and stopping the energy harvesting operation by the energy harvesting module.

Description

[0001] Priority / Incorporation by Reference

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 376,667, filed on September 22, 2022, entitled “Dynamic Operation of Wireless Communication with Energy Harvest,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] A passive device may refer to a low-power device that does not require an external (electrical) power source to operate within its expected lifetime. Passive Internet of Things (IoT) devices may provide an alternative to other passive technologies including, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID). Passive IoT devices may be designed to have orders of magnitude lower complexity and power consumption than existing 3GPP technologies, and may operate without batteries or with internal energy storage devices that do not require manual replacement or recharging.

[0004] Passive IoT devices may rely on energy harvesting to power the device, where the energy may be generated from an external source such as an external RF field, light, heat, vibration, or other source. By using energy harvesting, the device can operate for a long time (e.g., its entire life) without external intervention or maintenance, for example, without replacing or recharging batteries. However, given the need for low power consumption, the device may be constrained in terms of processing power, communication range, etc. In addition, if the energy harvesting technology uses an external RF field as a source, the frequency at which energy harvesting can be provided may be different from the frequency required for communication. Therefore, the device may not support energy harvesting operations concurrently with transmit / receive operations for wireless communication. Summary of the invention

[0005] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a device of a user equipment (UE), the device having a processing circuit configured to: decode a first configuration for wireless communication with the network based on a signal received from the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; decode a second configuration of scheduling restrictions for energy harvesting based on the signal received from the network, the second configuration including a duration during which some or all of the wireless communications with the network are suspended; during the duration of the scheduling restrictions, reduce the power state of the wireless communication module and start energy harvesting operations performed by the energy harvesting module; and after the duration of the scheduling restrictions, restore the power state of the wireless communication module and stop the energy harvesting operations performed by the energy harvesting module.

[0006] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a device of a user equipment (UE) having a processing circuit configured to: decode a first configuration for wireless communication with a network based on a signal received from the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; determine, based on an energy level of the UE, that one or more conditions are satisfied to allow uplink (UL) transmission skipping; and discard one or more UL transmissions and reduce the power state of the wireless communication module.

[0007] Still further exemplary embodiments relate to a device of a user equipment (UE) having a processing circuit configured to: decode a first configuration for wireless communication with a network based on a signal received from the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; configure a transceiver circuit to send auxiliary information to the network, the auxiliary information including recommended or desired configuration parameters for the wireless communication; and decode a second configuration based on a signal received from the network, the second configuration including pausing or adjusting some or all of the wireless communication according to one or more of the recommended or desired configuration parameters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 Network arrangements according to various exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0009] Figure 2 An exemplary UE according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 An exemplary network base station is shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Figure 4 An exemplary high-level architecture of a wireless communication device supporting energy harvesting according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0012] Figure 5a Diagram illustrating coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE using periodic scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0013] Figure 5b Diagram illustrating coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE using aperiodic scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0014] Figure 6 Methods of coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE using scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0015] Figure 7 Methods are shown that allow a UE to skip UL transmissions only under certain conditions (eg, only when the UE does not harvest enough energy to perform UL operations) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0016] Figure 8 Methods for providing UE assistance information to a network to maintain coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of the UE according to various exemplary embodiments are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The exemplary aspects may be further understood with reference to the following description and associated drawings, in which similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary aspects describe operations for coexistence between energy harvesting operations and radio frequency (RF) communication operations for a UE. Some UEs (particularly low-power UEs) may not be able to simultaneously support energy harvesting operations and RF operations on a wireless network. In addition, even when these operations are supported simultaneously, energy harvesting may interfere with the RF frequencies used for wireless communications.

[0018] The exemplary aspects are described with reference to a UE. However, the use of a UE is provided for illustrative purposes. The exemplary aspects may be utilized with any electronic component that can establish a connection with a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network and performing energy harvesting operations. Thus, a UE as described herein is used to represent any electronic component capable of performing transmit and receive (Tx / Rx) operations with one or more networks (e.g., a 5G radio access network (RAN)) and capable of energy harvesting.

[0019] The exemplary embodiments are also described with reference to a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access network (RAN). However, reference to the 5G NR RAN is provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments may be used with any network that implements functionality similar to that described herein. Thus, a 5G NR network as described herein may represent any type of network that implements functionality similar to that of a 5G NR network.

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a user equipment (UE) 110. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a UE may be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet, smart phone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Cat-M device, Cat-M1 device, MTC device, eMTC device, other types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. It should also be understood that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, the example of a single UE 110 is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0021] UE 110 may communicate directly with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the networks with which UE 110 may wirelessly communicate are 5G NR radio access network (5G NR-RAN) 120, LTE radio access network (LTE-RAN) 122, and wireless local area network (WLAN) 124. Therefore, UE 110 may include a 5G NR chipset communicating with 5G NR-RAN 120, an LTE chipset communicating with LTE-RAN 122, and an ISM chipset communicating with WLAN 124. However, UE 110 may also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., traditional cellular networks), and UE 110 may also communicate with the network via a wired connection. With respect to exemplary aspects, UE 110 may establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 in NSA or DC operating mode.

[0022] 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 may be part of cellular networks that may be deployed by cellular providers (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120, 122 may include, for example, cells or base stations (NodeB, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell base stations, microcell base stations, small cell base stations, femtocell base stations, etc.) configured to transmit and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. WLAN 124 may include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, hotspot, IEEE 802.11x network, etc.).

[0023] UE 110 may be connected to 5G NR-RAN 120 via at least one of next generation nodeB (gNB) 120A and / or gNB 120B. Reference to two gNBs 120A, 120B is for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary aspects may apply to any suitable number of gNBs. UE 110 may additionally be connected to LTE-RAN 122 via at least one of enhanced nodeB (eNB) 122A and / or eNB 122B. Reference to two eNBs 122A, 122B is for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary aspects may apply to any suitable number of eNBs.

[0024] In addition to networks 120, 122, and 124, network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network service backbone 160. Cellular core network 130 (e.g., 5GC of a 5G NR network) can be viewed as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operation and traffic of a cellular network. Cellular core network 130 also manages traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140.

[0025] The IMS 150 may be generally described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using the IP protocol. The IMS 150 may communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network service backbone 160 may be generally described as a collection of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a set of services that may be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0026] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. The UE 110 will refer to Figure 1 100. UE 110 may represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery providing a limited power source, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, a sensor for detecting the status of UE 110, and the like.

[0027] The processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the UE 110. For example, the engines may include an energy harvesting engine 235 for performing operations related to: determining energy harvesting requirements of the UE; requesting scheduling restrictions (or other scheduling-related operating parameters) from the network for RF operations with the network during which the UE may perform energy harvesting; and controlling / implementing operating parameters of the UE with respect to RF operations with the network and energy harvesting to optimize the performance of the UE. These operations and additional operations will be described in more detail below.

[0028] The above-described engine as an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 205 is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate combined component of the UE 110, or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include an input circuit for receiving a signal and a processing circuit for processing the signal and other information. The engine may also be embodied as one application or multiple separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 205 is split between two or more processors (such as a baseband processor and an application processor). The exemplary aspects may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0029] Memory 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, and I / O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables a user to enter input. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touch screen).

[0030] The transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G-NR RAN 120, the LTE RAN 122, or the like. Thus, the transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of continuous frequencies). The transceiver 225 includes a circuit configured to send and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded with information for implementing any of the methods described herein. The processor 205 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 225 and configured to receive signals from and / or send signals to the transceiver 225. The processor 205 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a base station of a network) for implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0031] Figure 3An exemplary network base station, in this case gNB 120A, is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. As described above with respect to UE 110, gNB 120A may represent a serving cell for UE 110. gNB 120A may represent any access node belonging to a 5G NR network that UE 110 may use to establish a connection and manage network operations. Figure 3 The illustrated gNB 120A may also represent gNB 120B.

[0032] The gNB 120A may include a processor 305, a memory arrangement 310, an input / output (I / O) device 315, a transceiver 320, and other components 325. The other components 325 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting the gNB 120A to other electronic devices, and the like.

[0033] The processor 305 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the gNB 120A. For example, these engines may include a UE configuration / scheduling engine 330 for performing operations including: receiving a UE request for scheduling restrictions (or other scheduling-related operating parameters) for RF operations with a network; and configuring / scheduling the UE with operating parameters that allow the UE to optimize its performance with respect to RF operations with the network and energy harvesting. These operations and additional operations are described in more detail below.

[0034] The engine 330 described above as an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 305 is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine 330 may also be represented as a separate combined component of the base station 300, or may be a modular component coupled to the base station 300, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuits for receiving signals and processing circuits for processing signals and other information. In addition, in some base stations, the functionality described for the processor 305 is split between multiple processors (e.g., baseband processors, application processors, etc.). The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the base station.

[0035] The memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110, 112. The I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or port that enables a user to interact with the gNB 120A.

[0036] The transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with the UE 110 and any other UE in the system 100. The transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous frequency set). Therefore, the transceiver 320 may include one or more components (e.g., radio devices) to enable data exchange with various networks and UEs. The transceiver 320 includes a circuit configured to send and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded with information that implements any of the methods described herein. The processor 305 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 320 and configured to receive signals from the transceiver 320 and / or send signals to the transceiver. The processor 305 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from the UE) for implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0037] A passive device may refer to a low-power device that does not require an external (electrical) power source to operate within its expected lifetime. Passive Internet of Things (IoT) devices may provide an alternative to other passive technologies including, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID). Relative to existing 3GPP technologies including low-power wide area (LPWA) technologies such as narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine type communications (eMTC), passive IoT devices are intended to have several orders of magnitude lower complexity and power consumption than existing 3GPP technologies. For example, UE power consumption may be in the order of 1 microwatt (uW) to 100 microwatts. The UE may operate without a battery or with an internal energy storage device that does not require manual replacement or recharging.

[0038] Passive IoT devices may rely on energy harvesting to power the device, where the energy may be generated from an external source such as an external RF field, light, heat, vibration, or other source. Other technologies such as NFC (near field communication) have already utilized energy harvesting. Wireless communication combined with energy harvesting is an environmentally friendly technology that eliminates or relaxes the reliance on batteries and is beneficial to the life cycle of the device. By using energy harvesting, the device can operate for a long time (e.g., its entire life) without external intervention or maintenance, for example, without replacing or recharging the battery. However, given the need for low power consumption, the device may be constrained in terms of processing power, communication range, etc. In addition, if the energy harvesting technology uses an external RF field as a source, the frequency at which energy harvesting can be provided may be different from the frequency required for communication. Therefore, the device may not support energy harvesting operations concurrently with transmit / receive operations for wireless communication. In addition, even when these operations are supported simultaneously from a hardware perspective, energy harvesting may interfere with the RF frequency used for wireless communication.

[0039] According to various exemplary embodiments described herein, operations for coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations for a UE are described. In some aspects, energy harvesting gaps (e.g., scheduling restrictions) may be configured for a UE. In other aspects, a UE may be allowed to skip one or more scheduled UL channel / signal transmissions under certain conditions (e.g., when the UE does not harvest enough energy to perform an UL transmission). In yet other aspects, enhancements to UE assistance information are described to support energy harvesting and / or power conservation at the UE.

[0040] Figure 4 An exemplary high-level architecture of a wireless communication device 400 supporting energy harvesting according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The device 400 may correspond to the Figure 1 to Figure 2 1. The device 400 includes a first module 405 for energy harvesting using an external RF source and a second module 410 for wireless communication. The module 405 for energy harvesting can use a low frequency, for example, less than 100 MHz, so that the wavelength is large enough to have a near-field effect. The module 410 for wireless communication can use a higher frequency (for example, more than 400 MHz) so that the wavelength is small enough to communicate with the far field. The module 410 for wireless communication can be powered by energy harvested by the first module 405. In this example, the device 400 also includes an energy storage device 415 (for example, a battery) that can be charged by the harvested energy. However, in other embodiments described herein and in other types of devices, the battery can be optional and the energy harvesting module can temporarily store power and directly provide power to the module 410 for wireless communication. In addition, it should be understood that modules 405 and 410, although described separately, can share some components, such as antennas.

[0041] In some embodiments, the network node that wirelessly communicates with the UE (or another network node that communicates with the network node) can also provide an external RF field for energy harvesting. In addition, in other embodiments, the module 405 for energy harvesting can use energy sources other than the external RF field, such as light, heat, vibration, etc.

[0042] In one aspect of these exemplary embodiments, for coexistence between the UE's energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations, energy harvesting gaps (e.g., scheduling restrictions) may be configured for the UE. During the energy harvesting gaps, the UE will not expect any wireless communications and these operations may be suspended. In the event that the RF module used for wireless communication is fully or partially powered off, the UE may activate the energy harvesting module to harvest energy from external RF fields and / or other sources (such as light, heat, or vibration). In some embodiments, when the external energy source is not available, the energy storage module may be charged to power the module used for wireless communication. When the energy harvesting gap ends, the energy harvesting module may suspend its operation. The RF operation for wireless communication may be fully resumed, and the harvested energy may directly power the communication.

[0043] In one embodiment, the scheduling restrictions may be configured to apply to: all RF communications configured for the UE, including, for example, both uplink (UL) transmission (Tx) and downlink (DL) reception (Rx); all frequency bands and all component carriers (CCs) during carrier aggregation (CA) operations; and / or both the primary cell group (MCG) and the secondary cell group (SCG) during dual connectivity (DC) operations.

[0044] In other embodiments, only Tx on UL may be restricted or only Rx on DL may be restricted. In other embodiments, a subset of CCs or frequency bands may be restricted in CA operation. In other embodiments, only MCGs or only SCGs may be restricted in DC operation. During the period of scheduling restriction, the network may not schedule resources for restricted transmission / reception for the UE, and the UE does not expect to transmit / receive these restricted frequencies.

[0045] If the scheduling restriction configured for the UE is periodic, the configuration parameters may include the length, starting time slot (e.g., offset), and repetition period. When the scheduling restriction is aperiodic, the configuration parameters may include the length and starting time slot (e.g., offset) for a one-shot time slot scheduling restriction. In some embodiments, the periodic scheduling restriction or the aperiodic scheduling restriction may also include a timing advance.

[0046] Figure 5aA diagram 500 of coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE using periodic scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. In this example, the periodic scheduling restrictions are configured to have a duration 505 and a gap 510 between adjacent durations 505, which can be configured by the network according to a periodicity or duty cycle. During the duration 505 of the scheduling restrictions, the UE can power down its wireless communication module in whole or in part. For example, the UE does not expect to be scheduled for any UL transmission or DL ​​reception during the duration 505. While the RF module is powered down (completely or partially), the UE can perform energy harvesting 515. When the duration 505 has passed, wireless communication 520 can be resumed. Therefore, energy harvesting operations and RF operations will not interfere with each other. A UE with, for example, a low energy storage device can save energy while recharging simultaneously during the energy harvesting gap.

[0047] In another aspect of these exemplary embodiments, the UE may request the network to configure periodic scheduling restrictions or non-periodic scheduling restrictions. For periodic scheduling restrictions, the UE may request recommended (or expected) parameters, including, for example, the duration of the scheduling restrictions; the duty cycle of the scheduling restrictions, for example, the gap between adjacent scheduling restrictions; whether the scheduling restrictions should be applied only to DL, only to UL, or to both DL and UL; and / or the CC or frequency band to which the scheduling restrictions should be applied. In some embodiments, when a network node that wirelessly communicates with the UE (or another network node that communicates with the network node) provides an external RF field for energy harvesting, the UE may also request recommended (or expected) frequencies for energy harvesting and / or network Tx power for transmitting these frequencies.

[0048] The request may be sent, for example, via radio resource control (RRC) signaling (UEAssistanceInformation), medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), or uplink control information (UCI). In some embodiments, requests for certain parameters may be sent via one option for sending (e.g., RRC), while requests for other parameters may be sent via another option for sending (e.g., MAC-CE or UCI), which will be described in more detail below.

[0049] For aperiodic scheduling restrictions, the UE may include similar parameters in the request, such as duration; DL only, UL only, or both DL and UL; CC or frequency band; frequency and / or network Tx power for sending energy harvesting frequencies. Similar to the above, the request may be sent via, for example, RRC, MAC-CE, or UCI.

[0050] Aperiodic requests from the UE are allowed only when certain conditions are met. In one example, the UE may transmit an aperiodic request when the harvested energy is insufficient to maintain wireless communication. In another example, a prohibit timer may be introduced to avoid frequent aperiodic UE requests. The prohibit timer may be started after the aperiodic request is transmitted and prohibits the UE from transmitting any additional requests until the timer expires.

[0051] Figure 5b A diagram 550 of coexistence between energy harvesting operation and wireless communication operation of a UE using aperiodic scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. In this example, the aperiodic scheduling restrictions are configured to have a duration 555. The UE may request aperiodic scheduling restrictions when wireless communication 570 is operable but unsustainable based on the currently harvested energy. During the duration 555 of the scheduling restrictions, the UE may power down its wireless communication module in whole or in part. For example, the UE does not expect to be scheduled for any UL transmission or DL ​​reception during the duration 555. While the RF module is powered down (completely or partially), the UE may perform energy harvesting 565. When the duration 555 has elapsed, wireless communication 570 may resume.

[0052] Figure 6 A method 600 of coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE using scheduling restrictions (energy harvesting gaps) according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0053] In 605, the UE is enabled for wireless RF communication and energy harvesting. In some scenarios, the UE may be a passive IoT device designed to consume very little power and / or operate without a battery (or with a battery that is not intended to be manually replaced or recharged). The UE may be enabled to harvest energy from sources such as external RF fields, light, heat, vibrations, or other external sources. Some UEs may not be able to perform energy harvesting operations and RF operations simultaneously due to, for example, limited processing power and / or interference between operations.

[0054] In some embodiments, the network may determine to configure scheduling restrictions for the UE without first receiving a request from the UE, and the method proceeds to 620. Otherwise, the method proceeds to 610.

[0055] In 610, the UE determines or identifies preferred or required operating parameters for the upcoming duration. For example, the UE may determine that it should limit its RF operations, perform power saving operations, and / or perform energy harvesting operations. Depending on the type and specification of the UE, the preferred operating parameters may vary. For example, the UE may be limited in processing power and low in energy (stored and / or recently harvested energy), and determine that RF operations should be reduced or ended and power harvesting operations should be initiated. In another example, the UE may be low in energy and cannot perform energy harvesting without powering off the RF module that it uses for wireless communication. In yet another example, before sending a non-periodic request, the UE may determine that some pre-configured conditions are met and the non-periodic request is allowed for the UE, for example, wireless communication cannot be maintained.

[0056] In 615, the UE sends a request to the network for configuration of scheduling restrictions (e.g., energy harvesting gaps) for energy harvesting. In this example, the request may be for periodic scheduling restrictions or aperiodic scheduling restrictions. Depending on the content of the request, the request may be sent in different ways, such as via RRC in UE assistance information, via MAC-CE, or via UCI. As described above, the content of the request may include recommended or desired parameters, including duration, duty cycle, DL / UL or both, CC or frequency band, frequency and Tx power of network transmission for energy harvesting, etc.

[0057] If the request is for aperiodic scheduling restrictions, the UE may start an inhibit timer.If the network does not comply with the request and provide a configuration for aperiodic scheduling restrictions within the timer duration, the UE may resend the request after the inhibit timer expires.

[0058] In 620, the UE receives a configuration of scheduling restrictions for energy harvesting. As described above, when the scheduling restrictions are periodic, the configuration parameters may include length, starting time slot (e.g., offset), repetition period, and timing advance. When the scheduling restrictions are aperiodic, the configuration parameters may include length, starting time slot (e.g., offset), and timing advance. Scheduling restrictions may be configured for a subset of CCs or bands during CA operation, and may be configured for MCGs, SCGs, or both MCGs and SCGs during DC operation.

[0059] In 625, the UE performs energy harvesting operations during the scheduling restriction period. The RF module of the UE (used for wireless communication) may be in a reduced power state or powered off. After the duration, the UE may resume RF operations for wireless communication.

[0060] According to another aspect of these exemplary embodiments, for coexistence between the UE's energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations, the UE may be allowed to skip one or more scheduled UL channels / signals. UL skipping may be allowed only under certain conditions, for example, only when the UE has not harvested enough energy to perform UL operations. In some scenarios, the UE may be allowed to enter a lower power state and / or perform energy harvesting during the skipped UL resources. In some embodiments, the UE may use a special payload to indicate an upcoming UL skip to the network.

[0061] In the current NR specification, UL skipping is allowed on PUSCH only under the condition that the UE does not have UL data. In this embodiment, UL skipping may be allowed under other conditions related to the energy harvesting requirements of the UE, for example, the UE does not have enough energy to send an upcoming scheduled UL transmission or multiple UL transmissions.

[0062] When the UE does not currently meet the power required for sending the scheduled UL transmission, the UE may evaluate which of the scheduled UL transmissions (if any) may be sent to the UE with the remaining power. UL skipping may be performed according to a priority order, where certain UL channels / signals are dropped before other UL channels / signals. The priority order may be determined based on, for example, the size of the UL transmission, the importance of the UL transmission relative to other UL transmissions, etc.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the priority order for UL skipping may include the following UL channels / signals listed from first to last dropped: Dynamic Grant (DG) PUSCH; Configuration Grant (CG) PUSCH; Periodic / Semi-Persistent Sounding Reference Signal (SRS); Aperiodic SRS; PUCCH carrying CSI; PUCCH carrying Scheduling Request (SR); and PUCCH carrying HARQ ACK feedback. In this example, the PUCCH carrying HARQ-ACK is dropped last (selected as having the highest priority) because HARQ-ACK supports DL reception and because the payload of HARQ-ACK is very small.

[0064] In some embodiments, a special payload may be sent from the UE to indicate that the UE is skipping an upcoming UL transmission due to lack of energy. The special payload requires a very small amount of energy from the UE for transmission, e.g., the payload size is minimal. For example, UCI (e.g., PUCCH format 0 / 2) may be used to send an UL skip indication to the network. Due to lack of energy, the special payload may be sent only during the first N occurrences of the UL skip. After N occurrences of the special UL skip, the UE may stop sending the special payload even when subsequent UL channels / signals are skipped.

[0065] Figure 7 A method 700 is shown of allowing a UE to skip UL transmissions only under certain conditions (eg, only when the UE does not harvest enough energy to perform UL operations) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0066] In 705, something like Figure 6 In step 605, the UE is enabled for wireless RF communication and energy harvesting.

[0067] In 710, the UE determines that one or more conditions are met to allow UL skipping. These conditions may relate to the current energy level of the UE or the expected upcoming energy usage for the scheduled UL transmissions. For example, the UE may determine that it does not have enough power to send one or more upcoming UL transmissions. The UE may evaluate which UL transmissions (if any) of the scheduled UL transmissions can be sent to the UE with the remaining power. UL skipping may be performed according to a priority order, where certain UL channels / signals are dropped before other UL channels / signals.

[0068] In 715, the UE notifies the network of the upcoming skipped UL transmission using a special payload. The special payload requires a very small amount of energy from the UE for transmission. Due to the lack of energy, the special payload may be transmitted only during the first N occurrences of UL skipping, after which the UE stops transmitting the special payload even when subsequent UL channels / signals are skipped.

[0069] In 720, the UE skips the one or more UL transmissions. In some scenarios, during the skipped UL resources, the UE may be allowed to enter a lower power state and / or perform energy harvesting. The RF module (used for wireless communication) of the UE may be in a reduced power state or powered off.

[0070] If the UE energy remains low, the UE may continue to skip UL transmissions until the UE has collected enough energy to resume UL transmissions.

[0071] According to another aspect of these exemplary embodiments, enhancements to UE assistance information are described to support energy harvesting and / or power conservation at the UE.

[0072] In current NR, the UE is allowed to transmit UE Assistance Information (UAI) to the network to request or recommend a specific network configuration, or to inform the network of a specific condition observed at the UE. UAI is reported in UEAssistanceInformation via RRC and may include parameters such as: delay budget reporting; overheating assistance, including reduced number of CCs, reduced maximum BW, reduced DL MIMO layers, reduced UL MIMO layers, etc.; DRX preference; and other parameters.

[0073] In one embodiment, for wireless communications in conjunction with energy harvesting, the UE may additionally report a preferred duty cycle to the network, e.g., the percentage of time the network may schedule the UE. The preferred duty cycle may apply only to the UL or to both DL and UL. The request parameters for the duty cycle may be similar to the parameters described above for periodic energy harvesting gaps. However, in these embodiments, the UE does not necessarily receive scheduling restrictions in response. The network may use the requested duty cycle to inform its scheduling of the UE in different ways.

[0074] In one embodiment, the duty cycle may be reported similarly as a power headroom (PHR), for example, in a MAC-CE or UCI. The MAC-CE or UCI may be periodically configured by the network, or aperiodically triggered by the network or UE when certain conditions are met. Alternatively, the duty cycle may be reported in UE assistance information via RRC.

[0075] In another embodiment, the UE may additionally automatically transmit a request to the NW for dormant operation, in particular when the stored energy is insufficient to maintain reliable communication. The request may include, for example, a request to stop a subset of component carriers in CA operation or a request to suspend all component carriers in CA operation. The request may also include a duration, i.e., the UE only requests the network to suspend communications for the reported duration. This embodiment may be similar to the aperiodic scheduling restrictions discussed above for energy harvesting gaps.

[0076] In yet another embodiment, the UE may request that a coverage extension or power saving solution be configured by the network. This request may be used, for example, when the UE has limited available power that limits the coverage of the UE.

[0077] The UE may request parameters related to one or more of the following: time slot aggregation level on PDSCH; repetition of PDCCH; time slot aggregation level of PUCCH / PUSCH; recommended CDRX configuration; recommended PDCCH search space configuration, especially duty cycle; disabling DL HARQ-ACK feedback; maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) on DL and UL; maximum number of HARQ processes; minimum processing timeline includes k0, k1, k2, where k0 is from DCI to scheduled PDSCH; k1 is from PDSCH to HARQ-ACK; k2 is from DCI to scheduled PUSCH.

[0078] For any type of UE assistance information or parameter request discussed above, the information / parameters may be provided in RRC, MAC-CE, or UCI. For example, some low complexity devices may not support L3 (RRC), or the overhead caused by L3 reporting may consume too much energy to reasonably support communications on these devices. Therefore, a MAC-CE or UCI that requires less energy / overhead may be used. In some embodiments, the method for sending UE assistance information may depend on varying RF or UE conditions.

[0079] Figure 8 A method 800 for providing UE assistance information to a network to maintain coexistence between energy harvesting operations and wireless communication operations of a UE is shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0080] In 805, similar to Figure 6 In step 605, the UE is enabled for wireless RF communication and energy harvesting.

[0081] In 810, similar to Figure 6 In step 610, the UE determines or identifies preferred or required operating parameters for the upcoming duration. For example, the UE may determine that it should limit its RF operations, perform power saving operations, and / or perform energy harvesting operations.

[0082] In 815, the UE sends UE assistance information and / or request parameters to the network for the network to adjust the RF operating parameters of the UE. For example, as described above, the UE assistance information may include a preferred duty cycle, a request for some or all component carriers to be suspended, or preferred parameters related to coverage or power saving. The UE assistance information may be included in UL RRC signaling, MAC-CE, or UCI.

[0083] In 820, the UE receives a reconfiguration from the network based on the parameters reported / requested in the UE assistance information. For example, some RF operations may be disabled or modified. In some embodiments, based on the reconfiguration parameters, the UE can perform energy harvesting, save power, and / or improve its coverage.

[0084] Example

[0085] In a first embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a first configuration from a network for wireless communication with the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; receiving a second configuration of scheduling restrictions for energy harvesting from the network, the second configuration comprising a duration, during which some or all of the wireless communications with the network are suspended; during the duration of the scheduling restrictions, reducing the power state of the wireless communication module and starting an energy harvesting operation performed by the energy harvesting module; and after the duration of the scheduling restrictions, restoring the power state of the wireless communication module and stopping the energy harvesting operation performed by the energy harvesting module.

[0086] In a second embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to all uplink (UL) transmissions, all downlink (DL) receptions, or both the UL transmissions and the DL receptions.

[0087] In a third embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to a subset of component carriers or a subset of frequency bands in carrier aggregation (CA) operation or dual connectivity (DC) operation.

[0088] In a fourth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to a master cell group (MCG), a secondary cell group (SCG), or both the MCG and the SCG in dual connectivity (DC) operation.

[0089] In a fifth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is periodic and includes parameters for the duration, offset, and periodicity of the scheduling restriction.

[0090] In a sixth embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is aperiodic and includes parameters for the duration and offset of the scheduling restriction.

[0091] In a seventh embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the method further comprises sending a request for the scheduling restriction, the request comprising recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling restriction.

[0092] In an eighth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling restriction include duration, duty cycle, or transmission direction of uplink (UL), downlink (DL), or UL and DL.

[0093] In a ninth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling restrictions include a subset of component carriers or a subset of frequency bands in carrier aggregation (CA) operation or dual connectivity (DC) operation.

[0094] In a tenth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the recommended or expected configuration parameters for the scheduling constraints include: the frequency used for the energy harvesting via a near-field effect of frequency; or the network transmission power used for transmitting the frequency.

[0095] In an eleventh embodiment, the method according to the seventh embodiment, wherein the request is sent only when the energy harvesting is insufficient to maintain wireless communication.

[0096] In a twelfth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the request is associated with a prohibit timer duration, during which the UE is restricted from resending the request or sending a new request.

[0097] In a thirteenth embodiment, a processor is provided, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the methods described in accordance with the first to twelfth embodiments.

[0098] In a fourteenth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) comprises: a transceiver configured to communicate with a network; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any of the methods described in the first to twelfth embodiments.

[0099] In a fifteenth embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a first configuration from a network for wireless communication with the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; determining, based on an energy level of the UE, that one or more conditions are satisfied to allow uplink (UL) transmission skipping; and discarding one or more UL transmissions and reducing the power state of the wireless communication module.

[0100] In a sixteenth embodiment, the method according to the fifteenth embodiment, wherein the one or more conditions include the energy level being too low to transmit the one or more UL transmissions.

[0101] In a seventeenth embodiment, the method according to the fifteenth embodiment, wherein the UL transmission skipping is applied to one or more types of channels or signals.

[0102] In an eighteenth embodiment, the method of the seventeenth embodiment, wherein the types of channels or signals are provided in a priority order, wherein lower priority channels or signals are discarded before higher priority channels of the signal.

[0103] In a nineteenth embodiment, the method according to the eighteenth embodiment, wherein a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission is a lower priority channel or signal relative to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission.

[0104] In a twentieth embodiment, the method according to the nineteenth embodiment, wherein the PUCCH carrying the HARQ-ACK is the highest priority channel or signal.

[0105] In a twenty-first embodiment, according to the method of the fifteenth embodiment, the method further comprises: before discarding the one or more UL transmissions, sending a special payload, wherein the special payload indicates to the network that the UL transmission will be skipped based on the energy level.

[0106] In a twenty-second embodiment, the method according to the twenty-first embodiment, wherein the payload size for the special payload is smaller relative to the payload size for the one or more UL transmissions to be discarded.

[0107] In a twenty-third embodiment, the method according to the twenty-first embodiment, wherein the special payload includes a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format 0_2.

[0108] In a twenty-fourth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-first embodiment, the special payload is retransmitted a maximum number of times, and the UE stops retransmitting the special payload.

[0109] In a twenty-fifth embodiment, a processor is provided, wherein the processor is configured to execute any of the methods according to the fifteenth to twenty-fourth embodiments.

[0110] In a twenty-sixth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) comprises: a transceiver, which is configured to communicate with a network; and a processor, which is communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any one of the methods described in embodiments 15 to 24.

[0111] In a twenty-seventh embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a first configuration from a network for wireless communication with the network, wherein the wireless communication and associated processes are performed by a wireless communication module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; sending auxiliary information to the network, the auxiliary information comprising recommended or expected configuration parameters for the wireless communication; and receiving a second configuration from the network, the second configuration comprising pausing or adjusting some or all of the wireless communication according to one or more of the recommended or expected configuration parameters.

[0112] In a twenty-eighth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-seventh embodiment, the recommended or desired configuration parameters include a duty cycle for UE scheduling.

[0113] In a twenty-ninth embodiment, the method according to the twenty-eighth embodiment, wherein the duty cycle is indicated only for uplink (UL) scheduling or for both UL scheduling and downlink (DL) scheduling.

[0114] In a thirtieth embodiment, the method according to the twenty-eighth embodiment, wherein the auxiliary information is sent in a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE) or uplink control information (UCI).

[0115] In a thirty-first embodiment, according to the method described in the thirtieth embodiment, when a trigger condition is met, the MAC-CE or the UCI indicating the duty cycle is reported in a periodic resource, a non-periodic resource triggered by the network, or a non-periodic resource triggered by the UE.

[0116] In a thirty-second embodiment, the method according to embodiment twenty-eight, wherein the auxiliary information is sent in radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0117] In a thirty-third embodiment, a method is described according to the twenty-seventh embodiment, wherein the recommended or expected configuration parameters include a request to suspend some or all of the configured component carriers (CCs) in carrier aggregation (CA) operation or dual connectivity (DC) operation.

[0118] In a thirty-fourth embodiment, the method according to the twenty-seventh embodiment, wherein the recommended or desired configuration parameters include a duration.

[0119] In a thirty-fifth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-seventh embodiment, the recommended or desired configuration parameters include parameters for expanding the coverage of the UE or achieving power saving.

[0120] In a thirty-sixth embodiment, a method is described according to the thirty-fifth embodiment, wherein the parameters used to expand the coverage of the UE or achieve power saving include: time slot aggregation level on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); repetition of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH); time slot aggregation level of the PUCCH physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); recommended non-continuous reception configuration; recommended PDCCH search space configuration; disabling DL HARQ-ACK feedback; maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) on DL and UL; and the maximum number of HARQ processes; including the minimum processing timeline of k0, k1, and k2.

[0121] In a thirty-seventh embodiment, the method according to the twenty-seventh embodiment is performed, wherein the auxiliary information is sent in radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE) or uplink control information (UCI), wherein multiple of the RRC signaling, the MAC-CE and the UCI can be used to send the auxiliary information, and one of the RRC signaling, the MAC-CE or the UCI is selected based on current or changing RF conditions or UE conditions.

[0122] In a thirty-eighth embodiment, a processor is configured to execute any one of the methods described in embodiments twenty-seven to thirty-seven.

[0123] In a thirty-ninth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) comprises: a transceiver configured to communicate with a network; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any one of the methods described in embodiments twenty-seven to thirty-seven.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary aspects described above may be implemented in any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary aspects may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. In other examples, the exemplary aspects of the above methods may be embodied as a program including lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0125] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0126] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various aspects, each with different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one aspect may be combined with features of other aspects or features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or function of the device of the aspects disclosed in the present invention in any manner not publicly denied.

[0127] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers modifications and variations of the present disclosure as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: decoding a first configuration for wireless communications with the network based on signals received from the network, wherein the wireless communications and associated processes are performed by a wireless communications module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; decoding a second configuration of scheduling restrictions for energy harvesting based on a signal received from the network, the second configuration comprising a duration during which some or all of the wireless communications with the network are suspended; During the duration of the scheduling restriction, reducing a power state of the wireless communication module and initiating energy harvesting operations by the energy harvesting module; as well as After the duration of the scheduling limit, the power state of the wireless communication module is restored and the energy harvesting operation performed by the energy harvesting module is stopped.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to all uplink (UL) transmissions, all downlink (DL) receptions, or both the UL transmissions and the DL receptions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to a subset of component carriers or a subset of frequency bands in a carrier aggregation (CA) operation or a dual connectivity (DC) operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is applied to a master cell group (MCG), a secondary cell group (SCG), or both the MCG and the SCG in dual connectivity (DC) operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is periodic and includes parameters for the duration, offset, and periodicity of the scheduling restriction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second configuration indicates that the scheduling restriction is aperiodic and includes parameters for the duration and offset of the scheduling restriction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The transceiver circuitry is configured to send a request for the scheduling constraints, the request including recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling constraints.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling restriction include duration, duty cycle, or transmission direction of uplink (UL), downlink (DL), or both UL and DL.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling restrictions include a subset of component carriers or a subset of frequency bands in carrier aggregation (CA) operation or dual connectivity (DC) operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recommended or desired configuration parameters for the scheduling constraints include: The frequency used for energy harvesting via a near-field effect of the frequency; or the network transmission power used for transmitting the frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the request is sent only when the energy harvesting is insufficient to maintain wireless communication.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the request is associated with an inhibit timer duration during which the UE is restricted from resending the request or sending a new request.

13. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: decoding a first configuration for wireless communications with the network based on signals received from the network, wherein the wireless communications and associated processes are performed by a wireless communications module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; determining, based on an energy level of the UE, that one or more conditions are satisfied to allow uplink (UL) transmission skipping; as well as One or more UL transmissions are discarded and a power state of the wireless communication module is reduced.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions include the energy level being too low to transmit the one or more UL transmissions.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the UL transmission skipping is applied to one or more types of channels or signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the types of channels or signals are provided in a priority order, wherein lower priority channels or signals are discarded before higher priority channels of the signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission is a lower priority channel or signal relative to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the PUCCH carrying the HARQ-ACK is the highest priority channel or signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Prior to discarding the one or more UL transmissions, transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a special payload that indicates to the network that the UL transmissions are to be skipped based on the energy level.

20. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising a processing circuit, the processing circuit being configured to: decoding a first configuration for wireless communications with the network based on signals received from the network, wherein the wireless communications and associated processes are performed by a wireless communications module of the UE and powered by energy generated by an energy harvesting module of the UE; configuring transceiver circuitry to send assistance information to the network, the assistance information comprising recommended or desired configuration parameters for the wireless communication; as well as A second configuration is decoded based on a signal received from the network, the second configuration comprising suspending or adjusting some or all of the wireless communications according to one or more of the recommended or desired configuration parameters.

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