Method and apparatus in wireless communication system

Abstract

The invention discloses a method and equipment in a wireless communication system. The method comprises the following steps: receiving first information; determining a first time unit for uplink transmission of the first communication device based on the first information; based on the first time unit, no uplink signal is sent and no downlink signal is received within the first time, the start of the first time is after the first information, and the end of the first time is before the first time unit; and after the first time, transmitting at least one uplink signal in the first time unit or the third time unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus in a wireless communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Given the successive generations of wireless communication development, these technologies have primarily been developed for human-oriented services such as voice calls, multimedia services, and data services. With the commercialization of 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, the number of connected devices is expected to grow exponentially. These will increasingly connect to communication networks. Examples of the Internet of Things (IoT) can include vehicles, robots, drones, home appliances, displays, smart sensors connected to various infrastructures, construction machinery, and factory equipment. Mobile devices are expected to evolve in various forms, such as augmented reality glasses, virtual reality headsets, and holographic devices. Efforts are underway to develop improved 6G communication systems to provide a wide range of services by connecting hundreds of billions of devices and things in the sixth-generation (6G) era. For these reasons, 6G communication systems are referred to as "beyond 5G" systems.

[0003] The 6G communication system, which is expected to be commercialized around 2030, will have peak data rates in the megabit (1,000 gigabits) bps range and radio latency of less than 100 μsec. Therefore, it will be 50 times the data rate of the 5G communication system and have 1 / 10 of its radio latency.

[0004] To achieve such high data rates and ultra-low latency, 6G communication systems have been considered for implementation in the terahertz band (e.g., the 95 GHz to 3 THz band). It is anticipated that, due to more severe path loss and atmospheric absorption in the terahertz band compared to the millimeter wave (mmWave) band introduced in 5G, technologies capable of ensuring signal transmission distance (i.e., coverage) will become even more critical. As a key technology for ensuring coverage, it is necessary to develop radio frequency (RF) components, antennas, and novel waveforms with better coverage than orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output), full dimensional multiple input multiple output (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and multi-antenna transmission technologies such as massive MIMO. In addition, new technologies for improving terahertz band signal coverage have been discussed, such as metamaterial-based lenses and antennas, orbital angular momentum (OAM), and reconfigurable intelligence surfaces (RIS).

[0005] In addition, to improve spectrum efficiency and overall network performance, the following technologies have been developed for 6G communication systems: full-duplex technology to enable uplink and downlink transmissions to use the same frequency resources simultaneously; network technologies that utilize satellites, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), etc., in a comprehensive manner; improved network architecture to support mobile base stations, etc., and to enable network operation optimization and automation; dynamic spectrum sharing technology based on spectrum usage prediction and conflict avoidance; the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in wireless communication to improve overall network operation by utilizing AI from the design phase of 6G development and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and next-generation distributed computing technologies that overcome the computing power limitations of user equipment (UE) by leveraging ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources (such as mobile edge computing (MEC), cloud, etc.) achievable on the network. Furthermore, efforts are continuing to enhance connectivity between devices, optimize networks, promote the software-defined networking of network entities, and increase the openness of wireless communications by designing new protocols to be used in 6G communication systems, developing mechanisms for achieving hardware-based secure environments and secure data use, and developing technologies for maintaining privacy.

[0006] The research and development of 6G communication systems, encompassing hyper-connectivity for both person-to-machine (P2M) and machine-to-machine (M2M) interactions, is expected to deliver the next wave of hyper-connected experiences. Specifically, services such as truly immersive extended reality (XR), high-fidelity mobile holograms, and digital replicas are anticipated to be provided through 6G communication systems. Furthermore, services such as remote surgery for enhanced security and reliability, industrial automation, and emergency response will be available via 6G communication systems, enabling the technology to be applied across a wide range of sectors including industry, healthcare, automotive, and home appliances. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method performed by a first communication device in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: receiving first information; determining a first time unit for uplink transmission of the first communication device based on the first information; not transmitting any uplink signal and not receiving any downlink signal within the first time unit based on the first time unit, wherein the first time unit begins after the first information and ends before the first time unit; and transmitting at least one uplink signal within the first time unit or a third time unit after the first time unit.

[0008] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving second information after the first time; and performing at least one of the following operations based on the first time unit and the time unit in which the second information is located: not sending any uplink signal and not receiving any downlink signal during the second time; listening to downlink signals; and sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit or the third time unit.

[0009] In some implementations, based on the first time unit, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period includes: if the first time unit satisfies a first condition, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period; wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following: the first time unit is different from the time unit where the first information is located; the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the duration between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0010] In some implementations, sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit based on the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located includes: sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit when the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located are the same time unit.

[0011] In some implementations, based on the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period includes: if the time unit where the second information is located is before the first time unit, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period.

[0012] In some implementations, based on the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period includes: not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period if at least one of the following conditions is met: the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located is greater than or equal to a third threshold; the duration between the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold.

[0013] In some implementations, the method further includes: after the second time period, listening to a downlink signal to receive the second information.

[0014] In some implementations, sending at least one uplink signal or listening to a downlink signal in the third time unit based on the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located includes: sending at least one uplink signal in the third time unit, or listening to a downlink signal to update the first time unit for uplink transmission, if the first time unit is before the time unit where the second information is located.

[0015] In some implementations, the first time is determined based on at least one of the following: a predefined duration and the number of time units between the time unit where the first information is located and the first time unit; a clock offset; and a predefined third time.

[0016] In some implementations, the predefined duration includes at least one of the following: the length of the minimum time unit, the average length of the time unit, and a fixed value.

[0017] In some implementations, the second time is determined based on at least one of the following: a predefined duration and the number of time units between the time unit where the second information is located and the first time unit; a clock offset; and a predefined fourth time.

[0018] In some implementations, the third time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit in which the second information is located; the Nth time unit after the time unit in which the second information is located; and the time unit confirmed based on predefined information.

[0019] In some implementations, based on the first time unit, not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period includes: listening to downlink signals for receiving third information related to clock calibration during at least one first period within the first time period, and after performing clock calibration based on the third information, not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals.

[0020] In some implementations, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within at least one first period of the first time period includes: if the first time period is longer than the first period, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within the at least one first period.

[0021] In some implementations, based on the first time unit and the time unit where the second information is located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals in the second time period includes: listening to downlink signals for receiving third information related to clock calibration during at least one second period in the second time period, and after performing clock calibration based on the third information, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals.

[0022] In some implementations, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within at least one second period of the second time period includes: if the second time period is longer than the second period, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within the at least one second period.

[0023] In some implementations, the third information includes at least one of a signal for clock calibration, a preamble, and a frame synchronization code.

[0024] In some implementations, the method further includes: listening to downlink signals for at least a third period to receive fourth information relating to an adjustment of the number of time units, without transmitting any uplink signals or receiving any downlink signals; without transmitting any uplink signals or receiving any downlink signals if the fourth information indicates that the number of time units remains unchanged; or updating the first time unit according to the adjusted number of time units if the fourth information indicates that the number of time units is adjusted, and performing corresponding operations based on the first time unit and the time unit in which the fourth information is located.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the fourth information indicates uplink transmission and the first time unit and the time unit where the fourth information is located satisfy a second condition, sending at least one uplink signal within the time unit where the fourth information is located; wherein the second condition includes at least one of the following: the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit where the fourth information is located is less than or equal to a fifth threshold; the duration of the interval between the first time unit and the time unit where the fourth information is located is less than or equal to a sixth threshold.

[0026] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method performed by a second communication device in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: sending first information, the first information being associated with a first time unit for uplink transmission of a first communication device; and sending second information in a second time unit, wherein the first time unit and the second time unit are used by the first communication device to determine whether to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink signal.

[0027] In some implementations, the second information is received by the first communication device after the first time period, and the first time unit and the time unit in which the second information is located are used by the first communication device to perform at least one of the following operations: not sending any uplink signal and not receiving any downlink signal during the second time period; listening to downlink signals; and sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit or the third time unit.

[0028] In some implementations, the first time unit is used by the first communication device to not transmit any uplink signals and not receive any downlink signals within a first time period. Not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period includes: if the first time unit satisfies a first condition, not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period; wherein the first condition includes at least one of the following: the first time unit is different from the time unit where the first information is located; the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the duration of the interval between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0029] In some implementations, the first communication device uses the time unit containing the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information to send at least one uplink signal within the first time unit, which includes: when the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information are the same time unit, sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit.

[0030] In some implementations, the first communication device using the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information to not send any uplink signals and not receive any downlink signals during the second time period includes: if the time unit containing the second information is before the first time unit, then not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period.

[0031] In some implementations, the first communication device uses the time unit containing the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information to not send any uplink signals and not receive any downlink signals during the second time period, including: not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period if at least one of the following conditions is met: the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information is greater than or equal to a third threshold; the duration between the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold.

[0032] In some implementations, the downlink signal is monitored by the second communication device after the second time period, so that the second information is received.

[0033] In some implementations, the first communication device uses the time unit containing the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information to send at least one uplink signal or listen to downlink signals within the third time unit, including: if the first time unit is before the time unit containing the second information, sending at least one uplink signal in the third time unit, or listening to downlink signals to update the first time unit for uplink transmission.

[0034] In some implementations, the first time is determined based on at least one of the following: a predefined duration and the number of time units between the time unit where the first information is located and the first time unit; a clock offset; and a predefined third time.

[0035] In some implementations, the predefined duration includes at least one of the following: the length of the minimum time unit, the average length of the time unit, and a fixed value.

[0036] In some implementations, the second time is determined based on at least one of the following: a predefined duration and the number of time units between the second time unit and the first time unit; a clock offset; and a predefined fourth time.

[0037] In some implementations, the third time unit includes at least one of the following: the time unit in which the second information is located; the Nth time unit after the time unit in which the second information is located; and the time unit confirmed based on predefined information.

[0038] In some implementations, the first time unit being used by the first communication device to not transmit any uplink signals and not receive any downlink signals within a first time period includes: listening to downlink signals for receiving third information related to clock calibration during at least one first period within the first time period, and after performing clock calibration based on the third information, not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals.

[0039] In some implementations, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within at least one first period of the first time period includes: if the first time period is longer than the first period, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within the at least one first period.

[0040] In some implementations, the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information are used by the first communication device to not send any uplink signals and not receive any downlink signals during the second time period includes: listening to downlink signals for receiving third information related to clock calibration during at least one second period during the second time period, and after performing clock calibration based on the third information, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals.

[0041] In some implementations, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within at least one second period of the second time period includes: if the second time period is longer than the second period, listening to downlink signals to receive the third information within the at least one second period.

[0042] In some implementations, the third information includes at least one of a signal for clock calibration, a preamble, and a frame synchronization code.

[0043] In some implementations, without transmitting or receiving any uplink signals, the downlink signal is monitored for at least a third period such that fourth information relating to the adjustment of the number of time units is received; if the fourth information indicates that the number of time units remains unchanged, no uplink signal is transmitted and no downlink signal is received; or if the fourth information indicates that the number of time units is adjusted, the first time unit is updated according to the adjusted number of time units, and the corresponding operation is performed based on the first time unit and the time unit in which the fourth information is located.

[0044] In some implementations, when the fourth information indicates uplink transmission and the first time unit and the time unit containing the fourth information satisfy a second condition, at least one uplink signal is transmitted within the time unit containing the fourth information; wherein the second condition includes at least one of the following: the number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit containing the fourth information is less than or equal to a fifth threshold; the duration of the interval between the first time unit and the time unit containing the fourth information is less than or equal to a sixth threshold.

[0045] In some implementations, the second communication device is one of a base station and a user equipment.

[0046] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a first communication device in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform the aforementioned method.

[0047] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a second communication device in a wireless communication system is provided, comprising: a transceiver; and a controller coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform the aforementioned method. Attached Figure Description

[0048] To gain a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like parts:

[0049] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0050] Figure 2 An example base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Figure 3 An example user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0052] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0053] Figure 5 A diagram illustrating a time unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0054] Figure 6 A block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0055] Before proceeding with the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to define certain words and phrases used throughout the patent literature. The term “connection” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, regardless of whether those elements are physically in contact with each other. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “transmit,” and their derivatives encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “comprise” and “include,” and their derivatives mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is concurrent, meaning both and / or. The phrase “associated with,” and its derivatives mean including, being included in, interconnected with, containing, being contained within, connected to or connected with, coupled to or coupled with, able to communicate with, cooperate with, intertwine, juxtapose, proximate, bound to or bound with, having, possessing attributes, having a relationship with, or having a relationship with, etc. The term “controller” means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller, whether local or remote, can be centralized or distributed. The phrase "at least one" when used to list items means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used, and it is possible that only one item in the list is needed. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C; A and B; A and C; B and C; and only A, only B, and only C. Similarly, the term "set" means one or more. Therefore, a set of items can be a single item or a set of two or more items.

[0056] Furthermore, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each function being formed by computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium accessible by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media includes media in which data can be permanently stored and media such as rewritable optical discs or erasable memory devices in which data can be stored and later rewritten.

[0057] Definitions for certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in many, if not the most, instances, such definitions apply to both prior and future use of the words and phrases defined in this way.

[0058] The figures and various embodiments included herein, used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure, are merely illustrative and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged wireless communication system.

[0059] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure implemented in a wireless communication system. The description in the drawings is not intended to imply physical or architectural limitations on the ways in which different embodiments can be implemented. Different embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged communication system.

[0060] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The embodiments of the wireless network shown are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0061] like Figure 1As shown, the wireless network includes a base station (next generation nodeB, gNB or gNodeB) 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130 such as the Internet, Internet Protocol (IP) networks, or other data networks.

[0062] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to multiple first user equipments (UEs) within coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The multiple first UEs include UE 111, which may be located in a small business (SB); UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise (E); UE 113, which may be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS); UE 114, which may be located in a first residence (R1); UE 115, which may be located in a second residence (R2); and UE 116, which may be a mobile device (M) such as a cellular phone, wireless laptop, or wireless personal digital assistant (PDA). gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to multiple second UEs within coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The multiple second UEs include UE 115 and UE 116, and subscriber stations (SS, such as UEs) 117, 118, and 119. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and UEs 111-116 using existing wireless communication technologies, and one or more of UEs 111-119 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., UEs 117-119) using other existing or proposed wireless communication technologies.

[0063] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" can refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmit point (TP), transmit-receive point (TRP), enhanced (or "evolved") base station (eNodeB or eNB), 5G base station (gNB), macro cell, femtocell, wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point (AP), or other wireless-capable devices. A base station can provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as 3GPP 5G new radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), high-speed packet access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc. For convenience, various names for base station type devices and functions may be used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Furthermore, depending on the network type, the term "User Equipment" (UE) can refer to any component such as a mobile station (MS), user station (SS), remote terminal, wireless terminal, receiving point, or user device. For convenience, various names for user equipment type devices and functions may be used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to remote wireless devices that wirelessly access the BS regardless of whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or is generally considered a fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0064] The dashed lines indicate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as roughly circular for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas such as 120 and 125 associated with the gNB can have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the wireless environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0065] As described in more detail below, one or more of UEs 111-119 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof.

[0066] although Figure 1 An example of a wireless network is shown, but more can be found on... Figure 1Various modifications can be made. For example, wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. Furthermore, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide those UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. Additionally, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as external telephone networks or other types of data networks.

[0067] Figure 2 An example base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 can have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs come in a variety of configurations, and Figure 2 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope to any particular implementation of gNB.

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 200a-200n, multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers 201a-201n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 203, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 204. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 205, a memory 206, and a backhaul or network interface (IF) 207.

[0069] RF transceivers 201a-201n receive incoming RF signals from antennas 200a-200n, such as signals transmitted by the UE in network 100. RF transceivers 201a-201n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signal is sent to RX processing circuitry 204, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuitry 204 sends the processed baseband signal to controller / processor 205 for further processing.

[0070] The TX processing circuit 203 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 205. The TX processing circuit 203 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceivers 201a-201n receive the processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 203 and up-convert the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antennas 201a-201n.

[0071] The controller / processor 205 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 205 may control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceivers 201a-201n, the RX processing circuit 204, and the TX processing circuit 203, according to known principles. The controller / processor 205 may also support additional functions, such as more advanced wireless communication functions.

[0072] For example, the controller / processor 205 can support beamforming or directional routing operations, where signals emitted from multiple antennas 200a-200n are weighted differently to effectively redirect the emitted signals in the desired direction. Any of a variety of other functions can be supported in the gNB 102 via the controller / processor 205.

[0073] The controller / processor 205 is also capable of executing programs and other processes located in the memory 206, such as the operating system (OS). The controller / processor 205 can move data into or out of the memory 206 as needed by the executing process.

[0074] The controller / processor 205 is also connected to a backhaul or network interface 207. The backhaul or network interface 207 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or over a network. Interface 207 can support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection(s). For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a cellular communication system supporting 5G, LTE, or LTE-A), interface 207 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, interface 207 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection to a larger network (such as the Internet). Interface 207 includes any suitable structure that supports communication via wired or wireless connections such as Ethernet or RF transceivers.

[0075] Memory 206 is connected to controller / processor 205. A portion of memory 206 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of memory 206 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0076] although Figure 2 An example of gNB 102 is shown, but it is possible to see more. Figure 2 Various changes can be made. For example, gNB 102 can include any number of Figure 2 Each component is shown in the diagram. As a specific example, an access point may include multiple interfaces 207, and the controller / processor 205 may support routing functionality to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, although shown as a single instance of TX processing circuitry 203 and a single instance of RX processing circuitry 204, gNB102 may include multiple instances of each (such as one per RF transceiver). For example, Figure 2 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed.

[0077] Figure 3 An example user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 and 117-119 can have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs appear in multiple configurations, and Figure 3 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0078] like Figure 3 As shown, UE 116 includes an antenna 301, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 302, a TX processing circuit 303, a microphone 304, and a receive (RX) processing circuit 305. UE 116 also includes a speaker 306, a controller or processor 307, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 308, an input device 309, a touchscreen display 310, and memory 311. Memory 311 includes an OS 312 and one or more applications 313.

[0079] RF transceiver 302 receives incoming RF signals transmitted by gNB of network 100 from antenna 301. RF transceiver 302 down-converts the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to RX processing circuitry 305, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. RX processing circuitry 305 sends the processed baseband signals to speaker 306 (e.g., for voice data) or processor 307 for further processing (e.g., for web browsing data).

[0080] TX processing circuit 303 receives analog or digital voice data from microphone 304 or other outgoing baseband data (such as web data, email, or interactive video game data) from processor 307. TX processing circuit 303 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceiver 302 receives the processed baseband or IF signal from TX processing circuit 303 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antenna 301.

[0081] Processor 307 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and executes OS 312 stored in memory 311 to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, processor 307 may control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by RF transceiver 302, RX processing circuitry 305, and TX processing circuitry 303 according to known principles. In some embodiments, processor 307 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0082] Processor 307 is also capable of executing other processes and programs located in memory 311, such as processes for CSI (Channel State Information) reporting on the uplink channel. Processor 307 can move data into or out of memory 311 as needed for executing processes. In some embodiments, processor 307 is configured to execute application 313 based on OS 312 or in response to signals received from gNB or operator. Processor 307 is also coupled to I / O interface 308, which provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and laptops. I / O interface 308 is the communication path between these accessories and processor 307.

[0083] The processor 307 is also connected to the touchscreen display 310. The user of the UE 116 can use the touchscreen display 310 to input data into the UE 116. The touchscreen display 310 can be a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of rendering text and / or at least limited graphics such as those from a website.

[0084] Memory 311 is connected to processor 307. A portion of memory 311 may include RAM, and another portion of memory 311 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0085] although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but it is possible to modify it. Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed. As a specific example, processor 307 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Moreover, although... Figure 3 The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smartphone, but the UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or fixed devices.

[0086] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] The text and accompanying drawings are provided by way of example only to aid the reader in understanding this disclosure. They are not intended and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the content disclosed herein, that changes may be made to the illustrated embodiments and examples without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0088] With the continuous development of IoT technology, the focus of cellular networks has shifted from primarily human-to-human communication to machine-to-machine communication, leading to a polarization in mobile network development. Human-centric communication is driving mobile networks towards higher bandwidth and speeds, while machine-centric communication is pushing for simpler communication device capabilities. Currently, the lowest-capacity IoT devices supported by cellular networks are Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices. However, all IoT devices currently supported by cellular networks require battery power. These battery-powered IoT devices cannot withstand extreme operating environments such as high temperatures, high pressures, and humidity, and battery maintenance and replacement incur high costs. Furthermore, the environmental pollution caused by batteries after IoT devices are discarded is a significant concern. Therefore, non-battery-powered IoT solutions are urgently needed.

[0089] Non-battery-powered Internet of Things (IoT), also known as Ambient-IoT, refers to IoT devices utilizing energy harvesting technologies to collect energy from the environment, such as solar, vibration, heat, and radio frequency (RF) energy, to power their operation. Due to limitations in energy harvesting efficiency, the most widely used technologies are currently based on solar and RF energy harvesting. For example, the widely used Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology collects RF energy emitted by a reader and uses backscatter modulation to communicate with battery-free tags. However, limited energy harvesting efficiency restricts the communication distance of RFID tags. Furthermore, while RFID tags are relatively inexpensive, the readers used with them significantly increase the overall cost of RFID applications. Therefore, a promising alternative is to use existing communication base stations or User Equipment (UE) to communicate with Ambient-IoT devices instead of readers. This not only reduces deployment costs but also effectively increases the communication distance of battery-free devices. Existing cellular networks can provide networking gains, enabling full lifecycle management of goods.

[0090] However, existing wireless communication protocols remain overly complex for Ambient-IoT devices, whose capabilities are even weaker than those of battery-powered NB-IoT devices. For example, in existing wireless communication protocols, the user (UE) needs to perform blind detection of downlink control signaling (DCI) to obtain the time-frequency position of the downlink data channel (PDSCH) before it can receive data packets sent to the UE by the base station on the allocated time-frequency resources. However, Ambient-IoT devices have limited energy, lack the ability to blindly detect downlink control signaling, and have poor clock performance, failing to maintain clock synchronization with the base station. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the relevant communication processes in the wireless communication system to support communication between the base station (or UE) and the Ambient-IoT device.

[0091] One possible solution is to refer to existing RFID protocols. For example, inventory management is one of the most important application scenarios for RFID and Ambient-IoT, making the process design crucial. Typically, inventory management requires counting a large number of tags. Due to the limited capabilities of tags, methods like those used in cellular networks, such as allocating specific time-frequency resources to users via DCI, are not suitable. RFID uses a random channel based on slotted ALOHA, employing a method where tags randomly select transmission slots to address the communication challenges of multiple tags. In existing RFID protocols, the reader first initiates an inventory round for the tags requiring inventory via a Query command. The reader carries a slot parameter Q in the Query command. Upon receiving the Query command, the tag randomly generates a random number between 0 and (2^Q-1) based on the slot parameter Q, which serves as the number of slots for transmission in this round of inventory management, and fills this random number into the slot counter. Tags with a randomized slot number of 0 immediately transmit a randomly generated 16-bit random number (RN16) uplink. Upon receiving an ACK command from the reader containing this RN16, they transmit their own EPC code uplink, completing this round of data storage. Tags with a non-zero slot number calculate their slot number by continuously listening for Queryrep commands from the reader. Specifically, each time a tag receives a Queryrep command from the reader, it decrements its slot counter by one until the counter reaches 0, at which point it transmits its RN16 within a specified time. For colliding tags (tags with the same randomized slot number), they will transmit their RN16 in the same slot. If they cannot receive an ACK command from the reader or receive an incorrect ACK command, they will decrement their slot counter from 0 to its maximum value (7FFFh) upon receiving the next Queryrep command. The reader will send a Queryadjust command to adjust the value of Q based on the collision situation. All tags will reselect their slot number upon receiving the Queryadjust command. After a collision, the user can reselect the time slot number and transmit upstream again in the current inventory cycle. However, in this process, tags randomly assigned larger time slot values ​​often need to receive many Queryrep commands before they can begin upstream transmission. Because RFID uses dynamic time slot lengths, the tag needs to keep its receiver always on to monitor for potential Queryrep commands. Since the tag is powered by a capacitor, and the capacitor's energy storage capacity is limited, it needs to be recharged before the output voltage of the energy harvesting circuit decays to the operating voltage of the load circuit. Otherwise, the tag will lose power, the information related to this inventory cycle will be lost, and the inventory settings will be reset.For RFID tags, when receiving downlink commands, the energy obtained from the commands is limited, and the tag is in a discharged state. When not receiving downlink commands, the tag can be charged via carrier wave (CW), and is in a state of supplemental charging. For Ambient-IoT, downlink data packets may be more numerous, and each data packet contains more data bits. If the Ambient-IoT device cannot replenish its charge in time, power loss will occur during inventory storage, leading to inventory failure. Furthermore, continuous operation will shorten the lifespan of the Ambient-IoT device. Therefore, Ambient-IoT devices require more energy-efficient operating solutions.

[0092] Since Ambient-IoT devices need to continuously listen for data packets from the BS or UE, the receiver must remain continuously operational, leading to high energy consumption. Furthermore, in complex scenarios, the Ambient-IoT device may fail to charge in time, resulting in power loss. This application proposes an energy-saving solution for Ambient-IoT devices. By reducing the time the Ambient-IoT device spends receiving data packets, it can shut down the receiving and transmitting modules during communication, while maintaining the charging and clock modules. This reduces energy consumption throughout the communication process and prevents power loss during extended data packet transmission wait times. Additionally, reducing the Ambient-IoT device's operating time extends its lifespan.

[0093] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0094] refer to Figure 4 In step S401, the first information is received.

[0095] In step S402, based on the first information, a first time unit for uplink transmission of the communication device is determined.

[0096] In step S403, based on the first time unit, no uplink signal is transmitted and no downlink signal is received within the first time period. Optionally, the first time begins after the first information and ends before the first time unit.

[0097] In step S404, after the first time, at least one uplink signal is sent within the first time unit or the third time unit.

[0098] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an Ambient-IoT device receives first information from a transmitter. The transmitter can be a base station (BS) or a user (UE). This first information is used to determine at least one of the following: time resources available for uplink transmission by the Ambient-IoT device, and time parameters of a first state. In the first state, the communication device neither receives nor transmits any downlink signals. The first state of the Ambient-IoT device can also be called a sleep state. The time parameters include the start time and duration T of the first state. The downlink signals are transmission signals from the transmitter to the Ambient-IoT device, including but not limited to message 2, message 4, or message B in PBCH, PDCCH, PDSCH, or PRACH. The uplink transmission is a transmission from the Ambient-IoT device to a receiver, including but not limited to message 1, message 3, or message A in PUCCH, PUSCH, or PRACH. The transmitter can be a base station (BS) or a user (UE). The receiver and transmitter can be the same device or different devices. For example, the transmitter can use this information to indicate the total number of available time units. The Ambient-IoT device determines the index N of the time unit for uplink transmission based on this information. This determination can be done by randomly selecting a time unit from all available time units and storing its index in a counter. A time unit indicates a period of time, also referred to as a time slice, time interval, or time resource. Different time units may correspond to different durations, and the location of the time-domain resource corresponding to each time unit may be variable. For example, the start of each time unit may be determined by the downlink signal from the base station, and different time units indicate time-domain resources that do not overlap in timing. Correspondingly, when a device determines a time unit, it refers to a unique segment of time-domain resources that determines the timing sequence. However, the specific start time and duration of this time-domain resource may be variable, for example, sorted by the index of the time unit. The duration T can also be referred to as a time unit or reference time, used to indicate a fixed-length period. The Ambient-IoT device reduces energy consumption and prevents power loss due to the inability to recharge by entering a sleep state. The sleep state of the Ambient-IoT device involves shutting down the following modules: the receiving module and the transmitting module, and turning on at least one of the following modules: the clock module and the energy harvesting module. The receiving module can also be called a demodulation module. The clock module can also be called an oscillator or a timer. The transmitting module can also be called a modulation module. The energy harvesting module can also be called a rectification module or an energy management module. The start time of the first state can be a fixed time period after receiving the first information.

[0099] After the duration of the first state ends, the Ambient-IoT device receives second information from the transmitter from that moment. Based on the second information, the Ambient-IoT device updates the time parameters of the first state, or receives at least one downlink signal or transmits at least one uplink signal. For example, if the received second information indicates the index of the current time unit, and if the index of the time unit in which the Ambient-IoT device transmits the uplink signal is greater than the index of that time unit, the Ambient-IoT device recalculates the sleep time, updates the time parameters of the first state, and goes into sleep mode again, neither receiving nor transmitting any downlink or uplink signals for a period of time. If the index of the time unit in which the Ambient-IoT device transmits the uplink signal is equal to the index of that time unit, the Ambient-IoT device transmits at least one uplink signal in that time unit. If the index of the time unit in which the Ambient-IoT device transmits the uplink signal is less than the index of that time unit, the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the specified time unit, or receives at least one downlink signal to obtain a new time unit in which uplink signals can be transmitted.

[0100] In one specific implementation, the length T of multiple optional uplink transmission time units of the Ambient-IoT device is equal. This length can be predefined or determined by the Ambient-IoT device based on first information. The length of this time unit is the time required for the Ambient-IoT device to complete one round of communication with the transmitter and / or receiver, and at least includes the time used for uplink transmission by the Ambient-IoT device and the time required for the transmitted data packets to be transmitted from the Ambient-IoT device to the receiver. For example, the time required to inventory a single Ambient-IoT device. When an Ambient-IoT device needs to interact with a transmitter and / or receiver several times to complete a communication cycle, the length of this defined time unit must at least include the time associated with the transmission of the first piece of information (e.g., the time T1 for downlink transmission by the transmitter, the transmission time T2 for downlink data packets from the transmitter to the Ambient-IoT device), the time T3 for the Ambient-IoT device to demodulate the downlink transmission, the time T4 for uplink transmission by the Ambient-IoT device, the time T5 for the receiver to decode the uplink transmission, and the transmission time T6 for uplink data packets from the Ambient-IoT device to the receiver. Figure 5As shown. The Ambient-IoT device receives the first information and determines the Nth time unit as the time unit where uplink transmission can take place based on the received downlink information. If N equals 0, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes this round of communication within this time unit; if N does not equal 0, the Ambient-IoT device immediately enters a sleep state. The Ambient-IoT device determines the duration of the sleep state, T_sleep = N*T - Tr, based on this information, where Tr is a predefined time period that can be determined based on T1, T2, and T3. After the Ambient-IoT device enters sleep mode T_sleep, it receives second information from the transmitter and obtains the index S of the current time unit based on the second information. When the index S of the current time unit equals the index N of the time unit where uplink transmission is possible, determined by the Ambient-IoT device based on the first information, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T7, where T7 is a predefined time length, including at least the decoding time of the second information. Optionally, the Ambient-IoT device waits for a downlink signal from the receiver to confirm successful uplink transmission and sends an uplink signal at time T8, where T8 is a predefined time length, including at least the decoding time of the downlink confirmation information. Communication with the receiver is completed within this time unit. The index S of the current time unit is less than that of the Ambient-IoT device. When the index N of the uplink transmission time unit of the IoT device is determined, the Ambient-IoT device continues to sleep for a period of T*(NS)-T9, where T9 is a predefined time length, which can be determined based on the sending time, transmission time, and decoding time of the second information. This step is repeated after the sleep period; that is, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second information from the transmitter from this moment onwards. The Ambient-IoT device updates the time parameters of the first state based on the second information, or receives at least one downlink signal or sends at least one uplink signal. If the index S of the current time unit is greater than the index N of the uplink transmission time unit of the Ambient-IoT device, then the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the specified time unit, or receives at least one downlink signal to obtain a new time unit where uplink signals can be sent. The advantage of a fixed time unit length is that the process is simple, easy to implement, and the probability of the Ambient-IoT device missing an uplink transmission time unit is relatively small.

[0101] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device can optionally perform uplink transmission in multiple time units of unequal length. The length of each time unit is controlled by the transmitter and notified to the Ambient-IoT device via downlink information. The Ambient-IoT device uses the shortest time unit length T as the sleep time unit. The length of the shortest time unit can be predefined, obtained by the Ambient-IoT device through higher-layer signaling, or determined by the Ambient-IoT device based on first information. The shortest time unit length T is the length of the time unit in which no Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission, and at least includes the downlink transmission time T1 of the transmitter, the transmission time T2 required for the downlink signal to travel from the transmitter to the Ambient-IoT device, and the demodulation time T3 of the downlink signal by the Ambient-IoT device. The Ambient-IoT device receives the first information and determines the Nth time unit as the time unit in which uplink transmission can proceed based on the received downlink information. When N equals 0, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes this round of communication within this time unit; when N does not equal 0, the Ambient-IoT device determines the duration of the sleep state T_sleep = N*T-Tr based on this information, where Tr is a predefined time period, which can be determined based on T1, T2, and T3.The Ambient-IoT device enters a sleep state and, after a sleep period of T_sleep, exits the sleep state, receives second information from the transmitter, and obtains the index S of the current time unit based on the second information. When the index S of the current time unit equals the index N of the time unit for uplink transmission determined by the Ambient-IoT device based on the first information, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T7, where T7 is a predefined time length, including at least the decoding time of the second information. Optionally, the Ambient-IoT device waits for a downlink signal from the receiver to confirm successful uplink transmission and sends an uplink signal at time T8, where T7 is a predefined time length, including at least the decoding time of the downlink confirmation information. Communication with the receiver is completed within this time unit. The index S of the current time unit is smaller than... For the index N of the time unit in which the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission, the Ambient-IoT device continues to sleep for a period of T*(NS)-T9, where T9 is a predefined time length including the sending time, transmission time, and decoding time of the second information. This step is repeated after the sleep period; that is, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second information from the transmitter from this moment onwards. The Ambient-IoT device updates the time parameters of the first state based on the second information, or receives at least one downlink signal or sends at least one uplink signal. When the index S of the current time unit is greater than the index N of the time unit in which the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the specified time unit, or receives at least one downlink signal to obtain a new time unit in which uplink signals can be sent. Compared to a scheme with a fixed time unit length, a variable time unit length reduces the waste of time resources due to idle or collision events, improving resource utilization. Idle means no Ambient-IoT device is performing uplink transmission in the current time unit, and collision means more than one Ambient-IoT device is performing uplink transmission in the current time unit.

[0102] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device receives first information and determines the sleep time unit T and the index N of the uplink transmission time unit based on the first information. Optionally, the transmitter can calculate the sleep time unit T by using the average time unit length of the previous inventory, the average time unit length of the past few inventory cycles of the current batch of tags, or by estimating it based on the number of Ambient-IoT devices, the read probability, the collision probability, and the idle probability. For example, if the number of Ambient-IoT devices is N_tag, the total number of time units is N_slot, and the Ambient-IoT device randomly selects the index of the uplink signal transmission time unit, then the read probability is p_read = (1 / N_slot)*((N_slot-1) / N_slot))^(N_tag-1)*N_tag, the idle probability is p_idle = ((N_slot-1) / N_slot))^N_tag, and the collision probability is p_collision = 1 - p_read - p_idle. Here, the read probability is the probability that only one Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the current time unit under random selection; the idle probability is the probability that no Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the current time unit under random selection; and the collision probability is the probability that more than one Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within the current time unit under random selection. The transmitter calculates the time unit length required to successfully read an Ambient-IoT device as L_read, the idle time unit length as L_idle, and the collision time unit length as L_collision. Then, the transmitter estimates the expected value of the time unit length based on the number of Ambient-IoT devices and the read, collision, and idle probabilities as T = L_read * p_read + L_collision * p_collision + L_idle * p_idle. The Ambient-IoT device performs the following operations based on the number of uplink transmission time units N.When N equals 0, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes inventory within this time unit; when N <= K, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second downlink information, obtains the index S of the current time unit according to the second information, and sends an uplink signal when S equals N; when N > K, the Ambient-IoT device enters the sleep state, and after sleeping for T*(N - K), it ends the sleep state, listens for the second downlink instruction transmitted by the transmitter, obtains the value S of the current time unit. When the value S of the current time unit equals the time unit value N for the Ambient-IoT device to perform uplink transmission, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes this round of communication within this time unit; when S < N - K, the Ambient-IoT device enters the sleep state, and the sleep time is T*(N - S - K); when N > S >= N - K, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second downlink information, obtains the index of the current time unit according to the second information, and sends an uplink signal when the index of the current time unit equals N; when S >= N, the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission in the specified time unit or receives at least one downlink signal to obtain a new time unit for sending an uplink signal. Here, K can be preset or obtained by the Ambient-IoT device according to the first information. In another implementation, the judgment threshold can be based on the time length. For example, when N equals 0, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes inventory within this time unit; when N*T <= T_thr, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second downlink information, obtains the index S of the current time unit according to the second information, and sends an uplink signal when S equals N; when N*T > T_thr, the Ambient-IoT device enters the sleep state, and after sleeping for T*(N - K), it ends the sleep state, listens for the second downlink instruction transmitted by the transmitter, obtains the value S of the current time unit. When the value S of the current time unit equals the time unit value N for the Ambient-IoT device to perform uplink transmission, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal at time T3 and completes this round of communication within this time unit; when S < N and (N - S)*T > T_thr, the Ambient-IoT device enters the sleep state, and the sleep time is T*(N - S); when S < N and (N - S)*T <= T_thr, the Ambient-IoT device receives the second downlink information, obtains the index of the current time unit according to the second information, and sends an uplink signal when the index of the current time unit equals N; when S >= N, the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission in the specified time unit or receives at least one downlink signal to obtain a new time unit for sending an uplink signal. Here, T_thr can be preset or obtained by the Ambient-IoT device according to the first information.The advantage of this design is that, since the length of the idle time unit is often shorter than the length of the time unit when the Ambient-IoT device is transmitting uplink signals, for Ambient-IoT devices with later time unit indices, if the minimum time unit length is used as the sleep time unit, multiple wake-ups are required before uplink signal transmission can begin. This design can reduce the number of wake-ups for Ambient-IoT devices.

[0103] In one specific implementation, the index of the current time unit determined by Ambient-IoT based on the second information is greater than the index of the time unit for uplink signal transmission determined by Ambient-IoT based on the first information. The Ambient-IoT device performs uplink transmission within a specified time unit, which can be the current time unit; or, the specified time unit can be N time units later, where N is a preset value or determined based on the first information or higher-layer signaling; or, the specified time unit can be a reserved number of time units, which can be preset, determined based on the first information, or determined based on higher-layer signaling. The advantage of this design is that it is simple, easy to operate, and does not require complex procedures.

[0104] In one specific implementation, the index of the current time unit determined by Ambient-IoT based on the second information is greater than the index of the time unit for uplink signal transmission determined by Ambient-IoT based on the first information. The Ambient-IoT device performs the same operation as the Ambient-IoT device that experienced the collision. For example, it receives a downlink signal and obtains a new time unit for transmitting an uplink signal. The advantage of this design is that it eliminates the need to design new operational procedures for Ambient-IoT devices that miss uplink transmissions, making it easy to implement.

[0105] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device handles its own clock skew by periodically receiving downlink signals and using these downlink signals for clock calibration. Optionally, the downlink signal can be a periodically transmitted signal for clock calibration. Optionally, the downlink signal can be a preamble or frame synchronization code from a downlink signal sent by the transmitter to other Ambient-IoT devices. This period can be preset, determined by higher-layer signaling, or based on the received downlink information. When the Ambient-IoT device is in sleep mode, it is periodically woken up according to this period to receive downlink signals related to clock calibration. The advantage of this design is that it prevents the Ambient-IoT device from experiencing increased power consumption due to accumulated large clock skew, and prevents clock skew from affecting reception performance over long communication cycles.

[0106] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device handles its own clock skew by incorporating the clock skew into the calculation of the sleep time. For example, if the total sleep time calculated by the Ambient-IoT device based on the first downlink information is 10 milliseconds, and the clock skew of the Ambient-IoT device is 1 millisecond for every 10 milliseconds, then the Ambient-IoT device adjusts the sleep time to 9 milliseconds. After 9 milliseconds of sleep, it begins receiving the second downlink information and performs clock calibration based on the second downlink information. The magnitude of the clock skew is a preset value. Clock calibration refers to adjusting the oscillation frequency of its own oscillator to a specified frequency based on the downlink signal. The advantage of this design is that the process is simple and easy to execute; the Ambient-IoT device does not need to temporarily stop sleeping during the sleep cycle to receive the downlink signal, which is related to clock calibration.

[0107] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device determines the adjustment period information for the number of available time units for uplink transmission based on preset or higher-layer signaling or information. For example, the adjustment period for the number of available time units is once every two time units. If the Ambient-IoT device is in sleep mode, it wakes up from sleep mode in each adjustment period and receives downlink information from the transmitter, which is used to determine the adjustment information for the total number of time units. For example, the downlink information may include N bits of information, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, when the downlink information value is the first value (e.g., 00), indicating that the number of time units remains unchanged, the Ambient-IoT device enters a sleep state and continues the current sleep cycle; when the downlink information value is the second value (e.g., 01), indicating that the number of time units increases, the Ambient-IoT device redetermines the index N of the time unit for uplink signal transmission based on the new number of time units, and performs a corresponding operation based on the information of the current time unit and the information of the time unit for uplink signal transmission. For example, if index N equals 0, uplink transmission is performed in the current time unit; if N is not equal to 0, the sleep cycle is determined based on N and T; when the downlink information value is the third value (e.g., 10), indicating that the number of time units decreases, the Ambient-IoT device redetermines the index N of the time unit for uplink signal transmission based on the new number of time units, and performs a corresponding operation based on the information of the current time unit and the information of the time unit for uplink signal transmission. For example, if index N equals 0, uplink transmission is performed in the current time unit; if N is not equal to 0, the sleep cycle is determined based on N and T. For example, if multiple collision time units occur consecutively, the receiver can increase the number of time units allocated to the Ambient-IoT device; conversely, if multiple idle time units occur consecutively, the receiver can decrease the number of time units allocated to the Ambient-IoT device. In specific implementations, this information can be sent periodically or when adjustments are needed. When the information is sent when adjustments are needed, it means that adjustment information is sent only when adjustment is required in the current period; otherwise, no adjustment information is sent. If the Ambient-IoT device does not detect adjustment information within a specified time, it defaults to not adjusting in this period and continues the current sleep cycle. The advantage of this design is that the receiver can dynamically adjust the number of time units allocated to the Ambient-IoT device based on the uplink reception status, thereby reducing the occurrence of idle and collision time units, improving resource utilization and system throughput.

[0108] In one specific implementation, the number of time units available for uplink transmission by the Ambient-IoT device for each downlink message is fixed. For example, the total number of time units is not adjusted throughout the entire inventory cycle. The advantage of this design is that the process is simple and easy to execute, and the Ambient-IoT device does not need to temporarily stop sleeping during the sleep cycle to receive downlink signals, which are related to the adjustment of the number of time units.

[0109] In one specific implementation, the Ambient-IoT device receives first information from a transmitter and determines, based on the first information, the total number of time units available for uplink signal transmission and time parameters for a first state. The time parameters include the start time and duration T of the first state. After the duration of the first state ends, the Ambient-IoT device receives second information from the transmitter from that moment onwards. This second information is used to determine the index S of the current time unit and the total number of time units available for uplink signal transmission, or the second information is used to determine the index S of the current time unit and the number K of time units that can simultaneously transmit uplink signals. If the total number of time units available for uplink signal transmission obtained by the Ambient-IoT device from the second information is the same as the total number of time units available for uplink signal transmission obtained from the first information, then based on the index S of the current time unit, the time parameters of the first state are updated, or at least one downlink signal is received or at least one uplink signal is transmitted. If the number of total time units available for uplink signal transmission obtained by the Ambient-IoT device from the second information is greater than the number of total time units available for uplink signal transmission obtained from the first information, the Ambient-IoT device determines the number of selectable time units for uplink transmission based on the current time unit index S and the total number of time units, re-determines the index N of the time units available for uplink transmission, and updates the time parameters of the first state. If N equals 0, the Ambient-IoT device sends an uplink signal within a specified time and completes this round of communication within the current time unit. If N is not equal to 0, the Ambient-IoT device determines the duration of the sleep state based on this information, enters the sleep state, and receives the second information from the transmitter after the sleep duration ends. For example, when the receiver detects that the number of time units with collisions within a certain period of time is greater than a threshold, it needs to increase the number of time units available for uplink transmission to reduce the collision probability of Ambient-IoT devices that have not yet performed uplink transmission. In order for all Ambient-IoT devices in sleep mode to receive this information, the receiver uses the second information to notify the Ambient-IoT device of the current time unit index S and the total number of time units available for uplink signal transmission. The advantage of this design is that the receiver can dynamically adjust the number of time units allocated to the Ambient-IoT device based on the uplink reception status, and the Ambient-IoT device does not need to wake up from its sleep cycle to receive downlink signals.When the Ambient-IoT device determines the index S of the current time unit and the number K of time units that can simultaneously transmit uplink signals based on the second information, the Ambient-IoT device performs the following operation based on the index N of the time unit for uplink signal transmission: when NS <= K, the Ambient-IoT device performs uplink signal transmission within a certain period of time. The advantage of this design is that when the receiver detects that the number of idle time units within a certain period exceeds a threshold, it can allow Ambient-IoT devices in K time units to simultaneously transmit uplink signals. However, in reality, only one of these K time units may have an Ambient-IoT device needing to transmit uplink signals, thus reducing resource waste and latency caused by idle time units.

[0110] Figure 6 A block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0111] refer to Figure 6 The communication device 600 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a transceiver 601 and a controller 602. For example, the transceiver 601 may be configured to transmit and receive signals. For example, the controller 602 may be coupled to the transceiver 601 and configured to perform the aforementioned methods.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that the illustrative embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that any two or more of the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any combination. Furthermore, other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that aspects of the invention disclosed herein, as generally described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are contemplated herein.

[0113] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and steps described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in the form of sets of functions. Whether such sets of functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described sets of functions in different ways for each specific application, but such design decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this application.

[0114] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this application may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such device.

[0115] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in this application may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read and write information to / from the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0116] In one or more exemplary designs, the functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, the latter including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0117] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first communication device in a wireless communication system, comprising: Receive the first message; Based on the first information, a first time unit for uplink transmission of the first communication device is determined. Based on the first time unit, no uplink signal is sent and no downlink signal is received within the first time period, wherein the first time begins after the first information and ends before the first time unit; After the first time, at least one uplink signal is sent within the first time unit or the third time unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the first time interval, receive the second information; as well as Based on the time unit where the first time unit and the second information are located, perform at least one of the following operations: During the second time period, no uplink signals are sent and no downlink signals are received. Listen for downlink signals; At least one uplink signal is sent within the first or third time unit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Based on the first time unit, not sending any uplink signal and not receiving any downlink signal within the first time period includes: If the first condition is met in the first time unit, no uplink signal is sent and no downlink signal is received during the first time period; The first condition includes at least one of the following: The first time unit is different from the time unit in which the first information is located; The number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to a first threshold. The duration of the interval between the first time unit and the time unit where the first information is located is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the time unit where the first time unit and the second information are located, sending at least one uplink signal within the first time unit includes: If the first time unit and the second information are in the same time unit, at least one uplink signal is sent within the first time unit.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the time units where the first time unit and the second information are located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period includes: If the time unit containing the second information is before the first time unit, no uplink signal is sent and no downlink signal is received during the second time period.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, Based on the time units where the first time unit and the second information are located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period includes: If at least one of the following conditions is met in the time unit containing the second information and the first time unit, no uplink signal is transmitted and no downlink signal is received during the second time period: The number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information is greater than or equal to the third threshold. The duration of the time interval between the first time unit and the time unit containing the second information is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: After the second time period, listen for downlink signals to receive the second information.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the time units where the first time unit and the second information are located, sending at least one uplink signal or listening to a downlink signal within the third time unit includes: If the first time unit is prior to the time unit in which the second information is located, at least one uplink signal is sent in the third time unit, or a downlink signal is monitored to update the first time unit for uplink transmission.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The first time is determined based on at least one of the following: The predefined duration and the number of time units between the time unit where the first information is located and the first time unit; Clock skew; and A predefined third time.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The predefined duration includes at least one of the following: the length of the minimum time unit, the average length of the time unit, and a fixed value.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The second time is determined based on at least one of the following: The predefined duration and the number of time units between the time unit containing the second information and the first time unit; Clock skew; and The predefined fourth time.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The third time unit includes at least one of the following: The time unit in which the second information is located; The Nth time unit following the time unit containing the second information; and The time unit is confirmed based on predefined information.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Based on the first time unit, not transmitting any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals within the first time period includes: Listening to the downlink signal during at least one first cycle within the first time period to receive third information related to clock calibration. After performing clock calibration based on the third information, no uplink signals are sent and no downlink signals are received.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Listening to downlink signals within at least one first period of the first time period to receive the third information includes: If the first time is greater than the first period, the downlink signal is monitored during the at least one first period to receive the third information.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the time units where the first time unit and the second information are located, not sending any uplink signals and not receiving any downlink signals during the second time period includes: During at least one second period within the second time period, the downlink signal is monitored to receive third information related to clock calibration. After performing clock calibration based on the third information, no uplink signals are sent and no downlink signals are received.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, Listening to downlink signals during at least one second period within the second time period to receive the third information includes: If the second time is greater than the second period, the downlink signal is monitored during the at least one second period to receive the third information.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Without sending any uplink signals or receiving any downlink signals, listen for downlink signals during at least one third cycle to receive fourth information related to the adjustment of the number of time units; Without changing the number of the fourth information indication time units, no uplink signal is sent and no downlink signal is received; or When the fourth information indicates that the number of time units should be adjusted, the first time unit is updated according to the adjusted number of time units, and corresponding operations are performed based on the first time unit and the time unit where the fourth information is located.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: If the fourth information indicates uplink transmission and the first time unit and the time unit where the fourth information is located satisfy the second condition, at least one uplink signal is sent within the time unit where the fourth information is located. The second condition includes at least one of the following: The number of time units between the first time unit and the time unit containing the fourth information is less than or equal to the fifth threshold. The time interval between the first time unit and the time unit containing the fourth information is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

19. A method performed by a second communication device in a wireless communication system, comprising: Send first information, which is related to a first time unit for uplink transmission of the first communication device; as well as The second message is sent in the second time unit. The first time unit and the second time unit are used by the first communication device to determine whether to send an uplink signal or receive a downlink signal.

20. A communication device in a wireless communication system, comprising: transceiver; as well as A controller, coupled to the transceiver, is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-18 or 19.

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