Method executed by node in communication system and node equipment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G communication system or a 6G communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond 4G communication systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). The invention provides a method executed by a node in a communication system and node equipment. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a second node in a communication system, comprising: transmitting a first signal related to indication channel measurement to a first node; sending a first carrier waveform CW to the first node; receiving, from the first node, a second signal based on the first CW backscatter, the second signal comprising a first sequence related to channel measurements; a channel measurement is performed based on the first sequence to determine at least one frequency associated with a second CW for uplink transmission of the first node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to communication systems, and more specifically, to communication methods and corresponding devices in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Background Technology

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

[0003] The 6G communication system, expected to be commercially available around 2030, will offer significant improvements in all aspects compared to existing 5G systems. Its peak speed will reach at least 50 Gbit / s, user experience speed will reach at least 300 Mbit / s, air interface latency will be less than 1 ms, and air interface reliability will reach 10... -5 In addition to the basic communication indicators mentioned above, 6G communication systems will also have sensing capabilities, AI-related capabilities, and better security, interoperability, and sustainability.

[0004] To achieve the aforementioned performance indicators in 6G communication systems, more advanced air interface and network technologies are needed. Currently, the evolution of extreme multiple input multiple output (MIMO) is being considered, including the use of very large-scale antenna arrays, the development and evolution of distributed antenna systems, and the design of MIMO air interface algorithms assisted by artificial intelligence (AI). This technology can achieve higher spectral efficiency, greater coverage, and more precise positioning and sensing capabilities. Furthermore, technologies that contribute to improving high-frequency coverage, such as metamaterial-based lenses and antennas, novel antenna architectures, and reconfigurable intelligence surfaces (RIS), also require further evolution and development.

[0005] To meet the new functionalities added to 6G communication systems, it is necessary to develop new technologies in areas such as network energy saving, air interface security, and network security, while also studying the feasibility of converged technologies such as integrated communication and sensing.

[0006] In addition, to improve spectrum efficiency and overall network performance, the following technologies have been developed for 6G communication systems: full-duplex technology to enable uplink and downlink transmissions to use the same frequency resources simultaneously; network technologies that utilize satellites, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), etc., in a comprehensive manner; improved network architecture to support mobile base stations, etc., and to enable network operation optimization and automation; dynamic spectrum sharing technology based on spectrum usage prediction and conflict avoidance; the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in wireless communication to improve overall network operation by utilizing AI from the design phase of 6G development and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions; and next-generation distributed computing technologies that overcome the computing power limitations of user equipment (UE) by leveraging ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources (such as mobile edge computing (MEC), cloud, etc.) achievable on the network. Furthermore, efforts are continuing to enhance connectivity between devices, optimize networks, promote the software-defined networking of network entities, and increase the openness of wireless communications by designing new protocols to be used in 6G communication systems, developing mechanisms for achieving hardware-based secure environments and secure data use, and developing technologies for maintaining privacy.

[0007] The research and development of 6G communication systems, encompassing hyper-connectivity for both person-to-machine (P2M) and machine-to-machine (M2M) interactions, is expected to deliver the next wave of hyper-connected experiences. Specifically, services such as truly immersive extended reality (XR), high-fidelity mobile holograms, and digital replicas are anticipated to be provided through 6G communication systems. Furthermore, services such as remote surgery for enhanced security and reliability, industrial automation, and emergency response will be available via 6G communication systems, enabling the technology to be applied across a wide range of sectors including industry, healthcare, automotive, and home appliances. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method executed by a second node in a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0009] Send a first signal related to the indication channel measurement to the first node;

[0010] Send the first carrier waveform CW to the first node;

[0011] Receive a second signal based on a first CW backscattering from a first node, the second signal including a first sequence related to channel measurements;

[0012] Channel measurements are performed based on the first sequence to determine at least one frequency, which is associated with a second CW for uplink transmission of the first node.

[0013] In one implementation, the first signal includes:

[0014] A signal used to confirm the access of the first node; or

[0015] The signal is used to configure access for the first node, wherein the second signal further includes first information related to access for the first node.

[0016] In one implementation, the first signal includes information indicating a backscattered first sequence.

[0017] The information indicating the first backscattering sequence includes at least one of the following: information indicating the start of the first backscattering sequence, information indicating a periodic first backscattering sequence, and information related to the period of the first backscattering sequence.

[0018] In one implementation, transmitting the first CW includes transmitting multiple first CWs on multiple frequencies.

[0019] In one implementation, sending the first CW includes:

[0020] The first CW is transmitted on multiple frequencies in a single time unit, or on one or more frequencies in consecutive time units.

[0021] In one implementation, sending the first CW includes:

[0022] Transmit the first CW until at least one frequency is determined based on the channel measurement or the first CW is transmitted at a first time.

[0023] In one implementation, if at least one frequency is determined based on the channel measurement, information indicating termination of transmission of the first sequence is sent to the first node.

[0024] In one implementation, the method further includes sending information to the first node about the first number of times the first sequence is to be sent.

[0025] In one implementation, the second signal is received based on at least one backscatter link frequency (BLF).

[0026] In one implementation, the at least one BLF is preset or configured by the second node.

[0027] In one implementation, the first node includes multiple first nodes.

[0028] The second signal is back-scattered by the plurality of first nodes based on different backscatter link frequencies (BLFs);

[0029] The backscatter link frequency (BLF) is predefined or configured by the second node.

[0030] In one implementation, the method further includes: sending information related to CW transmission to a third node.

[0031] Wherein, the first CW and / or the second CW are sent by the third node to the first node based on the information related to the CW transmission.

[0032] In one implementation, the information related to CW transmission includes at least one of the following: the number of CWs, and information related to resources used for CWs.

[0033] In one implementation, the method further includes: sending information instructing uplink transmission to the first node based on the at least one frequency.

[0034] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method executed by a first node in a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0035] Receive a first signal related to the indication channel measurement from the second node;

[0036] A second signal is backscattered to the second node according to the first CW sent by the second node, the second signal including a first sequence related to channel measurements;

[0037] The third signal is backscattered from the second CW signal transmitted by the second node.

[0038] In one implementation, the first signal includes:

[0039] A signal used to confirm the access of the first node; or

[0040] The signal is used to configure access for the first node, wherein the second signal further includes first information related to access for the first node.

[0041] In one implementation, the first signal includes information indicating a backscattered first sequence.

[0042] The information indicating the first backscattering sequence includes at least one of the following: information indicating the start of the first backscattering sequence, information indicating a periodic first backscattering sequence, and information related to the period of the first backscattering sequence.

[0043] In one implementation, the backscattering of the second signal includes: backscattering a second signal comprising the first sequence until information indicating termination of transmission of the first sequence is received or transmission of the first sequence reaches a first time or a first count.

[0044] In one implementation, the method further includes: receiving information from a second node regarding the first time and / or the first number of times, or receiving information indicating termination of sending the first sequence.

[0045] In one implementation, the backscattered second signal includes: a backscattered second signal based on at least one BLF.

[0046] In one implementation, the at least one BLF is preset or configured by a second node.

[0047] In one implementation, the method further includes: receiving information from the second node indicating uplink transmission.

[0048] The third signal is backscattered based on the information indicating uplink transmission.

[0049] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a second node in a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0050] A transceiver is configured to transmit and / or receive signals;

[0051] The controller is configured to control the second node to perform the method described according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a first node in a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0053] A transceiver is configured to transmit and / or receive signals;

[0054] The controller is configured to control the first node to perform the method described according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a method performed by a first node in a communication system is provided. The method includes: receiving second configuration information associated with the reflection coefficients of a second signal, wherein the second signal is used for channel measurement; determining a first reflection coefficient and a second reflection coefficient based on the second configuration information; generating a second signal by modulating a first sequence by alternately applying the first reflection coefficient and the second reflection coefficient; and transmitting the second signal.

[0056] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the method further includes: receiving third information associated with the chip rate of the second signal; and generating the first sequence based on the chip rate.

[0057] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, generating the first sequence based on the chip rate includes: determining at least one chip rate of the second signal based on the third information; and generating the first sequence based on each of the determined at least one chip rate.

[0058] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, the third information includes a set of third information values, wherein at least one chip rate of the second signal is determined based on the mapping of the third information values ​​in the set of third information values ​​to the chip rate of the second signal.

[0059] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: R i =f base *k i , i∈[1,N], where, f base Based on chip rate, R i The third information value x in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, k i With the third information value x i The associated integer greater than or equal to 1, the third information value x i N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values.

[0060] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: R i =f base *x i , i∈[1,N], where, f baseWhere N is the base chip rate, and R is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values. i The third information value x in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, where the third information value x i It is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0061] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: R i =f base *2 μi ,i∈[1,N], where,f base Where N is the base chip rate, and R is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values. i The third information value μ in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, where the third information value μ i It is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0062] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, the base chip rate is determined based on at least one of the subcarrier spacing size or the resource block size of the system based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

[0063] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, the generated first sequence has alternating '0' and '1' values, wherein the length of the first sequence is proportional to the determined chip rate.

[0064] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, generating a first sequence based on each of the determined at least one chip rate includes: determining the length of the first sequence; generating the first sequence based on the determined length of the first sequence, wherein the length of the first sequence is determined to be L. i =T*R i , where R i Where is the chip rate, and T is the duration of the second signal.

[0065] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, the method further includes receiving indication information indicating the duration of a second signal, wherein the duration of the second signal is determined based on the indication information indicating the duration of the second signal.

[0066] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, the ratio of the first reflection coefficient to the second reflection coefficient is -α, where the value of α is a real number greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

[0067] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method executed by the first node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value, the value of α is 1; and / or when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, the value of α is not 1.

[0068] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method executed by the first node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, the value of α is 0.5.

[0069] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value, sending the second signal includes: sending the second signal in two or more time units, the two or more time units including a first time unit and a second time unit.

[0070] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value and a chip rate is determined based on the third information, transmitting the second signal includes: generating a first sequence for the first time unit and the second time unit using the chip rate and K times the chip rate, respectively, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2; modulating the first sequence based on the second configuration information to generate the second signal; and transmitting the second signal.

[0071] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value and a plurality of chip rates are determined based on third information, transmitting the second signal includes: generating a first sequence using each of the plurality of chip rates for a first time unit in one of the two or more consecutive time units; modulating the first sequence based on the second configuration information to generate a second signal; transmitting the second signal in the first time unit; and transmitting the same second signal as the second signal transmitted in the first time unit in a time unit following the first time unit.

[0072] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, sending the second signal includes: sending the second signal in a single time unit.

[0073] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node as described above, for example, based on the level of direct link interference, the second configuration information is configured to a first value or a second value.

[0074] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the first node includes at least one of the following: an ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, a passive IoT device, an RFID tag, and a terminal / user equipment (UE) with passive IoT / A-IoT functionality.

[0075] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a method performed by a second node in a communication system is provided. The method includes: transmitting second configuration information associated with the reflection coefficients of a second signal, wherein the second signal is used for channel measurement; and receiving the second signal, wherein the second signal is generated by modulating a first sequence by alternately applying a first reflection coefficient and a second reflection coefficient, wherein the first reflection coefficient and the second reflection coefficient are based on the second configuration information.

[0076] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the method further includes: sending third information associated with the chip rate of the second signal, wherein the first sequence is generated based on the chip rate.

[0077] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the first sequence is generated based on each chip rate of at least one chip rate of the second signal; the at least one chip rate of the second signal is based on the third information.

[0078] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the third information includes a set of third information values, wherein at least one chip rate of the second signal is based on a mapping of the third information values ​​in the set of third information values ​​to the chip rate of the second signal.

[0079] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: R i =f base *k i , i∈[1,N], where, f base Based on chip rate, R i The third information value x in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, k i With the third information value x iThe associated integer greater than or equal to 1, the third information value x i N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values.

[0080] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: R i =f base *x i , i∈[1,N], where, f base Where N is the base chip rate, and R is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values. i The third information value x in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, where the third information value x i It is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0081] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the mapping of the third information values ​​in the third information value set to the chip rate of the second signal includes: Among them, f base Where N is the base chip rate, and R is the number of third information values ​​in the set of third information values. i The third information value μ in the set of third information values i The corresponding chip rate, where the third information value μ i It is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0082] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, the base chip rate is based on at least one of the subcarrier spacing size or the resource block size of the system based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

[0083] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, the generated first sequence has alternating '0' and '1' values, wherein the length of the first sequence is proportional to the determined chip rate.

[0084] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method executed by the second node described above, for example, the first sequence is generated based on the length of the first sequence, wherein the length of the first sequence is L. i =T*R i , where R i Where is the chip rate, and T is the duration of the second signal.

[0085] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, the method further includes sending indication information indicating the duration of a second signal, wherein the duration of the second signal is based on the indication information.

[0086] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, the ratio of the first reflection coefficient to the second reflection coefficient is -α, where the value of α is a real number greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

[0087] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method executed by the second node described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value, the value of α is 1; and / or when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, the value of α is not 1.

[0088] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method executed by the second node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, the value of α is 0.5.

[0089] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value, receiving the second signal includes: receiving the second signal in two or more time units, the two or more time units including a first time unit and a second time unit.

[0090] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value and a chip rate is determined based on third information: for the first time unit and the second time unit, the first sequence is generated using the chip rate and K times the chip rate, respectively, where K is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0091] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a first value and multiple chip rates are determined based on third information: for a first time unit in the two or more consecutive time units, the first sequence is generated using each of the multiple chip rates respectively; the second signal is generated by modulating the first sequence based on the second configuration information; the same second signal is present in the first time unit and in time units following the first time unit.

[0092] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, when the second configuration information is configured to a second value, receiving the second signal includes: receiving the second signal in a single time unit.

[0093] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, based on the level of direct link interference, the second configuration information is configured to a first value or a second value.

[0094] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the second node as described above, for example, the method further includes: performing channel measurements based on the received second signal.

[0095] In conjunction with one or more aspects of the method performed by the first node described above, for example, the second node includes at least one of the following: a reader device, a receiver, a relay node, a tag receiver, a tag receiver node, a passive environment Internet of Things (A-IoT) reader, an A-IoT reader, or a UE or network device (e.g., a base station) that is an entity with IoT reader functionality.

[0096] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a first node in a communication system is also provided. The first node includes: a transceiver; and one or more processors coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform one or more aspects of the methods described above for execution by the terminal.

[0097] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a second node in a wireless communication system is also provided. The base station includes: a transceiver; and one or more processors coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform one or more aspects of the methods performed by the base station described above.

[0098] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which one or more computer programs are stored, wherein when the one or more computer programs are executed by one or more processors, one or more aspects of the methods described above and executed by the first node can be implemented.

[0099] According to some aspects of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which one or more computer programs are stored, wherein when the one or more computer programs are executed by one or more processors, one or more aspects of the methods described above for execution by a second node can be implemented. Attached Figure Description

[0100] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. Clearly, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In the following sections, aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein will be described with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0101] Figure 1An example wireless network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0102] Figure 2 An example base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0103] Figure 3 An example user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0104] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a first node (e.g., UE / tag) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0105] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a second node (e.g., a reader or interrogator, etc.) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0106] Figure 6 The diagram shows the resource locations of the first sequence backscattered by three nodes at three frequencies in three time units.

[0107] Figure 7 Example IoT systems according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0108] Figure 8A A schematic diagram of the frequency domain response of a multipath channel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0109] Figure 8B An example design of a base frequency according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown;

[0110] Figure 9A An interference diagram of an IoT system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0111] Figure 9B An interference diagram of an IoT system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0112] Figure 10A A time-domain diagram of a second signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0113] Figure 10B The frequency domain response diagram of a second signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0114] Figure 11A A time-domain diagram of a second signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0115] Figure 11B The frequency domain response diagram of a second signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0116] Figure 12A schematic diagram of a channel measurement process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0117] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a channel measurement process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0118] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a channel measurement process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0119] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a channel measurement process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0120] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a channel measurement process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0121] Figure 17A The signaling process between a reader device and an A-IoT device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0122] Figure 17B The signaling process between a reader device and an A-IoT device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0123] Figure 18 A flowchart of a method performed by a first node according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0124] Figure 19 A flowchart of a method performed by a second node according to an example embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0125] Figure 20 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second node according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0126] Figure 21 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first node according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0127] Before proceeding with the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to define certain words and phrases used throughout the patent literature. The term “connection” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, regardless of whether those elements are physically in contact with each other. The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and “transmit,” and their derivatives encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms “comprise” and “include,” and their derivatives mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is concurrent, meaning both and / or. The phrase “associated with,” and its derivatives mean including, being included in, interconnected with, containing, being contained within, connected to or connected with, coupled to or coupled with, able to communicate with, cooperate with, intertwine, juxtapose, proximate, bound to or bound with, having, possessing attributes, having a relationship with, or having a relationship with, etc. The term “controller” means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least one operation. Such a controller may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. The functionality associated with any particular controller, whether local or remote, can be centralized or distributed. The phrase "at least one" when used to list items means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used, and it is possible that only one item in the list is needed. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C; A and B; A and C; B and C; and only A, only B, and only C. Similarly, the term "set" means one or more. Therefore, a set of items can be a single item or a set of two or more items.

[0128] Furthermore, the various functions described below can be implemented or supported by one or more computer programs, each function being formed by computer-readable program code and embodied in a computer-readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or portions thereof suitable for implementation in appropriate computer-readable program code. The phrase "computer-readable program code" includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase "computer-readable medium" includes any type of medium accessible by a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. "Non-transitory" computer-readable media excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals. Non-transitory computer-readable media includes media in which data can be permanently stored and media such as rewritable optical discs or erasable memory devices in which data can be stored and later rewritten.

[0129] Definitions for certain other words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in many, if not the most, instances, such definitions apply to both prior and future use of the words and phrases defined in this way.

[0130] The figures and various embodiments included herein, used to illustrate the principles of this disclosure, are merely illustrative and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged wireless communication system.

[0131] The following Figures 1 to 3 Various embodiments of this disclosure implemented in wireless communication systems are described. Figures 1 to 3 The description does not imply any physical or architectural limitations on the ways in which different embodiments can be implemented. Different embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged communication system.

[0132] Figure 1 An example wireless network according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The embodiments of the wireless network shown are for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0133] like Figure 1As shown, the wireless network includes a base station (next generation nodeB, gNB or gNodeB) 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one network 130 such as the Internet, Internet Protocol (IP) networks, or other data networks.

[0134] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to multiple first user equipments (UEs) within coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The multiple first UEs include UE 111, which may be located in a small business (SB); UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise (E); UE 113, which may be located in a WiFi hotspot (HS); UE 114, which may be located in a first residence (R1); UE 115, which may be located in a second residence (R2); and UE 116, which may be a mobile device (M) such as a cellular phone, wireless laptop, or wireless personal digital assistant (PDA). gNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 to multiple second UEs within coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The multiple second UEs include UE 115 and UE 116, and subscriber stations (SS, such as UEs) 117, 118, and 119. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 may communicate with each other and UEs 111-116 using existing wireless communication technologies, and one or more of UEs 111-119 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., UEs 117-119) using other existing or proposed wireless communication technologies.

[0135] Depending on the network type, the term "base station" or "BS" can refer to any component (or set of components) configured to provide wireless access to a network, such as a transmit point (TP), transmit-receive point (TRP), enhanced (or "evolved") base station (eNodeB or eNB), 5G base station (gNB), macro cell, femtocell, wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point (AP), or other wireless-capable devices. A base station can provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as 3GPP 5G new radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), high-speed packet access (HSPA), Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, etc. For convenience, various names for base station type devices and functions may be used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access to remote terminals. Furthermore, depending on the network type, the term "User Equipment" (UE) can refer to any component such as a mobile station (MS), user station (SS), remote terminal, wireless terminal, receiving point, or user device. For convenience, various names for user equipment type devices and functions may be used interchangeably in this patent document to refer to remote wireless devices that wirelessly access the BS regardless of whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or smartphone) or is generally considered a fixed device (such as a desktop computer or vending machine).

[0136] The dashed lines indicate the approximate extent of coverage areas 120 and 125, which are shown as roughly circular for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It should be clearly understood that coverage areas such as 120 and 125 associated with the gNB can have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on the configuration of the gNB and variations in the wireless environment associated with natural and man-made obstacles.

[0137] As described in more detail below, one or more of UEs 111-119 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 include circuitry, programming, or a combination thereof.

[0138] although Figure 1 An example of a wireless network is shown, but more can be found on... Figure 1Various modifications can be made. For example, wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement. Furthermore, gNB 101 can communicate directly with any number of UEs and provide those UEs with wireless broadband access to network 130. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can communicate directly with network 130 and provide UEs with direct wireless broadband access to network 130. Additionally, gNBs 101, 102, and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as external telephone networks or other types of data networks.

[0139] Figure 2 An example base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The embodiment of gNB 102 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 gNBs 101 and 103 can have the same or similar configurations. However, gNBs come in a variety of configurations, and Figure 2 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope to any particular implementation of gNB.

[0140] like Figure 2 As shown, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 200a-200n, multiple radio frequency (RF) transceivers 201a-201n, transmit (TX) processing circuitry 203, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 204. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 205, a memory 206, and a backhaul or network interface (IF) 207.

[0141] RF transceivers 201a-201n receive incoming RF signals from antennas 200a-200n, such as signals transmitted by the UE in network 100. RF transceivers 201a-201n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signal is sent to RX processing circuitry 204, which generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuitry 204 sends the processed baseband signal to controller / processor 205 for further processing.

[0142] The TX processing circuit 203 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, web data, email, or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 205. The TX processing circuit 203 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceivers 201a-201n receive the processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 203 and up-convert the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antennas 201a-201n.

[0143] The controller / processor 205 may include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of the gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 205 may control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the RF transceivers 201a-201n, the RX processing circuit 204, and the TX processing circuit 203, according to known principles. The controller / processor 205 may also support additional functions, such as more advanced wireless communication functions.

[0144] For example, the controller / processor 205 can support beamforming or directional routing operations, where signals emitted from multiple antennas 200a-200n are weighted differently to effectively redirect the emitted signals in the desired direction. Any of a variety of other functions can be supported in the gNB 102 via the controller / processor 205.

[0145] The controller / processor 205 is also capable of executing programs and other processes located in the memory 206, such as the operating system (OS). The controller / processor 205 can move data into or out of the memory 206 as needed by the executing process.

[0146] The controller / processor 205 is also connected to a backhaul or network interface 207. The backhaul or network interface 207 allows the gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems via a backhaul connection or over a network. Interface 207 can support communication via any suitable wired or wireless connection(s). For example, when the gNB 102 is implemented as part of a cellular communication system (such as a cellular communication system supporting 5G, LTE, or LTE-A), interface 207 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs via a wired or wireless backhaul connection. When the gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, interface 207 can allow the gNB 102 to communicate via a wired or wireless local area network or via a wired or wireless connection to a larger network (such as the Internet). Interface 207 includes any suitable structure that supports communication via wired or wireless connections such as Ethernet or RF transceivers.

[0147] Memory 206 is connected to controller / processor 205. A portion of memory 206 may include random access memory (RAM), and another portion of memory 206 may include flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0148] although Figure 2 An example of gNB 102 is shown, but it is possible to see more. Figure 2 Various changes can be made. For example, gNB 102 can include any number of Figure 2 Each component is shown in the diagram. As a specific example, an access point may include multiple interfaces 207, and the controller / processor 205 may support routing functionality to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, although shown as a single instance of TX processing circuitry 203 and a single instance of RX processing circuitry 204, gNB102 may include multiple instances of each (such as one per RF transceiver). For example, Figure 2 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed.

[0149] Figure 3 An example user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The embodiment of UE 116 shown is for illustrative purposes only, and Figure 1 UEs 111-115 and 117-119 can have the same or similar configurations. However, UEs appear in multiple configurations, and Figure 3 This disclosure is not intended to limit the scope to any particular implementation of the UE.

[0150] like Figure 3 As shown, UE 116 includes an antenna 301, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 302, a TX processing circuit 303, a microphone 304, and a receive (RX) processing circuit 305. UE 116 also includes a speaker 306, a controller or processor 307, an input / output (I / O) interface (IF) 308, an input device 309, a touchscreen display 310, and memory 311. Memory 311 includes an OS 312 and one or more applications 313.

[0151] RF transceiver 302 receives incoming RF signals transmitted by gNB of network 100 from antenna 301. RF transceiver 302 down-converts the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals. The IF or baseband signals are sent to RX processing circuitry 305, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signals. RX processing circuitry 305 sends the processed baseband signals to speaker 306 (e.g., for voice data) or processor 307 for further processing (e.g., for web browsing data).

[0152] TX processing circuit 303 receives analog or digital voice data from microphone 304 or other outgoing baseband data (such as web data, email, or interactive video game data) from processor 307. TX processing circuit 303 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceiver 302 receives the processed baseband or IF signal from TX processing circuit 303 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antenna 301.

[0153] Processor 307 may include one or more processors or other processing devices and executes OS 312 stored in memory 311 to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, processor 307 may control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by RF transceiver 302, RX processing circuitry 305, and TX processing circuitry 303 according to known principles. In some embodiments, processor 307 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0154] Processor 307 is also capable of executing other processes and programs located in memory 311, such as processes for CSI (Channel State Information) reporting on the uplink channel. Processor 307 can move data into or out of memory 311 as needed for executing processes. In some embodiments, processor 307 is configured to execute application 313 based on OS 312 or in response to signals received from gNB or operator. Processor 307 is also coupled to I / O interface 308, which provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptops and laptops. I / O interface 308 is the communication path between these accessories and processor 307.

[0155] The processor 307 is also connected to the touchscreen display 310. The user of the UE 116 can use the touchscreen display 310 to input data into the UE 116. The touchscreen display 310 can be a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display, or other display capable of rendering text and / or at least limited graphics such as those from a website.

[0156] Memory 311 is connected to processor 307. A portion of memory 311 may include RAM, and another portion of memory 311 may include flash memory or other ROM.

[0157] although Figure 3 An example of UE 116 is shown, but it is possible to modify it. Figure 3 Make various changes. For example, Figure 3 The various components can be combined, further subdivided, or omitted, and additional components can be added as needed. As a specific example, processor 307 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Moreover, although... Figure 3 The UE 116 is shown configured as a mobile phone or smartphone, but the UE can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or fixed devices.

[0158] For example, the UE described in this disclosure may include combinations Figure 3 The UE described may also include UEs with reduced capabilities (RedCap UE).

[0159] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0160] The Internet of Things (IoT) represents the future direction of communication system evolution, and the development of environmentally friendly, battery-free passive IoT is an indispensable step in this process. A typical technology for passive IoT is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID is an automatic identification technology. The electronic tag (or RFID tag) on ​​the surface of an object stores a unique Electronic Product Code (EPC), which can be used to assign a globally unique code to each product. A reader (or interrogator) can identify the object by reading the EPC code from the electronic tag using electromagnetic waves. Electronic tags are generally classified into three categories: passive, semi-passive, and active. Passive or semi-passive electronic tags do not actively generate electromagnetic waves; instead, they transmit information by controlling the antenna to absorb or backscatter the electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader. Generally speaking, the electromagnetic wave signal used for backscattering is also called a carrier wave (CW); electronic tags, also known as radio frequency tags, transponders, data carriers, etc., can be considered a type of UE (User Equipment); readers, also known as RFID devices, reading devices, scanners, communicators, and reader-writers (depending on whether the electronic tag can wirelessly rewrite data), can be considered a type of UE or base station, or can be installed in a UE or base station. In an RFID system, the link through which the reader (e.g., acting like a base station in a communication system) sends signals to the electronic tag (e.g., acting like a terminal in a communication system) is called a downlink, downlink transmission, or R2D (Reader-to-Device) transmission, and the corresponding transmitted signal is called a downlink signal. The link through which the electronic tag sends signals to the reader is called an uplink, uplink transmission, or D2R (Device-to-Reader) transmission, and the corresponding transmitted signal is called an uplink signal. Most or all of the power for passive or semi-passive electronic tags to operate can be provided by the reader through downlink signals; therefore, the reader must maximize the signal power when sending downlink signals to them. Because readers are limited by their maximum transmission power, the coverage area of ​​RFID systems is very small. A typical RFID system has a coverage range of only 1 to 3 meters. Due to the very small data rate or signal bandwidth of RFID systems, the propagation path between the reader and the electronic tag is singular within this distance, and the large-scale attenuation of the channel is relatively small.

[0161] However, for the Ambient IoT (AIoT) with a wider coverage range (~50 meters) that 3GPP aims to achieve, the coverage range of traditional RFID is insufficient. Increasing the distance between the reader and the RFID tag makes the propagation path between them very complex, potentially leading to significant large-scale channel attenuation. If the single-tone signal of the traditional RFID frequency is used as the channel wave (CW), this signal is likely to experience large-scale attenuation, resulting in poor signal quality and severely affecting the reader's reception of the backscattered signal from that CW. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the communication between the reader and the RFID tag, for example, enabling the reader to communicate with the RFID tag over a wider coverage area or to better receive the backscattered signal from the RFID tag in scenarios with large-scale channel fading. The method provided by embodiments of this disclosure allows the reader to perform channel measurements, enabling the reader to communicate with the RFID tag at frequencies with better channel quality. This allows the reader to communicate with the RFID tag in scenarios with a large coverage area, improving communication quality and efficiency.

[0162] This disclosure proposes a communication method for passive Internet of Things (IoT) that enables readers to perform channel measurements and communicate with electronic tags on frequencies with good channel quality, thereby avoiding uplink transmission failures caused by large-scale fading and better ensuring the performance of AIoT uplink transmission.

[0163] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a first node (e.g., UE / tag) according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0164] In step 401, a first downlink signal related to access is received. For example, the first downlink signal may include configuration information related to the UE access reader, such as available access time slots or timings.

[0165] In step 402, first information is sent. For example, the first information may include information related to the access of the UE, such as a 16-bit random number sequence (RN16) or other data or sequences used for access.

[0166] In step 403, if a first response message related to the first information is received, a first sequence is sent, the first sequence being related to channel measurements. For example, the first response message can be used to confirm successful UE access. In one implementation, the first response message may include data related to the data included in the first information; for example, the first response message may include data from the first information (e.g., a 16-bit random number sequence), or the first response message may include data corresponding to the data in the first information.

[0167] In step 404, second information is sent. For example, the second information may include the identification information of the UE, such as the EPC information of the UE.

[0168] In the above method, the UE may transmit information by backscattering the carrier waveform (CW) transmitted by a reader (or another UE, base station, second node). To avoid redundancy, the description of method 400 does not explicitly describe the reader transmitting CW or the UE backscattering based on the CW, but this can be considered as included in the corresponding description. Similarly, throughout the description of this disclosure, to avoid redundancy, sometimes only the transmission of signals or information by the UE (or first node, or electronic tag, etc.) is described, without explicitly describing the reader (or another UE, base station, or second node) transmitting CW and the UE (or first node, or electronic tag, etc.) backscattering based on the CW to transmit information or signals, but this description can be considered as included in the corresponding description.

[0169] Furthermore, for ease of description, throughout this disclosure, the term "second node or reader transmitting a carrier" is sometimes used; it is understood that this description can be interpreted as transmitting a carrier waveform (CW). Additionally, for ease of description, the terms "signal" and "information" are used interchangeably in this disclosure unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0170] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a second node (e.g., a reader or interrogator, etc.) according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0171] In step 501, a first downlink signal related to access is sent. For example, the first downlink signal may include configuration information related to the UE access reader, such as available access time slots or timings.

[0172] In step 502, in response to receiving the first information, a first response information is sent. For example, the first information may include information related to the UE's access, such as a 16-bit random number sequence or other data or sequences used for access. The first response information can be used to confirm that the UE has successfully accessed the network. In one implementation, the first response information may include data related to the data included in the first information. For example, the first response information may include data from the first information (e.g., a 16-bit random number sequence), or the first response information may include data corresponding to the data in the first information.

[0173] In step 503, a first sequence related to channel measurements is received and channel measurements are performed to determine at least one frequency; for example, the second node can identify the channel quality at each frequency by comparing the signal quality of the first sequence received at each frequency, thereby selecting at least one frequency with better channel quality for transmitting CW to the first node. In one implementation, the first sequence (e.g., RIM-RS) can be used by a base station or reader to measure inter-cell interference and provide information about the experienced interference to other base stations or readers.

[0174] Step 504: Transmit a carrier waveform (CW) using at least one determined frequency to receive second information, such as the UE's identification information, like the UE's EPC information.

[0175] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to examples.

[0176] In one implementation, the second node can transmit CW on multiple frequencies, and the first node can backscatter measurement sequences (or first sequences) on multiple CWs, thereby enabling the second node to perform channel measurements on multiple frequencies.

[0177] For example, a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure may include:

[0178] The first node (e.g., an electronic tag) receives a first downlink signal related to access; determines the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sends first information at that time. The first information is used for access; for example, the first information may be a 16-bit random number (RN16) or other data or sequences used for access. Within a certain time period, it listens for a first response information, which is used to confirm successful access. For example, the first response information may be the same RN16 as the first information. The first node determines whether access is successful by comparing the RN16 transmitted in the first information with the RN16 in the first response information. Alternatively, the first response information may include data corresponding to the first information. The first node determines whether access is successful by checking whether the data included in the first response information corresponds to the data included in the first information. If no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not perform subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals and waits to receive other downlink signals. For example, the other downlink signals can be used to determine a new access time. If the first response information related to the first information is received, a first sequence is sent within a first time period. The first sequence is related to uplink channel measurement. The first time period refers to the time from the end of the last bit of the received first information to the start of sending the first bit of the first sequence, which is a predefined or configured response time of the first node. For example, the first sequence can be obtained by modulating specific information bits, or it can be a specific sequence. By receiving the first sequence, the second node can obtain the channel quality at the frequency where the first sequence is received. The second information can be sent within a second time period after sending the first sequence. This second time period refers to the time from the end of the last bit of the first sequence to the beginning of the first bit of the second information, and can be preset or configured. Alternatively, after sending the first sequence, if a second downlink signal indicating uplink transmission is received within a third time period, the second information can be sent within a fourth time period. If the second downlink signal is not received, the first node does not perform subsequent steps related to uplink signal transmission and waits to receive other downlink signals. The third and fourth times are predefined or configured. As described above, the second information can be backscattered on the carrier waveform (CW) sent by the second node. For example, the second information can include UE identification information, such as the UE's EPC information.

[0179] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method executed by a second node (e.g., a reader) is also provided, comprising:

[0180] A second node (e.g., a reader) transmits a first downlink signal related to access; receives first information related to access from the first node; transmits first response information related to the first information; determines one or more frequencies of the transmission carrier based on the available bandwidth and / or power of the transmission carrier, and continuously transmits the carrier on the one or more frequencies; during a fifth time period, receives a first sequence on the one or more frequencies, the fifth time period being a time from the start of carrier transmission to the reception of the first bit of the first sequence, a preset or configured measurement time for the second node, and performs channel measurements based on the first sequence; if the first sequence is not received within the fifth time period, no subsequent steps are performed, and a downlink signal is transmitted to instruct the first node to determine a new access time; during a sixth time period, determines at least one frequency with the best channel quality, and continuously transmits the carrier on the selected at least one frequency, the sixth time period being the time from the reception of the last bit of the first sequence to the start of carrier transmission, a preset or configured measurement time for the second node; during a seventh time period, receives second information on at least one frequency of the transmission carrier, and if the second information is not received within the seventh time period, transmits a downlink signal to instruct the first node to determine a new access time. Optionally, after selecting at least one frequency with the best channel quality, the second node can instruct the first node to perform uplink transmission via a second downlink signal. In this implementation, the reader can measure the channel conditions of multiple frequency points simultaneously, resulting in high measurement efficiency and significantly reducing the number of downlink commands that the Ambient IoT device needs to receive, thus extending the operating time of the Ambient IoT device.

[0181] In the second-node method described above, detailed descriptions of the first downlink signal, first information, first response information, first sequence, second information, etc., have been omitted to avoid redundancy. It should be understood that the corresponding descriptions previously made in conjunction with the first-node method can also be applied to the description of the second-node method above and the descriptions of various methods below, unless it is clearly inapplicable based on the context.

[0182] In the methods for the first and / or second nodes described below, detailed descriptions of the first downlink signal, first information, first response information, first sequence, second information, first time, second time, etc., are omitted to avoid redundancy. It should be understood that the corresponding descriptions above can also be applied to the descriptions of the various methods below, unless it is clearly inapplicable based on the context.

[0183] In one implementation, the second node transmits the carrier for channel measurement by frequency hopping at different frequencies across multiple time units. The length of each time unit is an eighth time interval for transmitting the carrier at each frequency, and this eighth time interval is predefined or configured. Within a first time interval after receiving an access confirmation response, the first node backscatters a measurement sequence (or first sequence) K times, where K is predefined or configured. The advantage of this design is that the second node can measure the channel at more frequencies. For example, the second node transmits at least one CW at at least one frequency each time, and the first node transmits at least one measurement sequence each time by backscattering at least one CW. The CWs backscattered each time are different (e.g., the CW frequencies are different). The number of times / time the first node transmits the measurement sequence by backscattering CWs can be predefined or notified by downlink signals.

[0184] In one example implementation, the time or number of times the first node sends the first sequence can be preset or obtained through downlink signals.

[0185] The corresponding method executed by the first node includes: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information related to the first information is received, the first sequence is repeatedly sent or sent multiple times within a certain period of time, the time for sending the first sequence being a preset period of time, or the number of times it is sent being a preset number of times; in one implementation, the first node can listen to a third downlink signal related to channel measurement, the third downlink signal being used to indicate the time (or time length, duration, number of time units, etc.) or number of times (or number of repetitions) for sending the first sequence, the way the third downlink signal indicates the time or number of times the first node sends the first sequence can be explicit or implicit. For example, an explicit method could be indicated by several bits in the third downlink signal, while an implicit method could be indicated by different downlink sequences. Based on the time or frequency information indicated by the third downlink signal, or a preset time or frequency information, the first sequence is repeatedly transmitted or transmitted multiple times within a certain period of time. The first sequence is related to channel measurements and can be obtained by modulating specific information bits or a specific sequence. The second information is transmitted, and the time for transmitting the second information can be a preset time after transmitting the first sequence, or after receiving the second downlink signal indicating uplink transmission after transmitting the first sequence.

[0186] The corresponding method executed by the second node is as follows: the second node sends a first downlink signal related to access; receives first information related to access from the first node; sends first response information related to the first information; optionally, the second node may send a third downlink signal, which is used to notify the first node of the time or number of backscattering of the first sequence; transmits carriers in a time-division manner (e.g., in multiple time units) at multiple frequencies, the number and frequency of carriers transmitted in each time unit can be determined according to the currently available bandwidth, for example, the second node transmits three carriers, one carrier, and two carriers sequentially at different frequency points in three consecutive time units, and the number and frequency of carriers transmitted in each time unit can be different or the same; receives the first sequence at each of the multiple frequencies, and performs channel measurement based on the first sequence to select at least one frequency with the best channel quality; transmits carriers at the selected at least one frequency; receives second information at the selected at least one frequency. Optionally, after selecting at least one frequency with the best channel quality, the second node may instruct the first node to perform uplink transmission through the second downlink signal.

[0187] This implementation is more flexible and can be used in scenarios where the bandwidth of channel measurement changes over time, only a limited number of frequency points can be supported for channel measurement at the same time, or when the channel conditions are poor and the carriers transmitted by the second node need to have high transmission power, thus limiting the number of carriers transmitted by the unit at the same time.

[0188] In one implementation, the second node continuously sends backscatter measurement sequences (CW) to the first node and receives measurement sequences from the first node to perform channel measurements until a frequency with good channel quality (e.g., a frequency whose channel quality meets the requirements) is obtained through channel measurements. Then, the second node notifies the first node to stop sending backscatter measurement sequences. In this implementation, the first node continues to send backscatter measurement sequences until it receives a downlink signal to terminate sending measurement sequences or until the duration or number of times it sends measurement sequences reaches or exceeds a predetermined time / number of times.

[0189] In one specific implementation, the first node can continuously and repeatedly send the first sequence until it receives the fourth downlink signal from the second node, or the time for backscattering the first sequence exceeds a preset maximum time, or the number of times the first sequence is backscattered exceeds a maximum number. The fourth downlink signal is used to notify the first node to terminate the backscattering of the first sequence.

[0190] The corresponding method executed by the first node includes: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to uplink signal transmission and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information related to the first information is received, repeatedly sending a first sequence or sending the first sequence multiple times within a certain period of time, the first sequence being related to channel measurement, the first sequence being either a specific information bit modulated or a specific sequence; receiving a fourth downlink signal and stopping sending the first sequence, the fourth downlink signal being used to instruct the first node to stop backscattering the first sequence, if no fourth downlink signal is received within a certain period of time, or the number of times the first sequence is backscattered exceeds the maximum number, stopping the reflection of the first sequence, the period of time or the maximum number of times can be preset or obtained by receiving a third downlink signal sent by the second node; sending second information, the time for sending the second information can be after sending the first sequence for a certain period of time, which is preset, or after sending the first sequence and receiving a second downlink signal indicating uplink transmission, then sending the second information.

[0191] The corresponding method executed by the second node is as follows: the second node sends a first downlink signal related to access; receives first information related to access of the first node; sends first response information related to the first information; optionally, the second node may send a third downlink signal, which is used to notify the first node of the time information or number of times of backscattering the first sequence, such as time length or maximum number of times; transmits at least one carrier in a time-division manner on multiple time units, the number of carriers transmitted in each time unit and the frequency point can be determined according to the currently available bandwidth; receives the first sequence at the frequency point of the transmitted carrier (e.g., receives the first sequence at the frequency point of the transmitted carrier while transmitting the carrier), and measures the channel quality of the frequency point; if there is a frequency point of good channel quality among the transmitted carriers, for example, the channel quality meets the threshold requirement, then sends a fourth downlink signal to notify the first node to terminate the backscattering of the first sequence; transmits carriers and receives second information on at least one selected frequency. Optionally, after selecting at least one frequency with the best channel quality, the second node can instruct the first node to perform uplink transmission through the second downlink signal.

[0192] In this implementation, the reader can continuously perform measurements until a channel with relatively good signal quality is found. This is suitable for situations where there are many frequency points available for Ambient IoT uplink transmission, but few frequency points can be measured within the same time unit, or when the required channel measurement time or number of times cannot be determined.

[0193] In one implementation, the second node sends a measurement command to the first node, and the first node backscatters the measurement sequence only after receiving the measurement command.

[0194] In one example implementation, the behavior of the first node in sending the first sequence can be controlled by downlink signals.

[0195] The corresponding method executed by the first node includes: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals, and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information is received, the first node receives a fifth downlink signal related to channel measurement, the fifth downlink signal being used to indicate the start of backscattering a first sequence; sending a first sequence, the first sequence being related to channel measurement, the first sequence being either a specific information bit modulated or a specific sequence; sending second information; if no fifth downlink signal related to channel measurement is received, the first sequence is not sent, and the second information is sent directly.

[0196] The corresponding method executed by the second node includes: the second node sending a first downlink signal related to access; receiving first information related to access of the first node; sending first response information related to the first information; sending a fifth downlink signal, the fifth downlink signal being used to indicate the start of a backscattering first sequence; determining the number and frequency of carriers to be transmitted based on available bandwidth and power allocation, and transmitting carriers on one or more frequencies; receiving the first sequence on the one or more frequencies, and performing channel measurements based on the first sequence to select at least one frequency with the best channel quality; transmitting carriers on the selected at least one frequency; and receiving second information on the selected at least one frequency.

[0197] This implementation is suitable when data packets are large or data transmission takes a long time, and the uplink transmission channel of the first node may change, requiring a re-measurement of the channel. For example, when the base station detects that the received signal strength is less than a certain threshold, the base station can notify the first node to backscatter the first sequence via the fifth downlink signal so that the second node can perform uplink channel measurement. The second node can then switch the carrier to a frequency with better channel conditions based on the channel measurement results. This implementation can also be used in scenarios where the distance is short, large-scale fading is small, and channel measurement is not required. In this case, if the second node does not send channel measurement-related instructions, channel measurement is not required by default, thus reducing the communication latency between the first and second nodes. However, when large-scale fading is significant and channel measurement is required, the first node can be notified to send the first sequence to perform channel measurement. Therefore, this implementation allows the second node to perform channel measurement on demand, offering high flexibility.

[0198] In one implementation, when the data transmission time is long or the data packet is large, periodic channel measurements can be performed.

[0199] In one example implementation, the first node may periodically transmit a first sequence for channel measurements. This period may be predefined or specified by downlink signals.

[0200] The corresponding method executed by the first node includes: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals, and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information is received, the access is confirmed to be successful, and a sixth downlink signal related to channel measurement is received, the sixth downlink signal being used to indicate a periodic backscattering first sequence, the period of the backscattering first sequence being predefined, or being specified by downlink signals such as the sixth downlink signal or a separate downlink signal; periodically backscattering the first sequence; after backscattering the first sequence, transmitting second information.

[0201] The corresponding method executed by the second node includes: the second node sending a first downlink signal related to access; receiving first information related to access of the first node; sending first response information related to the first information; sending a sixth downlink signal, the sixth downlink signal being used to indicate a periodic backscattering first sequence, optionally, the sixth downlink signal may include information indicating the period for backscattering the first sequence; determining the number and frequency of transmitted carriers according to available bandwidth and power allocation, and transmitting carriers on one or more frequencies; periodically receiving the first sequence on the one or more frequencies, and performing channel measurements based on the first sequence to select at least one frequency with the best channel quality; transmitting carriers on the selected at least one frequency; and receiving second information on the selected at least one frequency.

[0202] This implementation is suitable for scenarios where data packets are large or data transmission takes a long time, and the uplink transmission channel of the first node may change, requiring re-measurement of the channel. Compared to measurements based on downlink measurement commands, this implementation does not require the first node to remain in a receiving state to receive the downlink signal indicating channel measurement, which helps reduce the energy consumption of the first node.

[0203] In one implementation, the second node measures the channel based on the first access-related information sent by the first node. For example, the reader side measures the channel based on the access sequence (e.g., RN16) sent by the tag, without affecting the behavior of the tag.

[0204] In one example implementation, the second node can perform channel measurements using the first information sent by the first node for access.

[0205] The corresponding method executed by the second node is as follows: the second node sends a first downlink signal related to access; sends at least one carrier wave, and receives first information related to the access of the first node on the at least one carrier wave. The first information can be used for the first node to access the second node, or for the second node to measure the channel, or the first information includes a first sequence related to channel measurement; performs channel measurement based on the first information, and selects at least one frequency with the best channel quality; sends a carrier wave on the selected at least one frequency; and receives second information on the selected at least one frequency. Optionally, after selecting at least one frequency with the best channel quality, the second node can instruct the first node to perform uplink transmission through the second downlink signal.

[0206] This implementation method is relatively simple and easy to operate, reducing the load and energy consumption of the first node.

[0207] In one implementation, the first node can backscatter the measurement sequence at multiple backscatter link frequencies (BLFs). For example, for a CW at the same frequency, information can be backscattered to different frequency locations via different BLFs. The BLFs can be used to determine the data rate of the backscattered signal and the amount of frequency shift between the backscattered signal and the CW.

[0208] In one example implementation, the first node can backscatter the measurement sequence at different backscatter link frequencies (BLF).

[0209] The corresponding method executed by the first node includes: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals, and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information related to the first information is received, the first node backscatters the first sequence multiple times with different BLFs, or, when a seventh downlink signal is received, the first node backscatters the first sequence multiple times with different BLFs, the seventh downlink signal being used to notify the first node of the number of times the first sequence is backscattered and / or the BLF. The BLF and the number of backscatters corresponding to each backscatter can be preset, or can be notified through the seventh downlink signal; and sending second information.

[0210] The corresponding method executed by the second node may include: the second node sending a first downlink signal related to access; receiving first information related to access from the first node; sending first response information related to the first information; optionally, the second node may send a seventh downlink signal, the seventh downlink signal being used to notify the first node of the number of backscattered first sequences and / or BLF; transmitting a carrier at a fixed frequency, for example, the frequency corresponding to multiple CW transmissions does not change; receiving the first sequence at multiple frequencies respectively, and performing channel measurements based on the first sequence to select at least one frequency with the best channel quality; transmitting a carrier at the selected at least one frequency; and receiving second information at the selected at least one frequency.

[0211] In one implementation, multiple nodes (electronic tags) can simultaneously perform channel measurements of multiple nodes by using different BLF backscattering sequences in a frequency-division manner.

[0212] Figure 6This diagram illustrates the resource locations of the first sequence backscattered by three nodes at three frequencies within three time units. Different colors in the diagram represent the resource locations corresponding to different nodes. Figure 6 As shown, the three nodes backscatter the first sequence in a frequency-division manner in each time unit.

[0213] For example, there are currently three nodes that have completed access: the first node, the third node, and the fourth node. The three nodes can determine the backscattering frequency according to the order in which they receive the first response information, so that the three nodes backscatter the first sequence at different frequencies (or with different BLFs) at the same time. For example, assuming that the first node, the third node, and the fourth node receive the first response information in the order of time, then in each time unit, the first node backscatters the first sequence with BLF1, BLF2, and BLF3 in sequence, the third node backscatters the first sequence with BLF2, BLF3, and BLF1 in sequence, and the fourth node backscatters the first sequence with BLF3, BLF1, and BLF2 in sequence. That is, in the same time unit, the first node, the third node, and the fourth node backscatter the first sequence with different BLFs, so that the backscattered sequence is located at different positions in the frequency domain.

[0214] This implementation allows the second node to transmit a single carrier at higher transmit power and also supports multiple tag nodes to transmit measurement sequences simultaneously in a frequency-division manner, enabling the second node to quickly perform channel measurements on multiple nodes, which helps to speed up inventory management.

[0215] In one implementation, if the tag is capable of backscattering a specific frequency CW after signal filtering, the reader can instruct the tag which CW(s) to backscatter, which also allows for simultaneous measurement of multiple tags.

[0216] In one specific implementation, the first node can backscatter a first sequence on a carrier at a certain frequency based on the downlink signal.

[0217] The corresponding method executed by the first node may include: the first node receiving a first downlink signal related to access; determining the access time based on the first downlink signal, and sending first information at that time, the first information being used for access; listening for a first response information within a certain period of time, the first response information being used to confirm successful access; if no first response information related to the first information is received, the first node does not execute subsequent steps related to transmitting uplink signals, and waits to receive other downlink signals; if the first response information related to the first information is received, determining the carrier frequency of the first backscattering sequence based on the received first response information, and backscattering the first sequence at the determined carrier frequency after filtering the signal using a filter, or receiving an eighth downlink signal, the eighth downlink signal including information related to the carrier frequency used for backscattering, determining the carrier frequency based on the eighth downlink signal, and backscattering the first sequence at the determined carrier frequency after filtering the signal using a filter; and sending second information. In another implementation, the carrier frequency used for backscattering the first sequence may be preset or predefined.

[0218] The method executed by the corresponding second node may include: the second node sending a first downlink signal related to access; receiving first information related to access of the first node; sending first response information related to the first information; optionally, the second node may send an eighth downlink signal, the eighth downlink signal including information related to the carrier frequency used for backscattering; transmitting a carrier at one or more frequencies; receiving a first sequence at multiple frequencies respectively, and performing channel measurements based on the first sequence to select at least one frequency with the best channel quality; transmitting a carrier at the selected at least one frequency; and receiving second information at the selected at least one frequency. In one implementation, the multiple frequencies used to receive the first sequence may be determined based on the information related to the carrier frequency used for backscattering included in the eighth downlink signal and the frequency of the carrier.

[0219] This implementation method can support multiple tag nodes to perform channel measurements simultaneously in a frequency division manner, which helps to speed up inventory management.

[0220] For example, there are currently three nodes that have completed access, namely the first node, the third node, and the fourth node; the three nodes can backscatter the first sequence at different frequencies at the same time, according to the order in which they receive the first response information or the carrier frequency of the backscatter first sequence determined by the eighth downlink signal.

[0221] In one implementation, the carrier waveform sent to the first node can be transmitted by an auxiliary node (e.g., a carrier node controlled by a second node). For example, the second node (e.g., a base station) can control the transmission of the CW by the auxiliary node via downlink signals.

[0222] In one example implementation, the carrier may be transmitted by a carrier node controlled by a second node. The carrier node receives a ninth downlink signal from the second node and determines the number and / or frequency position and / or start time and / or duration of the transmitted carrier based on the ninth downlink signal.

[0223] It is understood that the various implementations and / or embodiments described above can be used in combination. Different downlink commands received by the first node can instruct the first node to perform different operations. For example, upon receiving a third downlink signal, the first node backscatters a first sequence for a period of time or a fixed number of times; upon receiving a sixth downlink signal, the first node periodically backscatters the first sequence. Optionally, when used in combination, the first sequence backscattered by the first node for different downlink signals can be different. Optionally, when used in combination, some downlink signals can be merged into the same signal. For example, a fourth downlink signal instructing the first node to terminate the backscattering of the first sequence and a second downlink signal instructing the first node to begin uplink transmission of second information can be the same downlink signal; a fifth downlink signal instructing the first node to begin measurement and / or a third downlink signal instructing the first node to transmit time information and / or number of times information of the first sequence and / or a sixth downlink signal instructing periodic measurement and / or a seventh downlink signal instructing the backscattering frequency and / or an eighth downlink signal instructing the backscattering carrier can be the same downlink signal.

[0224] It should be noted that, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, "if the predefined conditions are met, execute the predefined method (or steps)" and "if the predefined conditions are not met, do not execute the predefined method (or steps)" can be used interchangeably.

[0225] In the description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, resources (also referred to as physical resources) may include time-domain resources (or time resources) and / or frequency-domain resources (or frequency resources).

[0226] In the description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, "temporal resource" or "time resource" may refer to at least one of the following or be used interchangeably with at least one of the following: (a plurality of) symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols), (a plurality of) time slots, (a plurality of) sub-time slots, (a plurality of) micro-time slots, or (a plurality of) subframes.

[0227] In the description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, "frequency domain resource" or "frequency resource" may refer to at least one of the following or be used interchangeably with at least one of the following: (multiple) channels, (multiple) subchannels, (multiple) carriers, (multiple) subcarriers, (multiple) resource blocks (RBs), (multiple) resource elements (REs), (multiple) physical resource blocks (PRBs), or (multiple) physical resource block groups (RBGs).

[0228] Figure 7 An example physical network (IoT) system according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0229] like Figure 7 As shown, the IoT system may include a first node 710 and a second node 720. The first node can communicate with the second node. The first node is a functional entity capable of harvesting energy from the environment (e.g., radio frequency energy or natural environmental energy (e.g., light or vibration)) and performing communication (e.g., implementing backscattering or autonomously generating signals) based on the harvested energy. For example, the first node may be an entity capable of passive operation. For example, the first node may not require a configured battery or battery replacement, thus offering lower cost compared to narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). The second node is a functional entity capable of reading / receiving signals transmitted by the first node (e.g., the backscattered signal of the first node). Each of the first node 710 and the second node 720 may have communication capabilities, such as the ability to wirelessly communicate with wireless networks (e.g., LTE, NR, Wi-Fi, etc.). Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 7 The illustration is merely an example; the system may include other devices, such as a UE (e.g., an NR UE) or a base station (e.g., an NR base station). For example, each or at least one of the first node 710 and the second node 720 may be able to communicate with the NR UE or the NR base station. It is understood that... Figure 7 The system shown can be used with Figure 1 The wireless networks shown are combined.

[0230] For example, a first node may include an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) (A-IoT) device, a passive IoT device, an RFID tag, a terminal / user equipment with passive IoT / A-IoT functionality, and / or the like. Therefore, in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "first node," "passive IoT device," "A-IoT device," "A-IoT terminal / UE," "A-IoT tag," or "environmental tag" are used interchangeably. For example, an environmental tag may be attached to an object that needs to be tracked, identified, or queried.

[0231] The second node may include a reader device, receiver, relay node, tag receiver, tag receiver node, passive IoT reader, A-IoT reader, or user equipment or network equipment with IoT reader functionality (e.g., NR user equipment / NR base station equipment with passive IoT / A-IoT reader functionality), and / or the like. The second node may include any device with wireless communication capabilities (capable of operating using NR communication standards or other communication standards). The second node may be a 3GPP device or a non-3GPP device. For example, the second node may perform at least one of the following functions: transmitting signals to the first node, or receiving signals transmitted by the first node. Furthermore, the second node may also perform the function of transmitting IoT power signals (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signals) and / or IoT carrier signals to the first node. Therefore, the second node may also have an exciter function, such as transmitting excitation signals (e.g., RF signals).

[0232] In some implementations, the reader function and the actuator function can be arranged in separate devices. For example, a third node (not shown) may also exist in the IoT system as an actuator device. The function of the third node includes at least sending IoT power signals (e.g., RF signals) and / or IoT carrier signals to the first node. For example, the third node may include an NR UE / BS, a network control node, an IoT-related signal transmitter, etc. The third node may include any device with wireless communication capabilities (capable of operating using the NR communication standard or other communication standards). In some implementations, the third node may also have a reader function. The third node can be a 3GPP device or a non-3GPP device. In some examples, the third node can be a UE (e.g., an NR UE), and the second node can be a network node (e.g., a base station), wherein the network node receives signals (e.g., backscattered signals) from the first node. In some examples, each of the second and third nodes can be a UE (e.g., an NR UE). In some examples, the NR UE (or NR base station) can have both actuator and reader functions, i.e., operate as both a second and third node.

[0233] In some implementations, the second node transmits a radio frequency (RF) signal, and the first node extracts energy from the RF signal and is activated. Once activated, the first node can (e.g., using information stored in the first node) modulate the received RF signal and reflect the modulated RF signal as a backscattered signal. The second node then receives the backscattered signal (e.g., the modulated RF signal) and demodulates it to extract information.

[0234] In some implementations, a third node transmits an RF signal, from which a first node extracts energy and is activated. Once activated, the first node can (e.g., using information stored in the first node) modulate the received RF signal and reflect the modulated RF signal as a backscattered signal. A second node then receives the backscattered signal (e.g., the modulated RF signal) and demodulates it to extract information from the first node.

[0235] It should be noted that, for ease of description, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be illustrated below using passive IoT / A-IoT devices or passive IoT / A-IoT systems as examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to other similar IoT devices or IoT systems.

[0236] With the popularization and continuous evolution of IoT technology, more and more smart devices are being connected to the network, greatly improving our productivity and quality of life. While bringing huge economic benefits, the hundreds of billions of IoT devices also bring new challenges. Traditional IoT devices are primarily battery-powered, requiring manual replacement or charging, leading to high maintenance costs. Furthermore, the hundreds of billions of batteries could cause serious environmental problems and even pose significant safety hazards in certain applications (such as oil extraction). Passive IoT / A-IoT is a novel battery-free IoT technology. Devices based on passive IoT / A-IoT (in exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, they can be referred to as passive IoT / A-IoT devices) can harvest energy from the surrounding environment (such as solar energy, vibration energy, and electromagnetic energy) through energy harvesting technology and convert it into electrical energy to power themselves, thus effectively addressing the aforementioned problems. Considering that electromagnetic energy can be generated by other existing radio frequency devices and provide relatively stable environmental energy to passive IoT / A-IoT devices, passive IoT / A-IoT devices are primarily implemented based on radio frequency energy harvesting technology.

[0237] Limited by environmental energy density and energy harvesting efficiency, passive IoT / A-IoT devices can only provide very limited electrical energy. Therefore, their complexity and energy consumption need to be kept very low, insufficient to support their active generation of high-frequency electromagnetic waves for information transmission. A feasible low-power, low-complexity transmission technology is backscatter communication. Backscatter communication is a technique that modulates information onto an external radio frequency signal and reflects it. The transmitting node can (e.g., by adjusting the load impedance) change the reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) to reflect or modulate the incident radio frequency signal. This requires very low energy consumption to change the amplitude, frequency, and / or phase of the external radio frequency signal, thereby transmitting information. The reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) can be related to changes in the amplitude, frequency, and / or phase of the carrier signal (e.g., an incoming signal such as an RF signal from a second or third node) or a carrier signal obtained or generated in other ways). For example, it can reflect the degree of change in the amplitude, frequency, and / or phase of the modulated signal relative to the amplitude, frequency, and / or phase of the carrier signal. As an example, a modulated signal is generated as a backscattered signal based on an incoming signal (e.g., an RF signal) and a reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient). For example, the reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) may indicate a change in at least one of the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the generated backscattered signal relative to a corresponding at least one of the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the incoming signal (e.g., an RF signal). The reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) may be associated with at least one of the impedance of the device antenna or the load impedance. The reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) can be adjusted by adjusting at least one of the impedance of the device antenna or the load impedance. For example, the reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient) may be represented by the following equation (1):

[0238]

[0239] Where γ is the reflection coefficient (or modulation coefficient), Z tag For the aforementioned adjustable load impedance, Z ant The impedance of the device's antenna. For Z ant The conjugate of. In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "reflection coefficient", "reflection parameter", "modulation coefficient", and "modulation parameter" are used interchangeably.

[0240] Meanwhile, since backscatter communication-based devices do not require the device itself to generate a high-frequency carrier, they can eliminate expensive active components such as high-precision local oscillators, thus significantly reducing device cost and size. Furthermore, passive IoT / A-IoT devices typically require low-power signal reception links, which can be implemented, for example, using envelope detectors and signal comparators.

[0241] Compared to traditional battery-free IoT systems, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), passive IoT / A-IoT systems are designed for wider coverage. This leads to some issues that traditional small-coverage battery-free IoT systems do not encounter. Specifically, with increased coverage, communication devices in passive IoT / A-IoT systems operate in multipath channels, and the transmission of passive IoT / A-IoT signals is therefore affected by multipath effects. For example... Figure 8A As shown, when signals are transmitted on certain frequencies, they experience deep fading, which severely impacts system performance. In such cases, passive IoT / A-IoT systems need to use channel measurement techniques to estimate / judge channel information, thereby avoiding transmitting signals on channel frequencies with deep fading.

[0242] Traditional battery-free IoT systems have limited coverage and may not need to address the issues posed by frequency-selective channels, thus lacking design considerations for channel measurement. Existing channel measurement techniques are too complex to be suitable for power- and complexity-constrained devices, such as passive IoT / A-IoT devices.

[0243] A new method for channel measurement is needed. For example, this channel measurement method could be applied to... Figure 7 The first node (e.g., a passive IoT / A-IoT device) and the second node (e.g., a reader device) are described.

[0244] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a method executed by a first node, a method executed by a second node, a first node, and a second node are provided. For ease of description, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated below using an A-IoT device as an example of a first node and a reader device as an example of a second node.

[0245] Based on the exemplary embodiments provided in this disclosure, an A-IoT device can transmit at least one reference signal (e.g., a backscatter modulation reference signal) with a single chip rate according to configuration information, enabling a reader device (e.g., a UE or network device (e.g., a base station or core network device) communicating with the A-IoT device, such as a reader communicating with the A-IoT device) to measure channel information according to the reference signal, and then use frequency resources with better channel conditions for communication (R2D transmission and / or D2R transmission), thereby improving the system performance in multipath channels.

[0246] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a method performed by an A-IoT device is provided. The method may include: the A-IoT device receiving configuration information, and determining at least one of the following based on the configuration information: a first parameter related to the chip rate of a first sequence (which may also be referred to as third information in embodiments of the present disclosure); a second parameter related to the modulation coefficient of a second signal (which may also be referred to as second configuration information in embodiments of the present disclosure); a third parameter related to the transmission time of the first sequence; and transmitting the first sequence or a second signal obtained based on the configuration information. For example, the A-IoT device may receive the configuration information from a reader device and / or other network nodes (e.g., an NR UE or an NR base station). In the description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the A-IoT device receiving configuration information may refer to receiving configuration information from any suitable device (e.g., a reader device and / or other network nodes (e.g., an NR UE or an NR base station)).

[0247] In some implementations, the method further includes: the A-IoT device determining at least one chip rate based on a first parameter, and generating a first sequence based on the at least one chip rate. The A-IoT device can generate a sub-first sequence based on each of the at least one chip rate. For example, each sub-first sequence consists of periodically repeating '0 / 1' (e.g., the sequence '010101010101…') or consists of '1 / 0' (e.g., the sequence '101010101010…'), wherein the duration of 0 / 1 or 1 / 0 in the sub-first sequence is the reciprocal of the chip rate. The sequence length of each sub-first sequence (the sequence length refers to the number of codewords in the sub-first sequence, i.e., the number corresponding to '0 / 1' or '1 / 0') is proportional to its corresponding chip rate, and the ratio can be predefined or determined based on a third parameter. When the first node determines multiple chip rates based on a first parameter, it generates a sub-first sequence corresponding to each chip rate. These sub-first sequences are then combined to generate a combined first sequence or a sequence used to modulate a carrier signal to generate a second signal. This embodiment only provides an example of one method for generating the first sequence. In specific implementations, other sequences can be used for the first sequence, including but not limited to existing measurement sequences in NR and existing pilot sequences in RFID.

[0248] In some implementations, the method further includes the A-IoT device transmitting a second signal. For example, transmitting the second signal may include determining modulation coefficients γ1 and γ2 according to a second parameter. Transmitting the second signal may also include modulating a carrier based on a first sequence using the determined modulation coefficients γ1 and γ2 to transmit the second signal. In some examples, the A-IoT device may modulate the second signal based on the determined modulation coefficients γ1 and γ2. The A-IoT device may transmit the second signal by modulating the generated first sequence onto a carrier according to the modulation coefficients. As an example, modulation coefficients γ1 and γ2 may be applied alternately to the elements / values ​​of the first sequence. For example, for the first sequence '10101010', modulation coefficient γ1 is applied to the value '1' of the first sequence, and modulation coefficient γ2 is applied to the value '0' of the first sequence. As another example, for the first sequence '10101010', modulation coefficient γ2 is applied to the value '1' of the first sequence, and modulation coefficient γ1 is applied to the value '0' of the first sequence. In one implementation, the A-IoT device generates a second signal based on modulation coefficients by controlling the intensity of the reflected signal according to the modulation coefficients, corresponding to 0 and 1 in the first sequence, reflecting signals of different intensities. For example, a modulation coefficient of 0 represents a fully absorbed carrier with a reflected signal intensity of 0, while a modulation coefficient of 1 represents a fully reflected carrier with the same reflected signal intensity as the carrier. In specific implementations, more than one modulation coefficient may be required to generate the second signal. In specific implementations, the modulation coefficients required to generate the second signal may be preset or obtained based on configuration information.

[0249] In some implementations, the first parameter (or third information) may be a first parameter set (or a set of third information values). Each parameter value in the first parameter set is mapped to or associated with a chip rate. For example, the first parameter set may include N (N≥1) integers x1, x2, ..., x... not less than 1. N (or corresponding to x1~x) N (The binary number). At this point, the A-IoT device can determine the chip rate of the second signal based on a mapping or association between the value of the first parameter and the chip rate. For example, this mapping or association can be related to a fundamental frequency or a fundamental chip rate. For example, based on this mapping or association, the chip rate R... i k can be the base frequency or the base chip rate. i Times, i.e., R i =f base *k i , where k i It can be used with the value of the first parameter x i Related, for example, x i The function of k is described below. i With x iExample function relationships. For example, k i =x i For example, the chip rate R of the second signal can be determined based on the following equation (2). i .

[0250] R i =f base *x i Equation (2) , i∈[1,N]

[0251] In the above formula, f base This refers to the base frequency or base chip rate. As an example, f base The subcarrier spacing can be the size of a system based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) (such as 5G NR or LTE) or an integer multiple thereof, for example, 15kHz, 30kHz, etc., either predefined or obtained based on configuration information. As another example, f base The size of the frequency domain resources occupied by a resource block (RB) can be specified, for example, 180kHz. A resource block typically consists of an integer number of subcarriers, for example, 12 subcarriers, and is usually the smallest unit of resource scheduling. On one hand, this method allows A-IoT devices to easily calculate the chip rate used to generate the second signal. On the other hand, considering that OFDM-based systems (such as 5G NR or LTE) configure resources based on frequency grids (for example, signal transmission mainly occurs on the frequency grid, and the frequency point of the channel to be measured also falls on the frequency grid, where the spacing of the frequency grid is one subcarrier interval), configuring the chip rate of the second signal to an integer multiple of the subcarrier interval or the resource block allows the device to generate a second signal located on the frequency grid, thereby enabling the reader device to accurately measure the channel information at the frequency point to be measured, such as... Figure 8B As shown.

[0252] It should be noted that the chip rate in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can also be described as the switching rate / period of high and low levels in the signal transmitted by the A-IoT device, or it can also be expressed as the backscatter link frequency (BLF), etc.

[0253] In some implementations, the first parameter set may include N (N≥1) integers μ1 to μ2 that are not less than 0. N (or equivalent to μ1~μ) N (The binary number). At this point, the A-IoT device can determine the chip rate of the second signal based on a mapping or association between the value of the first parameter and the chip rate. For example, this mapping or association can be related to a fundamental frequency or a fundamental chip rate. For example, based on this mapping or association, the chip rate R... ik can be the base frequency or the base chip rate. i Times, that is, R i =f base *k i , where k i It can be compared with the value of the first parameter μ i Related, for example, is μ i The function of k is described below. i With μ i Example function relationships. For example, For example, the chip rate R of the second signal can be determined based on the following equation (3). i .

[0254]

[0255] In the above formula, f base This refers to the base frequency or base chip rate. As an example, f base This can be the subcarrier spacing size for systems based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), such as 5G NR or LTE, for example, 15kHz, 30kHz, etc. As another example, f base This can be the size of a resource block (RB), for example, 180kHz. As another example, f base This can be a predetermined value. In this way, a large range of chip rates can be configured with fewer bits.

[0256] In some implementations, the first parameter can be an indication parameter used to instruct the A-IoT device to select a predefined or preconfigured chip rate or set of chip rates. This implementation has minimal signaling overhead.

[0257] As described above, the first sequence can consist of periodically repeating '0 / 1' or '1 / 0', where the number of '0 / 1' or '1 / 0' (or the length of the first sequence) is proportional to the chip rate. In this way, the energy of the generated first signal can be concentrated on frequency points related to the chip rate. When these frequency points are the channel frequencies to be measured, the reader device can receive high signal-to-noise ratio reference signals at these frequencies, thereby obtaining accurate channel measurement results. Furthermore, when the number of configured chip rates is not less than one, by designing the first sequence length to be proportional to the chip rate, different first sequences can have the same duration in the second signal. In this way, the second signal transmitted by the A-IoT device can have the same power at multiple frequency points, ensuring the fairness of the reader device's measurement results for different channel frequencies.

[0258] The following describes some exemplary methods for generating a first sequence based on each chip rate.

[0259] In some implementations, the IoT device can determine the duration T of the second signal. For a given chip rate R in the determined chip rate... i IoT devices can determine the duration T of the second signal and the chip rate R. i R i Determine the length L of the corresponding first sequence. i :L i =T*R i And generate the first sequence. In a similar manner, a corresponding first sequence can be generated for each chip rate.

[0260] The following example illustrates a first sequence that is a periodic repetition of '1 / 0' (e.g., the first sequence is '10101010…'). As a concrete example, assume the duration of the second signal is… The determined first chip rate R1 = f base The determined second chip rate R2 = 2f base Then, the A-IoT device can generate two first sequences of length L1 and L2, respectively: L1 = 4, L2 = 2, S1 = [10101010], S2 =

[1010] , where L1 = 4 and L2 = 2. Where f base This refers to the base frequency or base chip rate. For example, f base This can be the subcarrier spacing size for systems based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), such as 5G NR or LTE, for example, 15kHz, 30kHz, etc. As another example, f basw It can be the size of the resource block (RB), for example, 180kHz.

[0261] In some implementations, the IoT device can determine the duration T of the second signal based on received configuration information. The advantage of this approach is that the power of the second signal can be adjusted by configuring different durations to suit different channel conditions. For example, when the noise in the channel is high, resulting in a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the received second signal, a longer duration can be configured to increase the SNR. Conversely, when the noise in the channel is low, a shorter duration can be configured to save signaling overhead. It is important to note that when the A-IoT device uses backscatter modulation for signal transmission, it lacks the ability to actively increase or decrease the signal transmission power; therefore, power control may be necessary through the duration of the transmitted signal. In some implementations, the duration T of the second signal can be determined by a predefined value. For example, the duration T of the second signal is determined to a predefined value. This further reduces signaling overhead.

[0262] In some examples, when the second parameter is configured to the first value, α = 1, and γ1 = -γ2. For example, the A-IoT device will modulate the elements '0' and '1' in the first sequence with the same amplitude and opposite phase.

[0263] In some examples, when the second parameter is configured to a second value, α = 0.5. In this case, γ1 = -0.5γ2. In this case, the A-IoT device modulates the elements '0' and '1' in the first sequence with different amplitudes and opposite phases, and the modulation amplitude of element '0' is half the modulation amplitude of element '1' (or the modulation amplitude of element '1' is half the modulation amplitude of element '0').

[0264] In this way, different waveforms of second signals can be generated by configuring different second parameters to suit different scenarios. As mentioned earlier, A-IoT devices may need to transmit signals using backscattering technology, for example, by backscattering information onto a carrier signal sent by another device. In this case, the reader may receive not only the signal sent by the A-IoT device but also the carrier signal itself. Figure 9A and 9B As shown, the carrier signal may be sent by the reader itself or other devices. In this case, the carrier signal received by the reader may interfere with the signal sent by the A-IoT device, which is also known as direct link interference.

[0265] When direct link interference exists, the channel at the carrier frequency will be affected and cannot be accurately measured. In this case, the second parameter can be configured to the first value, which makes the mean of the second signal generated by the A-IoT device zero, resulting in no signal component at the carrier frequency. Energy will be concentrated on other configured frequencies besides the carrier frequency. This avoids wasting limited signal power on unmeasurable carrier frequencies and improves signal energy utilization. The process of generating the second signal can also be equivalent to modulating the first sequence onto the carrier using binary phase shift keying (BPSK). In some implementations, when the second parameter is configured to the first value, the modulation coefficients γ1 = 1, γ2 = -1, and the generated second signal and its frequency response are as follows: Figure 10A and Figure 10B As shown.

[0266] On the other hand, when direct link interference is weak or the reader is capable of canceling direct link interference, the second parameter can be configured to a second value. This allows the average value of the second signal generated by the A-IoT device to be 0.25, resulting in almost identical power at the carrier frequency and at two adjacent configured frequency points. This allows the reader device to simultaneously measure the channel information at the carrier frequency point through the second signal. In some implementations, when the second parameter is configured to a second value, the modulation coefficients γ1 = 1, γ2 = -0.5, and the generated second signal and its frequency response are as follows: Figure 11A and Figure 11B As shown.

[0267] It should be noted that the values ​​of the mean of the second signal and the corresponding modulation coefficients are only one possible implementation example to achieve the effect of whether or not a component is generated at the carrier. In specific implementations, the values ​​of the mean of the second signal and / or the corresponding modulation coefficients are not limited to the values ​​described above.

[0268] It is important to note that in some implementations, it may be necessary to ensure that the reference signal has consistent power across all measured frequencies to guarantee the consistency and fairness of the measurement results. It is also important to note that when the second parameter is configured to a second value, a value of 0.5 for α is an approximation. This value can approximately guarantee that the second signal has consistent power at the carrier frequency and its adjacent measured frequencies, and it is easy to implement. In practice, the value of α needs to be precisely calculated so that the DC component and the fundamental component in the Fourier expansion of the second signal have the same amplitude, thereby ensuring that the second signal has absolutely consistent power at the carrier frequency and its adjacent measured frequencies. In implementation, accurately modulating this value is difficult and requires a certain level of device precision, which may not be suitable for inexpensive A-IoT devices. The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide an easily implemented approximation of α.

[0269] from Figure 10A and 10B and Figure 11A and 11B As can be seen, when the second signal contains the first sequence with two chip rates, its spectrum exhibits maximum peaks at four frequency points. This is because the signal emitted by the A-IoT device is a real-valued signal, and each frequency component it contains will appear symmetrically on both sides of the carrier frequency. Therefore, for each additional chip rate signal sequence included in the second signal, the reader can measure the channel at two more symmetrical frequency points based on that second signal. The other spectral peaks appearing in the figure are due to higher-order harmonic signal components in the second signal. Since the amplitude of these harmonic signal components is lower than the fundamental signal components adjacent to the carrier frequency points, they are not used for channel measurement. It is important to note that... Figure 10A and 10B and Figure 11A and 11B For illustrative purposes only, this diagram is intended to illustrate the principle. The spectrum outside the frequency to be measured can be understood as being generated by noise or data signals. The actual signal waveform and spectrum may change due to variations in the presentation method.

[0270] The following describes an exemplary method for an A-IoT device to send a second signal based on a first parameter and a second parameter.

[0271] In some implementations, when the second parameter is configured to the first value, the A-IoT device can transmit the second signal in multiple time units (e.g., two consecutive time units (e.g., time slots)). The following description uses the transmission of the second signal in two consecutive time slots as an example.

[0272] In some examples, when the number of chip rates determined according to the first parameter is 1, that is, only the chip rate R1 is determined, the A-IoT device generates a first sequence S1 according to R1 in the first time slot and modulates S1 onto the carrier for transmission according to the second parameter; the A-IoT device generates a first sequence S2 according to 2*R1 in the second time slot and modulates S2 onto the carrier for transmission according to the second parameter.

[0273] In some examples, when the number of chip rates determined based on the first parameter is greater than 1, that is, N chip rates R1, R2, ..., R are determined. N (R1~R N ), where N is an integer greater than 1, and the A-IoT device operates according to these N chip rates (R1~R) in the first time slot. N Generate the corresponding first sequences S1, S2, ..., S respectively. N (S1~S N ), and according to the second parameter, S1~S N The signal is modulated (e.g., sequentially modulated) onto a carrier for transmission; the A-IoT device may transmit the same second signal in the second time slot as in the first time slot.

[0274] In some implementations, when the second parameter is configured to a second value, the A-IoT device sends a second signal in a (single) time slot.

[0275] When the reader device receives the reference signal (second signal) sent by the A-IoT device, this reference signal actually traverses two channels. The first channel is the channel during carrier transmission, and the second channel is the channel traversed by the modulated signal sent by the A-IoT device during its transmission to the reader receiver. When the direct link interference on the carrier frequency is weak or can be handled by the reader (e.g., eliminated), the second parameter can be configured to a second value. In this case, the A-IoT device sends a second signal with α = 0.5 according to the configuration information. The reader can perform channel measurements on the frequency points including the carrier frequency point based on this type of second signal, and distinguish between the two channel segments on other frequency points based on the measurement results on the carrier frequency point. In this case, the A-IoT device only needs to send the second signal once. The following is combined with... Figure 12 Let's illustrate with an example.

[0276] refer to Figure 12 Assuming the frequencies to be measured are f1-f5, and the frequency domain interval between the frequencies is Δf, the A-IoT device determines two chip rates: R1 = Δf and R2 = 2 * Δf. At this time, the reader device transmits a carrier signal x on f3. c After passing through channel h3, the carrier signal x ch3 arrives at the A-IoT device. Here, h3 is the channel response at frequency f3. Next, the A-IoT device generates a first sequence and modulates it onto this carrier signal for transmission. The second signal has the same power at each frequency x1 to x5: βx c h3, where the parameter β is related to α. For example, when α = 1, the value of β is larger, and when α = 0.5, the value of β is smaller. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device at each frequency point is: y i =x i h i =βx c h3h i ,i∈[1,2,3,4,5]. At this point, since the signal at the carrier frequency can be measured, the reader device obtains h3 based on the measurement result y3 at that frequency: Next, the reader uses the measurement results from other frequency points as a basis. i Given i = [1,2,4,5] and the channel h3 at frequency point f3, we can obtain the channels for other frequency points:

[0277] On the other hand, when direct link interference on the carrier frequency is strong or the interference cannot be handled (e.g., eliminated) by the reader device, the second parameter can be configured to the first value. In this case, the A-IoT device can send a second signal with α=1. The reader device may not be able to perform channel measurements on the carrier frequency based on this type of second signal (α=1), and therefore may not be able to distinguish between two channel segments on other frequencies. In this case, the A-IoT device needs to send an additional second signal for auxiliary measurement. In this situation, the channel measurement method differs when the second signal contains only one chip rate compared to when the second signal contains multiple chip rates, thus requiring different processing methods. The following section combines... Figures 13 to 16 The following is an example illustrating the processing method.

[0278] like Figure 13 As shown, assuming the frequencies to be measured are f1 to f5, and the frequency interval between the frequencies is Δf, the A-IoT device can determine R1 = Δf and R2 = 2 * Δf. At this time, the reader device transmits a carrier signal x on f3. c After passing through channel h3, the carrier signal x c h3 arrives at the A-IoT device. Here, h3 is the channel response at frequency f3. Next, the A-IoT device can generate a first sequence and modulate it onto this carrier signal for transmission. The second signal has the same power at frequencies f1, f2, f4, and f5: x i =βx ch3,i=[1,2,4,5], where the parameter β is related to α. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device at each frequency point is: y i =x i h i =βx c h3h i Let i = [1, 2, 4, 5]. At this point, the signal at the carrier frequency may not be measurable, meaning the value of h3 may not be obtainable. Therefore, the channel at each frequency may not be measurable.

[0279] In this scenario, the A-IoT device may need to send an additional second signal to assist in the measurement. For example... Figure 14 As shown, in the second time slot, the reader device transmits carrier signal x on f4. c After passing through channel h4, the carrier signal x′ c h4 arrives at the A-IoT device. Next, the A-IoT device generates a first sequence and modulates it onto this carrier signal for transmission. The second signal has the same power at frequencies f2, f3, and f5: x′ i =βx c h4,i=[2,3,5], where the parameter β is related to α. It should be noted that in this example, other frequency points (such as f6, not shown in the figure) are not the frequency points to be measured in this experiment, therefore the signal at that frequency point is not reflected in the figure. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device at each frequency point is: y′ i =x′ i h i =βx c h4h i ,i=[2,3,5]. After obtaining the seven measurement results y1,y2,y4,y5 and y′2,y′3,y′5, the channel measurement results for the five frequency points h1~h5 can be obtained by solving the following system of equations.

[0280]

[0281] Note that y′3 and y4 are equal in the above system of equations, therefore the system of equations can be combined. Solving the combined system yields the channel measurement results for the five frequency points h1 to h5.

[0282] It is important to note that the two time slots for transmitting the second signal should be spaced as short as possible to ensure the consistency of the two measurement results, or to prevent the channel from changing significantly during the two measurements.

[0283] When the number of frequency points to be tested is small, A-IoT devices can be configured to transmit only a second signal with a chip rate of one. For example... Figure 15As shown, assuming the frequency points to be measured are f1-f3, and the frequency domain interval between the frequency points is Δf, the A-IoT device determines R1 = Δf. At this time, the reader device transmits a carrier signal x on f2. c After passing through channel h2, the carrier signal x c h2 arrives at the A-IoT device. Next, the A-IoT device sends second signals x1 and x3 on h1 and h3 respectively, where x1 = x3 = βx. c h2. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device at each frequency point is: y1 = βx c h2h1,y3=βx c h2h3. At this point, since the signal at carrier frequency h2 may not be measurable, i.e., the value of h2 may not be available, the channels at each frequency point may not be measurable.

[0284] Therefore, the A-IoT device may need to send a second signal to assist in the measurement. In this case, the A-IoT device may need to send a second signal, different from the first, in the second time slot; otherwise, it may still be impossible to measure the channel at all frequency points. Figure 16 As shown, assuming that in the second time slot, the reader device transmits carrier signal x on f3. c After passing through channel h3, the carrier signal x c h3 arrives at the A-IoT device. Next, the A-IoT device sends a second signal identical to that in the first time slot, for example, R1 = Δf, resulting in x′2 = βx. c h3. It should be noted that in this example, other frequency points (such as f4, which is not shown in the figure) are not the frequency points being measured in this experiment, therefore the signal at that frequency point is not reflected in the figure. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device on channel h2 is y′2=βx c h3h2. The results of the two measurements can be written in the form of the following system of equations:

[0285]

[0286] Note that y3 and y′2 are equal in the above system of equations, therefore the system can be combined. After merging, since the unknowns to be solved are h1 to h3, it may not be possible to obtain the channel for each frequency point.

[0287] In this scenario, to avoid duplication of measurement results between the two measurements, the A-IoT device may need to transmit a second signal in the second time slot that differs from the first time slot. In some implementations: when the reader device transmits a carrier signal x located on h3 in the second time slot... cSubsequently, the A-IoT device sends a second signal R1 = 2 * Δf, and obtains the signal response on h1 as x′1 = βx. c h3. It should be noted that this second signal also has a similar frequency response at f5, but since f5 is not the frequency of interest in this measurement, it is omitted here. After passing through the channel, the signal power received by the reader device on channel h1 is y′1=βx. c h3h1. The results of the two measurements can be written in the form of the following system of equations:

[0288]

[0289] As can be seen, these three measurements yielded non-repeating results. By solving the system of equations, the channels h1 to h3 at the three frequency points can be obtained.

[0290] The following describes an example method for an A-IoT device to determine a first parameter and a second parameter based on configuration information. For example, the A-IoT device can determine the first parameter and the second parameter based on a received first signaling. The first signaling can be sent by a communication node in a communication system (e.g., an A-IoT system). This communication node can be any electronic device, including but not limited to a reader device, a UE (e.g., an NR UE), a base station (e.g., an NR base station), or a device acting as a base station, such as a relay. For ease of description, a reader device is used as an example of a communication node. In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the channel through which the A-IoT device sends signals to the reader device can be referred to as a PDRCH (physical device to reader channel), and the channel through which the reader device sends signals to the A-IoT device can be referred to as a PRDCH (physical reader to device channel). Alternatively, the channel through which the A-IoT device sends signals can also be referred to as an uplink channel, and the channel through which the reader device sends signals can also be referred to as a downlink channel.

[0291] The first signaling can be the first broadcast signaling on the PRDCH channel in an A-IoT system, including the initial broadcast signaling that triggers A-IoT services, such as the query signaling in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, and subsequent broadcast signaling that updates or adjusts the initial broadcast signaling, such as the query response (QueryRep) and query adjustment (QueryAdjust) signaling in an RFID system. Figure 17AAs shown, in this scenario, any A-IoT device that successfully receives the signaling can generate and transmit an uplink probe reference signal based on the configuration information contained in the signaling. For A-IoT systems, A-IoT devices typically access the system by responding to broadcast signaling. For example, an A-IoT device can send access information after successfully receiving a broadcast signaling. This access information can be the A-IoT device's ID information or a randomly generated access sequence, such as RN16 in an RFID system. By sending the probe reference signal configuration information in the first broadcast signaling, the A-IoT device can return a channel measurement reference signal immediately, allowing the reader device to acquire channel information early and facilitating rapid adjustments to subsequent channel selection.

[0292] Optionally, the first signaling can also be user-specific signaling on the PRDCH channel in an A-IoT system (e.g., signaling specific to one or more A-IoT devices), such as ACK signaling in an RFID system. Figure 17B As shown, since user-specific signaling can only be successfully received by a specific user (e.g., a specific A-IoT device), only the A-IoT device that successfully receives the signaling can configure and transmit the probe reference signal based on the configuration information contained in the signaling. This allows for targeted acquisition of channel information for users (e.g., A-IoT devices), avoiding unnecessary resource overhead.

[0293] In practical implementation, the first node can determine the second parameter based on a preset method. For example, it can use the first value during the first reflection of the first sequence and the second value during the second reflection of the measurement sequence. This design reduces signaling overhead. In one implementation, the first node defaults to using the first value during the first reflection of the first sequence and then determines whether to use the first or second value in subsequent measurements based on configuration information. For example, when the reader is uncertain about the direct link interference strength, it can determine whether the direct link interference at the carrier's frequency point can be eliminated based on the first measurement result, then determine the second parameter to use in the second measurement and configure it for the first node. Figure 18 A flowchart of a method 1800 performed by a first node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0294] refer to Figure 18 In operation S1810, the first node receives second configuration information, which is associated with the reflection coefficient of a second signal used for channel measurement. For example, the first node can receive the second configuration information from the second node.

[0295] In operation S1820, the first node determines the first reflection coefficient and the second reflection coefficient based on the second configuration information.

[0296] In operation S1830, the first node modulates the first sequence by alternately applying the first reflection coefficient and the second reflection coefficient to generate the second signal.

[0297] In operation S1840, the first node sends a second signal. For example, the first node sends second configuration information to the second node.

[0298] For example, the first node can be an A-IoT device, a passive IoT device, an RFID tag, or a terminal / UE with passive IoT / A-IoT functionality.

[0299] For example, the second node can be a reader device, receiver, relay node, tag receiver, tag receiver node, passive IoT reader, A-IoT reader, or UE or network device with IoT reader functionality (e.g., NRUE / NR base station).

[0300] In some implementations, one or more of operations S1820 to S1840 may be performed based on the methods described in various embodiments of this disclosure (e.g., embodiments described in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures).

[0301] In some implementations, method 1800 may omit one or more of operations S1820 to S1840, or may include additional operations, such as those that can be performed by the first node as described in various embodiments of this disclosure (e.g., embodiments described in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures).

[0302] Figure 19 A flowchart of a method 1900 performed by a second node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0303] refer to Figure 19 In operation S1910, the second node sends second configuration information, which is associated with the reflection coefficient of a second signal used for channel measurement. For example, the second node can send the second configuration information to the first node.

[0304] In operation S1920, the second node receives a second signal, which is generated by modulating a first sequence by alternately applying a first reflection coefficient and a second reflection coefficient, wherein the first and second reflection coefficients are based on the second configuration information. For example, the second node can receive the second signal from the first node.

[0305] For example, the first node can be an A-IoT device, a passive IoT device, an RFID tag, or a terminal / UE with passive IoT / A-IoT functionality.

[0306] For example, the second node can be a reader device, receiver, relay node, tag receiver, tag receiver node, passive IoT reader, A-IoT reader, or UE or network device with IoT reader functionality (e.g., NRUE / NR base station).

[0307] In some implementations, one or more of operations S1910 to S1920 may be performed based on the methods described in various embodiments of this disclosure (e.g., embodiments described in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures).

[0308] In some implementations, method 1900 may omit one or more of operations S1910 to S1920, or may include additional operations, such as those that can be performed by a second node as described in various embodiments of this disclosure (e.g., embodiments described in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures).

[0309] Figure 20 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second node 2000 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the second node may be a reader device, a receiver, a relay node, a tag receiver, a tag receiver node, a passive IoT reader, an A-IoT reader, or a UE or network device (e.g., an NR UE / NR base station) with IoT reader functionality.

[0310] refer to Figure 20 The second node 2000 includes a transceiver 2001 and a controller 2002. The transceiver 2001 is configured to transmit data or signals and receive data or signals. The controller 2002 is coupled to the transceiver 2001 and configured to perform control such that the second node 2000 performs the methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In one implementation, the second node 2000 may further include a memory (not shown) storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the controller 2002, allow the second node 2000 to perform at least one method corresponding to the above embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0311] The controller 2020 may refer to a circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or at least one processor. The transceiver 2010, controller 2020, and memory 2030 are configured to perform the operations described above that can be performed by a communication device. Although the transceiver 2010, controller 2020, and memory 2030 are shown as separate entities, they can be implemented as a single entity, such as a single chip. Alternatively, the transceiver 2010, controller 2020, and memory 2030 may be electrically connected or coupled to each other.

[0312] The transceiver 2010 can send signals to and receive signals from other communication devices.

[0313] The controller 2020 can control the second node to perform a function according to one of the various exemplary embodiments described above.

[0314] In some exemplary embodiments, the operation of the second node can be implemented using a memory 2030 that stores corresponding program code. Specifically, the second node may be equipped with a memory 2030 to store program code that implements the desired operation. In order to perform the desired operation, the controller 2020 may read and execute the program code stored in the memory 2030 using at least one processor or central processing unit (CPU).

[0315] Figure 21 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first node 2100 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the first node can be an A-IoT device, a passive IoT device, an RFID tag, a terminal / UE with passive IoT / A-IoT functionality, etc.

[0316] refer to Figure 21 The first node 2100 includes a transceiver 2101 and a controller 2102. The transceiver 2101 is configured to transmit data or signals and receive data or signals. The controller 2102 is coupled to the transceiver 2101 and configured to perform control such that the first node 2100 performs the methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In one implementation, the first node 2100 may further include a memory (not shown) storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the controller 2102, allow the first node 2100 to perform at least one method corresponding to the above embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0317] Controller 2120 may refer to a circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or at least one processor. Transceiver 2110, controller 2120, and memory 2130 are configured to perform the operations described above that can be performed by a communication device. Although transceiver 2110, controller 2120, and memory 2130 are shown as separate entities, they can be implemented as a single entity, such as a single chip. Alternatively, transceiver 2110, controller 2120, and memory 2130 may be electrically connected or coupled to each other.

[0318] Transceiver 2110 can send signals to other communication devices and receive signals from other communication devices.

[0319] The controller 2120 can control the first node to perform a function according to one of the various exemplary embodiments described above.

[0320] In some exemplary embodiments, the operation of the first node can be implemented using a memory 2130 that stores corresponding program code. Specifically, the first node may be equipped with a memory 2130 to store program code that implements the desired operation. In order to perform the desired operation, the controller 2120 may read and execute the program code stored in the memory 2130 using at least one processor or central processing unit (CPU).

[0321] Those skilled in the art will understand that the illustrative embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that any two or more of the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in any combination. Furthermore, other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that aspects of the invention disclosed herein, as generally described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are contemplated herein.

[0322] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and steps described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in the form of sets of functions. Whether such sets of functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described sets of functions in different ways for each specific application, but such design decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this application.

[0323] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in this application may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0324] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in this application may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read and write information to / from the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a communication device (e.g., a terminal or base station). In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the communication device (e.g., a terminal or base station).

[0325] In one or more exemplary designs, the functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, the latter including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0326] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

[0327] The embodiments of the subject matter and operation described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware that includes the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in a combination of one or more of these. Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more computer program instruction modules, encoded on a computer storage medium for execution by or control of the operation of a data processing apparatus. Alternatively or additionally, the program instructions can be encoded on artificially generated propagating signals, such as machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signals, generated to encode information for transmission to a suitable receiver device for execution by the data processing apparatus. The computer storage medium can be a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory array or device, or a combination thereof, or be included in a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory array or device, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, although the computer storage medium is not a propagating signal, it can be a source or destination of computer program instructions encoded in artificially generated propagating signals. Computer storage media may also be one or more separate physical components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices), or may be included in one or more separate physical components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices). Furthermore, the operations described in this specification can be implemented as operations performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices or received from other sources.

[0328] While this specification may contain numerous specific implementation details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of any claimed subject matter, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although features may be described above as operating in certain combinations, and even initially claimed in this way, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination may be for sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0329] Similarly, although the operations are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order or sequential order shown, or requiring that all described operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of the various system components in the above embodiments should not be construed as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0330] Therefore, specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described herein. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions set forth in the claims may be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0331] As those skilled in the art will recognize, the innovative concepts described herein can be modified and varied across a wide range of applications. Therefore, the scope of the claimed subject matter should not be limited to any specific exemplary teachings discussed above, but rather is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method executed by a second node in a communication system, comprising: Send a first signal related to the indication channel measurement to the first node; Send the first carrier waveform CW to the first node; Receive a second signal based on a first CW backscattering from a first node, the second signal including a first sequence related to channel measurements; Channel measurements are performed based on the first sequence to determine at least one frequency, which is associated with a second CW for uplink transmission of the first node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first signal includes: A signal used to confirm the access of the first node; or The signal is used to configure access for the first node, wherein the second signal further includes first information related to access for the first node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first signal includes information indicating the backscattering of the first sequence. The information indicating the first backscattering sequence includes at least one of the following: information indicating the start of the first backscattering sequence, information indicating a periodic first backscattering sequence, and information related to the period of the first backscattering sequence.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Sending the first CW includes sending multiple first CWs on multiple frequencies.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Sending the first CW includes: The first CW is transmitted on multiple frequencies in a single time unit, or on one or more frequencies in consecutive time units.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, Sending the first CW includes: Transmit the first CW until at least one frequency is determined based on the channel measurement or the first CW is transmitted at a first time.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, If at least one frequency is determined based on the channel measurements, information indicating the termination of the transmission of the first sequence is sent to the first node.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: Send information to the first node about the first number of times the first sequence will be sent.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second signal is received based on at least one backscatter link frequency (BLF).

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The at least one BLF is preset or configured by the second node.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The first node includes multiple first nodes. The second signal is back-scattered by the plurality of first nodes based on different backscatter link frequencies (BLFs); The backscatter link frequency (BLF) is predefined or configured by the second node.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Send information related to CW transmission to the third node. Wherein, the first CW and / or the second CW are sent by the third node to the first node based on the information related to the CW transmission.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The information related to CW transmission includes at least one of the following: the number of CWs, information related to resources used for CWs.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Based on the at least one frequency, information instructing the first node to perform uplink transmission is sent.

15. A method executed by a first node in a communication system, comprising: Receive a first signal related to the indication channel measurement from the second node; A second signal is backscattered to the second node according to the first CW sent by the second node, the second signal including a first sequence related to channel measurements; The third signal is backscattered from the second CW signal transmitted by the second node.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The first signal includes: A signal used to confirm the access of the first node; or The signal is used to configure access for the first node, wherein the second signal further includes first information related to access for the first node.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The first signal includes information indicating the backscattering of the first sequence. The information indicating the first backscattering sequence includes at least one of the following: information indicating the start of the first backscattering sequence, information indicating a periodic first backscattering sequence, and information related to the period of the first backscattering sequence.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The backscattered second signal includes: the backscattering includes the second signal of the first sequence until information indicating termination of transmission of the first sequence is received or the transmission of the first sequence reaches a first time or a first number.

19. A second node in a communication system, comprising: A transceiver is configured to transmit and / or receive signals; The controller is configured to control the second node to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-14.

20. A first node in a communication system, comprising: A transceiver is configured to transmit and / or receive signals; The controller is configured to control the first node to perform the method according to any one of claims 15-18.

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