A method of selecting a reader and related apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a method for selecting a reader and a related device. In the method, the reader sends information related to the environment and regional features where the reader is located to a network device, so that the network device can obtain coverage range information of the reader. Thus, the network device can select a suitable reader based on the coverage range information reported by the reader, and the selected reader can complete paging and subsequent A-IoT services for an A-IoT device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, and in particular, to a method for selecting a reader and related apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of communication technology, the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) defines ambient internet of things (A-IoT) technology. The A-IoT technology is a technology that can maintain the normal operation of a device by collecting energy in the environment, and is an important technology in the Internet of Things that focuses on energy saving and carbon reduction and low power consumption. When performing an A-IoT service, a reader and an A-IoT device can perform non-contact data communication, thereby reading information from the A-IoT device and / or writing information to be stored into the A-IoT device, and thereby implementing inventory, positioning, sensing, and commands, and other services. For the application scope, the A-IoT technology can be applied to logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identity recognition, or environmental monitoring, and other scenarios.

[0003] Generally, in order to better perform an A-IoT service, a network device needs to find a reader for performing the A-IoT service. Since there are a large number of readers, how to select a suitable reader for performing a current A-IoT service from a large number of readers is a problem that needs to be considered at present. SUMMARY

[0004] The method for selecting a reader and related apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application can improve the efficiency of selecting a reader for performing an A-IoT service and reduce the execution delay of the A-IoT service.

[0005] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for selecting a reader. The method can be applied to a reader, or a module in the reader (wherein the module in the reader includes a communication module and a computing module), or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the reader (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), or the reader can also be a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a communication device. The method includes:

[0006] sending a first message to a network device, wherein the first message comprises area information of the reader-writer, the area information of the reader-writer comprises first information, first indication information and auxiliary information, the first information comprises one or more of the following: position coordinates, a coverage radius and an environment category, the first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid or invalid, and the auxiliary information comprises parameters corresponding to the environment category, the parameters corresponding to the environment category indicating a location where the reader-writer is located.

[0007] The network device is configured to determine the reader-writer performing the A-IoT service based on the first message.

[0008] In the above method, the reader-writer can provide the network side with relevant information such as the environment (i.e., the position coordinates, the coverage radius and the environment category) where the reader-writer is located and the area features (i.e., the parameters corresponding to the environment category), so that the network side can learn the coverage range information of the reader-writer and thus finely position the reader-writer. When it is necessary to find a reader-writer performing the A-IoT service, the reader-writer performing the A-IoT service can be determined based on the first message reported by the reader-writer, which improves the efficiency of selecting the reader-writer performing the A-IoT service and reduces the execution delay of the A-IoT service.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the sending of the first message to the network device comprises:

[0010] The first message is sent to the network device at a first preset period, and the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0011] In the above method, the first indication information in the area information of the reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid, i.e., the auxiliary information is not activated, and the reader-writer can adopt an automatic reporting mode to automatically report the area information to the network device at a preset period. It can be understood that in the automatic reporting mode, the reader-writer can automatically report the area information at a preset period, i.e., update the area information at a fixed frequency, so that the network side can obtain (the latest) area information of the reader-writer in a timely manner.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the sending of the first message to the network device comprises:

[0013] The first request message is received, and the first request message is used to request the area information.

[0014] The first message is sent to the network device, and the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0015] In some examples, if the network device does not receive area information from the reader within a second preset period, it can send a first request message to the reader to request the reader to send the area information. The second preset period is longer than the first preset period.

[0016] In the above method, when auxiliary information is not enabled, the reader automatically reports area information periodically. If the network side does not receive the reported area information for an extended period, it can proactively request the reader to send the area information. Based on this request mechanism, network devices can obtain area information when needed, thereby helping them select a suitable reader, improving the efficiency of selecting readers to execute A-IoT services, and reducing the execution latency of A-IoT services.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, sending the first message to the network device includes:

[0018] When the position of the reader moves from the first coordinate to the second coordinate, the first message is sent to the network device, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0019] In the above method, when auxiliary information is not activated, the reader has location awareness capability. When the location of the reader changes, it can actively report the area information, so that the network device can obtain the latest area information of the reader in a timely manner, improve the efficiency of selecting readers to execute A-IoT services, and reduce the execution latency of A-IoT services.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the area information of the reader further includes second indication information, the second indication information representing automatic reporting of the area information and / or manual reporting of the area information.

[0021] In the above method, the reader's area information defines a reporting / updating mode for area information. This mode is used in conjunction with whether auxiliary information is activated, and can provide multiple reporting mechanisms to help report area information more effectively.

[0022] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, sending the first message to the network device includes:

[0023] The first message is sent to the network device according to a first preset period, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message indicates that the area information is automatically reported.

[0024] In some examples, the first indication information represents carrying the auxiliary information, and the second indication information represents automatic and manual reporting of the area information.

[0025] In the above method, if the automatic update mode is not started, the automatic update mode is used, if the auxiliary information is started, and the second indication information represents that the area information is automatically reported, the area information is automatically reported to the network device according to a preset period, so that the network side can obtain the (latest) area information of the reader in time.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the sending of the first message to the network device comprises:

[0027] The first message is sent to the network device in response to a first user operation, wherein the first indication information in the first message represents that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message represents that the area information is manually reported.

[0028] In some examples, the first indication information represents that the auxiliary information is carried, and the second indication information represents that the area information is automatically and manually reported.

[0029] In the above method, in the manual mode, the area information can be reported by user operation when necessary (such as when the reader moves in different small compartments, from one small compartment to the next small compartment). Or, when the mode of whether to enable the auxiliary information in the area information of the reader changes, the area information is reported by user operation. So that the network device can obtain the latest area information of the reader in time, improve the efficiency of selecting the reader to execute the A-IoT business, and reduce the execution delay of the A-IoT business.

[0030] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the environment category comprises one or more of the following: indoor warehouse; open warehouse; outdoor area; forest; mine / tunnel; flight environment.

[0031] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the parameters corresponding to the environment category comprise one or more of the following:

[0032] The postal address corresponding to the indoor warehouse, and the area number where the reader of the indoor warehouse is located;

[0033] The postal address corresponding to the open warehouse, the area number where the reader of the open warehouse is located, and the area information where the reader of the open warehouse is located;

[0034] The height information where the reader of the outdoor area is located;

[0035] The height information where the reader of the forest is located;

[0036] The area information where the reader of the mine / tunnel is located;

[0037] height information of the read-write device.

[0038] In the above method, it is considered that the selection of the read-write device by the network side is closely related to the environment and regional characteristics where the read-write device is located. For example, in an indoor scene, the placement and selection of the read-write device are related to the environmental morphology and the internal layout of the building. In an outdoor environment with high-density buildings, the longitude and latitude, altitude and other information of the read-write device will affect the selection of the read-write device by the network side. Therefore, the parameters of the environment category have different meanings according to different environment categories. Providing more detailed information about the environment category in the regional information of the read-write device helps the network device to find a more suitable read-write device more quickly.

[0039] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a method for selecting a network device. The method can be applied to a network device, or a module in the network device (wherein the module in the network device includes a communication module and a computing module), or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the network device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core), or the network device can also be a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device. The method includes:

[0040] receiving a first message from at least one read-write device, wherein the first message includes regional information of the read-write device, the regional information includes first information, first indication information and auxiliary information, the first information includes one or more of the following: position coordinates, coverage radius and environment category, the first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid or invalid, and the auxiliary information includes parameters corresponding to the environment category, which indicates the position of the read-write device;

[0041] determining M read-write devices from the at least one read-write device based on the first message of the at least one read-write device, M is a positive integer;

[0042] sending a second message to the M read-write devices, the second message instructing the M read-write devices to perform an A-IoT service.

[0043] In the method, the reader-writer can provide the network side with information such as an environment (i.e., location coordinates, a coverage radius, and an environment category) in which the reader-writer is located, and area features (i.e., parameters corresponding to the environment category), so that the network side can learn the coverage range information of the reader-writer, thereby performing more accurate positioning on the reader-writer. When it is necessary to find a reader-writer to perform an A-IoT service, the reader-writer performing the A-IoT service can be determined based on the first message reported by at least one reader-writer, thereby improving the efficiency of selecting a reader-writer to perform the A-IoT service and reducing the execution time delay of the A-IoT service.

[0044] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer comprises:

[0045] receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer within a first preset period, wherein the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0046] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer comprises:

[0047] sending a first request message to the at least one reader-writer, wherein the first request message is used to request the area information;

[0048] receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer, wherein the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0049] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the area information of the reader-writer further comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicates automatic reporting of the area information and / or manual reporting of the area information.

[0050] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer comprises:

[0051] receiving the first message from the at least one reader-writer within a first preset period, wherein the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates automatic reporting of the area information or manual reporting of the area information.

[0052] As to the technical effects brought by the second aspect or the possible implementation, reference can be made to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or the corresponding implementation.

[0053] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be a reader-writer, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, a circuit, or a chip system, etc.) in the reader-writer, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the reader-writer.

[0054] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus can include a module or unit or means corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus includes a processing unit and a transceiver unit,

[0056] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be a network device, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, a circuit, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus can include a module or unit or means corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus includes a processing unit and a transceiver unit, the transceiver unit,

[0059] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a memory, which is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for realizing the functions related to the first aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions, when the computer programs or instructions are executed, so that the communication apparatus realizes the method in any possible design or implementation manner in the first aspect.

[0060] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include an interface circuit, and the processor is configured to communicate with other apparatuses or components through the interface circuit.

[0061] In a possible design, the communication apparatus can further include the memory.

[0062] The communication device can be a reader-writer, a communication module in the reader-writer, a chip responsible for communication function in the reader-writer, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core.

[0063] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory for storing part or all of necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions related to the second aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the method in any possible design or implementation manner in the first aspect.

[0064] In a possible design, the communication device can further include an interface circuit, and the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0065] In a possible design, the communication device can further include the memory.

[0066] The communication device can be a network device, a communication module in the network device, a chip responsible for communication function in the network device, such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or a SIP chip containing a modem module.

[0067] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip device, which includes at least one processor configured to invoke computer programs or instructions to implement the method in any aspect or possible implementation manner of any aspect.

[0068] In a possible implementation manner, an input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any aspect or possible implementation manner of any aspect, and an output of the chip device corresponds to the sending operation in any aspect or possible implementation manner of any aspect.

[0069] Optionally, the processor is coupled with the memory through an interface.

[0070] Optionally, the chip device further includes a memory, and the memory stores the computer programs or instructions.

[0071] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions are run on a processor, implement the method in any aspect.

[0072] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which comprises a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are run on a processor, a method of any of the above aspects is implemented.

[0073] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which comprises the apparatus of the fifth aspect and the apparatus of the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0074] The drawings used by the embodiments of the present application are described below.

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system based on an A-IoT technology provided by the present application;

[0076] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of selecting a reader-writer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a method flow of selecting a reader-writer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a format of area information provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a reader-writer reporting area information provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of another scenario of selecting a reader-writer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of another scenario of selecting a reader-writer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another structure of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The terms "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably in this application. Unless otherwise stated, " / " means that the objects before and after the " / " are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this application is only a description of the relationship between the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which means that there are three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more than two, unless otherwise stated. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of the items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be one or more. In addition, in order to clearly describe the technical solutions of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with the same function. Those skilled in the art can understand that "first", "second" and the like do not limit the number and execution order, and "first", "second" and the like do not necessarily mean different.

[0085] In this application, the reference "in an implementation" or "exemplarily" or "in an implementation" means that in one or more embodiments of the present application, the specific features, structures or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment are included. Therefore, the statements "in an embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments", "in some other embodiments" and the like in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "include", "contain", "have" and their variants mean "include but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0086] In this application, "information", "signal", "message", "channel", "signaling" can be used interchangeably, and it should be pointed out that when the distinction is not emphasized, the meaning expressed is matched. "Of", "corresponding" and "corresponding" can be used interchangeably, and it should be pointed out that when the distinction is not emphasized, the meaning expressed is matched. In addition, " / " mentioned in this application can be used to represent the relationship of "or".

[0087] It should be understood that, in the present application, "indication" can include direct indication, indirect indication, display indication, and implicit indication. When it is described that certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0088] In the present application, the information indicated by the indication information is referred to as to-be-indicated information. In the implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the to-be-indicated information, for example, but not limited to, the to-be-indicated information can be directly indicated, such as the to-be-indicated information itself or an index of the to-be-indicated information, or the to-be-indicated information can be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where the other information and the to-be-indicated information have an association relationship. Only a part of the to-be-indicated information can be indicated, and the other part of the to-be-indicated information is known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of a specific information can also be achieved by means of the pre-agreed (for example, the protocol stipulates) arrangement order of each information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent.

[0089] The to-be-indicated information can be sent as a whole, or can be sent separately into multiple sub-information, and the sending period and / or sending occasion of the sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the present application. The sending period and / or sending occasion of the sub-information can be pre-defined, for example, pre-defined according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting end device by sending configuration information to the receiving end device.

[0090] It should be understood that "sending" and "receiving" in the present application represent the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to XX" can be understood as that the destination of the information is XX, which can include direct sending through the air interface, or indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as that the source of the information is YY, which can include direct receiving from YY through the air interface, or indirect receiving from YY through the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as "output" of a chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as "input" of a chip interface.

[0091] In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between network devices and terminal devices, or can be performed within a device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules in a device through a bus, wire or interface.

[0092] It should be understood that the information can be processed as necessary between the source and the destination of the information transmission, such as encoding and modulation, but the destination can understand the effective information from the source. Similar expressions in the present application can be understood similarly, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system based on A-IoT technology provided by the present application. The communication method provided by the present application is applicable to the communication system. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system at least includes an A-IoT device 101, a reader-writer 102 and a network device 200. Among them, the A-IoT device 101 and the reader-writer 102 can communicate with each other, and the reader-writer 102 and the network device 200 can also communicate with each other. The communication method involved in the present application can be realized by the cooperation of the three, or the communication method involved in the present application can be realized by two of the three (such as the reader-writer 102 and the A-IoT device 101). It should be understood that Figure 1 , the terms "reader-writer 102", "A-IoT device 101", "network device 200" and the like in the above-mentioned embodiments can correspond to one or more "reader-writer 102", one or more "A-IoT device 101", one or more "network device 200". That is Figure 1 , the number of reader-writers 102, A-IoT devices 101 and network devices 200 in the communication system shown in

[0094] In some examples, in the communication system based on A-IoT technology, the reader-writer 102 and the A-IoT device 101 can perform non-contact data communication, so as to read information from the A-IoT device 101 and / or write information to be stored into the A-IoT device 101, thereby realizing multiple services such as inventory, positioning, sensing and command. For example, the inventory service is to access the A-IoT device 101 within the coverage range by using the reader-writer 102 (which can be a base station or a terminal). The A-IoT device 101 that successfully accesses needs to send the unique identifier of the A-IoT device 101 to the reader-writer 102. The inventory service can also be referred to as a counting operation, and the inventory service can be used to obtain the identifier of the A-IoT device 101. The reader-writer 102 and the A-IoT device 101 can both be realized based on the infrastructure in the cellular network, that is, the reader-writer 102 and the A-IoT device 101 can both be devices in the cellular network. For example, the function of the reader-writer 102 can be realized by a network device (such as a base station) in the cellular network, or by a terminal (user equipment, UE) in the cellular network, and the function of the A-IoT device 101 can be realized by a UE.

[0095] The A-IoT device 101 involved in the embodiments of the present application is one of the basic devices in the environmental Internet of Things, which can be understood as a type of terminal and can also be referred to as an A-IoT terminal, for example, a type of Internet of Things terminal with extremely low power consumption and extremely low complexity (which can also be referred to as a first type of terminal). It mainly refers to a device or terminal in the Internet of Things system that collects real-time information of any object or process that needs to be observed, connected, and interacted with through various information sensors, radio frequency identification technology, global positioning systems, infrared sensors, laser scanners, and other devices and technologies, such as sound, light, heat, electricity, mechanics, chemistry, biology, position, and other information that needs to be collected, and accesses various networks to achieve ubiquitous connection between objects and people, and intelligent perception, identification, and management of objects and processes. It can be applied to smart home, industrial control, health monitoring, and other fields.

[0096] The reader 102 involved in the embodiments of the present application can be a handheld or fixed device capable of reading information of the A-IoT device 101, which can be used for the A-IoT device 101 to access a network. Optionally, the reader 102 can also be used to write information to the A-IoT device 101. As some examples, the reader 102 (reader) involved in the embodiments of the present application can be a terminal device (UE), which can be referred to as a UE reader.

[0097] In a possible implementation, the reader 102 is an intermediate node in an A-IoT network topology scenario, which can be a repeater (RP), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a UE capable of implementing A-IoT. The reader 102 as an intermediate node communicates with the A-IoT device 101 bidirectionally and can communicate with the network device 200 bidirectionally through a Uu interface. In this architecture, the reader 102 as an intermediate node transmits A-IoT data and / or signaling between the network device 200 and the A-IoT device 101. The network device 200 involved in the embodiments of the present application includes an access network device 201 and a core network device 202. Optionally, the access network device 201 can transmit the A-IoT data and / or signaling sent by the intermediate node to the core network device 202.

[0098] (1) The terminal device (UE) involved in the embodiments of the present application can be a device that provides voice / data to a user, for example, a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. At present, some examples of terminals are: mobile phone, tablet computer, notebook computer, palm computer, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication function, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, wearable device, terminal device in a 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0099] By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. The wearable device can also be referred to as a wearable smart device, which is a general term for devices that are designed and developed by applying wearable technology to daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. The wearable device is a portable device that is directly worn on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. The wearable device is not only a hardware device, but also a device that realizes powerful functions through software support and data interaction and cloud interaction. The general wearable smart device includes devices with full functions, large size, and the ability to realize complete or partial functions without relying on a smart phone, such as smart watches or smart glasses, and devices that focus on a certain application function and need to be used in cooperation with other devices, such as smart phones, such as various smart wristbands and smart jewelry for monitoring vital signs.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or a chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0101] The access network device 201 can also be referred to as a radio access network (RAN) device, which can provide the function of providing access to the communication network for authorized users in a specific area, and can specifically include an access point in a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) network or an access point in a non-3GPP (non-3GPP) network.

[0102] The access network device 201 can adopt different wireless access technologies. There are two types of current wireless access technologies: 3GPP access technology (for example, the wireless access technology adopted in the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) or 5G system) and non-3GPP (non-3GPP) access technology. The 3GPP access technology refers to the access technology conforming to the 3GPP standard specification, for example, the access network device in the 5G system is called a next generation Node Base station (gNB) or a RAN device. The non-3GPP access technology can include air interface technologies represented by access points (APs) in wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), code division multiple access (CDMA), etc. The AN device can allow the terminal device and the 3GPP core network to be interconnected and intercommunicate by using non-3GPP technology.

[0103] The access network device 201 can be responsible for functions such as radio resource management on the air interface side, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, etc. The RAN device provides access services for the terminal device, and then completes the forwarding of control signals and user data between the terminal device and the core network.

[0104] The access network device 201 may include, but is not limited to, a macro base station, a micro base station (also referred to as a small station), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), an evolved Node B (eNB), a next generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB), a home base station (for example, a home evolved Node B or a home Node B, HNB), a baseband unit (BBU), an AP in a WiFi system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP), or a transmission and reception point (TRP), and the like. Alternatively, the access network device 201 can also be a gNB or a transmission point (TRP or TP) in a 5G (for example, NR) system, one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system. Alternatively, the access network device 201 can also be a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a distributed unit (DU), or a base station in a next generation communication 6G system, and the like. Alternatively, the access network device 201 can also be a module or unit for completing the function of a base station, such as a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU); in a possible network structure, the CU can be used to support communication under the radio resource control (RRC) protocol, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and the like; and the DU can be used to support communication under the radio link control (RLC) layer protocol, the medium access control (MAC) layer protocol, and the physical layer protocol. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form of the RAN device.

[0105] (3) The core network device 202 can be used for user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, or charging, etc. The core network device can be composed of multiple functional units, such as functional entities including a control plane and a data plane. Exemplarily, the core network device can include an ambient internet of things function (A-IoTF) access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a session management function (SMF) network element, and a user plane function (UPF) network element, etc. The AMF network element can be used to be responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management, etc. The UPF network element can be used to be responsible for managing transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics, etc. Exemplarily, the air interface can be understood as a wireless link between a terminal device and a base station, or a wireless link between a satellite and a ground station; the Xn interface can be understood as an interface between base stations, mainly used for signaling interaction such as handover; the NG interface can be used as an interface between a base station and a core network device, used to interact with the core network device non-access (non-access stratum, NAS) signaling, and user service data. In different wireless access technology systems, the names of devices with base station functions may be different, and the embodiments of the present application do not show them one by one.

[0106] Ambient Internet of Things Function (AIoTF): or called Internet of Things Function, Internet of Things Management Function, Ambient Internet of Things Management Function, etc., also called Ambient Internet of Things Management Function (Ambient IoT Management Function), mainly responsible for transmission of service data of Internet of Things devices, management of Internet of Things terminals, security authentication process of Internet of Things terminals, or indicating a reader (or reader) to perform an Internet of Things service operation (such as instructing the reader to perform an inventory process of an AIoT device), transmitting instructions (such as read operation, write operation, inactivation operation, etc.), etc. according to a service requestor indicated service operation.

[0107] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the satellite can act as a network device, that is, the terminal device can communicate with the core network side through the satellite. For example, through satellite communication to solve the coverage problem of remote areas such as mountainous areas, oceans, etc. This mode is called regenerative mode satellite communication. Alternatively, the satellite can only act as a radio frequency unit, that is, the network device function is still performed by the ground base station, which is also an implementation mode of satellite communication, and this mode is called transparent mode satellite communication.

[0108] It should also be understood that the naming of each device or unit in this application is defined solely for the purpose of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of using other names in other networks in the future. For example, in other networks in the future, some or all of the above-mentioned devices or units may use the terminology in 5G, or they may use other names, etc.

[0109] It should be understood that Figure 1 The structure of the communication system shown is only an example, based on Figure 1 Other communication systems derived from the structure shown and applicable to the communication method provided in this application should also fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0110] In some examples, Figure 1 The communication system shown may also include a server ( Figure 1 (Not shown). The server is the operation requester (i.e., the server that issues the command; it can be called the operation requester or a third party). For example, the operation requester can be a server, an application function (AF), an application server (AS), an Ambient IoT Application Function (A-IoT AF), or other devices that send operation commands. For example, the operation requester can correspond to a certain type of user, which can include enterprises, tenants, third parties, or companies, without restriction. The operation request method corresponding to a certain type of application can be understood as the operation requester belonging to that type of user and being managed by that type of user.

[0111] exist Figure 1 In the A-IoT scenario shown, when a server (such as AF) operates on an A-IoT device, it can send operation instructions for A-IoT services through network devices (such as A-IoTF). The operation instructions for A-IoT services may include, but are not limited to, operation instructions for performing read, write, disable, enable, kill, lock, inventory, or location services.

[0112] In one implementation, there are a large number of readers and writers in the communication range of the network device, the network device can select a reader and writer to perform A-IoT service by polling or random selection, and after the reader and writer is selected, the A-IoT device is paged and subsequent tasks are completed by the reader and writer. Exemplarily, the reader and writer sends an access instruction to the A-IoT device, and when the A-IoT device accesses successfully, the reader and writer sends an instruction to the A-IoT device (the reader and writer can forward the instruction sent by the network device to the A-IoT device), and the A-IoT device performs the corresponding A-IoT task according to the instruction.

[0113] The various A-IoT services are exemplarily introduced as follows:

[0114] Write service, write operation is performed on the storage area of the A-IoT device. For example, the base station can send a write command (or write request) and data, instructing the A-IoT device to write the data into the memory of the A-IoT device.

[0115] Disable service, requesting the A-IoT device to permanently or temporarily disable the transmission radio frequency capability.

[0116] Enable service, requesting to enable the temporarily disabled A-IoT device.

[0117] Kill service, making the A-IoT device never work.

[0118] Lock service, locking the information of the A-IoT device, which can prevent the read service or write service on the A-IoT device. Alternatively, the lock service can also lock the storage area, which can prevent or allow the read service or write service on the storage area.

[0119] Read service, reading the electronic product code (EPC), tag identifier (TID), the content stored in the reserved area of the A-IoT device, or the content stored in the user storage area, etc.

[0120] Inventory service is to access the A-IoT devices in the coverage range by the reader and writer (which can be a base station or a terminal). The A-IoT device that accesses successfully needs to send the unique identifier of the A-IoT device to the reader and writer. The inventory service can also be called the inventory operation, and the inventory service can be used to obtain the identifier of the A-IoT device.

[0121] Positioning service is to position the position of the A-IoT device by using some positioning signals.

[0122] Device-originated - autonomous (DO-A) service refers to that a device initiatively sends data to a network according to its built-in logic, preset rules or local trigger events. For example, the DO-A service includes but is not limited to a sensing service. The sensing service refers to that an A-IoT device can actively report sensing data, such as temperature data, to a base station.

[0123] In the process of selecting a reader, due to the limited coverage of the reader and the large number of readers in the environment, the network device selects the reader by polling or randomly, so that the selected reader is not necessarily the most suitable reader. For example, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 is a scene diagram provided by an embodiment of the present application for selecting a reader. Figure 2 The communication system shown in the figure includes a radio access network (RAN) 2011 (as shown by the dashed part in the figure) and a core network (CN) 2021. Exemplarily, the RAN 2011 includes at least one access network device 201, at least one reader 102a~102d and at least one A-IoT device 101a~101m. As shown in the figure, the reader 102a and the reader 102b are respectively distributed outside the warehouse compartment, and the reader 102c and the reader 102d are respectively distributed inside the warehouse compartment; the at least one A-IoT device 101a~101m is respectively distributed in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2. Figure 2 Figure 2 In the figure, the access network device 201 is connected with the core network 2021 in a wireless or wired manner, and a core network device (not shown) in the core network 2021 can be a different physical device from the access network device 201 in the RAN 2011, or can be the same physical device integrated with the core network logic function and the radio access network logic function.

[0124] In the figure, the access network device 201 is connected with the core network 2021 in a wireless or wired manner, and a core network device (not shown) in the core network 2021 can be a different physical device from the access network device 201 in the RAN 2011, or can be the same physical device integrated with the core network logic function and the radio access network logic function. Figure 2 Figure 1

[0125] ​​​In some examples, when performing A-IoT service, the core network device in the core network 2021 seeks a suitable reader through the access network device 201 in the RAN 2011. Illustratively, the core network device seeks the reader through the access network device 201 is to achieve coarse positioning of the A-IoT device location through at least one of a location area (LA), a tracking area (TA), and a cell identity (cell ID). However, based on the location area (LA), the tracking area (TA), and the cell identity (cell ID) reported by the reader, the reader cannot be finely positioned. In Figure 2 In the warehouse compartment scenario shown in the figure, the solid circle represents the cell coverage range of the access network device 201, which includes the readers 102a~102d. The access network device 201 will select another one from the readers 102a~102d through polling or random selection. If the reader 102a or the reader 102d is selected, since the communication coverage range 1021 of the reader 102a or the communication coverage range 1031 of the reader 102b does not cover at least one A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2, the reader 102a or the reader 102d cannot establish an effective connection with the A-IoT device. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat polling or reselect the reader, thereby causing time delay and resource waste.

[0126] Therefore, the present application provides a method for selecting a reader, in which the reader sends information related to the environment and regional characteristics where the reader is located to a network device, so that the network device can obtain the coverage range information of the reader. Therefore, the network device can select a suitable reader based on the coverage range information reported by the reader. The selected reader completes paging and subsequent A-IoT service for the A-IoT device.

[0127] It should be noted that the embodiments in this application are illustrated using readers and network devices as examples of execution entities, but this application does not limit the execution entities shown in the interactive illustrations. For example, the method executed by the reader in the embodiments of this application can also be implemented by modules in the reader (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems), or by logical nodes, logical modules, or software that can implement all or part of the reader's functions, or by circuits or chips in the reader responsible for communication and / or computing functions (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) processors, neural network processors (NPUs), or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)). For example, the method executed by the network device in the embodiments of this application can also be implemented by modules in the network device (e.g., circuits, chips, or chip systems), or by logical nodes, logical modules, or software that can implement all or part of the network device's functions, or by circuits or chips in the network device responsible for communication and / or computing functions (GPUs, AI processors, NPUs, ASICs).

[0128] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a reader / writer according to an embodiment of this application. Optionally, this method can be applied to a communication system, for example, to... Figure 1 The communication system shown.

[0129] In some examples, such as Figure 3 The method shown may include, but is not limited to, the following steps, as detailed below:

[0130] Step S301: The reader sends a first message to the network device, the first message including the reader's area information. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first message.

[0131] Optionally, the reader generates the first message before sending it to the network device.

[0132] In one possible implementation, at least one reader / writer sends first information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the first message from each of the at least one reader / writer. The at least one reader / writer is within the communication range of the network device, and the first message from each reader / writer includes area information corresponding to that reader / writer.

[0133] The area information is related to an environment where the reader is located and area features. Exemplarily, the area information of the reader includes first information, first indication information and auxiliary information. The first information includes one or more of the following: a position coordinate, a coverage radius and an environment category. Further, the first information can also include a tracking area code (TAC) and a cell ID. The first indication information indicates whether the auxiliary information is valid or invalid, i.e., indicates whether the auxiliary information is enabled or not. The auxiliary information includes parameters corresponding to the environment category, which represent a location where the reader is located, i.e., the auxiliary information can be used to indicate a specific location in an environment where the reader is located.

[0134] In some examples, the area information of the reader further includes second indication information, which indicates a reporting mode of the area information. Exemplarily, the second indication information indicates that the reporting mode of the area information is automatic reporting (mode), manual reporting (mode) or mixed reporting (mode). That is, the second indication information indicates automatic reporting of the area information and / or manual reporting of the area information. "Automatic reporting" indicates that the reader can automatically report the area information according to a preset period, "manual reporting" indicates that the reader reports the area information under user operation, and "mixed reporting" indicates that the reader can automatically report the area information according to a preset period or report the area information under user operation.

[0135] In yet some examples, the area information can also be referred to as supported area information. Exemplarily, the area information is composed of mandatory items and auxiliary items. The mandatory items include but are not limited to: a TAC, a cell ID, a position coordinate of the reader, a coverage radius of the reader, an environment category where the reader is located, whether to enable / carry auxiliary information, a reporting / updating mode, etc. The auxiliary items include a number of parameters corresponding to an environment type and the parameters corresponding to the number.

[0136] In a possible implementation, the field indicating whether to start the auxiliary information and / or update mode can be indicated by the network device, i.e., the network device can indicate whether to start the auxiliary information and / or update mode. For example, the network device indicates the read-write device to start the auxiliary information, in which case, the first indication information in the area information sent by the read-write device to the network device represents that the auxiliary information is valid / available, indicating that the area information carries the auxiliary information and the auxiliary information is valid. For another example, the network device indicates the read-write device not to start the auxiliary information, in which case, the first indication information in the area information sent by the read-write device to the network device represents that the auxiliary information is invalid, indicating that the area information carries the auxiliary information but the auxiliary information is invalid / unavailable. For another example, the network device indicates the read-write device to report the mode / update mode as automatic reporting, and the read-write device automatically sends the area information to the network device according to a preset period of automatic reporting or a preset period indicated by the network device. For another example, the network device indicates the read-write device to report the mode / update mode as manual reporting, and the read-write device sends the area information to the network device only under manual operation of a user. For another example, the network device indicates the read-write device to report the mode / update mode as hybrid reporting, and the read-write device can automatically send the area information according to a preset period or send the area information to the network device under manual operation of a user.

[0137] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 is a format of area information provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the format shown in Figure 4 , the area information is composed of the following fields: TAC, cell ID, position, category, first indication information, second indication information, parameter number L, and L parameters: parameter 0, …, parameter L-1, where L is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the meaning of each field is as follows:

[0138] TAC: refers to the TAC in which the read-write device is located, and the TAC is a code unique in the network of an operator and used to identify a specific tracking area, and the network manages the paging of user equipment in an idle state through the TAC. The TAC occupies N0 bits.

[0139] cell ID: refers to the cell where the reader is located, and the cell ID is a number used to uniquely identify a specific coverage area of an access network device (e.g., a base station) in a cellular network. It can be understood that in a cellular network, a geographical area is divided into countless small, continuous areas, each of which is covered by a sector of an access network device (e.g., a base station), and this independent coverage area is referred to as a "cell". The cell ID is a unique identifier of the cell, for example, it is unique within the operator network, and the network can locate a certain radio frequency coverage area based on the cell ID. The cell ID occupies N1 bits.

[0140] Position coordinates: refer to the longitude and latitude information where the reader is located. The longitude and latitude information includes longitude and latitude. The longitude is equivalent to the X-axis on the map, indicating the east-west direction position; the latitude is equivalent to the Y-axis on the map, indicating the south-north direction position. The position coordinates occupy N2 bits.

[0141] Coverage radius: refers to the size of the range that can be covered by the reader, that is, the maximum distance from the reader as the center at which the signal can effectively identify and communicate with the A-IoT device. Exemplarily, the range that can be covered by the reader can be represented as a circular area. The coverage radius occupies N3 bits.

[0142] Environment category: refers to the environment classification in which the reader is located. The environment classification can be divided differently according to the situation. For example, the environment category includes but is not limited to: indoor storage, such as indoor small storage unit / storage compartment / office building; open storage / office area; outdoor area, such as outdoor dense building area, outdoor open area / country; special scene-forest; special scene-mine / tunnel; special scene-aircraft. In some examples, different environment categories are associated with different auxiliary information, and the details can be referred to Table 1 below. The environment category occupies N4 bits.

[0143] The first indication information indicates whether to start / carry auxiliary information. Exemplarily, the first indication information occupies 1 bit (bit). In the case where the value of the 1 bit is 0, the first indication information represents that the region information does not carry auxiliary information; in the case where the value of the 1 bit is 1, the first indication information represents that the region information carries auxiliary information.

[0144] The second indication information indicates a reporting / updating mode of the area information. Exemplarily, the second indication information occupies 1 bit, and the second indication information is used in combination with whether the auxiliary information is started. In some examples, in the case where the auxiliary information is not started, an automatic updating mode is used; in the case where the auxiliary information is started, when the value of the 1 bit is 0, the second indication information represents that the updating mode is a hybrid updating mode (automatic and manual), and when the value of the 1 bit is 1, the second indication information represents that the updating mode is an automatic updating mode.

[0145] The parameter number L indicates the number L of parameters corresponding to the environment type in the auxiliary information, and the field can be followed by optional parameters. The parameter number occupies N5 bits.

[0146] The parameters 0 to L-1 indicate the parameters corresponding to the environment type, which are directly related to the environment category, and different environment categories correspond to different parameters. The parameters occupy N 5,j,i bits, and j in N 5,j,i bits represents the environment category number, and i in N 5,j,i bits represents the parameter number under the environment category number, and j and i are positive integers. For example, N 5,0, 0 bits represents the parameter number 0 under the environment category number 0; and N 5,1,3 3 bits represents the parameter number 3 under the environment category number 1.

[0147] Please refer to Table 1, which exemplarily shows the correspondence between different environment types and different parameters. It should be noted that the content shown in Table 1 can be adaptively increased, deleted or adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0148] Table 1

[0149]

[0150] In a possible implementation, the reporting manner of the read-write device reporting the area information to the network device is related to the field of "whether to start / carry auxiliary information (i.e., the first indication information)" and the field of "reporting / updating mode (i.e., the second indication information)" in the area information. For example, in the case that the value of the field of "whether to start / carry auxiliary information (i.e., the first indication information)" is 0, it indicates that the auxiliary information is not started / carried, and the reporting / updating mode (i.e., the second indication information) is invalid, and the area information is reported / updated automatically by default. In the case that the value of the field of "whether to start / carry auxiliary information (i.e., the first indication information)" is 1, it indicates that the auxiliary information is started / carried, and if the value of the field of the reporting / updating mode (i.e., the second indication information) is 0, it indicates that the area information is reported / updated automatically; if the value of the field of the reporting / updating mode (i.e., the second indication information) is 1, it indicates that the area information can be reported in a manual manner in the automatic reporting / updating mode.

[0151] In some examples, when the auxiliary information is not enabled, the read-write device sends a first message to the network device according to a preset period, the first message includes the area information of the read-write device, and the first indication information in the area information indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid. In this example, the network device receives the first message in the preset period, i.e., the network device receives the first message periodically.

[0152] In yet some examples, the network device does not receive the first message from the read-write device in a preset period, and the network device sends a first request message to the read-write device, the request message being used to request the first message. After receiving the first request message, the read-write device sends the first message to the network device in response to the first request message, the first message including the area information of the read-write device, and the first indication information in the area information indicating that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0153] In yet some examples, when the auxiliary information is not enabled, the read-write device has a location awareness capability, and in the case that the location of the read-write device moves from a first coordinate to a second coordinate, it indicates that the location of the read-write device changes, and the read-write device sends a first message to the network device. The first message includes the area information of the read-write device, and the first indication information in the area information indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0154] In yet some examples, when the auxiliary information is enabled, and the reporting mode of the read-write device is automatic reporting, the read-write device sends a first message to the network device according to a preset period, the first message including the area information of the read-write device, the first indication information in the area information indicating that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the area information indicating that the area information is reported automatically. In this example, the network device receives the first message in the preset period, i.e., the network device receives the first message periodically.

[0155] In yet some examples, if the assistance information is enabled, and the reporting mode of the reader is the mixed reporting (including manual reporting). The reader can manually report the first message according to the environment, i.e., the reader sends the first message in response to a first user operation, wherein the first message includes the area information of the reader, the first indication information in the area information indicates that the assistance information is valid, and the second indication information indicates that the area information is manually reported.

[0156] In summary, the automatic reporting mode needs to meet at least one of the following conditions: (1) the assistance information is not enabled; (2) the assistance information is enabled and the automatic update / reporting mode is used; (3) the assistance information is enabled and the mixed update mode is used. The mixed reporting mode needs to meet the following condition: the assistance information is enabled and the mixed reporting mode is used. For example, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 is an interactive flowchart of a reader reporting area information provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5 , the network device includes an access network device (such as a base station) and a core network device (such as an A-IoTF), and the reporting flow includes the following:

[0157] 1. When the reader is activated, the reader sets a timer timer1 to T1 and starts timing. At the same time or thereafter, the reader sends a first message including the area information of the reader to the core network A-IoTF through the base station. Correspondingly, the core network A-IoTF sets a timer timer2 to T2 and starts timing after receiving the area information.

[0158] 2. If the timer timer1 on the reader side reaches the timing moment, the reader resets the timer timer1 to T1 and starts timing again. At the same time or thereafter, the reader sends the area information to the core network A-IoTF through the base station, i.e., the reader periodically sends the area information to the core network A-IoTF through the base station. Correspondingly, the A-IoTF can periodically receive the reported area information, and when the area information reported by the reader arrives before T2 ends, i.e., after receiving the area information, the A-IoTF resets the timer timer2 and starts timing again.

[0159] 3. If the timer timer2 of the core network A-IoTF reaches the timing moment T2, but has not received the area information reported by the reader, the timer timer2 is reset and timing is started again. Then the A-IoTF sends a reporting request instruction (i.e., the first request message described above) to the reader through the base station, requesting the reader to report the area information.

[0160] 4. Before the expiration of T1, the reader receives the reporting request instruction, resets the timer timerl to T1 and starts the timer. Meanwhile or after that, the reader sends the area information to the core network A-IoTF through the base station. Correspondingly, after receiving the reported area information, the core network A-IoTF resets the timer timer2 and starts the timer.

[0161] 5. In the automatic periodic reporting process, before the expiration of T1, the reader detects the location change, resets the timer timerl to T1 and starts the timer. Meanwhile or after that, the reader sends the area information to the core network A-IoTF through the base station. Correspondingly, after receiving the reported area information, the core network A-IoTF resets the timer timer2 and starts the timer.

[0162] 6. With the assistance of a person, the user can actively operate to report the area information of the reader when necessary (e.g., when the reader moves from one small compartment to another small compartment). That is, the reader resets the timer timerl to T1 and starts the timer in response to the user operation, and the reader sends the area information to the core network A-IoTF through the base station. Correspondingly, after receiving the reported area information, the core network A-IoTF resets the timer timer2 and starts the timer.

[0163] In some examples, the reader reports the area information in the automatic mode without the assistance of a person.

[0164] In yet some examples, the reader actively reports the area information when the mode of the reader changes.

[0165] Step S302: The network device determines M readers from the at least one reader based on the first message of the at least one reader.

[0166] It can be understood that the selection of the network device to the reader is related to the environment and regional characteristics of the reader. For example, in an indoor scene, the placement and selection of the reader are highly related to the environmental morphology and the internal layout of the building; in a high-density outdoor environment of a building group, the latitude, longitude and altitude information of the reader will affect the selection of the network device to the reader. Exemplarily, the network device can select M readers for performing A-IoT services from at least one reader based on a first message of the at least one reader, the first message comprising regional information of the reader, the regional information of the reader comprising first information, first indication information and auxiliary information, the first information comprising one or more of the following: position coordinates, a coverage radius and an environmental category, the first indication information indicating that the auxiliary information is valid or invalid, and the auxiliary information comprising parameters corresponding to the environmental category, the parameters corresponding to the environmental category indicating a position where the reader is located. In this example, the first message reported by the reader comprises information related to the environment where the reader is located, so that the reader can select M readers that can establish a connection with the A-IoT device according to the position coordinates, the coverage radius and the environmental type of the at least one reader. M is a positive integer.

[0167] For example, please refer to Figure 6A and Figure 6B , Figure 6A and Figure 6B are another scenario for selecting a reader provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6A and Figure 6B , the communication system includes a radio access network 2012 (as shown by the dashed part in Figure 6A and Figure 6B ) and a core network 2022. Exemplarily, the radio access network 2012 includes at least one access network device 201, at least one reader 102a-102d and at least one A-IoT device 101a-101m. As shown in Figure 6A and Figure 6B , the reader 102a and the reader 102b are respectively distributed outside the warehouse compartment, and the reader 102c and the reader 102d are respectively distributed inside the warehouse compartment; the at least one A-IoT device 101a-101m is respectively distributed in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2.

[0168] In some examples, Figure 6AThe read-write device 102a~102d respectively sends a first message to the core network 2022 through the access network device 201, the first message includes area information of the read-write device, the area information includes first information and first indication information, the first information includes location coordinates, coverage radius and environment type (such as warehouse unit), and the first indication information represents that the auxiliary information is invalid. The A-IoT F of the core network 2022 can determine the communication coverage range 1021 of the read-write device 102a, the communication coverage range 1031 of the read-write device 102b, the communication coverage range 1041 of the read-write device 102c and the communication coverage range 1051 of the read-write device 102d based on the location coordinates and the coverage radius corresponding to the read-write device 102a~102d respectively. When performing the A-IoT service, for example, the A-IoT service is to collect information of the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2, since the communication coverage range 1021 of the read-write device 102a and the communication coverage range 1031 of the read-write device 102b do not cover the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2, the A-IoT F of the core network 2022 does not select the read-write device 102a and the read-write device 102b as the read-write device for performing the A-IoT service. Since the communication coverage range 1041 of the read-write device 102c and the communication coverage range 1051 of the read-write device 102d can cover the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2 respectively, the A-IoT F of the core network 2022 can randomly select the read-write device 102c or the read-write device 102d as the read-write device for performing the A-IoT service. As can be seen, the auxiliary information in the area information reported by the read-write device is invalid, that is, the network side does not know the specific environment where the read-write device is located, and then a read-write device can be randomly selected based on the coverage range.

[0169] In this example, the read-write device 102c is selected as the read-write device for performing the A-IoT service, for example, the communication range of the read-write device 102c can cover the A-IoT device 101a~101g in the warehouse compartment 2, but since the existence of the partition of the warehouse compartment and the transmission power of the A-IoT device is relatively low, the read-write device 102c can not receive the message returned by the A-IoT device 101a~101g in the warehouse compartment 2. In this case, the read-write device 102d needs to be selected again as the read-write device to collect the information of the A-IoT device 101a~101g in the warehouse compartment 2.

[0170] In still other examples, Figure 6BThe read-write device 102a~102d shown respectively sends a first message to the core network 2022 through the access network device 201, the first message includes the area information of the read-write device, the area information includes the first information, the first indication information and the auxiliary information, the first information includes the position coordinates, the coverage radius and the environment type (such as a warehouse unit), the first indication information represents carrying the auxiliary information, and the auxiliary information includes the parameters corresponding to the environment category, and the parameters corresponding to the environment category indicate the position (such as the compartment serial number of the warehouse unit) where the read-write device is located. Based on the position coordinates, the coverage radius and the environment type corresponding to the parameters corresponding to the read-write device 102a~102d respectively corresponding to the A-IoT F of the core network 2022, the communication coverage range 1021 of the read-write device 102a and the communication coverage range 1031 of the read-write device 102b located outside the compartment, the communication coverage range 1041 of the read-write device 102c and the communication coverage range 1051 of the read-write device 102d located in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2 can be determined. When performing the A-IoT service, for example, the A-IoT service is to collect the information of the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2, because the communication coverage range 1021 of the read-write device 102a and the communication coverage range 1031 of the read-write device 102b do not cover the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2, the A-IoT F of the core network 2022 does not select the read-write device 102a and the read-write device 102b as the read-write device for performing the A-IoT service. Because the communication coverage range 1041 of the read-write device 102c and the communication coverage range 1051 of the read-write device 102d can cover the A-IoT device 101a~101m in the warehouse compartment 1 and the warehouse compartment 2 respectively, and the read-write device 102c is located in the warehouse compartment 1, and the read-write device 102d is located in the warehouse compartment 2. Because the transmission power of the A-IoT device is relatively low, the read-write device 102c located in the warehouse compartment 1 cannot receive the messages returned by the A-IoT device 101a~101g in the warehouse compartment 2, and then the receiving coverage range 1042 of the read-write device 102c can be determined; similarly, the read-write device 102d located in the warehouse compartment 2 cannot receive the messages returned by the A-IoT device 101h~101m in the warehouse compartment 1, and then the receiving coverage range 1052 of the read-write device 102d can be determined. Therefore, in order to complete the information collection of the A-IoT device 101a~101m, the A-IoT F of the core network 2022 can select the read-write device 102c and the read-write device 102d as the read-write device for performing the A-IoT service. In this example, the read-write device reports the area information carrying the auxiliary information, that is, the network side knows the specific environment where the read-write device is located, and then the network side can accurately select the read-write device, which can effectively improve the efficiency of device inventory and instruction execution in the A-IoT scene.

[0171] Step S303: The network device sends a second message, which instructs the execution of an environment-specific Internet of Things (A-IoT) service. Correspondingly, the reader receives this second message.

[0172] For example, after determining the M readers to perform A-IoT services, the network device sends a second message to each of the M readers, the second message instructing the M readers to perform A-IoT services.

[0173] It should be understood that the steps in the above-described method embodiments provided in this application can be implemented by integrated logic circuits in the processor hardware or by instructions in software form. The method steps disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0174] This application divides the communication device into functional modules according to the above-described method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The following will combine... Figure 7 and Figure 8 The communication device of the embodiments of this application is described in detail.

[0175] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 70 includes a processing module 701 and a transceiver module 702. The transceiver module 702 can implement corresponding communication functions; for example, the transceiver module 702 can also be called an interface, communication interface, or communication module. The processing module 701 is used for data processing, such as generating information. The transceiver module 702 can have its own control logic or can perform corresponding operations under the control of the processing module 701. In some embodiments of this application, the communication device 70 can be used to perform the actions performed by the sending end in the above method embodiments. For example, the sending end can be the device itself or a chip or functional module configurable in the device. The transceiver module 702 is used to perform operations related to information transmission and reception in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 701 is used to perform operations related to data processing in the above method embodiments. The processing module 701 can perform corresponding operations by calling a computer program or by performing corresponding operations through corresponding hardware circuits. The transceiver module 702 can perform transmission and reception operations independently or perform corresponding transmission and reception operations under the control of the processing module 701.

[0176] For example, Figure 7The communication device 70 can be a reader / writer or a component in a reader / writer. The processing module 701 and the transceiver module 702 in the communication device can perform the following operations, respectively:

[0177] Optionally, the processing module 701 is configured to generate the first message.

[0178] The transceiver module 702 is configured to send the first message to the network device, where the first message includes the area information of the reader / writer, and the area information of the reader / writer includes the first information, the first indication information, and the auxiliary information. The first information includes one or more of the following: a position coordinate, a coverage radius, and an environment category. The first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid or invalid. The auxiliary information includes a parameter corresponding to the environment category, and the parameter indicates a position where the reader / writer is located.

[0179] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to send the first message according to a first preset period, where the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0180] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to receive a first request message, where the first request message is used to request an area message; and send the first message to the network device, where the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0181] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to send the first message in a case where a position of the reader / writer moves from a first coordinate to a second coordinate, where the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0182] In another possible implementation, the area information of the reader / writer further includes second indication information, where the second indication information indicates automatic reporting of the area information and / or manual reporting of the area information.

[0183] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to send the first message according to a first preset period, where the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message indicates automatic reporting of the area information.

[0184] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to send the first message in response to a first user operation, where the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message indicates manual reporting of the area information.

[0185] Multiplexing Figure 7 In some embodiments of the present application, exemplary, Figure 7The communication device 70 can be a network device or a component of a network device. The processing module 701 and the transceiver module 702 in the communication device 70 can perform the following operations, respectively.

[0186] The transceiver module 702 is configured to receive a first message from at least one reader-writer, where the first message of the at least one reader-writer includes area information corresponding to the at least one reader-writer respectively, and the area information includes first information, first indication information, and auxiliary information. The first information includes one or more of the following: a position coordinate, a coverage radius, and an environment category. The first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid or invalid. The auxiliary information includes a parameter corresponding to the environment category, and the parameter indicates a position where the reader-writer is located.

[0187] The processing module 701 is configured to determine M reader-writers from the at least one reader-writer based on the first message of the at least one reader-writer, where M is a positive integer.

[0188] The transceiver module 702 is configured to send a second message to the M reader-writers, where the second message instructs the M reader-writers to perform an A-IoT (ambient Internet of Things) service.

[0189] In a possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to receive the first message from the at least one reader-writer within a first preset period, where the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0190] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to send a first request message to the at least one reader-writer, where the first request message is used to request the area information.

[0191] The first message is received from the at least one reader-writer, where the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

[0192] In another possible implementation, the area information of the reader-writer further includes second indication information, where the second indication information indicates automatic reporting of the area information and / or manual reporting of the area.

[0193] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 702 is specifically configured to receive the first message from the at least one reader-writer within a first preset period, where the first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message of the at least one reader-writer indicates automatic reporting of the area information or manual reporting of the area information.

[0194] The specific description of the transceiver module and the processing module in each of the above embodiments is only an example. For the specific function or executed steps of the transceiver module and the processing module, reference can be made to the above method embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0195] The communication device of the embodiment of the present application is introduced above. The possible product forms of the communication device are introduced below. Any product form with the function of the communication device described above falls within the protection scope of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 7

[0196] The following introduction is only an example, which does not limit the product form of the communication device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0197] In a possible implementation manner, Figure 7 In the communication device shown in FIG. 8, the processing module 701 can be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 702 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 702 can also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver, and the sending module and the receiving module are integrated in one device, for example, a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, and the connection manner of the processor and the transceiver is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of outputting the above information by the processor. When the above information is outputted, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver, so as to be transmitted by the transceiver. After the above information is outputted by the processor, it can also need to be processed, and then reaches the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of receiving the inputted above information by the processor. When the processor receives the inputted information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it to the processor. In addition, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information can need to be processed, and then inputted to the processor.

[0198] As shown in FIG. 8, Figure 8 Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of another communication device provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 80 includes one or more processors 820 and a transceiver 810. Illustratively, the transceiver 810 is used to execute the function or step implemented by the transceiver module 702 as shown in FIG. 7, and the processor 820 is used to execute the function or step implemented by the processing module 701 as shown in FIG. 7. Figure 7 Figure 7 ​​​The transceiver 810 can have processing logic built-in or can perform relevant operations under the control of the processor 820. Optionally, the communication device 80 can further include a memory 830, which can store computer programs. The processor 820 can perform some operations, such as generating the first message, generating the second message, and the like, by invoking the computer programs stored in the memory 830. For a detailed description of the processor 820 and the transceiver 810, reference can be made to the description of the processor 620 and the transceiver 620 of the communication device 60 shown in FIG. 6. Figure 7 or the method embodiments shown above, which will not be described here again. In each of the above embodiments, the related steps and information can be referred to the description of the method embodiments above, which will not be described here again. In Figure 8 In each of the above implementations of the communication device, the transceiver can include a receiver for performing the function (or operation) of receiving and a transmitter for performing the function (or operation) of transmitting. The transceiver can be configured to communicate with other devices / apparatuses via a transmission medium.

[0199] Optionally, the communication device 80 can be a chip or an integrated circuit when implemented.

[0200] The present application further provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in the method performed by the reader or the network device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0201] In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which can be located inside or outside the processor.

[0202] The chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0203] Optionally, the processor in the chip system can be one or more. The processor can be implemented by hardware or software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or the like. When implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which can implement the functions by reading software codes stored in the memory.

[0204] Optionally, the memory in the chip system can also be one or more. The memory can be integrated with the processor or can be separately arranged from the processor, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the memory can be a non-transient processor, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated on the same chip as the processor or can be separately arranged on different chips. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the memory or the arrangement of the memory and the processor.

[0205] Exemplarily, the chip system can be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), can be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), can also be a system on chip (SoC), can also be a central processor unit (CPU), can also be a network processor (NP), can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), can also be a micro controller unit (MCU), can also be a programmable logic device (PLD) or other integrated chip.

[0206] The present application also provides a computer program product, which comprises a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction), which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method executed by the reader or the network device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0207] The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction). When the computer program is executed, it causes a computer to perform the method executed by the communication node, or the access network device, or the core network device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0208] The embodiments of the present application can be combined in any manner to achieve different technical effects.

[0209] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments are performed. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, user equipment or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center through wired or wireless manner. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by the computer or data storage device such as server, data center and the like integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media, such as floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape; optical media, such as digital video disc; semiconductor media, such as solid state disk. The computer readable storage medium can be volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile storage media.

[0210] In various embodiments of the present application, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0211] In the description of the present application, the words "first", "second", "S301", or "S302" and the like are only used for the purpose of distinguishing the description and the context of the writing, and the different order numbers themselves do not have specific technical meanings, cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the execution order of operation, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a reader / writer, characterized in that, The method is applied to a reader / writer, and the method includes: A first message is sent to the network device, wherein the first message includes the area information of the reader / writer. The area information of the reader / writer includes first information, first indication information, and auxiliary information. The first information includes one or more of the following: location coordinates, coverage radius, and environment category. The first indication information indicates whether the auxiliary information is valid or invalid. The auxiliary information includes parameters corresponding to the environment category, and the parameters corresponding to the environment category indicate the location of the reader / writer. The environment category includes one or more of the following: indoor storage; open storage; outdoor area; forest; mine; tunnel; flight environment. Wherein, when the first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, the network device is used to determine the reader / writer for executing the environment IoT A-IoT service based on the parameters corresponding to the environment type in the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sending the first message to the network device includes: The first message is sent to the network device according to a first preset period, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Sending the first message to the network device includes: Receive a first request message, the first request message being used to request the area information; The first message is sent to the network device, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sending the first message to the network device includes: When the position of the reader / writer moves from the first coordinate to the second coordinate, the first message is sent to the network device, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reader's area information also includes second indication information, which indicates that the area information is automatically reported and / or manually reported.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Sending the first message to the network device includes: The first message is sent to the network device according to a first preset period, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message indicates that the area information is automatically reported.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, Sending the first message to the network device includes: In response to a first user operation, the first message is sent to the network device, wherein the first indication information in the first message indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and the second indication information in the first message indicates that the area information is manually reported.

8. A method for selecting a reader / writer, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: Receive a first message from at least one reader / writer, wherein the first message includes area information of the reader / writer, the area information including first information, first indication information, and auxiliary information, the first information including one or more of the following: location coordinates, coverage radius, and environment category, the first indication information indicating whether the auxiliary information is valid or invalid, the auxiliary information including parameters corresponding to the environment category, the parameters corresponding to the environment category indicating the location of the reader / writer, the environment category including one or more of the following: indoor storage; open storage; outdoor area; forest; mine; tunnel; flight environment; When the first indication information indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, M readers are determined from the at least one reader based on the parameters corresponding to the environment category in the first message of the at least one reader, where M is a positive integer; A second message is sent to the M readers, the second message instructing the M readers to perform environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) services.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The receiving of a first message from at least one reader / writer includes: A first message is received from the at least one reader within a first preset period, wherein a first indication information in the first message from the at least one reader indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The receiving of a first message from at least one reader / writer includes: Send a first request message to the at least one reader / writer, wherein the first request message is used to request the area information; A first message is received from the at least one reader / writer, wherein a first indication information in the first message from the at least one reader / writer indicates that the auxiliary information is invalid.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The reader's area information also includes second indication information, which indicates that the area information is automatically reported and / or manually reported.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The receiving of a first message from at least one reader / writer includes: Within a first preset period, a first message is received from the at least one reader / writer, wherein a first indication information in the first message of the at least one reader / writer indicates that the auxiliary information is valid, and a second indication information in the first message of the at least one reader / writer indicates that the area information is automatically reported or the area information is manually reported.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, in: The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; or, a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program, which, when executed, performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes the apparatus as described in claim 13.

16. A computer program product containing instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on an electronic device, it causes the electronic device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

17. A chip system, characterized in that, Including the processor; The processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to cause a device having the chip system mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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