Communication methods and related apparatuses

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and related device, and applies to the technical field of communication. In the embodiment of the application, the access network device can pre-screen the position of the reader-writer according to the reader-writer list and area information in the inventory request issued by the core network device, and flexibly determine whether the reader-writer exceeding the time period threshold needs to be paged or the current reader-writer is selected according to the actual situation. The scheme can effectively prevent the occurrence of the error of the position information of the reader-writer or the change of the position of the reader-writer through the pre-screening of the position information of the reader-writer, thereby guaranteeing the effective use of resources and the smooth execution of the inventory business.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and related devices. Background Technology

[0002] In ambient IoT (A-IoT), due to the large number of terminal devices, the core network and base stations need to appropriately select terminal devices to enable their reader / writer functions to prevent conflicts and resource waste. Currently, it has been determined that the A-IoT function (AIOTF) in the core network obtains relevant information about the base stations (e.g., supported areas, a list of base station reader / writer identifiers, and the location of base station readers / writers for each service) through the operation administration and maintenance (OAM) system.

[0003] In some implementations, AIOTF sends the A-IoT service request to the selected next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) node (optionally including RAN area information derived from a list of supported areas and / or RAN reader identifiers that maps target area information) to assist the NG-RAN node in selecting a RAN reader, either directly or through the selected access and mobility management function (AMF). If multiple NG-RAN nodes are selected, AIOTF sends the A-IoT service request along with its corresponding RAN area information and / or RAN reader identifier list to the selected NG-RAN node. If AIOTF does not provide RAN area information or a RAN reader identifier list to the NG-RAN node in the A-IoT service request, the NG-RAN node can use all available RAN readers.

[0004] After receiving the region and reader list from the core network, how to select readers within a specified region and from the reader list, and how to prevent errors in reader location information or changes in reader location, are hot topics of research for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and related devices that can effectively prevent errors in the location information of the reader or changes in the location of the reader, thereby ensuring the effective use of resources and successfully achieving the purpose of performing inventory operations.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method applicable to access network devices in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT). These access network devices can be, for example, base stations or communication modules within base stations (wherein the modules in the base station include communication modules and computing modules), or circuits or chips in the base station responsible for communication functions (such as modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips containing modem cores, or system-in-package (SIP) chips). Alternatively, the base station can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the independent network element functions. The method includes: receiving a first message from at least one reader / writer, wherein the first message from the first reader / writer includes location information of the first reader / writer, and the first reader / writer is any one of the at least one readers / writers.

[0007] Report the location information of at least one reader / writer to the core network device in the IoT environment;

[0008] Receive a second message from the core network device, wherein the second message includes information about a first list and a first region, the first list being determined based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, and the first region being a region specified by the core network device;

[0009] Based on the coverage area of ​​the first region and the readers in the first list, at least one target reader is determined;

[0010] Trigger the at least one target reader to store the environmental IoT devices in the first area.

[0011] In this embodiment, the access network device in the environmental IoT reports location information from at least one reader to the core network device in the environmental IoT. The core network device can use the OAM system to maintain a reader list based on the location information of at least one reader. Then, the access network device can pre-screen the reader locations based on the reader list and area information in the inventory request issued by the core network device, flexibly determining whether to page readers exceeding the time period threshold or select the current reader based on the actual situation. After performing the pre-screening operation, the device prioritizes readers with higher overlap between the actual coverage area of ​​the access reader and the target area, until the overlap between the target area and the coverage area of ​​the readers in the reader list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, triggering the target reader to perform inventory operations. This solution effectively prevents errors in reader location information or changes in reader location by pre-screening the reader location information, thereby ensuring efficient resource utilization and smooth execution of inventory operations.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of the at least one target reader and the coverage area of ​​the first region is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold.

[0013] In the above implementation, the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the area of ​​the first region is defined by an index ratio. Only when the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the area of ​​the first region is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold can at least one target reader be triggered to inventory and count the environmental IoT devices in the first region. This solution uses an index ratio to filter readers in the first list, which can effectively improve the accuracy of identifying at least one target reader.

[0014] In another possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0015] In another possible implementation, the first message of the first reader / writer also includes the identification information of the first reader / writer and the update time of the location of the first reader / writer, wherein the update time of the location of the first reader / writer is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader / writer is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

[0016] In the above implementation, the first message of the first reader / writer is defined in one possible way. For example, the first message of the first reader / writer may also include the identification information of the first reader / writer and the update time of the first reader / writer's location, which can be used to more accurately determine whether the location of the first reader / writer needs to be updated. In this way, by pre-screening the location information of the reader / writer, it is possible to effectively prevent errors in the location information of the reader / writer or changes in the location of the reader / writer.

[0017] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the position of the first reader in the first list is less than or equal to a first preset time, then the position of the first reader is not updated;

[0018] If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader is greater than the first preset time, a paging message is sent to the first reader to update the location of the first reader.

[0019] In the above implementation, the access network device can determine whether the time period threshold has been exceeded based on the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader in the first list. This allows for flexible determination of whether the location of the reader needs to be updated, effectively preventing errors in the location information of the reader or changes in the location of the reader. This provides support for the subsequent successful selection of readers capable of performing inventory management services.

[0020] In yet another possible implementation, determining at least one target reader based on the coverage area of ​​the first region and the readers in the first list includes:

[0021] The first operation is executed iteratively until the overlap between the range of the updated first region and the coverage range of the readers in the updated first list is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0022] The first operation includes:

[0023] Based on the union of the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list, determine the degree of overlap between the coverage range of each reader and the range of the first region.

[0024] Select the second reader / writer that has the highest overlap with the range of the first area;

[0025] The coverage area of ​​the second reader is removed from the first region to obtain an updated first region, and the second reader is removed from the first list to obtain an updated first list;

[0026] The second reader selected through the first operation is the target reader.

[0027] In the above implementation, for the readers in the first list issued by the core network device, the operation of determining the target reader based on the overlap between the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list is executed cyclically until the overlap between the updated range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the updated first list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, at which point the reader selection process ends. This solution not only effectively prevents errors in reader location information or changes in reader location, but also improves the efficiency of the access network device in determining the target reader for performing inventory management services.

[0028] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: after traversing the readers in the first list, if the overlap between the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list is less than a first preset threshold, determining whether the overlap between the coverage range of the readers outside the first region and the range of the first region is greater than the first preset threshold.

[0029] In the above implementation, if the union of the coverage areas of the readers in the first list cannot completely cover the area of ​​the first region after traversing the readers in the first list, the access network device can send a notification message to the core network device to promptly prompt the core network device to handle the abnormal situation and ensure that the inventory service can be executed smoothly.

[0030] In another possible implementation, determining whether the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than the first preset threshold includes:

[0031] If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, then the reader outside the first area is enabled.

[0032] If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is less than the first preset threshold, a third message is sent to the core network device, wherein the third message is used to request the core network device to handle the abnormal situation.

[0033] In the above implementation, if the union of the coverage ranges of the readers in the first list cannot completely cover the range of the first area, the access network device can check whether the overlap between the coverage range of the readers outside the first area and the range of the first area is greater than a first preset threshold, and flexibly select the corresponding solution according to different situations to ensure that the inventory service can be executed smoothly.

[0034] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to core network devices or communication modules within core network devices in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) (wherein, the modules within the core network device include communication modules and computing modules), or circuits or chips (such as modem chips, also known as baseband chips, or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores) responsible for communication functions within the core network device. Alternatively, the core network device can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of an independent communication device. The method includes: receiving location information from at least one reader / writer from an access network device in the environmental IoT; determining a first list based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, wherein the first list is used to match readers / writers of environmental IoT devices storing information in a first region, the first region being a region specified by the core network device; and sending a second message to the access network device, wherein the second message includes information from the first list and the first region.

[0035] In this embodiment, the access network device in the environmental IoT reports location information sent from at least one reader to the core network device in the environmental IoT. The core network device can use the OAM system to maintain a reader list based on the location information of at least one reader. This reader list can be used to match the readers of the environmental IoT devices in the first inventory area, thereby triggering the target reader to perform the inventory operation. This solution can effectively prevent errors in the reader's location information or changes in the reader's location, thus ensuring the effective utilization of resources and the smooth execution of the inventory operation.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0037] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a third message from the access network device, wherein the third message is used to request the core network device to handle an abnormal situation.

[0038] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method applicable to readers in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT). The reader can be, for example, a communication module in a base station or terminal device (wherein the module in the core network device includes a communication module and a computing module), or a circuit or chip responsible for communication functions in the base station or terminal device (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip). Alternatively, the reader can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of an independent communication device. The method includes: sending a first message to an access network device in the environmental IoT, wherein the first message includes the location information of the first reader, the location information of the first reader being used by the core network device in the environmental IoT to determine a first list, the first list being used to match readers for storing environmental IoT devices in a first area. If the first reader is a matching reader, then the environmental IoT devices in the first area are stored.

[0039] In this embodiment, a first reader / writer in the environmental IoT sends location information to an access network device in the environmental IoT. If the first reader / writer is matched with an environmental IoT device used for inventorying a first area, the access network device triggers the first reader / writer to perform the inventory operation. This solution ensures the smooth execution of the inventory operation.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0041] In another possible implementation, the first message may also include the identification information of the first reader and the update time of the location of the first reader, wherein the update time of the location of the first reader is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

[0042] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader / writer is greater than a first preset time, receiving a paging message from the access network device; and sending new location information to the access network device.

[0043] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can be used in an access network device in the Internet of Things environment of the first aspect. The access network device is, for example, a base station, or a device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the base station, or a device that can be matched with the base station, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the base station functions.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. These modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0045] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can be used in core network equipment in the Internet of Things environment of the second aspect, or in devices (e.g., chips, chip systems, or circuits) within core network equipment, or in devices that can be matched with core network equipment, or in logic modules or software that can implement all or part of the functions of core network equipment.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect one by one. These modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can be used as a reader in the Internet of Things environment of the third aspect. The reader may be, for example, a base station or a terminal device, or a device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in a base station or terminal device, or a device that can be matched with a base station or terminal device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of a base station or terminal device.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units that perform the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the third aspect one by one. These modules or units may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0049] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including at least one processor. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface. The communication interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the at least one processor is used to invoke a computer program stored in at least one memory to implement the method described in any of the embodiments of the first to third aspects.

[0050] In one possible implementation of the seventh aspect, the communication device further includes at least one of the aforementioned memories. Optionally, the memory and processor are integrated together.

[0051] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device including a logic circuit and an interface, the logic circuit and the interface being coupled; the interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the logic circuit is used for implementing the method described in any of the embodiments of the first to third aspects.

[0052] In one possible implementation of the eighth aspect, the communication device is a chip or chip system.

[0053] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes an access network device, a core network device, and a reader / writer in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT), wherein the access network device, the core network device, and the reader / writer are connected in communication.

[0054] The access network equipment is used to implement the method of any one of the first aspects, the core network equipment is used to implement the method of any one of the second aspects, and the reader / writer is used to implement the method of any one of the third aspects.

[0055] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions or a computer program; when the instructions or the computer program are executed, the method of any one of the embodiments of the first to third aspects is implemented.

[0056] In one aspect, this application provides a computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, can implement the methods described in any of the first to third aspects or any possible implementations thereof. Exemplarily, the computer program product can be a software installation package, which can be downloaded and executed on a computing device when the aforementioned methods are required.

[0057] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in the second to eleventh aspects of this application can be referred to the beneficial effects of the technical solutions in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0058] The accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network topology provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the network element function division and protocol layer structure of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating communication between a tag and a reader according to an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of a first area and the coverage area of ​​an access network device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0068] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the updating of the position information of readers in a first list provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a first operation provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of a first region and the coverage area of ​​a reader in a first list, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0071] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0073] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0074] The system architecture used in the embodiments of this application is described below. It should be noted that the system architecture and business scenarios described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0075] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems / new radio (NR) communication systems, or future mobile communication systems, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems may include wireless fidelity (WIFI), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, etc., and this application does not limit them.

[0076] For example, the communication system in this application embodiment includes a reader and a network device. Optionally, the communication system also includes one or more ambient IoT (A-IoT) devices.

[0077] Furthermore, the reader / writer can be a wireless access network device, a terminal device, a relay node, or an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, with one or more environmental IoT devices located within the coverage area provided by the reader / writer. It should be noted that the reader / writer involved in this embodiment can be a handheld or fixed device that reads (and sometimes writes) tag information, or it can be understood as a device that communicates with the tag. Its form can be a terminal, a base station, or a device with read / write capabilities, or it can be an IAB node or a relay node.

[0078] When the reader / writer is a base station and the network device is a core network device, the communication between the base station and one or more environmental IoT devices is through the AIOTUu interface, i.e., air interface communication. The base station and the core network device are connected through the NG-C interface, i.e., through the NG interface control plane protocol (NGAP) communication.

[0079] When the reader / writer is a terminal device, the communication between the terminal and one or more environmental IoT devices can also reuse the AIoTUu interface communication mechanism. The terminal device communicates with the base station through the NRUu air interface. Furthermore, the base station is connected to the core network device through NGAP, and the terminal device and the core network device communicate through NAS.

[0080] It should be noted that the core network equipment connecting the base station mentioned above can be an access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, a new AIoT function node, or a communication between an AMF network element and a new AIoT function node. This application does not impose any further limitations on this.

[0081] To provide a more intuitive understanding of the system architecture of the embodiments of this application, several network topology diagrams are provided below as examples:

[0082] Topology 1: Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a network topology provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown in (a), the reader communicates directly and bidirectionally with the base station.

[0083] Topology 2: such as Figure 1 As shown in (b), the intermediate node between the reader and the base station conducts bidirectional communication. In this topology, the intermediate node can be a repeater, IAB node, terminal device, or other node capable of realizing the Internet of Things (IoT) for the environment. The intermediate node transmits IoT data and / or signaling between the base station and the reader.

[0084] Topology 3: such as Figure 1 As shown in (c), the reader sends data / signaling to the base station and receives data / signaling from the auxiliary node; or the reader receives data / signaling from the base station and sends data / signaling to the auxiliary node. In this topology, the auxiliary node can be a repeater, IAB, UE, or other node capable of realizing environmental IoT.

[0085] Topology 4: such as Figure 1 As shown in (d), the reader communicates bidirectionally with the terminal device. The communication between the terminal device and the reader includes environmental IoT data and / or signaling.

[0086] The wireless communication system includes communication devices, which can communicate wirelessly with each other using air interface resources. These communication devices may include network devices, terminal devices, and network management devices; network devices may also be referred to as network-side devices. Network devices may be, for example, wireless access network devices, and network management devices may be, for example, core network devices, which will be explained in detail later. Air interface resources may include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code resources, and spatial resources. In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" may also be described as one or more, and vice versa. "Multiple" may be two, three, four, or more; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0087] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown in (a), the communication system includes an access network device 201 in the environmental Internet of Things (IoT), N environmental IoT devices 202, at least one reader / writer 203 in the environmental IoT, and a core network device 204 in the environmental IoT.

[0088] Optionally, the access network device 201, the N environmental IoT devices 202, and at least one reader / writer 203 can be of the same type or different types of devices.

[0089] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown in (b), the access network device 201 is the first base station, N environmental IoT devices 202 are the second base station, and at least one reader / writer 203 is the third base station.

[0090] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown in (c), the access network device 201 is the first base station, N environmental IoT devices 202 are the first terminal devices, and at least one reader / writer 203 is the second terminal device.

[0091] In this embodiment of the application, the architecture of the communication system will be described in detail, taking the access network device 201 as the base station, N environmental IoT devices 202 as the first terminal devices, and at least one reader / writer 203 as the second terminal device.

[0092] It is understood that, in the case where the communication system includes only one access network device 201, one environmental IoT device 202, and one reader / writer 203, the communication system only shows one first base station, one first terminal device, and one second terminal device. In actual use, an architecture of at least one first base station and / or at least one first terminal device and / or at least one second terminal device can be adopted as needed (e.g., Figure 2 (The architecture shown in (a)).

[0093] For example, in Figure 3 The communication system shown includes one access network device and multiple terminal devices, or multiple access network devices and one terminal device. A single access network device can send data and / or information to one or more terminal devices, and correspondingly, multiple access network devices can simultaneously send data and / or information to a single terminal device.

[0094] It is understood that, in the case of the communication system including an access network device 201, an environmental IoT device 202, a reader / writer 203 and a core network device 204, the communication system shows two terminal devices, one network device and one network management device. In actual use, an architecture of at least one terminal device and / or at least one network device and / or at least one network management device can be adopted as needed.

[0095] In this system, the terminal device connects to the network device wirelessly, and the network device connects to the network management device wirelessly or via a wired connection. The network management device and the network device can be separate physical devices, or the functions of the network management device and the logical functions of the network device can be integrated into a single physical device. Alternatively, a single physical device can integrate some of the functions of the network management device and some of the functions of the network device. The terminal device can be fixed in location or mobile. It should be noted that... Figure 2 This is merely a schematic diagram of one possible communication system, which may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number of network management devices, network devices, and terminal devices included in the mobile communication system. In the embodiments of this application, the term "wireless communication" may also be abbreviated as "communication," and the term "communication" may also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0096] Furthermore, communication between network devices and terminal devices, as well as between terminal devices, can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication between network devices and terminal devices, as well as between terminal devices, can be conducted using spectrum below 6th generation (6G), spectrum above 6G, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used between network devices and terminal devices.

[0097] The embodiments of this application can be applied to downlink signal transmission, uplink signal transmission, and device-to-device (D2D) signal transmission. For downlink signal transmission, the transmitting device is a network device, and the corresponding receiving device is a terminal device. For uplink signal transmission, the transmitting device is a terminal device, and the corresponding receiving device is a network device. For D2D signal transmission, both the transmitting and receiving devices are terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the direction of signal transmission.

[0098] In this application embodiment, the terminal device involved may include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities. Please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system includes a wireless access network 300 and a core network 400. Optionally, the communication system may also include an Internet 500.

[0099] The wireless access network 300 may include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. For example, the wireless access network 300 includes two network devices, network element 310a and network element 310b, and terminal devices such as network elements 320a to 320j. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The network architecture shown is merely an example; the number of terminal devices and / or network devices may be fewer or more. The communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the communication system to which the embodiments of this application apply. For example, the communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, etc. (in...) Figure 3 (Not shown in the image).

[0100] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems as network architectures evolve. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc., in the embodiments can be replaced with corresponding devices, components, modules, etc., in other communication systems, without limitation.

[0101] exist Figure 3The terminal equipment shown can also be called user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., or it can be a device used to provide voice or data connectivity to users, or it can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device. For example, terminal equipment includes handheld devices with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted devices, etc. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, smart glasses, etc.), in-vehicle equipment (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, stations (STAs), point-of-sale (POS) machines, relays, customer-premises equipment (CPEs), light user equipment (UEs), reduced capability user equipment (REDCAP UEs), wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as robot vacuums, speakers, set-top boxes, refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), smart robots, robotic arms, cameras, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, and smart grids. Wireless terminals can be used in various applications, including wireless terminals in grids, transportation security, smart cities, smart homes, and flying equipment (e.g., intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes). Terminal devices can also be vehicle-mounted devices, such as complete vehicle units, vehicle modules, vehicle chips, on-board units (OBUs), or telematics boxes (T-BOXs). Furthermore, terminal devices can be other devices with terminal functions; for example, they can be devices that function as terminals in D2D communication.

[0102] The electronic tags involved in this application embodiment can also be referred to as terminal devices. Electronic tags are radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and in this application embodiment, they are also referred to as AIoT devices. RFID technology can be divided into three types: active, passive, and semi-active. Tag types can also be divided into passive tags, semi-passive tags, and active tags. Passive and semi-passive tags here use a backscatter-based communication method, while active tags use an actively generated carrier technology. Tag types can be classified based on whether they use a backscatter-based communication method, whether they have energy storage capabilities, or a combination of both.

[0103] Currently, two types of devices have been proposed for investigation in the prior art: microwatt-level power consumption tags and microwatt-level power consumption tags. Microwatt-level power consumption tags have energy storage, an initial sampling frequency deviation of 10^X (typically understood as X=4 or 5), and no uplink or downlink amplifiers; uplink transmission is based on reflection transmission using an externally provided carrier. Microwatt-level power consumption tags also have energy storage, an initial sampling frequency deviation of 10^X (typically understood as X=4 or 5), and have uplink or downlink amplifiers, or amplifiers for both. Uplink transmission can be initiated by the terminal or based on backscatter transmission using an external carrier. All of the devices mentioned above are applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system, such as a water meter or electricity meter. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0105] When terminal equipment is used in V2X, it can also be called V2X equipment. Examples include smart cars, digital cars, unmanned cars, driverless cars, pilotless cars, autonomous cars, pure electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), new energy vehicles, and roadside units (RSUs).

[0106] The various terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed inside the vehicle), can all be considered in-vehicle terminal devices. In-vehicle terminal devices can be built into a vehicle's in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit as one or more components or units. The vehicle can implement the methods of this application through the built-in in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit. In-vehicle terminal devices can be vehicle equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, on-board units (OBU), roadside units (RSU), in-vehicle systems (or in-vehicle transmitting units) (telematics boxes, T-boxes), chips, or systems on chips (SOCs), etc. These chips or SOCs can be installed in the vehicle, OBU, RSU, or T-box.

[0107] Taking a network device as a base station and a terminal device as a UE as an example, the base station and UE can be fixed or mobile. The base station and UE can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. This application does not limit the application scenarios for the base station and UE.

[0108] Typically, network devices can be nodes in a radio access network (RAN), such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices. Figure 3(Not shown in the image). Network equipment, sometimes also called access network equipment or RAN nodes (or devices), forms part of a communication system and helps terminal devices achieve wireless access. Network equipment can also be cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4th generation (4G) mobile communication systems, 5G mobile communication systems, NTN (non-terrestrial network) systems, or future-oriented evolution systems (such as 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems). Network equipment can also be open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), cloud radio access network (CRAN), or wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, or communication systems that integrate two or more of the above systems.

[0109] In a communication system 3000, multiple network devices can be nodes of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of network devices and terminal devices are relative; for example... Figure 3 The network element 320i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 320j that access the RAN through the network element 320i, the network element 320i is a base station; however, for base station 310a, the network element 320i is a terminal device. Network devices and terminal devices are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 3 Network elements 310a and 310b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 320a-320j can be understood as communication devices with terminal equipment functions. The terminal equipment connects to the network equipment wirelessly. The network equipment connects to the core network wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network equipment and network equipment in the core network can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0110] In one possible scenario, network equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, a satellite, or an access point (AP) in a WiFi system, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or network equipment in a mobile switching center non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, meaning it can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites. Network equipment can also be a macro base station (such as...). Figure 3 Network element 310a), micro base station or indoor station (such as Figure 3 Network devices can be network elements (310b), relay nodes or donor nodes, or wireless controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. Network devices can also function as base stations in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, drone communication, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Optionally, network devices can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, the access network device can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0111] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with each network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, these network devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The CU and DU nodes separate the gNB's protocol layers; some protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining partial or complete protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU.

[0112] As one implementation, the CU deploys the RRC layer, PDCP layer, and Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer in the protocol stack; the DU deploys the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical Layer (PHY) layer in the protocol stack. Thus, the CU has the processing capabilities of RRC, PDCP, and SDAP. The DU has the processing capabilities of RLC, MAC, and PHY. It is understood that the above functional division is merely an example and does not constitute a limitation on the CU and DU. The RU can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), or remote radio head (RRH). It is understood that network equipment can be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, the CU can be classified as a network device in the Access Network (RAN) or a network device in the Core Network (CN), without limitation.

[0113] In this application embodiment, the core network equipment involved includes core network elements used to serve IoT devices in the service environment, referring to equipment in the core network (CN) that provides service support for terminal devices. Examples of some core network equipment include: ambient IoT management function (AIOTMF) entities, access and mobility management function (AMF) entities, session management function (SMF) entities, user plane function (UPF) entities, etc., which are not listed here. Among them, the AMF entity can be responsible for the access management and mobility management of terminal devices; the SMF entity can be responsible for session management, such as user session establishment; the UPF entity can be a user plane functional entity, mainly responsible for connecting to external networks. It should be noted that in this application, entities can also be called network elements or functional entities. For example, an AMF entity can also be called an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity, and an SMF entity can also be called an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, etc.

[0114] In this embodiment, the network management device involved can be a network operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network element or a service management and orchestration (SMO) network element. The OAM network element includes a network management system (NMS) and an element management system (EMS). The NMS, also known as a cross-domain management system, is responsible for the operation, management, and maintenance of the network. The EMS, also known as a domain management system or single-domain management system, manages one or more network elements of a specific category. The NMS can directly manage the EMS. The EMS in the RAN domain can directly manage network elements in the RAN domain, such as base stations (gNodeB, gNB). The EMS in the CN domain can directly manage network elements in the CN domain, such as network data analytics function (NWDAF) network elements. The gNB exists in the RAN domain.

[0115] Optionally, Figure 3 The communication between each network device and each terminal device in the communication system shown can also be represented in another form, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the communication system includes a terminal device 410 and a network device 420. The terminal device 410 includes a first processor 411, a first memory 412, and a first transceiver 413. The first transceiver 413 includes a first transmitter 4131, a first receiver 4132, and a first antenna 4133. The network device 420 includes a second processor 421, a second memory 422, and a second transceiver 423. The second transceiver 423 includes a second transmitter 4231, a second receiver 4232, and a second antenna 4233. The first transmitter 4131 can be used to send data and / or information to the network device 420 through the first antenna 4133, and the first receiver 4132 can be used to receive data and / or information from the network device 420 through the first antenna 4133. The second transmitter 4231 can be used to send data and / or information to the terminal device 410 via the second antenna 4233, and the second receiver 4232 can be used to receive data and / or information sent by the terminal device 410 via the second antenna 4233.

[0116] Optionally, the method provided in this application embodiment can also be applied to O-RAN systems; please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an O-RAN system provided in an embodiment of this application. The O-RAN system may also include... Figure 5 Other components besides those shown are not limited in this application. Optionally, as... Figure 5 The network devices shown can be access network devices, such as eNBs, gNBs, or next-generation access network devices. Access network devices communicate with the core network (CN) via a backhaul link and with terminals via an air interface.

[0117] The BBU in the access network equipment communicates with the core network via a backhaul link, and the RU in the access network equipment communicates with at least one terminal via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link. The BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. The BBU includes at least one control unit (CU) and at least one distributed unit (DU), which can communicate via at least one midhaul link.

[0118] Further optional, please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This application provides a diagram illustrating the network element functional division and protocol layer structure of an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, as shown in the embodiments below. Figure 6 As shown, in some examples, the CU is a logical node carrying the RRC layer, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network equipment. The CU connects to network nodes such as the core network through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as E2 interfaces. Optionally, the CU may have some core network functions, such as the PDCP layer and higher layers. The CU connects to the DU (e.g., the RLC layer and lower layers) through interfaces, which can be interfaces such as the F1 interface. In some examples, these interfaces (e.g., the F1 interface) can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol of the F1 interface, defining the signaling procedures of F1 in some examples. The F1 interface supports control plane F1-C and user plane F1-U.

[0119] In some examples, the CU can be split into CU-CP (control unit-control plane) and CU-UP (control unit-user plane). CU-CP is a logical node carrying the RRC layer and PDCP-C (control plane part of PDCP) layer, used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF network element in a 5G mobile communication system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the SDAP layer and the PDCP-U (user plane part of PDCP) layer for user plane data, used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the UPF (user plane function) network element in a 5G system, are responsible for data forwarding and receiving in terminal devices. It should be understood that the above configurations of CU and DU are merely examples, and the functions of CU and DU can be configured as needed. This application does not impose excessive limitations on this. For example, CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or CU or DU can be configured to have some protocol layer processing functions. Another example is to place some functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions above the RLC layer in the CU, and place the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the protocol layer functions below the RLC layer in the DU. Yet another example is that the functions of CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements, such as by latency, placing functions that need to meet low latency requirements in the DU, and functions that do not need to meet this latency requirement in the CU.

[0120] In some examples, a DU is a logical node that carries the radio link control (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, higher physical layer (PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU. The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces.

[0121] In some examples, the CU may not have a PDCP layer, i.e., it only includes the RRC layer. CU-CP does not have PDCP-C. CU-UP may not have PDCP-U, or may not have CU-UP at all. In some examples, the DU may not have an RLC layer, only a MAC and a higher PHY layer. Furthermore, in some examples, it may not have a CU and may only include the DU.

[0122] When the RAN is O-RAN, it can also have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. For example, O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / non-RT RIC / NRTRIC) or a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (RIC / nRT RIC / nRT RIC). A non-real-time RIC can be used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of RAN functions, enabling workflows including model training and model updates, and guiding applications or functions in the nRT RIC based on policies. A near-real-time RIC can be used to implement near-real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near-real-time control and optimization of O-RAN modules and resources are achieved.

[0123] In some examples, the higher PHY layer includes parts of the PHY layer that handle processes such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0124] In some examples, the RU is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency chain (RF chain) processing. In some examples, the RU can be a 3GPPTRP, a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar functionalities. In some examples, the Low-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more terminals via a wireless link.

[0125] Optionally, the DU and RU may or may not be co-located. The DU and RU exchange control plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-layer split-control, user plane information (LLS-CUS) and synchronization interface. The LLS-CUS may include LLS-C and LLS-U interfaces that respectively provide the control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane). In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0126] Optionally, the DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of the DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, the DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and the RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Alternatively, the DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and the RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer may include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer may include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0127] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (Open CU), O-RAN Central Unit, or O-RAN Control Unit. DU can also be called O-DU. CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, O-RAN Central Unit Control Plane, or O-RAN Control Unit Control Plane. CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and O-CU-UP can also be called O-RAN Central Unit User Plane or O-RAN Control Unit User Plane. RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. The network device deployment methods listed here are only examples; as standard technologies evolve, other deployment forms of network devices may exist.

[0128] With the increasing prevalence of 5G NR communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication, the number of connected IoT devices is growing daily to improve productivity and enhance quality of life. Therefore, during the fourth-generation (4G) communication system era, 3GPP introduced the cellular-based narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system. However, NB-IoT terminal devices still require external power (e.g., batteries) and have the ability to generate local high-frequency carrier waves, limiting their power consumption to milliwatts. But with the evolution and development of 5G IoT, the demand for lower-power terminal devices in 5G networks is growing, and RFID technology provides a good technical reference for low-power applications, supporting microwatt-level power consumption. RFID terminal devices (tags) use low-precision, low-power mid-to-low frequency ring oscillators or receive downlink signals without a local oscillator. When the tag is working, the energy and carrier wave for communication are supplied by the reader, and communication is based on reflected carrier waves. Please see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating communication between a tag and a reader, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the solid line represents the carrier wave sent by the reader, and the dashed line represents the tag modulating and reflecting the carrier wave sent by the reader for transmission.

[0129] Further reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices enables the deployment of hundreds of billions or even trillions of IoT devices across various applications, adding value throughout the value chain. Powering all IoT devices with manually replaceable or rechargeable batteries leads to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even security vulnerabilities in some use cases, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries. Given the low-power advantages of RFID communication technology, 5G ambient IoT has emerged. To meet ultra-low power requirements, terminal devices in ambient IoT also use low-precision, low-power mid-to-low frequency ring oscillators or completely oscillator-less downlink signal reception. This reception method further reduces the downlink reception power consumption of the terminal device. However, for such low-power reception methods, only amplitude detection, such as envelope detection, can be performed because low-precision ring oscillators alone cannot guarantee accurate demodulation of signal phase information.

[0130] With the development of communication technology, 3GPP defined A-IoT technology. A-IoT in A-IoT technology includes network devices and Type I terminal devices; or, in other words, an A-IoT-based communication system includes network devices and Type I terminal devices. Type I terminal devices can be devices with the functionality of A-IoT terminal devices. In this case, both readers and A-IoT terminal devices can be implemented based on cellular network infrastructure. In other words, both readers and A-IoT terminal devices can be devices within a cellular network. For example, the functionality of a reader can be implemented by network devices, such as base stations. A-IoT terminal devices can be implemented by terminal devices within a cellular network, such as ultra-low power, ultra-low complexity IoT terminal devices, i.e., Type I terminal devices.

[0131] Network devices can perform contactless data communication with Type 1 terminal devices, thereby reading information from and / or writing information that needs to be stored into Type 1 terminal devices. A-IoT technology can be used to implement one or more of the following services: inventory, positioning, sensing, and command. It can be understood that command services can implement write or lock processes. In terms of application scope, A-IoT technology can be applied to scenarios such as logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identity recognition, or environmental monitoring.

[0132] The IoT technology defined by the 3GPP plenary meeting is an extremely low-power, extremely low-complexity IoT technology. It can be understood as an extension of RFID in 3GPP. Although this IoT technology and RFID have some similarities in principle, such as similar inventory business processes, 3GPP will introduce more value scenarios.

[0133] A-IoT is based on cellular network communication infrastructure and consists of readers (such as base stations) and passive, semi-passive, or active A-IoT terminal devices (A-IoT terminal devices are terminal devices in cellular networks, which can be understood as IoT terminal devices with extremely low power consumption and extremely low complexity). Its main services include inventory, positioning, sensing, and command. Typical application scenarios include logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identity recognition, and environmental monitoring.

[0134] To facilitate understanding, the above-mentioned business processes will be briefly introduced below as examples:

[0135] (1) Inventory management service uses a reader (which can be a base station / terminal) to access A-IoT devices within the coverage area. Devices that successfully access the network need to send their unique identifier to the reader. Inventory management service can also be called inventory count operation. This service can obtain the tag identification information.

[0136] (2) Location services use some location signals to locate the position of the tag.

[0137] (3) The sensing service is that the tag reports sensing data to the base station, such as temperature data.

[0138] (4) Command services can be some operation instructions. Understandably, command services can include at least one of read services, write services, disable services, kill services or lock services.

[0139] The reading service can read the electronic product code (EPC), tag identifier (TID), and content stored in the tag's reserved area or user storage area from the tag's storage area. The writing service allows writing operations to the tag's storage area; the base station sends a downlink command and data, instructing the tag to write data to its own storage area. The disabling service can be temporary or permanent. The deactivation service can permanently disable the tag. The locking service can lock the tag's information, preventing read or write operations on that tag. Alternatively, the locking service can also lock the storage area, preventing or allowing read or write operations on that storage area.

[0140] In A-IoT, due to the large number of terminal devices, the core network and base stations need to appropriately select terminal devices to enable their reader / writer functions to prevent conflicts and resource waste. Currently, it has been determined that the A-IoT function (AIOTF) in the core network obtains relevant information about the base stations (e.g., supported areas, a list of base station reader / writer identifiers, and the location of base station reader / writers for each service) through the Operation, Management, and Maintenance (OAM) system.

[0141] In existing implementations, the AIOTF sends an A-IoT service request to the selected NG-RAN node (optionally including RAN area information derived from a list of supported regions and / or RAN reader identifiers) to assist the NG-RAN node in selecting a RAN reader, either directly or through the selected AMF. If multiple NG-RAN nodes are selected, the AIOTF sends the A-IoT service request along with its corresponding RAN area information and / or RAN reader identifier list to the selected NG-RAN node. If the AIOTF does not provide RAN area information or a RAN reader identifier list to the NG-RAN node in the A-IoT service request, the NG-RAN node can use all available RAN readers.

[0142] However, existing technologies do not define how a base station selects readers within a specified area and from the reader list after receiving an inventory request from the core network, nor how to prevent errors in reader location information or changes in reader location. Therefore, how a base station selects readers within a specified area and from the reader list after receiving an inventory request from the core network, and how to prevent errors in reader location information or changes in reader location, is a hot research topic for those skilled in the art.

[0143] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related apparatus. Access network devices in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) report location information sent from at least one reader / writer to a core network device in the same IoT. The core network device can maintain a reader / writer list based on the location information of at least one reader / writer using an OAM system. Then, the access network device can pre-screen the locations of readers / writers based on the reader / writer list and area information in an inventory request issued by the core network device. It can flexibly determine whether to page readers / writers exceeding a time period threshold or select the current reader / writer based on the actual situation. After performing the pre-screening operation, readers / writers with higher overlap are prioritized based on the overlap between the actual coverage area of ​​the access reader / writer and the target area, until the overlap between the target area and the coverage area of ​​the readers / writers in the list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, triggering the target reader / writer to perform inventory management. This solution can effectively prevent errors in reader / writer location information or changes in reader / writer location through pre-screening of reader / writer location information, thereby ensuring effective resource utilization and smooth execution of inventory management.

[0144] The communication methods shown below (such as) Figure 8 For detailed descriptions of access network devices, core network devices, and readers / writers in environmental IoT, please refer to [the relevant documentation / reference]. Figures 1 to 6 This will not be elaborated upon here.

[0145] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0146] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, this method can be applied to a communication system, such as the one described above. Figures 1 to 6 The communication system shown. (As shown) Figure 8 The communication method shown may include steps S801 to S806. It should be understood that, for ease of description, steps S801 to S806 are described in this order, and it is not intended to limit the execution to this specific order. This application embodiment does not limit the order of execution, the execution time, or the number of executions of one or more of the above steps. Steps S801 to S806 are as follows:

[0147] Step S801: The first reader / writer in the environmental IoT sends a first message to the access network device in the environmental IoT. Accordingly, the access network device receives the first message.

[0148] Here, the first message is an exemplary name used to distinguish a particular message. In the embodiments of this application, the first reader / writer can be any one of at least one reader / writer.

[0149] Optionally, at least one reader sends a first message to the access network device. More optionally, at least one reader periodically sends the first message to the access network device.

[0150] Accordingly, the access network device receives a first message from at least one reader. In other words, the access network device can receive a first message from one or more readers.

[0151] For example, when a reader is present, the access network device receives the first message from the first reader.

[0152] For example, when there are multiple readers, the multiple readers may include a first reader, a second reader, and a third reader, for example, represented as UE reader 1, UE reader 2, and UE reader 3.

[0153] For example, the first message from at least one reader may include one or more of the following:

[0154] (1) Identification information of at least one reader / writer.

[0155] For example, taking the first reader as an example, the first reader can be represented as UE reader 1, and the location information of UE reader 1 is location A.

[0156] (2) Location information of at least one reader / writer.

[0157] For example, taking the first reader as an example, the location information of the first reader is location A. (3) The update time of the location of at least one reader.

[0158] For example, taking the first reader as an example, the update time of the location of the first reader is the current time (e.g., the current time is T1), or the update time of the location of the first reader is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device (e.g., the core network device receives communication data at time T1, and the timer configured by the core network device is zeroed at time T2, then the time when the timer is zeroed is the update time of the location of the first reader).

[0159] This solution clarifies the identification information, location information, and location update time of candidate readers used to perform inventory management. When inventory management is required in the future, the access network device can quickly determine which reader will be triggered to perform inventory management on the environmental IoT devices in the specified area, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0160] Step S802: The access network device in the environmental IoT reports the location information of at least one reader / writer to the core network device in the environmental IoT.

[0161] Accordingly, the core network equipment receives the location information of the at least one reader / writer.

[0162] For example, the location information of at least one reader received by the core network device is that UE reader 1 is located at location A, UE reader 2 is located at location B, UE reader 3 is located at location C, UE reader 4 is located at location D, and UE reader 5 is located at location E.

[0163] Step S803: The core network device in the environmental Internet of Things determines the first list based on the location information of at least one reader / writer.

[0164] The first list is used to match the readers of the environmental IoT devices in the first storage area. As shown in Table 1, the first list includes the identification information of at least one reader, the location information of at least one reader, and the update time of the location of at least one reader.

[0165] Table 1

[0166]

[0167] For example, as shown in Table 1, the first list includes UE reader 1, UE reader 2, UE reader 3, UE reader 4, and UE reader 5. UE reader 1 is located at location A, and its location is updated at time T1; UE reader 2 is located at location B, and its location is updated at time T1; UE reader 3 is located at location C, and its location is updated at time T2; UE reader 4 is located at location D, and its location is updated at time T3; UE reader 5 is located at location E, and its location is updated at time T4.

[0168] For ease of understanding, the number of readers in the first list can be determined according to the actual situation. The above-mentioned number of readers in the first list is only one possible example and should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0169] The first region is the area designated by the core network equipment, and its range is less than or equal to the coverage area of ​​the access network equipment. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of a first area and the coverage area of ​​an access network device according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown, exemplarily, taking the case where the range of the first area is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the access network device, combined with... Figure 9 The first area is indicated by the black dashed line, and the coverage area of ​​the access network equipment is indicated by the black solid line.

[0170] Step S804: The core network device in the environmental IoT sends a second message to the access network device in the environmental IoT.

[0171] Accordingly, the access network device receives the second message.

[0172] The second message is an exemplary name used to distinguish it from a particular message. For example, the second message could be an instruction message, a configuration message, or another message. In this embodiment, the second message includes information from a first list and a first area.

[0173] Optionally, after the access network device receives the first list and first area information issued by the core network device, it can first check or screen the update status of the reader location information in the first list to prevent the purpose of subsequent inventory management from being affected by errors or changes in the reader location.

[0174] Please see Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the update of the location information of a reader in a first list provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 10 As shown below, in conjunction with Figure 10 Two possible scenarios for the location information of the reader in the first list are illustrated below:

[0175] Scenario 1: If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the position of the first reader in the first list is less than or equal to the first preset time, then the position of the first reader will not be updated.

[0176] For example, taking UE reader 1 as an example, if the difference between the current update time and the last update time of UE reader 1's location is 10ms, and the first preset time is 20ms, then the location of UE reader 1 does not need to be updated.

[0177] For example, taking UE reader 2 as an example, if the difference between the current update time and the last update time of UE reader 2's position is 5ms, and the first preset time is 20ms, then the position of UE reader 2 also does not need to be updated.

[0178] Scenario 2: If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader is greater than the first preset time, the access network device sends a paging message to the first reader to update the location of the first reader.

[0179] Accordingly, the first reader receives the paging message and sends new location information to the access network equipment.

[0180] For example, taking UE reader N (where N is a positive integer) as an example, if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of UE reader N's ​​location is 30ms, and the first preset time is 20ms, then UE reader N's ​​location needs to be updated. In this case, the access network device can send a paging message to UE reader N to update UE reader N's ​​location. Correspondingly, UE reader N receives the paging message and sends the new location information to the access network device. If the updated location of UE reader N is within the first area, then UE reader N is marked as a candidate reader / writer within the target area.

[0181] For example, taking UE reader M (where M is a positive integer) as an example, if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of UE reader M's location is 25ms, and the first preset time is 20ms, then the location of UE reader M needs to be updated. In this case, the access network device can send a paging message to UE reader M to update its location. Correspondingly, UE reader M receives the paging message and sends the new location information to the access network device. If the updated location of UE reader M is outside the first area, then UE reader M is preferentially excluded.

[0182] After the access network device pre-screens the locations of readers in the first list and filters out readers outside the first area, the access network device can match the coverage area of ​​the union of readers in the first list within the first area with the overlap of the first area to determine the overlap. The device then prioritizes the reader with the highest or relatively high overlap as the target reader (e.g., the reader ranked first or in the top three as the target reader). The selection of the target reader is explained in detail below through step S805.

[0183] Step S805: The access network device in the environmental Internet of Things determines at least one target reader based on the coverage of the first area and the readers in the first list.

[0184] Wherein, the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the coverage area of ​​the first region is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold.

[0185] For example, the first preset threshold can be 90%, and the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the coverage area of ​​the first region can be 90% or 100%.

[0186] Wherein, when the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the range of the first region is 90%, it means that in reality, there may be gaps between the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader and the range of the first region, so they cannot completely overlap. However, when the overlap between the two is large enough, the range of the gap can be ignored.

[0187] Wherein, when the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader overlaps with the range of the first region by 100%, it means that the union of the coverage areas of at least one target reader can completely overlap with the range of the first region.

[0188] In one possible design, the first operation is performed iteratively until the overlap between the updated first region's range and the union of the reader's coverage range in the updated first list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold (e.g., the updated first region's range and the union of the reader's coverage range in the updated first list are substantially or completely overlapped), at which point the selection of the target reader ends.

[0189] For example, see Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a first operation provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the first operation includes the following possible specific steps: Step 1: The access network device determines the overlap between the coverage area of ​​each reader and the coverage area of ​​the first area based on the union of the range of the first area and the coverage area of ​​the readers in the first list.

[0190] For example, please see Figure 12 , Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of a first region and the coverage area of ​​a reader in a first list, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 As shown, the first region is the area indicated by the black circle. The coverage areas of the readers in the first list include those of UE reader 1, UE reader 2, UE reader 3, and UE reader N. Based on relevant algorithms, the access network device determines that the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader 1 and the first region is 98.60%, the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader 2 and the first region is 95.5%, the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader 3 and the first region is 93%, and the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader N and the first region is 92.8%.

[0191] Step 2: The access network device selects the second reader / writer with the highest overlap with the range of the first area.

[0192] For example, as shown in step 1, the coverage area of ​​UE reader 1 overlaps most with the area of ​​the first region. Therefore, the second reader corresponding to the first degree of overlap is UE reader 1. That is, the access network device can preferentially select UE reader 1 for activation.

[0193] Step 3: The access network device removes the coverage area of ​​the second reader from the first area to obtain the updated first area.

[0194] For example, as can be seen from the parameter information shown in steps 1 and 2, after initially selecting the second reader UE reader 1 with the highest overlap, the access network device can remove the coverage area of ​​UE reader 1 from the first area to obtain the updated first area (for example, represented as the second area). That is, the second area is the updated area after removing the coverage area of ​​UE reader 1 from the first area.

[0195] Step 4: The access network device removes the second reader from the first list to obtain the updated first list.

[0196] For example, as can be seen from the parameter information shown in steps 1 and 2, the readers in the first list include UE reader 1, UE reader 2, UE reader 3 and UE reader N, and the second reader is UE reader 1. The access network device removes UE reader 1 from the first list, and the updated first list includes UE reader 2, UE reader 3 and UE reader N.

[0197] Step 5: The access network device selects the second reader / writer as the target reader / writer through the first operation.

[0198] In other words, access network devices can prioritize enabling UE reader 1.

[0199] For example, after selecting the second reader, the access network device can further determine the degree of overlap between the union of the coverage ranges of the readers in the updated first list and the range of the updated first area, based on the union of the coverage ranges of the updated first area and the readers in the updated first list.

[0200] For example, the union of the coverage areas of the readers in the first list excluding the second reader is the coverage area of ​​UE reader 2, UE reader 3, and UE reader N. That is, the coverage area of ​​the updated first list is the coverage area of ​​UE reader 2, UE reader 3, and UE reader N. The area of ​​the second region is the area in the first region after removing the coverage area of ​​UE reader 1. The access network device can determine, according to relevant algorithms, that the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader 3 and the area of ​​the second region is 95.5%, the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader 2 and the area of ​​the first region is 91.1%, and the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader N and the area of ​​the first region is 91.5%.

[0201] Furthermore, the access network device selects a third reader corresponding to a second degree of overlap between the coverage area of ​​each reader in the updated first list and the coverage area of ​​the updated first region.

[0202] For example, the coverage area of ​​UE reader 3 overlaps most with the updated first area; therefore, the third reader corresponding to the second degree of overlap is UE reader 3. That is, the access network device can preferentially select UE reader 3 for activation.

[0203] Furthermore, the access network device removes the coverage area of ​​the third reader from the updated first area to obtain the updated first area (e.g., denoted as the third area).

[0204] For example, after further selecting the third reader UE reader 3 with the highest overlap, the access network device can remove the coverage area of ​​UE reader 3 from the second area to obtain the third area, that is, the third area is the area in the second area after removing the coverage area of ​​UE reader 3.

[0205] This solution not only effectively prevents errors in the reader's location information or changes in the reader's location, but also improves the efficiency of access network devices in determining the target reader for performing inventory management services.

[0206] Step S806: The access network device in the environmental IoT triggers at least one target reader to inventory the environmental IoT devices in the first area.

[0207] For example, if the first reader is a matching target reader, the access network device triggers the first reader to inventory the environmental IoT devices in the first area.

[0208] Optionally, if after the access network device traverses the readers in the first list within the first area, the overlap between the range of the first area and the coverage range of the readers in the first list is less than a first preset threshold, meaning that full or basic coverage of the core network's designated area cannot be achieved, the access network device can attempt to check the coverage of readers outside the first area (e.g., determine whether the overlap between the coverage range of readers outside the first area and the range of the first area is greater than the first preset threshold). The following provides two possible coverage scenarios for readers outside the first area:

[0209] Scenario 1: If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, the access network device can enable the reader outside the first area.

[0210] For example, combined Figure 12 The reader outside the first area is UE reader M. If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader M and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold (for example, the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader M and the coverage area of ​​the first area is 90.1%, which is greater than the first preset threshold of 90%), then the access network device can enable UE reader M.

[0211] Scenario 2: If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is less than the first preset threshold, the access network device can send a third message to the core network device.

[0212] Accordingly, the core network equipment receives the third message. This third message is used to request the core network equipment to handle the abnormal situation.

[0213] For example, combined Figure 12 The reader outside the first area is UE reader M. If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader M and the coverage area of ​​the first area is less than the first preset threshold (for example, the overlap between the coverage area of ​​UE reader M and the coverage area of ​​the first area is 79.1%, which is less than the first preset threshold of 90%), the access network device can report the abnormal situation to the core network device and request the core network device to handle the abnormal situation.

[0214] In this embodiment, the access network device in the environmental IoT reports location information from at least one reader to the core network device in the environmental IoT. The core network device can use the OAM system to maintain a reader list based on the location information of at least one reader. Then, the access network device can pre-screen the reader locations based on the reader list and area information in the inventory request issued by the core network device, flexibly determining whether to page readers exceeding the time period threshold or select the current reader based on the actual situation. After performing the pre-screening operation, the device prioritizes readers with higher overlap between the actual coverage area of ​​the access reader and the target area, until the overlap between the target area and the coverage area of ​​the readers in the reader list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, triggering the target reader to perform inventory operations. This solution effectively prevents errors in reader location information or changes in reader location by pre-screening the reader location information, thereby ensuring efficient resource utilization and smooth execution of inventory operations.

[0215] The methods of the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. The apparatus of the embodiments of this application is provided below.

[0216] It should be understood that the division of units in the apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units in the apparatus can be implemented by a processor calling software. For example, the apparatus includes a processor connected to a memory, which stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of each unit of the apparatus. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is either internal or external to the apparatus.

[0217] Alternatively, the units in the device can be implemented as hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the above units is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through a configuration file, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the above units.

[0218] In the embodiments of this application, each unit in the device may be one or more processors (or processing circuits) configured to implement the above methods, such as: CPU, graphics processing unit (GPU), neural network processing unit (NPU), tensor processing unit (TPU), deep learning processing unit (DPU), microprocessor unit (MPU), digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, FPGA, or a combination of at least two of these processor forms.

[0219] Furthermore, the units in the above devices can be integrated in whole or in part, or they can be implemented independently. In one implementation, these units are integrated together as a system-on-a-chip (SOC). The SOC may include at least one processor for implementing any of the above methods or for implementing the functions of the units in the device. The at least one processor can be of different types, such as including a CPU and an FPGA, or including a CPU and an AI processor, or including a CPU and a GPU, etc. Several possible devices are listed below.

[0220] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 130 provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, the communication device 130 can be an access network device, a core network device, or a reader / writer in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT). It can also be a component within the access network device, core network device, or reader / writer in an environmental IoT, such as a chip or integrated circuit. The communication device 130 is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication method shown.

[0221] In one possible design, the communication device 130 includes a communication unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302. The communication device 130 is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication method is illustrated. For example, the communication device may be used to perform a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0222] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1301 is configured to receive a first message from at least one reader / writer, wherein the first message from the first reader / writer includes the location information of the first reader / writer, and the first reader / writer is any one of the at least one reader / writers.

[0223] The communication unit 1301 is also used to report the location information of the at least one reader / writer to the core network device in the environmental Internet of Things;

[0224] The communication unit 1301 is further configured to receive a second message from the core network device, wherein the second message includes information about a first list and a first region, the first list being determined based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, and the first region being a region specified by the core network device.

[0225] The processing unit 1302 is used to determine at least one target reader based on the coverage area of ​​the first region and the readers in the first list;

[0226] The processing unit 1302 is also used to trigger the at least one target reader to store the environmental IoT device of the first area.

[0227] In another possible implementation, the overlap between the union of the coverage areas of the at least one target reader and the coverage area of ​​the first region is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold.

[0228] In another possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0229] In another possible implementation, the first message of the first reader / writer also includes the identification information of the first reader / writer and the update time of the location of the first reader / writer, wherein the update time of the location of the first reader / writer is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader / writer is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

[0230] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1302 is further configured to not update the position of the first reader if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the position of the first reader in the first list is less than or equal to a first preset time.

[0231] The communication unit 1301 is further configured to send a paging message to the first reader / writer to update the location of the first reader / writer if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader / writer is greater than the first preset time.

[0232] In yet another possible implementation, in determining at least one target reader based on the coverage of the first region and the readers in the first list, the processing unit 1302 is specifically configured to:

[0233] The first operation is executed iteratively until the overlap between the range of the updated first region and the coverage range of the readers in the updated first list is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold.

[0234] The first operation includes:

[0235] Based on the union of the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list, determine the degree of overlap between the coverage range of each reader and the range of the first region.

[0236] Select the second reader / writer that has the highest overlap with the range of the first area;

[0237] The coverage area of ​​the second reader is removed from the first region to obtain an updated first region, and the second reader is removed from the first list to obtain an updated first list;

[0238] The second reader selected through the first operation is the target reader.

[0239] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 1302 is further configured to, after traversing the readers in the first list, determine whether the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the readers outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the readers in the first list is greater than the first preset threshold if the overlap is less than the first preset threshold.

[0240] In another possible implementation, regarding whether the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than the first preset threshold, the processing unit 1302 is specifically used for:

[0241] If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, then the reader outside the first area is enabled.

[0242] If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is less than the first preset threshold, a third message is sent to the core network device, wherein the third message is used to request the core network device to handle the abnormal situation.

[0243] The embodiments of this application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept and have the same technical effects. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, which will not be repeated here.

[0244] In another possible design, the communication device 130 includes a communication unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302, and the communication device 130 is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication method is illustrated. For example, the communication device may be used to perform a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1301 is used to receive location information from at least one reader / writer of the access network device in the Internet of Things environment;

[0246] The processing unit 1302 is used to determine a first list based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, wherein the first list is used to match the readers / writers of environmental IoT devices stored in a first region, and the first region is the region specified by the core network device.

[0247] The communication unit 1301 is further configured to send a second message to the access network device, wherein the second message includes information about the first list and the first region.

[0248] In another possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0249] In another possible implementation, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to receive a third message from the access network device, wherein the third message is configured to request the core network device to handle an abnormal situation.

[0250] The embodiments of this application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept and have the same technical effects. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, which will not be repeated here.

[0251] In another possible design, the communication device 130 includes a communication unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302, and the communication device 130 is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication method is illustrated. For example, the communication device may be used to perform a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0252] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1301 is used to send a first message to the access network device in the environmental Internet of Things (IoT), wherein the first message includes the location information of the first reader / writer, the location information of the first reader / writer is used by the core network device in the environmental IoT to determine a first list, and the first list is used to match the readers / writers of the environmental IoT devices in the first area.

[0253] The processing unit 1302 is used to store the environmental IoT devices of the first area if the first reader is a matching reader.

[0254] In another possible implementation, the range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

[0255] In another possible implementation, the first message may also include the identification information of the first reader and the update time of the location of the first reader, wherein the update time of the location of the first reader is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

[0256] In another possible implementation, the communication unit 1301 is further configured to receive a paging message from the access network device if the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader / writer is greater than a first preset time.

[0257] The communication unit 1301 is also used to send new location information to the access network device.

[0258] The embodiments of this application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept and have the same technical effects. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, which will not be repeated here.

[0259] Please see Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 140 provided in this application embodiment. The communication device 140 can be a standalone device, such as an access network device, a core network device, or a reader / writer in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT). It can also be a component included in the access network device, core network device, or reader / writer in an environmental IoT, such as a chip, software module, or integrated circuit. The communication device 140 may include at least one processor 1401 and a communication interface 1402. Optionally, it may also include at least one memory 1403. Further optionally, it may also include a connection line 1404, wherein the processor 1401, the communication interface 1402, and / or the memory 1403 are connected via the connection line 1404, and / or communicate with each other via the connection line 1404 to transmit control signals and / or data signals.

[0260] Wherein: processor 1401 is a module for performing arithmetic and / or logical operations, and may specifically include one or more of the following modules: filter, modem, power amplifier, low noise amplifier (LNA), baseband processor, radio frequency processor, radio frequency circuit, CPU, AP, microcontroller unit (MCU), electronic control unit (ECU), GPU, MPU, ASIC, image signal processor (ISP), DSP, FPGA, complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or coprocessor, etc.

[0261] The communication interface 1402 can be used to provide information input or output to at least one processor, or to receive signals sent externally and / or send signals to externally.

[0262] For example, the communication interface 1402 may include interface circuitry, such as input / output interfaces, chip pins, etc.

[0263] For example, the communication interface 1402 may include a wired link interface such as an Ethernet cable, or a wireless link interface (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, general wireless transmission, vehicle short-range communication technology and other short-range wireless communication technologies, etc.).

[0264] Optionally, the communication interface 1402 may also include a radio frequency transmitter, an antenna, etc. When the communication interface 1402 includes an antenna, the number of antennas can be one or more.

[0265] As one possible design, if the communication device 140 is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 1402 may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be the same component or different components. When the receiver and transmitter are the same component, this component may be referred to as a transceiver.

[0266] As another possible design, if the communication device 140 is a chip or circuit, the communication interface 1402 may include an input interface and an output interface. The input interface and the output interface may be the same interface or they may be different interfaces.

[0267] Alternatively, the functionality of the communication interface 1402 can be implemented via transceiver circuitry or a dedicated transceiver chip.

[0268] The memory 1403 provides storage space, in which data such as the operating system and computer programs can be stored. The memory 1403 can be one or a combination of several of the following: cache, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), etc. Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store computer programs or instructions, and / or data.

[0269] The functions and operations of each module or unit in the communication device 140 listed above are merely illustrative examples.

[0270] Each functional unit in the communication device 140 can be used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8The communication method shown is, for example, a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0271] Optionally, the processor 1401 may be a processor specifically designed to execute the aforementioned methods (for ease of distinction, referred to as a dedicated processor), or a processor that executes the aforementioned methods by calling a computer program (for ease of distinction, referred to as a dedicated processor). Optionally, at least one processor may include both dedicated processors and general-purpose processors.

[0272] Optionally, if the communication device 140 includes at least one memory 1403, and the processor 1401 implements the aforementioned communication method by calling a computer program, the computer program can be stored in the memory 1403.

[0273] This application also provides a chip, which includes logic circuitry and a communication interface. The communication interface is used to receive or transmit signals; the logic circuitry is used to receive or transmit signals through the communication interface. The chip is used to implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication method shown is, for example, a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0274] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device.

[0275] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor (or communication device), implement the aforementioned communication method, for example... Figure 8 The communication methods shown are, for example, methods executed by access network devices in an IoT environment, methods executed by core network devices in an IoT environment, or methods executed by readers in an IoT environment. Embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product including computer instructions for implementing the aforementioned communication methods, for example... Figure 8 The communication method shown is, for example, a method executed by an access network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a core network device in an IoT environment, or a method executed by a reader / writer in an IoT environment.

[0276] It should be noted that, without causing any fundamental conflict, the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, and all or part of the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. The combined technical solutions are also described in the specification of this application.

[0277] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0278] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more items, and "more than one" refers to two or more items. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items.

[0279] For example, at least one of a, b, or c can be represented as: a, b, c, (a and b), (a and c), (b and c), or (a and b and c), where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. "AND / OR" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "OR" relationship.

[0280] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the use of ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application is for distinguishing multiple objects and is not for limiting the order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. Similarly, "first message" and "second message" are merely for the convenience of describing new parameters in different implementations and do not indicate differences in their execution operations, importance, structure, etc.

[0281] In the above embodiments, the term "when..." can be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning "if...", "before...", "determined...", or "detected...". The above descriptions are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the concept and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0282] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applied to access network devices in environmental Internet of Things (IoT) systems, includes: Receive a first message from at least one reader / writer, wherein the first message from the first reader / writer includes the location information of the first reader / writer, and the first reader / writer is any one of the at least one reader / writers; Report the location information of at least one reader / writer to the core network device in the IoT environment; Receive a second message from the core network device, wherein the second message includes information about a first list and a first region, the first list being determined based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, and the first region being a region specified by the core network device; Based on the coverage area of ​​the first region and the readers in the first list, at least one target reader is determined; Trigger the at least one target reader to store the environmental IoT devices in the first area; The step of determining at least one target reader based on the coverage area of ​​the first region and the readers in the first list includes: The first operation is performed iteratively until the overlap between the updated first region's range and the reader / writer's coverage area in the updated first list is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold; the first operation includes: Based on the union of the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list, determine the degree of overlap between the coverage range of each reader and the range of the first region. Select the second reader / writer that has the highest overlap with the range of the first area; The coverage area of ​​the second reader is removed from the first region to obtain an updated first region, and the second reader is removed from the first list to obtain an updated first list; The second reader selected through the first operation is the target reader.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overlap between the union of the coverage areas of the at least one target reader and the coverage area of ​​the first region is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first message of the first reader also includes the identification information of the first reader and the update time of the location of the first reader. The update time of the location of the first reader is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the position of the first reader in the first list is less than or equal to the first preset time, then the position of the first reader will not be updated. If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader is greater than the first preset time, a paging message is sent to the first reader to update the location of the first reader.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After traversing the readers in the first list, if the overlap between the range of the first region and the coverage range of the readers in the first list is less than a first preset threshold, it is determined whether the overlap between the coverage range of the readers outside the first region and the range of the first region is greater than the first preset threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Determining whether the overlap between the coverage area of ​​the reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than the first preset threshold includes: If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, then the reader outside the first area is enabled. If the overlap between the coverage area of ​​a reader outside the first area and the coverage area of ​​the first area is less than the first preset threshold, a third message is sent to the core network device, wherein the third message is used to request the core network device to handle the abnormal situation.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, applied to core network devices in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) system, includes: Receive location information from at least one reader / writer of an access network device in the IoT environment; A first list is determined based on the location information of the at least one reader / writer, wherein the first list is used to match readers / writers of environmental IoT devices stored in a first region, and the first region is the region specified by the core network device. A second message is sent to the access network device, wherein the second message includes information about the first list and the first region. The information about the first list and the first region is used to determine at least one target reader / writer. The at least one target reader / writer is selected by the access network device in the IoT environment through a first operation. The first operation includes: determining the overlap between the coverage area of ​​each reader / writer and the coverage area of ​​the first region based on the union of the range of the first region and the coverage area of ​​the readers / writers in the first list; selecting the second reader / writer with the highest overlap with the range of the first region; removing the coverage area of ​​the second reader / writer from the first region to obtain an updated first region; and removing the second reader / writer from the first list to obtain an updated first list. The second reader / writer selected through the first operation is the target reader / writer.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third message is received from the access network device, wherein the third message is used to request the core network device to handle the abnormal situation.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, A first reader / writer applied in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) system, the method comprising: Send a first message to the access network device in the environmental Internet of Things (IoT), wherein the first message includes the location information of the first reader / writer, the location information of the first reader / writer is used by the core network device in the environmental IoT to determine a first list, and the first list is used to match the readers / writers of the environmental IoT devices stored in the first area; If the first reader is a matching reader, then the environmental IoT devices in the first area are inventoried. The first reader is selected by the access network devices in the environmental IoT through a first operation. The first operation includes: determining the overlap between the coverage area of ​​each reader and the coverage area of ​​the first area based on the union of the coverage area of ​​the first area and the coverage area of ​​the readers in the first list; selecting the first reader with the highest overlap with the coverage area of ​​the first area; removing the coverage area of ​​the first reader from the first area to obtain an updated first area; and removing the first reader from the first list to obtain an updated first list. The first reader selected through the first operation is the matching reader.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The range of the first area is less than or equal to the coverage range of the access network device.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first message also includes the identification information of the first reader and the update time of the location of the first reader. The update time of the location of the first reader is the current time, or the update time of the location of the first reader is the time to reset the timer associated with the core network device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the difference between the current update time and the previous update time of the location of the first reader is greater than a first preset time, a paging message is received from the access network device; Send new location information to the access network device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 8-10, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11-14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; When the processor executes instructions, it causes the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8-10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11-14.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes logic circuits and interfaces, wherein the logic circuits and the interfaces are coupled; The interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the logic circuit is used to enable the communication device to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8-10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11-14.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

19. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes the communication device as described in claim 15 or 16.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store instructions or computer programs that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1-14 to be performed or implemented.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that, include: Instructions or computer programs; When the instructions or the computer program are executed, the method as described in any one of claims 1-14 is performed or implemented.

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