Control of multi-stage tags

Abstract

The invention provides a solution for controlling a multi-stage tag. An apparatus and method in a communication system are disclosed. The network element communicates (600) with one or more tags capable of being in a plurality of operating states, determines (602) a value of a predetermined condition, and sends (604) a control message to a tag of the one or more tags based on the predetermined condition, the message indicating a state in which the tag should operate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Exemplary and non - limiting embodiments of the present invention generally relate to wireless communication systems. Embodiments of the present invention particularly relate to apparatuses and methods in wireless communication networks. Background Art

[0002] Wireless telecommunication systems are constantly evolving. There has been a continuous need for higher data rates and high - quality services. In the Internet of Things (IoT), low - cost and low - power devices communicate via the Internet, which poses new challenges to telecommunication systems. The number of devices leveraging the IoT is expected to be high and grow rapidly. Telecommunication systems should support IoT devices and be able to provide a reliable communication platform. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A simplified overview of the present invention is given below in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. The Summary of the Invention is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify key / critical elements of the present invention or to delineate the scope of the present invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the present invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided the apparatus of claims 1 and 9.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method of claims 11 and 13.

[0006] Some additional aspects are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] In an embodiment, an apparatus in a communication system includes: means for communicating with one or more tags that can be in multiple operating states; means for determining a value of a predetermined condition; and means for sending a control message to a tag among the one or more tags based on the predetermined condition, the message indicating the state in which the tag should operate.

[0008] In one embodiment, a tag includes means for collecting and storing energy from an external source, means for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals, means for controlling a tag to be in multiple operating states and for controlling the tag to apply energy transfer for releasing radio frequency energy and for controlling the selection of an operating mode of the tag based on a control message received by the transceiver.

[0009] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes means for indicating an operating tag state for the following operating states: energy harvesting state, transmission state, energy transfer state.

[0010] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes means for including in a control message an indication of an energy transfer operating state for releasing radio frequency energy and parameters of the energy transfer.

[0011] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes components for determining the current power level of a tag in one or more tags, and the type and availability of an energy harvesting source capable of charging the tag when determining the value of a predetermined condition.

[0012] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes components for determining the position of a tag in one or more tags relative to one or more RF harvesting tags when determining the value of a predetermined condition.

[0013] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes components for determining at least one of the following when determining the value of a predetermined condition: the read, detection, positioning accuracy, or latency target of one or more RF acquisition tags.

[0014] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes components for determining at least one of the following when determining the value of a predetermined condition: the read, detection, positioning accuracy, or latency target of a tag in one or more tags.

[0015] In an embodiment, an apparatus includes components for requesting from a tag capable of RF harvesting at least one of the following: the read, detection, positioning accuracy, or latency target of the RF harvesting tag.

[0016] One or more examples of embodiments are set forth in more detail in the drawings and the following description. Other features will be apparent from the specification, the drawings, and the claims. Embodiments and / or examples and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims should be construed as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the present invention. List of Drawings

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of example only with reference to the drawings, where

[0018] Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows an example of a simplified system architecture of a communication system;

[0019] Figure 3A and Figure 3B shows an example of a full-duplex tag and a usage scenario of the full-duplex tag;

[0020] Figure 4A and Figure 4B shows an example of a half-duplex tag and a usage scenario of the half-duplex tag;

[0021] Figure 5 shows an example of a multi-static backscatter scenario;

[0022] Figure 6A and 6Bis a flowchart showing some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 7 is a signaling diagram showing an embodiment; and

[0024] Figure 8 shows a simplified example of an apparatus applying some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Description

[0025] Figure 1 Shows devices 100 and 102. Devices 100 and 102 may be, for example, user equipment or user terminals. Devices 100 and 102 are configured to make a wireless connection with node 104 over one or more communication channels. Node 104 is also connected to core network 106. In one example, node 104 may be an access node of a serving device in a cell, such as an (e / g)NodeB. In one example, node 104 may be a non-3GPP access node. 3GPP refers to the Third Generation Partnership Project, which is the name of multiple standards organizations that develop protocols for mobile telecommunications. The physical link from the device to the (e / g)NodeB is referred to as the uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the device is referred to as the downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or its functions may be implemented by any entity such as a node, host, server, or access point suitable for such use.

[0026] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, the (e / g)NodeB may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for that purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. The (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system, and the NodeB is coupled to the communication system. The NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device that includes a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. A connection is provided from the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB to an antenna unit, and the antenna unit establishes a two-way radio link to the device. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is further connected to core network 106 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC).

[0027] The device (also referred to as a subscriber unit, user equipment, user equipment (UE), user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of apparatus to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, so any feature described herein in connection with the device may be implemented with a corresponding apparatus such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) towards the base station.

[0028] A device generally refers to a device (e.g., a portable or non-portable computing device) that includes a wireless mobile communication device operating with or without a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, devices using a wireless modem (such as alarm or measurement devices), laptop and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that the device can also be an almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips onto a network. The device can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario where objects are provided with the ability to transfer data over a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction, such as for use in smart grids and connected vehicles. The device can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, the device can include a user-portable device with radio components (such as a watch, headphones, or glasses) and perform computations in the cloud. The device (or a layer 3 relay node in some embodiments) is configured to perform one or more user equipment functions.

[0029] The various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPSs) (systems of collaborative computing elements that control physical entities). CPSs can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected information and communication technology (ICT) devices (sensors, actuators, processor microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems, where the physical systems discussed in mobile cyber-physical systems have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0030] Additionally, although the device has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors, and / or memory units ( Figure 1 not all shown in) can also be implemented.

[0031] 5G or NR (New Radio) enables the use of multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) antennas. There are many more base stations or nodes than Long Term Evolution LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperation with smaller stations, and various radio technologies are adopted according to service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications supports a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of data sharing, and various forms of machine type applications (such as (massive) machine type communication (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors, and real-time control). It is expected that 5G has multiple radio interfaces, for example, below 6 GHz or above 24 GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and is also integrable with existing traditional radio access technologies such as LTE. The integration with LTE can be implemented as a system at least in the early stage, where macro coverage is provided by LTE, and 5G radio interface access is through aggregation from small cells to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 6 GHz - cmWave, 6 GHz or above 24 GHz - cmWave, and mmWave). One of the concepts considered to be used in 5G networks is network slicing, where multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0032] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, which leads to local breakout and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires leveraging resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content near cellular subscribers for faster response times. Edge computing encompasses a wide variety of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer ad hoc networking and processing, and can also be classified as local cloud / fog computing and lattice / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, microclouds, distributed data storage and retrieval, self-healing autonomous networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency-critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0033] The communication system is also capable of communicating with other networks 112 (such as a public switched telephone network, or a VoIP network, or the Internet, or a private network), or making use of services provided by them. The communication network is also capable of supporting the use of cloud services. For example, at least a part of the core network operation can be performed as a cloud service (which is depicted by the "cloud" 114 in Figure 1 ). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, which provides facilities for the networks of different operators to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0034] The technology of edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined network (SDN). The use of edge cloud technology may mean that the access node operation is at least partially performed in servers, hosts or nodes, which are operably coupled to a remote radio head or a base station including a radio part. The node operation may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of the cloud RAN architecture enables the RAN real-time functions to be performed at or near the remote antenna site (in the distributed unit DU 108), and the non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 110).

[0035] It should also be understood that the labor distribution between the core network operation and the base station operation may be different from or even non-existent compared to that of LTE. Some other technological advancements that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way the network is built and managed. The 5G (or New Radio) NR) network is designed to support multiple tiers, where the MEC server can be placed between the core and the base station or Node B (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0036] 5G can also utilize satellite communication 116 to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services. For example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on vehicles, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future railway / sea / air communications. Satellite communication can utilize a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite system, and can also utilize a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite system, especially a mega-constellation (a system in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). Each satellite in the mega-constellation can cover a number of network entities of support satellites that create a ground cell. The ground cell can be created by a ground relay node or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0037] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g) Node Bs, the device may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements, etc. At least one of the (e / g) Node Bs may be a Home (e / g) Node B. Additionally, in the geographical area of a radio communication system, multiple different types of radio cells and multiple radio cells may be provided. A radio cell may be a macro cell (or umbrella cell), which is a relatively large cell usually having a diameter of up to several tens of kilometers, or a smaller cell such as a micro cell, a femto cell, or a pico cell. Figure 1 The (e / g) Node Bs can provide any of these types of cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including multiple types of cells. Generally, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more types of cells, so multiple (e / g) Node Bs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0038] To meet the need to improve the deployment and performance of a communication system, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) Node Bs has been introduced. Generally, in addition to the Home (e / g) Node B (H(e / g) Node B), a network capable of using "plug and play" (e / g) Node Bs also includes a Home Node B Gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure). The HNB Gateway (HNB-GW), which is usually installed within the operator's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0039] Figure 2 An example of a communication system based on 5G network components is shown. A user terminal or user equipment 100 communicates with a data network 112 via a 5G network 202. The user terminal 100 is connected to a radio access network RAN node, such as an (e / g) NodeB 206, which provides a connection to the network 112 to the user terminal via one or more user plane functions 208. The user terminal 100 is also connected to a core access and mobility management function AMF 210, which is the control plane core connector for the (radio) access network and can be regarded as the 5G version of the mobility management entity MME in LTE from this perspective. The 5G network also includes a session management function SMF 212, which is responsible for subscriber sessions, such as session establishment, modification, and release, and a policy control function (PCF) 214, which is configured to manage network behavior by providing policy rules to the control plane function.

[0040] The Internet of Things (IoT) is a growing technology. In recent years, the number of IoT devices and IoT connections has grown rapidly, and is predicted to reach hundreds of billions in 2030. More and more IoT devices are expected to enter the market and be interconnected to improve productivity and living comfort. With technological progress, the size, cost, and power consumption of IoT devices are expected to decrease. In particular, due to the huge consumption of materials and manpower, it is impractical to regularly replace the batteries for all IoT devices. Harvesting energy from the environment to power IoT devices for self-sustaining communication has become a trend, especially in applications with a large number of devices such as ID tags and sensors.

[0041] IoT technology can utilize 3GPP technology or some non-3GPP technologies.

[0042] In solutions that utilize 3GPP, a key issue is the ability to cooperate with energy harvesting considering the limited device size. Cellular devices typically consume tens or even hundreds of milliwatts of power for transceiver processing. The typical current consumption for receive processing can be about 60 mA, where the supply voltage is higher than 3.1 V, and the current for transmit processing at a transmit power of 0 dBm is 70 mA. However, considering the small size of a few square centimeters for an actual device, the output power provided by a typical energy harvester is mostly less than 1 mW. Since the available power is much less than the consumed power, it is impractical to directly power cellular devices through energy harvesting in most cases.

[0043] A possible solution is to integrate energy harvesting with a rechargeable battery or a supercapacitor. However, there are still some problems to be solved. First, in practical situations, both rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors may experience a shortened lifespan. It is difficult to provide a constant charging current or voltage through energy harvesting, and due to the very small output power from the energy harvester, long-term continuous charging is required. Both non-constant charging current and long-term continuous charging are harmful to battery life. Second, the device size will increase significantly. Since small button batteries can only provide a current of dozens of milliamperes, batteries with a much larger size such as AA batteries are usually used to power cellular devices, and their size can even be larger than the module itself. To store energy within an appropriate working duration (e.g., one second), the capacitance required for a supercapacitor is at the level of hundreds of millifarads. The size of such supercapacitors can be larger than the NB-IoT module. Third, both rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors may be more expensive than the module itself. Even when purchased in large quantities, the cost of a suitable battery or supercapacitor can reach one dollar or a few dollars, almost doubling the cost of the device.

[0044] In solutions that utilize non-3GPP technologies, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the most well-known technology for supporting battery-less devices such as tags. The power consumption of commercial passive RFID tags can be as low as 1 microwatt. The key technologies for achieving such low power consumption are envelope detection for downlink data reception and backscatter communication for uplink data transmission. RFID is designed for short-range communication, with a typical effective range of less than 10 meters. Since the air interface of RFID has remained almost unchanged since 2005, simple transmission schemes have become an obstacle to improving its link budget and the ability to support scalable networks.

[0045] Due to the extremely low power consumption of backscatter communication, new research has focused on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB (Ultra-Wideband), and LoRa (Long Range Backscatter Communication). Various studies have shown that based on or with minor modifications to the above air interfaces, passive tags can support power consumption of a few microwatts or dozens of microwatts. Most of the research aims at long-range communication. Among them, LoRa tags implemented using off-the-shelf components can send their sensed data to receivers hundreds of meters away.

[0046] Two different types of IoT tags can be considered, full-duplex tags and half-duplex tags.

[0047] Figure 3A and 3B shows an example of a full-duplex tag and its usage scenario. The full-duplex tag 300 can include an energy harvester 302 and a logic circuitry 304.

[0048] Figure 3B An example scenario includes the full-duplex tag 300, two terminal devices 306, 308, and a network server 310. One of the terminal devices, terminal device 306, sends a dedicated charging RF signal 312 as an activator signal to the tag. The tag 300 is briefly charged to collect enough energy and modulates the reflections 318, 320 of the activator signal 312 using its ID sequence. Thus, the full-duplex tag does not perform active transmission but simply modulates the reflections 318, 320 of the incoming RF exciter signal 312. The tag includes the tag identification ID in the reflection. The terminal devices 306, 308 acting as tag reader units receive and decode the ID of the tag from the reflected activator signals 318, 320.

[0049] Therefore, the full-duplex tag does not generate any RF signals but only reflects the activator signal. The tag reader only needs to measure when the activator signal is ON. The full-duplex tag is also called a passive tag.

[0050] Figure 4A and 4BAn example of a half-duplex tag and its usage scenario is shown. The half-duplex tag 400 can include an energy harvester 402, logic circuitry, and an RF transmitter 404.

[0051] Figure 4B An example scenario includes the half-duplex tag 400, two terminal devices 406, 408, and a network server 410.

[0052] The half-duplex tag 400 can collect 412 energy from a suitable activator / energy source (light, heat, piezoelectric, electromagnetic). In an embodiment, the tag harvests and stores energy from the activator / energy source, and when sufficient energy is stored, the tag sends tag identification signals 414, 416. In an embodiment, whenever the stored energy is above a certain threshold and potentially when the energy harvesting source is off, the tag can self-organize or periodically send the tag identification signals 414, 416. The tag can actively send a tag ID RF signal that consumes the harvested energy. The terminal devices 406, 408 acting as tag reader units receive and decode the ID of the tag from the tag ID RF signals 414, 416.

[0053] Due to the temporarily scheduled tag transmissions, the tag reader needs to continuously measure the signals from the tag. The activator collection signal and the tag transmission can be separated in time. The half-duplex tag is also known as a semi-passive tag.

[0054] The design of IoT devices such as tags focuses on two types of devices. The first type of device is a pure battery-less device without energy storage capabilities and is completely dependent on the availability of the energy it harvests. The second type of device is a device with some energy storage capabilities that can store available energy from environmental sources via energy harvesting. The energy storage does not require manual replacement or recharging. The second type of tag can cope with short periods of unavailability of environmental energy.

[0055] Multi-static passive IoT is one type of passive IoT deployment solution currently being standardized in 3GPP. The link budget or range for the activation path of the tag or the RF charging signal of the tag and the tag reader path (tag response path) is very different. In the estimation numbers, the activation or charging signal typically has a range of about 10 meters, while the tag response path is typically within a range of about 100 meters. Therefore, the coverage and detectability for multi-static passive IoT will depend on having an activation device near the tag. When an activator is required to be close, the semi-passive tag type of tag harvests energy from RF and / or other energy sources and can only be triggered by the activator to send a tag response to the tag reader when fully charged. If the energy source supported by such a semi-passive tag is temporarily unavailable, it can discharge to prevent the tag from responding to activation.

[0056] Figure 5 shows an example of a multi-static backscatter scenario, which includes a cluster 500 of semi-passive tags, two terminal devices 502, 504, and a network server such as a gNB 506. The gNB may have a connection to a Location Management Function (LMF) 508 of the communication system. The terminal devices can act as activators and readers, and a network server such as a gNB can act as a reader. This is a typical scenario because tag devices are expected to be available in large numbers, for example, on the same warehouse shelf, in packages in the same container, etc., so such a tag proximity cluster is very likely. In Figure 5 the example of, there is an energy source 510 near the tag cluster 500, and the source has a collection range 512. The collection range means that the area within the tag can harvest energy from the energy source.

[0057] The cluster 500 of tags can include semi-passive tags that operate with an energy storage capability (e.g., an energy storage capability that can be obtained from ambient sources via energy harvesting) that does not require manual replacement or recharging.

[0058] In an embodiment, all tags in the cluster 500 can, for example, collect RF energy from an activation signal and other energy sources according to their capabilities. In Figure 5 the example scenario of, all tags in the cluster can receive an activation signal, but due to the large distance, some tags cannot collect energy from the energy source 512. Since some problematic tags within the cluster lack another energy source, they cannot generate a response signal to the activation signal and are thus invisible to the network or communication system.

[0059] Since the energy source 510 is not within reach, an energy source located at 514 with a harvesting range 516 must be temporarily discovered and activated so that the problematic tags within the cluster can alternatively utilize the energy and can generate a response signal strong enough to make themselves visible to the network.

[0060] Figure 6A The flowchart of shows an embodiment. The flowchart shows an example of the operation of a device. In an embodiment, the device can be a network node or an (e / g)NodeB, a part of a network node or an (e / g)NodeB, or any other device in the network capable of performing the following steps.

[0061] In step 600, the device is configured to communicate with one or more tags that can be in multiple operating states.

[0062] In step 602, the device is configured to determine the value of a predetermined condition.

[0063] In step 604, the device is configured to send a control message to the tags among one or more tags based on a predetermined condition, the message indicating the state in which the tags should operate.

[0064] In an embodiment, a framework for opportunistic charging of RF harvesting (RFH) tags is proposed. A semi-passive multi-state (MS) tag that can be in multiple operating states is utilized. Examples of possible states are the energy harvesting EH state, the transmission TX state, and the energy transfer ET state.

[0065] Figure 6B The flowchart shows an embodiment. The flowchart shows an example of the operation of the MS tag.

[0066] In step 610, the tag is configured to collect and store energy from an external source;

[0067] In step 612, the tag is configured to receive a control message;

[0068] In step 614, the tag is configured to control the selection of the energy transfer operation state from among the multiple operation states of the tag based on the control message;

[0069] In step 616, the tag is configured to apply energy transfer to release radio frequency energy.

[0070] Return reference Figure 4A , in an embodiment, the tag may include: an energy harvester 402 configured to collect and store energy from an external source; a radio frequency transceiver 404 for receiving a control message; and a controller 404 that controls the selection of the energy transfer operation state from among the multiple operation states of the tag based on the control message and applies energy transfer by releasing radio frequency energy.

[0071] In the energy harvesting state, the MS tag harvests energy from an energy source.

[0072] In the transmission state, the MS tag responds to an activation signal and sends its own data.

[0073] In the energy transfer state, the tag uses the energy it stores to generate an RF signal, thereby charging a nearby RFH tag. This state can be regarded as an energy transfer from the MS tag to the RFH tag.

[0074] In an embodiment, the network dynamically controls the switching among the EH, TX, and ET states for the MS tag. The control can be achieved by using message exchange between the network and the tag.

[0075] In an embodiment, the switching is based on a predetermined condition evaluated by the network.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the predetermined conditions depend on the type and availability of the energy harvesting source and the current power level of the MS tag being controlled. For example, a tag with the ability to harvest multiple different energy sources such as solar, wind, and RF can be triggered to transition to the ET state more frequently than a tag with a single source.

[0077] In the second embodiment, the predetermined conditions depend on the position of the MS tag relative to the RFH tag. For example, an MS tag closer to the RFH tag may be preferred for ET state transition.

[0078] In the third embodiment, the predetermined conditions depend on the density of the MS tags relative to nearby RFH tags.

[0079] In the fourth embodiment, the predetermined conditions depend on the read, detection, and localization accuracy of the RFH tag and the latency target. For example, the RFH tag can receive charging assistance from the MS tag that is proportional to the target KPI of the RFH tag.

[0080] In the fifth embodiment, the predetermined conditions depend on the read, detection, and localization accuracy of the MS tag and the latency target. For example, the MS tag can be triggered to transition to the ET state in inverse proportion to its own target KPI. Thus, an MS tag that needs to be located very frequently will rarely transition to the ET state and will instead use its power for its own transmissions.

[0081] In an embodiment, the evaluation of the predetermined conditions can depend on one or more or all or any combination of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments described. Moreover, other characteristics of the tags can be considered in the evaluation.

[0082] To perform the above evaluation, the network can request information about the read, detection, and localization accuracy of the tags and the latency target from the MS and RFH tags.

[0083] In addition, the network can request from the MS tag the current power level of the tag and the type of energy harvesting source capable of charging the tag and information about the possible harvesting sources known to the tag.

[0084] Figure 7 The signaling diagram of... shows an embodiment. The diagram shows an example of the operation of the proposed framework. The diagram shows the signaling between the network element 700, the MS tag 702, and the RFH tag 704. For simplicity, only one tag of each type is shown. In an embodiment, the network node can be an LMF or an (e / g)NodeB or other network element.

[0085] In this example, the process begins with network element 700 sending message 706 to the MS tag, where message 706 requests information on what types of energy harvesting sources the tag can use and what the current battery level of the tag is.

[0086] A similar request can be sent to the RFH tag, or previous data available from the RFH tag can be used.

[0087] After collecting information about the tags, network element 700 can evaluate 708 whether the MS and RFH tags are co-located. This can be performed by evaluating past location information or by evaluating whether the IDs of the MS and RFH tags are associated, for example, by belonging to the same tag bundle.

[0088] In addition, network element 700 can evaluate whether predetermined conditions for detection / location of the MS and RFH tags are met. This evaluation can include any combination of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments described above.

[0089] As a result of evaluating the predetermined conditions, network element 700 can send message 710 to MS tag 702 to switch to the ET state.

[0090] In an embodiment, network element 700 can indicate parameters of the ET state to the tag. For example, message 710 can indicate the minimum configuration of the RF signal that tag 702 should generate to ensure that RFH tag 704 can utilize RF energy. For example, the network element can indicate the carrier and bandwidth on which the MS tag itself should discharge.

[0091] As a result of receiving the message, MS tag 702 is configured to discharge itself by generating a parameterized signal as indicated in message 710.

[0092] The RFH tag can now collect 716 energy from the signal 714 transmitted by MS tag 702 and charge its energy storage.

[0093] The RFH tag can now be read / located 718 via methods known in the art.

[0094] Then, the network element can send message 720 to MS tag 702 to switch to the EH mode. In an embodiment, the message can include mode parameters. For example, the message can indicate that the tag is in the EH mode for at least T1 seconds and starts collecting at O1 seconds after receiving message 720, where T1 and O1 are parameters determined by the network element. In an embodiment, the network element can also indicate to the MS tag what types of energy sources (e.g., wind, solar, etc.) are available and around the MS tag.

[0095] Based on message 720, the MS tag 702 starts after O1 seconds and collects 722 energy from the target source over a total duration of T1 seconds.

[0096] Then, the network element can send a message 724 to the MS tag 702 to switch to the TX mode. In an embodiment, the message can include mode parameters. For example, the message can indicate that the tag is in the TX mode for a duration of T2 seconds and has a delay of O2 seconds after receiving the message 724, where T2 and O2 are parameters determined by the network element.

[0097] The network element can now read / locate 726 the MS tag.

[0098] In an embodiment, the energy transfer from the MS tag can also be used to charge other devices in addition to tags that are capable of collecting RF energy. Basically, any device including suitable hardware for collecting wireless energy from RF transmissions can utilize the MS tag for charging. When the device to be charged is a device other than a tag, the above embodiments can be applied in a similar manner.

[0099] Figure 8 An embodiment is shown. The figure shows a simplified example of a network element device 700 to which embodiments of the present invention are applied. It should be understood that the device is depicted herein as an example to illustrate some embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the device can also include other functions and / or structures and does not require all of the described functions and structures. Although the device has been depicted as a single entity, different modules and memories can be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities. The network element device can be a base station, an (e / g)NodeB, or a part of a base station or an (e / g)NodeB or a network server, such as a location management function LMF or a part of the LMF of a communication system.

[0100] The device 700 of this example includes control circuitry 800 configured to control at least a part of the operation of the device.

[0101] The device can include a memory 802 for storing data. In addition, the memory can store software 804 executable by the control circuitry 800. The memory can be integrated in the control circuitry.

[0102] The apparatus may include one or more interface circuit systems 806. The one or more interface circuit systems are operatively connected to a control circuit system 800. The interface circuit system 806 may include a set of transceivers configured to wirelessly communicate with a terminal device or a user equipment or a tag of a wireless communication network. The interface circuit system may be connected to an antenna device (not shown). The apparatus may also include a connection to a transmitter instead of a transceiver. The interface circuit system 806 may include being configured to communicate with other network elements such as a core network. Additionally, if the apparatus is a network server such as an LMF, the interface circuit system may be configured to communicate with a base station or an (e / g)NB. The interface circuit system may also include, for example, a user interface.

[0103] In an embodiment, the software 804 may include a computer program that includes program code portions adapted to cause the control circuit system 800 of the apparatus to implement at least some of the above-described embodiments.

[0104] The steps and associated functions described above and in the figures are not in an absolute chronological order, and some steps may be executed simultaneously or in a different order than a given step. Other functions may also be performed between steps or within a step. Some steps may also be omitted or replaced by corresponding steps.

[0105] An apparatus or a controller capable of performing the above steps may be implemented as an electronic digital computer, a processing system, or a circuit system that may include a working memory (random access memory, RAM), a central processing unit (CPU), and a system clock. The CPU may include a set of registers, an arithmetic logic unit, and a controller. The processing system, the controller, or the circuit system is controlled by a sequence of program instructions transferred from the RAM to the CPU. The controller may contain a plurality of microinstructions for basic operations. The implementation of the microinstructions may vary according to the CPU design. The program instructions may be encoded by a programming language, which may be a high-level programming language such as C, Java, etc., or a low-level programming language such as machine language or an assembler. The electronic digital computer may also have an operating system that may provide system services to a computer program written with program instructions.

[0106] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) only hardware circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuits) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, where applicable: (i) combinations of (one or more) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware and (ii) any portion of (one or more) hardware processors (including (one or more) digital signal processors), software, and (one or more) memories that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and (c) (one or more) hardware circuits and / or (one or more) processors, such as (one or more) microprocessors or a portion of (one or more) microprocessors, that require software (such as firmware) to operate, but may not have the software present when not required to operate.

[0107] The definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or one or more processors) or portions of hardware circuits or processors and their (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also encompasses, for example (and if applicable to a particular claim element), baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0108] An embodiment provides a computer program embodied on a distribution medium, including program instructions that are configured to control an electronic device to perform the above embodiments when loaded into the device.

[0109] The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include, for example, recording media, computer memories, read-only memories, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or may be distributed among multiple computers.

[0110] The device may also be implemented as one or more integrated circuits, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Other hardware embodiments are also possible, such as circuits built from discrete logic components. Hybrids of these different implementations are also possible. When choosing an implementation method, those skilled in the art will consider requirements such as those set for the size and power consumption of the device, the necessary processing power, the production cost, and the production volume.

[0111] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that with the progress of technology, the inventive concept of the present invention can be implemented in various ways. The present invention and its embodiments are not limited to the above examples, but can vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a communication system, comprising: a processor; and a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to: communicate with one or more tags that can be in multiple operating states; determine the value of a predetermined condition; based on the predetermined condition, send a control message to a tag among the one or more tags, the message indicating the state in which the tag should operate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: indicate an operating tag state of the following operating states: an energy harvesting state, a transmission state, an energy transfer state.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: include in the control message an indication of the energy transfer operating state for releasing radio frequency energy and parameters of the energy transfer.

4. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: determine, when determining the value of the predetermined condition, the current power level of the tag among the one or more tags and the type and availability of an energy harvesting source capable of charging the tag.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: determine, when determining the value of the predetermined condition, the position of the tag among the one or more tags relative to one or more radio frequency harvesting tags.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: determine at least one of the following when determining the value of the predetermined condition: the reading, detection, positioning accuracy or latency target of one or more radio frequency harvesting tags.

7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: determine at least one of the following when determining the value of the predetermined condition: the reading, detection, positioning accuracy or latency target of the tag among the one or more tags.

8. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the processor, cause the apparatus to further: request from a tag capable of radio frequency harvesting at least one of the following: the reading, detection, positioning accuracy or latency target of the radio frequency harvesting tag.

9. A tag, comprising: an energy harvester configured to collect and store energy from an external source; a radio frequency transceiver for receiving a control message; and a controller, controlling the selection of the energy transfer operating state from among multiple operating states of the tag based on the control message; applying energy transfer using the radio frequency transceiver for releasing radio frequency energy.

10. The tag according to claim 9, wherein the control message indicates an operation tag status of the following operation states: an energy harvesting state, a transmission state, and an energy transfer state.

11. A method in an apparatus in a communication system, comprising the steps of: communicating with one or more tags capable of being in a plurality of operation states; determining a value of a predetermined condition; based on the predetermined condition, sending a control message to a tag among the one or more tags, the message indicating a state in which the tag should operate.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: including an indication of an energy transfer operation state in the control message, the energy transfer operation state being from the following operation states: an energy harvesting state, a transmission state, and an energy transfer state, and including parameters for the energy transfer for releasing radio frequency energy in the control message.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising: determining a current power level of the tag among the one or more tags and a type and availability of an energy harvesting source capable of charging the tag.

14. A method for a tag, comprising: collecting and storing energy from an external source; receiving a control message; controlling a selection of an energy transfer operation state from a plurality of operation states of the tag based on the control message; applying the energy transfer for releasing radio frequency energy.

15. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

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