Transmission system and user equipment for random number generation

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transmission system for wirelessly transmitting a random manipulation signal to at least one user equipment over a communication channel. The user equipment is configured to generate at least one random number from one or more measurements of the random manipulation signal. The transmission system may include a random number generation controller configured for random signal manipulation to generate the random manipulation signal for wireless transmission over the communication channel to enable the user equipment to generate the random number based on a measurement of the manipulation signal. The disclosure also relates to a user device for use with the transmission system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a transmission system and a user equipment for random number generation. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a transmission system that enables even low-complexity, low-power-consuming devices to generate random numbers. Background Art

[0002] True random numbers and pseudo-random numbers have several applications in electronic communications, including wireless communications. Well-known applications include secure transmission of data over the air interface and secure storage of data in the transmitting and receiving devices. For example, random numbers can be used in cryptographic schemes or to generate random noise for data entries to enhance the security of data in transmission and at rest.

[0003] For all types of devices and in all situations, generating such true or pseudo-random numbers is not an easy or straightforward task. One direction taken in the prior art is to use channel information as a source of randomness. For example, US 8 015 224 discloses a user equipment having a data channel in which random numbers are required for a data storage device that uses the random numbers to generate keys for cryptographic applications. The random numbers are generated by a deterministic random bit generator seeded with bits obtained from the noise of the channel itself. If a seed is required when there is no data activity on the channel, a data signal emulator is provided in the data storage device to simulate a data signal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The inventors have considered that for certain types of user equipment, such as low-power-consuming or zero-power-consuming devices, (pseudo-)random number generation is a challenge due to their strict hardware limitations. For example, for ambient IoT devices that harvest energy from the surrounding environment and have low hardware complexity, it is usually not possible to generate (pseudo-)random numbers of sufficient quality.

[0005] For such devices, measuring channel information and using the non-static and complex noise on such channels for effective random number generation may be a result. Such a channel state can also be referred to as a high-entropy state. However, the communication channel may be static and insufficiently random for such purposes, i.e., the communication channel may have low entropy.

[0006] The inventors have realized that a solution is desired that enables user equipment, such as low-complexity, low-power-consuming devices, to generate random numbers by measuring channel information in a more reliable manner.

[0007] To this end, an aspect of the present disclosure relates to a transmission system for wirelessly transmitting a random manipulation signal to at least one user device via a communication channel. The user device is configured to generate at least one random number based on one or more measurements of the random manipulation signal. The transmission system may include a random number generation controller configured to perform random signal manipulation to generate the random manipulation signal for wireless transmission via the communication channel such that the user device can generate the random number based on the measurement of the manipulation signal.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure defines a user device for use with the transmission system disclosed herein. The user device is configured to receive a random manipulation signal, such as a random signal or a random manipulation data signal, from the transmission system and perform one or more measurements on the received random manipulation signal. The user device may further be configured to generate one or more random numbers based on the measurements performed on the received random manipulation signal.

[0009] The random number generation controller in the transmission system facilitates the user device in obtaining an externally generated signal that is random enough for random number generation, regardless of the conditions on the communication channel and regardless of the hardware of the user device, provided that the user device must be able to perform one or more measurements on the manipulation signal to generate (a) (pseudo) random number. Performing random manipulation on the signal may include performing random manipulation on one or more random factors, such as adding random noise, randomly varying reflections, random phase changes, random fading, Doppler frequency shifts, randomly varying power levels, etc., which result in random channel state measurement values at the user device. The random number generation controller may be controllable to adapt the manipulation of the random manipulation signal. Thus, a low-complexity, low-power consumption user device in a low-noise environment may be able to generate one or more random numbers.

[0010] In one embodiment, the random manipulation signal includes a data signal having data for the user device. The random number generation controller is configured to perform random manipulation on the data signal to obtain a random manipulation data signal for transmission via the communication channel such that the user device can generate at least one random number based on the measurement of the random manipulation data signal.

[0011] The inventors have considered that, in some cases, such as when a minimum data throughput can be easily achieved, the data signal can be manipulated to enable the user equipment to have a sufficiently random signal to generate random numbers, while on the other hand, the data is securely (i.e., correctly) transmitted to the (multiple) user equipment at an appropriate data rate. The random number generation controller can be configured to find such a balance, for example, by adding random variations to the data channel, thereby allowing the data to be correctly transmitted at an appropriate rate and generating random numbers based on the measurement of the data channel with random variations.

[0012] In one embodiment, the random number generation controller is configured to generate a random signal as a random manipulation signal for transmission over a communication channel so that the user equipment can generate at least one random number based on the measurement of the random signal.

[0013] Compared with the user equipment, the transmission system can have sufficient ability to generate (pseudo) random signals. If the (user) data signal does not exist, or if it is not desirable or possible to manipulate the data signal, this embodiment facilitates the generation of random numbers in the user equipment by providing a random signal from the transmission system. For example, a low-complexity, low-power consumption device in a static noise environment can still generate one or more random numbers from the random signal.

[0014] In one embodiment, the transmission system may include a resource allocation system that is configured to allocate resources for the transmission of the random manipulation signal.

[0015] Allocating resources (such as the timed transmission of the random manipulation signal) enables one or more system components and / or devices to take into account the transmission of the random manipulation signal. For example, network tasks such as networked sensing can be scheduled around the transmission of the random manipulation signal, and vice versa, the transmission of the manipulation signal can be scheduled so that its impact on system performance intrusion is minimized (e.g., by scheduling the transmission of the manipulation signal when the communication load is low (e.g., at night)).

[0016] It should be understood that the transmission system can allocate one or more system resources for the transmission of the random manipulation signal, such as time, frequency (frequency band), code, etc. For example, the resource allocation system can include a scheduling system for timely scheduling the transmission of the random manipulation signal.

[0017] In one embodiment, the transmission system is configured to notify at least one user equipment of the resource allocation information for the transmission of the manipulation signal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the user equipment is configured to receive the resource allocation information from the transmission system.

[0019] The resource allocation information may include scheduling information that includes information about when to receive a manipulation signal. The resource allocation information may also indicate the frequency of the random manipulation signal and / or information about the code associated with the random manipulation signal.

[0020] The user equipment may be configured to process the resource allocation information to generate one or more random numbers based on the resource allocation information. In this way, the user equipment is informed when and / or how to generate random numbers based on its measurements, i.e., when the entropy of the channel may be high enough to perform the task appropriately.

[0021] In particular, the resource allocation system may be configured to allocate separate resources for the transmission of data signals and random signals (as random manipulation signals) on the communication channel. Allocating separate resources for the transmission of data signals and random signals may involve scheduling dedicated time intervals or time slots and / or frequencies and / or codes different from those for the transmission of data signals for the transmission of random signals. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that both the data signal and the random signal are transmitted to the user equipment without manipulating the data signal so that the user equipment can generate one or more random numbers.

[0022] In one embodiment, the resource allocation system may be configured to allocate resources for the random signal based on at least one of the following: the resource allocation of the data signal, the load of the network accommodating the transmission system, etc. This embodiment enables the random number generation controller to take into account other factors, such as secure data transfer, reducing network load, etc., through appropriate resource allocation (e.g., scheduling the transmission of the random signal at an appropriate time).

[0023] In one embodiment, the transmission system may be configured to receive a feedback signal from the user equipment, wherein the random number generation controller is configured to be controlled at least in part by the feedback signal.

[0024] In one embodiment, the user equipment may be configured to transmit a feedback signal to the transmission system after generating one or more random numbers.

[0025] Generally, this embodiment enables the transmission system (more particularly the random number generation controller) to control the transmission of the random manipulation signal and / or the random signal manipulation based on, for example, one or more conditions in the user equipment.

[0026] More particularly, in one embodiment, the feedback signal may include one or more of the generated random numbers (or information from which these (multiple) numbers are derived). This embodiment enables the transmission system to obtain random numbers from the user equipment, for example, for evaluating their randomness. The feedback signal may include such random numbers, but these random numbers (or information from which these (multiple) numbers are derived) may also be transmitted together with other information from the user equipment. In one embodiment, the random numbers may be sent in the feedback signal together with data transmitted from the user equipment to the transmission system, for example, for filling a small amount of data in the feedback channel.

[0027] In another embodiment, for example, the random manipulation signal is a random manipulation data signal from which random numbers are generated, and the feedback signal includes an indication of the delivery of the data. The indication in the feedback signal may be an affirmative confirmation that the data has been delivered to the user equipment. This indication signals to the transmission system that the random signal manipulation of the data signal has not interfered with the proper delivery of the data contained in the data signal. Conversely, if the feedback signal includes an indication that the data has not been delivered to the user equipment (i.e., a negative confirmation), then this indication signals that, under the current channel conditions, the random signal manipulation is too severe for the data to be delivered to the user equipment.

[0028] To obtain the previously mentioned advantages, the present disclosure also defines a transmission system in which the feedback signal includes one or more random numbers. The random number generation controller may be configured to perform a randomness evaluation on the random numbers to obtain a randomness evaluation result and adapt the random signal manipulation based on the random evaluation result.

[0029] Similarly, the present disclosure defines a transmission system in which the random manipulation signal includes a data signal having data for the user equipment, and the random manipulation signal is a randomly manipulated data signal, wherein the feedback signal includes an indication of the delivery of the data at the user equipment. The random number generation controller may be configured to adapt the random signal manipulation of the data signal based on the indication of the delivery of the data.

[0030] Furthermore, the present disclosure defines a transmission system having a random number generation controller, the transmission system including a resource allocation system for allocating resources for the transmission of the data signal and the random signal, respectively, wherein the resource allocation system is configured to allocate resources for at least one of the transmission of the random signal and the transmission of the data signal based on the feedback signal. For example, in this embodiment, the random number generation controller may include a scheduling system configured to switch from the transmission of the random signal to the transmission of the data signal based on the feedback signal.

[0031] The random number generation controller may need to evaluate whether random signal manipulation can enable the user equipment to generate random numbers of sufficient quality. Thus, in one embodiment, the random number generation controller is configured to perform a randomness evaluation on the random manipulation signal to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and adapt the random signal manipulation according to the randomness evaluation result. In other words, if the random number generation controller evaluates that the generated signal has insufficient randomness, the controller can adjust the random signal manipulation to improve the randomness of the signal.

[0032] In some cases, random signal manipulation may not be required because the communication channel itself is dynamic enough for the user equipment to generate random numbers. For example, this may be due to interference from external sources (such as other devices) to the channel. Generally, as described above, the channel dynamics may originate from random noise, and may also originate from changing reflections, phase changes, fading, Doppler shifts, randomly varying power levels, etc., which result in different channel state measurements. To this end, the random number generation controller is configured to perform a randomness evaluation on the communication channel to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and initiate random signal manipulation according to the randomness evaluation result.

[0033] For example, the random signal manipulation device for obtaining a random manipulation signal (such as a random signal) may include a reconfigurable reflecting surface (RRS) system. Such an RRS is also referred to as a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) or an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS). The RRS is a technical component that enables dynamic manipulation of radio signals by manipulating the phase, amplitude, and / or polarization of the impinging radio signals. Another device for this task may include a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system that is part of the random number generation controller. MIMO allows for dynamic manipulation of the phase of radio signals, and this dynamic manipulation can be controlled such that data signals or random signals can be used to generate random numbers through this manipulation. Most current transmission devices or systems have an on-board MIMO antenna system, which provides a suitable way to generate random manipulation signals.

[0034] The transmission system can be embodied in various ways. In one embodiment, the transmission system is at least partially included in a network component (such as a base station) of a telecommunication network compliant with the 3GPP standard, or included in a network component of a local network (such as an enterprise network). However, it should be understood that the transmission system can also be included in a stand-alone device.

[0035] A particular embodiment of the transmission system is that the transmission system is included in another user equipment, for example, so as to enable device-to-device communication between the user equipment including the transmission system and the user equipment configured to generate one or more random numbers. This other user equipment is preferably not a low-power, low-complexity device because this device hosts the claimed transmission system. A suitable user equipment may be a possibly hand-held reader device, such as a user equipment UE compliant with the 3GPP standard.

[0036] In one embodiment, the user equipment is an ultra-low power consumption device or a zero power consumption device, such as a sensing device. For example, 3GPP recently released a study on supporting Internet of Things (IoT) devices powered by the environment in Technical Recommendation 3GPP TR 22.840. This document discloses the use cases and requirements of IoT devices supported by the environment, which are also referred to as environmental IoT devices hereinafter. They are battery-less devices (possibly including capacitors) with limited energy storage capabilities, where energy is provided by collecting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other possibly suitable power sources. For example, energy can be obtained from the randomly manipulated signals defined above. Therefore, in this context, energy is an extremely scarce resource, and its use is preferably optimized by restricting the number and size of calculations and / or exchanged messages. In addition, the environmental IoT device may remain passive for a long time before receiving a wake-up signal and starting to send data.

[0037] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for transmitting a randomly manipulated signal from a transmission system to at least one user equipment via a communication channel, wherein the user equipment is configured to generate at least one random number based on one or more measurements of the randomly manipulated signal. The method involves applying a random number generation controller that generates a randomly manipulated signal for wireless transmission via the communication channel so that the user equipment can generate random numbers based on the measurements of the randomly manipulated signal.

[0038] The present disclosure further relates to a computer program comprising one or more software code portions configured to execute the method when run on a computer system.

[0039] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for use with the method in the transmission system, the method comprising the steps of: wirelessly receiving a randomly manipulated signal from the transmission system, such as a random signal or a randomly manipulated data signal, performing one or more measurements on the received randomly manipulated signal, and generating one or more random numbers based on the measurements performed on the received randomly manipulated signal.

[0040] This disclosure further relates to a computer program comprising one or more software code portions configured to perform the method when run on a computer system.

[0041] This disclosure also relates to a random number generation system comprising a transmission system as disclosed herein and at least one user device as disclosed herein. The transmission system is configured to wirelessly transmit a random manipulation signal over a communication channel to the at least one user device. The transmission system may include a random number generation controller configured to randomly manipulate signals to generate a random manipulation signal for wireless transmission over the communication channel. The user device is configured to receive the random manipulation signal, such as a random signal or a random manipulation data signal, from the transmission system and perform one or more measurements on the received random manipulation signal. The user device may further be configured to generate one or more random numbers based on the measurements performed on the received random manipulation signal.

[0042] The random number generation controller in the transmission system facilitates the user device to obtain an externally generated signal that is random enough for random number generation, regardless of the conditions on the communication channel and regardless of the hardware of the user device, provided that the user device is able to perform one or more measurements on the manipulation signal to generate (a) (pseudo) random number(s). The random number generation controller may be controllable to adapt the manipulation of the random manipulation signal. Thus, a low-complexity, low-power user device in a low-noise environment may be able to generate one or more random numbers.

[0043] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. Additionally, aspects of the present invention may also take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied (e.g., stored) thereon.

[0044] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be used. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0045] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having computer-readable program code embodied therein (e.g., in baseband or as part of a carrier wave). Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0046] The program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer program code for performing the operations of the aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on a personal computer, partly on a personal computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on a personal computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the personal computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., using an Internet service provider, through the Internet).

[0047] Aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the flowchart and / or block diagram of a method, apparatus (system), and computer program product according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and / or block diagram, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, particularly a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU), to produce a machine such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device create a means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0048] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions that implement the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0049] The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0050] The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, depending on the functionality involved, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or sometimes may be executed in the reverse order. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware for performing a particular function or action, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0051] In addition, a computer program for performing the methods described herein is provided, as well as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program.

[0052] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, elements and aspects discussed with respect to a particular embodiment or regarding a particular embodiment may be appropriately combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will schematically illustrate embodiments according to the present invention. It will be understood that the present invention is not limited in any way to these specific embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0053] Aspects of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a random number generation system including a plurality of transmission systems and a plurality of user devices;

[0055] Figure 2A and Figure 2B are schematic diagrams of embodiments of a transmission system and a user device, respectively;

[0056] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a zero - energy consumption user device;

[0057] Figures 3A to 3D is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the operation of a transmission system and a user device in a random number generation system;

[0058] Figure 4A shows some steps of an embodiment of a method for operating a transmission system and a user device;

[0059] Figure 4B and Figure 4C are more detailed illustrations of some steps in an embodiment for operating a transmission system;

[0060] Figures 5A to 5C is for Figure 1 a schematic diagram of an embodiment of resource allocation for a random number generation system as shown in;

[0061] Figure 6A and Figure 6B show additional embodiments for operating a transmission system and a user device; and

[0062] Figure 7 is a processing system according to an embodiment of a transmission system or a user device for use with such a transmission system or a part thereof. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0063] Figure 1FIG. 0 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a random number generation system 1, which includes a plurality of transmission systems 10 configured for wirelessly transmitting random manipulation signals and a plurality of user devices 20 configured to generate one or more random numbers from the random manipulation signals wirelessly received from the transmission systems 10. Randomly manipulating the signals may include one or more factors such as adding random noise, randomly varying reflections, random phase changes, random fading, Doppler frequency shifts, randomly varying power levels, etc., which result in random channel state measurements at the user devices 20.

[0064] As Figure 1 shown in FIG. 5, the transmission system 10 may be included in network components of a telecommunications network compliant with the 3GPP standard, such as a base station of a radio access network (RAN), such as a gNb of a 3GPP 5G or 6G telecommunications network. The RAN may be connected to a core network CN of the telecommunications network, such as a 5G or 6G CN compliant with the 3GPP standard. The RAN may include a random number generation controller RNGC and a randomizer device RM, such as a multiple-input multiple-output MIMO antenna, to generate random manipulation signals for wireless transmission through a communication channel, as Figure 1 shown in the upper left corner.

[0065] Figure 1 Another embodiment of the transmission system 10 is schematically depicted in the upper right corner, where the base station of the RAN operates only as a source of wireless signals, and the random manipulation of the signals is achieved by an external randomizer device RM (e.g., a reconfigurable reflecting surface RRS system). Such an RRS is also referred to as a reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS or an intelligent reflecting surface IRS. The RRS is a technical component that enables dynamic manipulation of radio signals by manipulating the phase, amplitude, and / or polarization of impinging radio signals. The RRS can be used to generate random manipulation signals for wireless transmission through a communication channel, as Figure 1 shown in FIG. 13. The random number generation controller RNGC may be embodied in the RAN or in the RRS, or distributed among its components.

[0066] Figure 1 Another embodiment shown in FIG. 17 includes a local network, such as an enterprise network EN, which includes a transmission system 10 having a random number generation controller RNGC and a randomizer device RM (e.g., a MIMO antenna) to generate random manipulation signals for wireless transmission through a communication channel. For example, the enterprise network EN may or may not be connected to the core network CN to enable connection to the Internet.

[0067] Figure 1The bottom part also shows an embodiment of a user equipment incorporating the transmission system 10. For example, the user equipment is configured for device-to-device (D2D) communication between the user equipment incorporating the transmission system 10 and a user equipment 20 configured to generate one or more random numbers. The user equipment may be a possibly handheld reader device, such as a user equipment (UE) compliant with 3GPP standards, which has, for example, a random number generation controller (RNGC) (not shown) and a randomizing means (RM), such as a MIMO antenna system, for generating and transmitting random manipulation signals.

[0068] It should be noted that the random number generation controller (RNGC) and the randomizing means (RM) may be integrated in one component or module, as shown in the user equipment in Figure 1 but in some examples of the present disclosure they are shown separately to conceptually illustrate the control and transmission of the random manipulation signals.

[0069] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the transmission system 10.

[0070] In particular, for example, the transmission system 10 includes a random number generation controller (RNGC) that has a processing system 11 and a storage device 12 storing a plurality of algorithms 121 - 124. The random number generation controller (RNGC) is configured for random signal manipulation to generate random manipulation signals for wireless transmission over a communication channel, such that the user equipment 20 can generate one or more random numbers based on measurements of the manipulation signals from the transmission system 10.

[0071] The processing system 11 is configured to run one or more of the algorithms 121 - 124 to generate or assist in generating the random manipulation signals. The random number generation controller (RNGC) controls the transmission part 13 of the transmission system 10 to transmit the random manipulation signals to the user equipment(s) 20. The transmission part 13 may include a randomizing means (RM), such as Figure 1 shown in, for example, a MIMO antenna system or a reconfigurable reflecting surface (RRS). The transmission part 13 may also include a receiver part for receiving one or more feedback signals from the user equipment 20, as will be further detailed below.

[0072] Algorithm 121 may include a control algorithm for performing the basic functions of the random number generation controller (RNGC), i.e., generating random manipulation signals using the randomizing means (RM). The algorithm may be used to manipulate a source signal to generate a random signal as a random manipulation signal, or to randomly manipulate a data signal, for example, by adding random noise to a communication channel to obtain a random manipulated data signal. Algorithm 121 may use a pre-configured random signal storage device to generate the random manipulation signals.

[0073] Algorithm 122 may include a resource allocation algorithm to allocate transmission resources, such as time, frequency, and / or code, etc., for the transmission of wireless random manipulation signals. For example, the resource allocation algorithm may include a scheduling algorithm for scheduling the transmission of random manipulation signals in a timely manner.

[0074] Algorithm 123 may include a random number generation algorithm for generating one or more sets of random numbers, for example, according to measurements made by the user equipment on the communication channel and its reports (such as channel state information CSI), to generate random numbers to verify whether the random manipulation signal is appropriate or whether random manipulation is needed at all.

[0075] Algorithm 124 may include a randomness evaluation algorithm. The randomness evaluation algorithm may be used to evaluate the quality of the random numbers generated in the user equipment 20 based on the feedback signal received from the user equipment 20. When one or more quality criteria are not met, the evaluation result may be used to adjust the random manipulation signal.

[0076] Algorithms 122 - 124 are optional algorithms of the transmission system 10. Algorithms 121 - 124 will be further described in detail below.

[0077] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the user equipment 20 is shown. The user equipment 20 includes a processing system 21, a storage device 22, and a receiver section 23. The user equipment 20 is configured to receive a random manipulation signal, such as a random signal or a random manipulation data signal, from the transmission system 10 at the receiver section 23. The processing system 21 is configured to perform one or more measurements on the wirelessly received random manipulation signal. The processing system 21 of the user equipment 20 may be further configured to generate one or more (pseudo) random numbers based on the measurements performed on the received random manipulation signal. The (pseudo) random numbers may be generated using the random number generation algorithm 221 stored in the storage device 22 of the user equipment 20, and the generated random numbers may also be stored in the storage device 22.

[0078] The user equipment 20 may further include a feedback algorithm 222 for generating a feedback signal to be transmitted to the transmission system 10.

[0079] The random number generation controller RNGC in the transmission system 10 facilitates the user equipment 20 to obtain an externally generated signal that is random enough for random number generation in the user equipment 20, regardless of the conditions on the communication channel and the hardware of the user equipment 20.

[0080] For cost reasons, future user equipment 20 may include hardware with limited functions. For example, the disclosed transmission system 10 and method enable low - energy - consuming, low - cost, and / or low - complexity user equipment 20 to generate pseudo - random numbers of sufficient quality.

[0081] For example, 3GPP recently published a study on Internet of Things (IoT) devices supporting ambient power supply in Technical Recommendation 3GPP TR 22.840. This document discloses the use cases and requirements for IoT devices supporting ambient power supply, which are also referred to hereinafter as ambient IoT devices, and are battery-free devices with limited energy storage capabilities (which may include capacitors), where energy is provided by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source. For example, energy can be obtained from the random manipulation signals defined above. Thus, in this context, energy is an extremely scarce resource, and its use is preferably optimized by restricting the number and size of computations and / or exchanged messages. Additionally, ambient IoT devices may remain passive for long periods before receiving a wake-up signal and starting to transmit data.

[0082] Figure 2C A schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a user equipment 20 with zero energy consumption and low hardware complexity is presented. The user equipment 20 includes a processing section 21, a storage section 22, and a transceiver section 23 for wirelessly receiving and transmitting radio signals. The device 20 may further include a power harvesting section 24 and one or more sensors 25 or their connectors. It should be understood that the device 20 may include multiple sensors 25 or their connectors. Examples of sensors include position sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, motion sensors, etc.

[0083] The processing section 21 may run an algorithm in the storage section 22, such as Figure 2B the algorithm 221 shown in, to generate pseudo-random numbers from the random manipulation signals received via the transceiver section 23. The storage section 22 may also store data, such as device identifiers and / or data from the sensors 25.

[0084] This user equipment 20 has no internal energy source (although it may include a capacitor) and needs to harvest external power as described above. The device 20 is configured to harvest power to at least activate the processing section 21 and optionally other sections, such as at least one of the storage section 22, the transceiver section 23, and the sensors 25. The power supply lines for these sections are indicated by solid lines in Figure 2C Signal transmission lines are indicated by dashed lines in Figure 2C

[0085] It should be understood that Figure 2C ​The user equipment 20 depicted in can include more or fewer parts. Substantially, the device 20 is a battery - less device with limited (if any) energy - storage capabilities. In one embodiment, when the device 20 harvests energy from a wireless radio transmission from the transmission system 10 (e.g., from a random manipulation signal), the transceiver part 23 and the energy - harvesting part 24 can be at least partially integrated. The signal can also power the device 20 to generate (a) random number(s) by running a random - number - generation algorithm in the storage device 22 using the processing part 21.

[0086] More specifically, Figure 1 The random - number - generation system 1 in includes a set of network - connected user devices 20. Each user device 20 can include a set of hardware and software (communication modules) capable of connecting to and communicating with a wider network (e.g., a 5G or 6G telecommunications network). The communication modules included in the processing system 21 include the ability to measure communication - channel properties (“channel measurements”). Such channel measurements can mainly include channel - state information CSI, which is typically defined as a channel - gain measurement. Metrics such as return - signal strength (RRS) can also be utilized. Each channel measurement can have an associated identifier or timestamp for indexing different channel measurements. The user device 20 further includes internal hardware and memory for implementing the running of algorithms and the storage of data. The user device 20 can further have a storage device 22 for temporarily storing channel - measurement values and optionally associated timestamps.

[0087] For example, the transmission system 10 implemented in a base station of a telecommunications network serves all user devices 20 within a specific cell. The transmission system 10 can include communication modules capable of connecting to and communicating with user devices and the core network CN within the cell, as well as internal hardware and memory for implementing the running of algorithms, such as the processing system 11 and the storage device 12 schematically depicted in Figure 2A

[0088] The resource - allocation algorithm 122 as described above can include a scheduling algorithm that orchestrates the scheduling of all communications between the transmission system 10 and the user devices 20 within its cell, thereby creating a communication schedule. For example, the scheduling algorithm is described as running on a base station, which may be the case for a 5G telecommunications network. However, the scheduling algorithm can also run on any other hardware capable of communicating with the transmission system 10. The scheduling algorithm creates a schedule that includes one or more high - entropy phases such that the negative impact of these phases on other network tasks is minimized.

[0089] The algorithm 123 as described above may include a random number generation algorithm that generates a set of random numbers by using channel measurements from a user device as a random seed. A copy of the algorithm may exist independently on each user device 20. At least one copy of the random number generation algorithm may also exist on other network hardware. The random number may consist of a sequence of n random bits (randomly taking values ​​of 0 or 1).

[0090] The algorithm 124 as described above may include a randomness assessment algorithm that determines, for a set of time-varying channel measurements, whether a given channel has sufficient randomness (i.e., high enough entropy) for tasks such as random number generation, thereby outputting a binary pass / fail indicator, i.e., a randomness assessment result. The randomness assessment algorithm may be run on the transmission system 10 or any other network-connected hardware.

[0091] The transmission system 10 is a system that may include the software and hardware necessary to create a high entropy communication channel between the transmission system 10 and the user device 20 during a high entropy phase according to a schedule. Two embodiments are described that may be used independently or together to implement a high entropy channel.

[0092] One embodiment relates to a multi-antenna system, such as a MIMO antenna system, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 The MIMO antenna system may be part of a telecommunications network base station. The multi-antenna system may include a set of transmit and receive antennas (i.e., an antenna array) capable of creating a communication channel with the user equipment 20, and an antenna controller that controls the antenna configuration of the antenna array at a particular moment. The antenna configuration may include a series of single antenna selections or multiple antenna selections for randomly manipulating the signal. An antenna randomization algorithm may be used to generate a randomized time-varying set of antenna configurations, as an example of (a part of) the above-mentioned algorithm 121.

[0093] Another embodiment relates to a reconfigurable reflection system (RRS). The RRS may include a grid of binary phase-adjustable elements located near the user device 20 and the transmission system 10, such that a communication channel may be created between the user device 20 and the transmission system 10 via the RRS. The phase response of each element may be independently controlled (e.g., by controlling the voltage across a pin diode or adjusting the resonant frequency). The RRS may also include a controller configured to control the configuration of the RRS at any given moment. The RRS configuration may include a set of voltage values, one for each RRS element, which, when applied, results in a different phase shift for each element. For example, for an RRS with 8x8 binary phase-adjustable elements, there are 2.4×10 38Possible RRS configurations. The RRS can include an algorithm that generates a set of randomized time-varying RRS configurations, as an example of part of the above algorithm 121.

[0094] Figures 3A to 3D Is Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the operation of the transmission system 10 and the user equipment 20 in the random number generation system 1. Compared with the user equipment 20, the transmission system 10 can have sufficient capabilities to generate (pseudo) random signals RS. It should be noted that in some cases, random signal manipulation may not be required because the communication channel itself is sufficiently dynamic, for example due to random noise or changing conditions of the user equipment generating random numbers, such as interference from external sources (such as other devices) to the channel. For this purpose, the random number generation controller RNGC can be configured to perform a randomness assessment on the communication channel to obtain a randomness assessment result and initiate random signal manipulation based on this randomness assessment result.

[0095] Figure 3A Is a schematic diagram of an embodiment, in which the transmission system 10 includes a random number generation controller RNGC, which is configured to generate a random signal RS as a random manipulation signal for transmission through the communication channel so that the user equipment 20 can use the processing system 21 to generate at least one random number based on the measurement of the random signal RS. The random signal RS can be a pre-stored random signal or the result of source signal randomization.

[0096] Figure 3B Shows that if there is a (user) data signal and if manipulation of the data signal is possible and appropriate, the transmission system 10 can include a random number generation controller RNGC, which is configured to randomly manipulate the data signal DS to obtain a randomly manipulated data signal RDS for transmission through the communication channel so that the user equipment 20 can use the processing system 21 to generate at least one random number based on the measurement of the randomly manipulated data signal RDS. Figure 3B The density of the dots in the random data signal arrow indicates a specific amount of randomization of the data signal DS. The inventors have considered that in some cases, for example when a minimum data throughput can be easily achieved, the data signal DS can be manipulated so that the user equipment 20 has a sufficiently random data signal RDS to generate random numbers, while on the other hand, delivering the data to the user equipment 20 safely (i.e., correctly) at an appropriate data rate. The random number generation controller RNGC can be configured to find this balance, for example by adding random noise to the data channel, thereby allowing the data to be correctly delivered at an appropriate rate and generating random numbers based on the measurement of the randomly manipulated data channel.

[0097] Figure 3CSchematic diagram of a transmission system 10 including a resource allocation system RAS, which can be embodied by causing a processor system 11 to run a resource allocation algorithm as described in reference Figure 2A The allocation of resources (such as the timing transmission of a random manipulation signal RS) enables one or more system components and / or devices in the random number generation system 1 to take into account the transmission of the random manipulation signal. For example, network tasks such as network sensing can be scheduled around the transmission of the random manipulation signal, and vice versa, the transmission of the manipulation signal RS can be scheduled such that its impact on system performance intrusion is minimized (e.g., by scheduling the transmission of the manipulation signal during low communication load (e.g., at night)).

[0098] It should be understood that the transmission system 10 can allocate one or more system resources for the transmission of the random manipulation signal, such as Figure 3C the time, frequency (frequency band), code, etc. of the random signal RS shown in Figure 5A and Figure 5B A more detailed embodiment of the scheduling system is shown in Figure 5C A more detailed embodiment of the frequency allocation system is shown in

[0099] The transmission system 10 can be configured to notify at least one user device 20 of resource allocation information RAI for transmitting the manipulation signal. The user device 20 is configured to receive the resource allocation information RAI from the transmission system 10 and obtain the resource allocation of the random manipulation signal from the information RAI. The resource allocation information RAI can contain scheduling information, which contains information about when to receive the manipulation signal. Alternatively or additionally, the resource allocation information RAI can indicate the frequency of the random manipulation signal and / or information about the code associated with the random manipulation signal. The user device 20 is configured to process the resource allocation information RAI to generate one or more (pseudo) random numbers according to the resource allocation information RAI. In this way, the user device 20 can be notified when and / or how to generate random numbers based on its measurements, i.e., when the entropy of the channel may be high enough to appropriately perform the task. The resource allocation information can be transmitted to the user device 20 before the random manipulation signal.

[0100] Figure 3D An embodiment is depicted in which the transmission system 10 includes a feedback processing part FBP, which is configured to receive a feedback signal with feedback information FBI from the user device 20 and control the random number generation controller RCGC according to the feedback information FBI in the feedback signal. Note that Figure 3DEmbodiments show two embodiments of random manipulation signals, namely, a random signal RS and a random data signal RDS.

[0101] After generating one or more random numbers, a feedback signal with feedback information FBI can be transmitted from the user equipment 20. For example, the user equipment 20 can apply a feedback algorithm stored in the storage device 22 of the user equipment as described in the reference Figure 2B description.

[0102] Figure 3D Embodiments enable the random number generation controller RNGC to control the transmission of random manipulation signals and / or random signal manipulation according to one or more conditions in the user equipment 20 indicated in the feedback information FBI, for example. More generally, the random number generation controller RNGC may need to evaluate whether the random signal manipulation can enable the user equipment to generate random numbers of sufficient quality. The random number generation controller RNGC using the feedback processing part FBP that processes the feedback information FBI can be configured to perform a randomness evaluation on the random manipulation signal to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and adapt the random signal manipulation according to the randomness evaluation result.

[0103] The feedback information in the feedback signal can include one or more random numbers generated in the user equipment 20. This embodiment enables the transmission system 10 to obtain random numbers from the user equipment 20 to evaluate their randomness. To this end, the transmission system 10 can apply a random number evaluation algorithm 124 as described in the reference Figure 2A description. The feedback signal can include such random numbers, but these random numbers can also be transmitted together with other information from the user equipment 20. In one embodiment, the random numbers can be sent in the feedback signal together with the data transmitted from the user equipment to the transmission system, for example, to fill a limited amount of data in the feedback channel. For example, the data packet transmitted from the user equipment 20 can include sensor data as described in the reference Figure 2C description.

[0104] Figure 3D The random number generation controller RNGC shown in, for example, using the feedback processor FBP can be configured to perform a randomness evaluation on the random numbers to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and adapt the random signal manipulation according to the random evaluation result. For example, as shown in Figure 3D if the random manipulation signal is the random signal RS, the randomness evaluation result can indicate that the quality of the random numbers generated in the user equipment 20 (as indicated in the feedback information FBI) is insufficient. Therefore, the random number generation controller RNGC can enhance the randomness of the channel, as shown by the increase in the dot density in Figure 3D compared with Figure 3A shown.

[0105] In another embodiment, for example, the random manipulation signal is a random manipulation data signal RDS as shown in Figure 3D A random number is generated from the random manipulation data signal in the user equipment 20, and the feedback information FBI of the feedback signal includes an indication of the transfer of the data. The indication in the feedback signal may be an affirmative acknowledgment ACK that the data has been transferred to the user equipment 20 in a good manner. This indication signals to the transmission system that the random signal manipulation of the data signal does not interfere with the good transfer of the data contained in the data signal DS. On the contrary, if the feedback signal includes an indication that the data has not been transferred to the user equipment (i.e., a negative acknowledgment NACK), then this indication signals that, under the current channel conditions, the random signal manipulation is too drastic for the data to be transferred to the user equipment. The random number generation controller RNGC may be configured to adapt the random signal manipulation of the data signal based on the indication of the transfer of the data.

[0106] For example, as shown in Figure 3D if the random manipulation signal is the random data signal RDS, the feedback information FBI may indicate that the data has been properly received at the user equipment 20, i.e., the feedback processor FBP receives an ACK from the user equipment 20. Therefore, the random number generation controller RNGC may increase the randomness of the random data signal RDS, as shown by the increase in dot density compared to Figure 3D in Figure 3B the dot density increase shown.

[0107] As shown in Figure 3C The resource allocation system RAS, which is part of the random number generation controller RNGC, may also benefit from the feedback information FBI. The resource allocation system RAS may be configured to allocate resources for the transmission of the data signal DS and the random signal RS respectively. The resource allocation system RAS is configured to allocate resources for at least one of the transmission of the random signal and the transmission of the data signal based on the feedback information FBI. For example, in this embodiment, the random number generation controller RNGC may include a scheduling system that is configured to switch from the transmission of the random signal to the transmission of the data signal based on the feedback signal.

[0108] Figure 4A Some steps of an embodiment of a method for operating the transmission system 10 and the user equipment 20 are shown.

[0109] Figure 4AStep S1 in shows the initial evaluation by the transmission system 10 of the random number generation in the user equipment 20, such as the evaluation of the channel conditions. The initial evaluation can utilize the information (such as channel state information CSI) transmitted by the (multiple) user equipment 20 to generate a random number and check its quality. If the quality is sufficient (OK), then the generation and transmission of the random manipulation signal disclosed herein are unnecessary. As shown in step S2, step S1 can be repeated, for example, periodically. Step S1 is an optional step.

[0110] Step S3 shows the basic steps of generating and transmitting a random manipulation signal (such as a random signal or a random manipulation data signal). If the result of the initial evaluation in step S1 is that the quality of the random number in the user equipment 20 is insufficient (NOK), then this step can be executed. Step S3 can include determining the resources for the wireless transmission of the random manipulation signal, such as time intervals or time slots, frequencies, and / or codes, and transmitting the resource allocation information RAI (see Figure 3C , Figure 4A not shown in) to the user equipment 20.

[0111] Step S4 in the user equipment 20 shows the wireless reception and processing of the random manipulation signal (such as a random signal RS or a random manipulation data signal RDS), such as performing signal measurements. Step S4 can also include processing the (previously received) resource allocation information RAI to determine when and / or how to receive the random manipulation signal.

[0112] In step S5, the user equipment 20 generates one or more random numbers based on the measurements. In step S6, the user equipment 20 transmits feedback information to the transmission system 10. Step S8 shows the steps of receiving and processing the feedback information FBI in the feedback signal from the user equipment 20 as described above. The transmission system 10 can use this feedback information for various purposes, including adjusting the random manipulation signal as shown in the feedback loop in Figure 4A .

[0113] Figure 4B And Figure 4C are more detailed illustrations of some of the steps in the embodiments for operating the transmission system 10.

[0114] Figure 4B Examples of steps S1 and S2 are provided, as shown in Figure 4A .

[0115] Initially, the transmission system 10 can evaluate the normal randomness level of the communication channel in the environment to determine whether a random manipulation signal is necessary. The user equipment 20 can communicate with the transmission system 10 according to an existing schedule, as shown in step S10. As part of normal communication, the user equipment 20 can perform channel measurements, as shown in step S11. For example, the user equipment 20 can measure the channel state information CSI as the channel gain between each set of antennas utilized (if the user equipment 20 and the transmission system 10 have more than one antenna).

[0116] The transmission system 10 contains a copy of the random number generation algorithm stored in the user equipment 20. In step S12, this copy of the random number generation algorithm running on network hardware (e.g., the transmission system 10, such as a base station) uses the channel measurements to generate a series of random numbers. The random number generation algorithm can use any method known in the art for this purpose. The random number generation algorithm retrieves the set of channel measurement values for each most recently active channel, and possibly its associated timestamp.

[0117] For example, for each set of measurements, a threshold can be set. The threshold can be the average channel measurement value in the set. For the first channel measurement value in the set, if the value of the channel measurement is higher than the threshold, a binary 1 is assigned; and if the value is lower than the threshold, a binary 0 is assigned. This can be repeated for one or more (e.g., all) numbers in the set until a set of binary values is created. These binary values are returned as a set of random numbers for evaluation. This can be repeated for successive sets of channel measurement values.

[0118] A randomness evaluation algorithm can be run on one or more sets of random numbers to calculate a randomness evaluation result, as shown in step S13. For each set of random numbers, the randomness evaluation algorithm can utilize one or more algorithms known in the art to evaluate the randomness in the binary sequence.

[0119] One or more results of the (multiple) evaluations may pass / fail, represented as OK and NOK respectively, as shown in step S14. For example, the evaluation may include a frequency test, a run test, and / or a pattern recognition test. The frequency test determines the proportion of zeros and ones in the entire sequence. This test evaluates how close the proportion of 1s is to 1 / 2, as would be expected if the sequence were truly random. The run test determines the total number of runs in the bit sequence, where a run is a sequence of the same bit. If the number of runs of various lengths conforms to the expectations for a random binary sequence (within a certain tolerance), the test passes. The pattern recognition test (such as a serial test or an approximate entropy test) identifies patterns in sequences of various lengths m to evaluate uniformity. If the sequence is truly random, any m-bit pattern should be as likely as any other m-bit pattern. If this holds (within a certain tolerance), the test passes. Other tests are also possible.

[0120] If the result of any test applied to the set of random numbers is "fail" (NOK), the sequence can be defined as not random enough and is designated as a failure overall. Then, the binary randomness evaluation result can be calculated based on the pass / fail results of the combination of all sets of random numbers. For example, if 90% of the sets of random numbers tested pass a series of tests, the randomness evaluation result can be "pass" (OK), otherwise "fail".

[0121] Figure 4C Some steps are shown once the random manipulation signal (i.e., the high-entropy phase) is determined to be necessary. Figure 4C Provides some details about Figure 4A the steps S3 - S7 depicted in Figure 4C and in the following description, it is assumed that the random manipulation signal is the random signal RS (rather than the random manipulation data signal RDS).

[0122] In step S20, the transmission system 10 can determine and allocate resources for the task. In Figure 4C the embodiment of Figure 5A and Figure 5B shown in Figure 5A the resource allocation involves time-scheduling the high-entropy phase HEP using a scheduling algorithm, as Figure 5B shown in

[0123] In Figure 5CAnother form of resource allocation is shown, in which the random manipulation signals are transmitted simultaneously but at different frequencies to different user equipments 20(1), 20(2), 20(3) and 20(4). This allows the random manipulation signals to be transmitted to multiple user equipments simultaneously, possibly in combination with one or more data signals.

[0124] Resource allocation information RAI (such as the schedule of the random manipulation signals) can be transmitted to the user equipment 20.

[0125] The scheduling algorithm can generate a schedule including one or more time slots assigned to one or more high entropy phases. To enable the high entropy phase HEP, the scheduling algorithm can generate a schedule enabling multiple synchronization events. For a transmission system 10 that randomizes the channel during the duration of the high entropy phase, the timing for determining when to switch between the antennas in use is determined for a multi-antenna system, and the timing for determining when to switch between the randomized RRS configurations is determined for an RRS system.

[0126] For each user equipment 20 that needs to generate random numbers, a unique time slot can be used during this high entropy phase, as Figure 5B shown. During this time slot, the user equipment 20 communicates with the transmission system 10, and the transmission system 10 returns a message to the user equipment. This can be a "ping-pong" type of communication, in which the user equipment 20 and the transmission system 10 take turns to exchange data packets on the randomized channel, as shown in Figure 6A when applying a multi-antenna system and in Figure 6B when applying RRS. The length of the data packet needs to be long enough so that channel measurements can be made, and when transmitting data, the information content in the data packet may be important, or if data does not need to be transmitted, the information content in the data packet may not be important. The timing of these "ping-pong" type of communications can be synchronized with the channel randomization of the high entropy phase system.

[0127] The scheduling algorithm applied in step S20 can schedule the transmission of the random manipulation signal (i.e., the start of the high entropy phase) to minimize the intrusion on other user equipments 20, communications or other network tasks on the network.

[0128] Embodiments of such scheduling include one or some combination of the following.

[0129] In one embodiment, the scheduling algorithm can schedule the high entropy phase during a period when the communication demand may be low (such as at night).

[0130] In one embodiment, the scheduling algorithm can schedule the high entropy phase during a period when it is unlikely that the network needs to perform sensing tasks.

[0131] In one embodiment, if one or more user devices 20 must (e.g., accidentally) transmit a large amount of data or transmit an emergency message, the scheduling algorithm may reschedule the high-entropy phase.

[0132] In one embodiment, the scheduling algorithm may specifically schedule the high-entropy phase to occur simultaneously with tasks that are not affected by high channel randomness, such as tasks for powering devices that are charged via wireless transmission, such as Figure 2C the zero-energy consumption devices shown in Figure 2C as explained in reference

[0133] In one embodiment, if it is not possible to determine consecutive time slots for allocating time to all participating user devices 20 for "ping-pong" communication, the scheduling algorithm may schedule two or more high-entropy phases of shorter duration.

[0134] In one embodiment, the scheduling algorithm may also not allocate time to certain user devices 20 and certain tasks during the high-entropy phase. For example, the scheduling algorithm may avoid allocating time slots to the sensing tasks of user devices 20 during the high-entropy phase because the high-entropy phase may interfere with the task. The scheduling algorithm may also avoid allocating time slots to the sensing tasks of the transmission system 10 during the high-entropy phase because continuous back-and-forth communication is required.

[0135] When resources are allocated for the transmission of the random manipulation signal in the transmission system 10 and the resource allocation information is provided to the user device(s) 20, the generation and transmission of the random manipulation signal may be started to generate (pseudo) random numbers in the user device 20.

[0136] In the case of using a multi-antenna system, the antenna randomization algorithm may operate through a pseudo-random number generation scheme to generate a random sequence of single-antenna selection, and output the sequence as the randomized antenna configuration in step S21A. In step S22A, the processing system may adjust the antenna configuration to match the randomized antenna configuration according to the schedule determined in step S20. For example, a MIMO antenna system may operate in a single-input single-output (SISO) mode, in which the antenna controller operates through the randomized antenna configuration to switch to the next antenna at the timing defined by the schedule.

[0137] In step S23A, messages are sent between the transmission system 10 and the user device 20 in a "ping-pong" manner, where the timing is determined by the schedule and is synchronized with the randomized antenna switching as shown in Figure 6A where the switching SW in Figure 6A defines the switching in the antenna configuration.

[0138] In step S24A, the user equipment 20 performs channel measurements for each antenna configuration according to the schedule.

[0139] Similarly, for a system applying a reconfigurable reflecting surface RRS, the RRS randomization algorithm can operate in step S21B through a pseudo-random number generation scheme to generate random phase changes for each element of the RRS, thereby outputting such a combination as a randomized RRS configuration. This step is repeated to output a sequence of randomized RRS configurations to the processing system of the transmission system 10 (e.g., embodied in the RRS module).

[0140] In step S22B, the processing system can adjust the RRS configuration to match the provided randomized RRS configuration according to the schedule determined in step S20. The RRS is based on the sequence indicating the randomized RRS configuration, which ensures that any communication channels created between neighboring devices will be high-entropy channels.

[0141] In step S23B, the user equipment 20 performs "ping-pong" communication with the transmission system 10 using the high-entropy channel according to the indication of the schedule, or (in a device-to-device embodiment) communicates with other user equipment(s). The timing of these communications is defined by the schedule such that each communication is consistent with a new randomized RRS configuration. Figure 6B The switch SW in defines the switch in the RRS configuration.

[0142] In step S24BA, the user equipment 20 performs channel measurements for each RRS configuration according to the schedule.

[0143] On each user equipment 20, a local copy of the random number generation algorithm uses the channel measurement values to generate a set of random numbers in step S25, and these sets of random numbers are stored in the local storage device for subsequent use. For this purpose, the user equipment 20 can use the following method.

[0144] Once a minimum number of channel measurement values (e.g., 10 measurements) are stored in the local storage device, the random number generation algorithm can take them as a set. A threshold can be set for the user equipment 20. For example, the threshold can be the average channel measurement value in the set. For the first channel measurement value in the set, if the value of this channel measurement is higher than the threshold, a binary 1 is assigned; and if the value is lower than the threshold, a binary 0 is assigned. This can be repeated for all numbers in the set until a set of binary values is created. These binary values can be used as a set of random numbers and stored in the local storage device of the user equipment 20 for subsequent use.

[0145] In step S26, a portion of the generated set of random numbers (e.g., 1 out of every 10 random numbers) can be forwarded to a randomness assessment algorithm in the transmission system 10 to ensure that the created high-entropy channel has sufficient randomness. The transmitted random numbers may or may not be stored locally as random numbers. In the case of a negative "failed" randomness assessment result, the random number generation algorithm stops. Note that if the randomness of the new random numbers is insufficient, e.g., due to the radio channel becoming static, the generation of random numbers can be temporarily stopped and / or the storage of these insufficiently random numbers can be stopped. The stored random numbers of sufficient quality can still be used.

[0146] This disclosure discloses a random number generation system 1 that implements the scheduling and maintenance of a high-entropy phase during which the channel randomness level between the transmission system 10 and the user equipment 20 is ensured to be at a minimum, such that the user equipment 20 can generate random numbers even in a typically static environment. This reliable random number generation is enabled on devices with hardware limitations that would typically prevent their generation of random numbers. Thus, the user equipment 20 with strict hardware limitations can now perform tasks that require random numbers, such as ensuring differential privacy. This is particularly important for low-power sensing devices for which ensuring differential privacy at the source is important but lack the hardware to participate in random number generation. Although the random number generation is implemented by the transmission system 10, the (pseudo) random numbers themselves can be generated locally on the device, thereby allowing their confidentiality to be maintained.

[0147] Resource allocation (such as time scheduling) can be used for predictable, controlled high-channel-randomness periods and can be included as part of a shared communication schedule, such that devices that rely on channel measurements to generate random numbers have reliable time slots in which doing so guarantees a minimum level of randomness, and devices or tasks for which scheduling high-channel randomness outside of the high-entropy phase could have an adverse impact (e.g., transmitting sensing tasks at a high data rate) can be scheduled at times outside of the high-entropy phase, and in case of an emergency, these can be prioritized in the schedule.

[0148] Figure 7 A block diagram depicting an exemplary processing system according to the disclosed embodiments is shown, e.g., for the transmission system 10 or a portion of the user equipment 20 in the random number generation system 1 as described above. As Figure 7As shown, the processing system 70 may include at least one processor 71 coupled to a memory element 72 via a system bus 73. In this way, the processing system may store program code within the memory element 72. Further, the processor 71 may execute the program code accessed from the memory element 72 via the system bus 73. In one aspect, the processing system may be implemented as a computer system suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it should be understood that the processing system 70 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and a memory that is capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0149] The memory element 72 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as a local memory 74 and one or more mass storage devices 75. The local memory may refer to a random access memory or other non-persistent memory device(s) typically used during the actual execution of program code. The mass storage device may be implemented as a hard disk drive or other persistent data storage device. The processing system 70 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from the mass storage device 75 during execution.

[0150] Input / output (I / O) devices depicted as an input device 76 and an output device 77 may optionally be coupled to the processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, etc. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, speakers, etc. The input device and / or output device may be coupled to the processing system directly or via an intermediate I / O controller.

[0151] In an embodiment, the input device and the output device may be implemented as a combined input / output device (shown by a dashed line surrounding the input device 76 and the output device 77). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display provided with a UE, sometimes referred to as a "touchscreen display" or simply a "touchscreen". In such an embodiment, input to the device may be provided by the movement of a physical object, such as a stylus or a person's finger, on or near the touchscreen display. Figure 7 In such an embodiment, input to the device may be provided by the movement of a physical object, such as a stylus or a person's finger, on or near the touchscreen display.

[0152] The network adapter 78 may also be coupled to a processing system to enable it to be coupled to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices via an intervening private or public network. The network adapter may include a data receiver for receiving data transmitted by the system, device, and / or network to the processing system 70, and a data transmitter for transmitting data from the processing system 70 to the system, device, and / or network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that may be used with the processing system 70.

[0153] As Figure 7 depicted therein, the memory element 72 may store the application program 79. In various embodiments, the application program 79 may be stored in the local memory 74, one or more mass storage devices 75, or separately from the local memory and the mass storage devices. It should be understood that the processing system 70 may further execute an operating system ( Figure 7 not shown in the figure) that may facilitate the execution of the application program 79. The application program 79 implemented in the form of executable program code may be executed by the processing system 70 (e.g., by the processor 71). In response to executing the application program, the processing system 70 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0154] In one aspect of the present invention, one or more components of the base station selection support system disclosed herein and / or a user equipment for use with such a base station selection support system may represent the processing system 70 described herein.

[0155] Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, wherein the program(s) of the program product define the functions of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) may be embodied on various non-transitory computer-readable storage media, where, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media, with the sole exception of transitory propagating signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be embodied on various transitory computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., read-only memory devices within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk readable by a CD-ROM drive, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory); and (ii) writable storage media on which variable information is stored (e.g., flash memory, a floppy disk within a floppy disk drive or a hard disk drive, or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory). The computer program may run on the processor 71 described herein.

[0156] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0157] All structural, material, operational, and equivalent means or steps plus function elements in the claims are intended to include any structure, material, or operation that performs the function in combination with other claimed elements that are expressly claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the claims. The selection and description of the embodiments were chosen to best explain the principles of the invention and some practical applications, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A transmission system for wirelessly transmitting a random manipulation signal to at least one user device via a communication channel, wherein: The user equipment is configured to generate at least one random number based on one or more measurements of the random manipulation signal, wherein the transmission system has a random number generation controller, which is configured to manipulate the random signal to generate the random manipulation signal for transmission through the communication channel so that the user equipment can generate the random number based on the measurement of the random manipulation signal.

2. The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein: The randomly manipulated signal comprises a data signal having data for the user equipment, and wherein the random number generation controller is configured to randomly manipulate the data signal to obtain a randomly manipulated data signal for transmission over the communication channel to enable the user equipment to generate the at least one random number based on a measurement of the randomly manipulated data signal.

3. The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein: The random number generation controller is configured to generate a random signal as the random manipulation signal for transmission through the communication channel to enable the user equipment to generate the at least one random number based on a measurement of the random signal.

4. The transmission system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: The transmission system includes a resource allocation system, which is configured to allocate resources for the transmission of the random manipulation signal, the random manipulation signal being, for example, the random signal according to claim 3, wherein, optionally, the transmission system is configured to notify the at least one user device of resource allocation information for transmitting the random manipulation signal.

5. The transmission system according to claim 4, wherein: The resource allocation system is configured to allocate separate resources for the transmission of the data signal and the transmission of the random signal on the communication channel, wherein, optionally, the resource allocation system is configured to allocate resources for the transmission of the random signal based on at least one of the resource allocation of the randomly manipulated data signal and the load of the network accommodating the transmission system.

6. The transmission system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: The transmission system is configured to receive a feedback signal from the user equipment, wherein the random number generation controller is configured to be at least partially controlled by the feedback signal.

7. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein: The feedback signal includes one or more random numbers, and wherein the random number generation controller is configured to perform randomness evaluation on the random numbers to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and to adapt the random signal manipulation performed by the random number generation controller according to the randomness evaluation result.

8. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein: The random manipulation signal includes a data signal having data for the user equipment, and the manipulation signal is a randomly manipulated data signal, wherein the feedback signal includes an indication of delivery of the data at the user equipment, and wherein the random number generation controller is configured to adapt the random signal manipulation of the data signal based on the indication of delivery of the data.

9. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein: The random number generation controller includes a resource allocation system, which is used to allocate resources for transmission of data signals and transmission of random signals respectively, and wherein the resource allocation system is configured to allocate resources for at least one of the transmission of the random signal and the transmission of the data signal according to the feedback signal.

10. The transmission system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: The random number generation controller is configured to do one or more of the following: Performing randomness evaluation on the random manipulation signal to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and adapting the random signal manipulation performed by the random generation controller according to the randomness evaluation result; A randomness evaluation is performed on the communication channel to obtain a randomness evaluation result, and random signal manipulation by the random number generation controller is initiated according to the randomness evaluation result.

11. The transmission system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: The transmission system comprises at least one of a reconfigurable reflecting surface (RRS) system and a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system for random signal manipulation, wherein, optionally, the transmission system is included in one or more of the following: Network elements of a telecommunications network compliant with 3GPP, such as base stations; For example, network components of local networks such as corporate networks; Standalone devices; and Another user device.

12. User equipment for use with a transmission system according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein: The user equipment is configured to perform the following operations: receiving a randomly manipulated signal, such as a random signal or a randomly manipulated data signal, from the transmission system; performing one or more measurements on the received randomly manipulated signal; One or more random numbers are generated based on the measurements performed on the received random manipulation signal.

13. The user equipment according to claim 12, wherein: The user equipment is configured to receive resource allocation information from the transmission system, wherein the resource allocation information includes at least one of the following items: information about when the random manipulation signal is received, information about the frequency of the random manipulation signal, information about a code associated with the random manipulation signal, etc., wherein the user equipment is configured to process the resource allocation information to generate the one or more random numbers based on the resource allocation information.

14. The user equipment according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The user equipment is configured to transmit a feedback signal to the transmission system after generating the one or more random numbers, wherein the feedback information optionally includes one or more of the following items: one or more of the generated random numbers, wherein the random numbers are optionally included in a data transmission from the user equipment; If the randomly manipulated signal is a randomly manipulated data signal from which a random number is generated, an indication of the transfer of that data is included.

15. The user equipment according to one or more of the preceding claims 12 to 14, the user equipment being an ultra low energy device or a zero energy device, such as a sensing device.

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