Apparatus and method for communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication solution based on an IoT frame structure. In a solution, an Internet of Things (IoT) device receives a configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface. The frame structure information indicates types of a plurality of IoT symbols arranged in order within a frame. The IoT device receives a first signal based on the frame structure information from the communication device. The first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain. The IoT device transmits a second signal based on the frame structure information to the communication device. The second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subset of the sub-signals from the first signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the field of communication technology, and more specifically to devices and methods for communicating based on Internet of Things (IoT) frame structures. Background Technology

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical devices that can transmit data to each other without human intervention. Automation and digitalization across industries have opened up many new markets that require new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities, or devices with energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging. Consider devices that are battery-free or have limited energy storage capabilities (i.e., using capacitors), where energy is provided by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other energy source deemed suitable. Given the limited size and complexity required for practical applications of battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging, energy harvesters typically have an output power of 1µW to several hundred µW. Existing cellular devices, with their peak power consumption exceeding 10mW, may not work well with energy harvesting.

[0003] One example type of application might be asset identification, currently implemented primarily in most industries via barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID). The main advantages of these two technologies are the extremely low complexity and tiny form factor of the tags. However, the limited reading range of a few meters often necessitates handheld scanning, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming operations, or the need for RFID portals / gates, resulting in costly deployments. Furthermore, the lack of interference management schemes leads to severe interference between RFID readers and capacity issues, especially in dense deployments. It is difficult to support large-scale RFID networks with seamless coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In summary, the embodiments disclosed herein provide a solution for IoT transmission.

[0005] In a first aspect, an Internet of Things (IoT) device is provided, the IoT device comprising: a processor configured such that the IoT device: receives configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; receives a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and transmits a second signal to the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0006] In a second aspect, a terminal device is provided, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: send capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain duration, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to cause the IoT device to: send a configuration to the Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; send a first signal to the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and receive a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor configured such that the network device: receives capability information of the terminal device from a terminal device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication method performed by an Internet of Things (IoT) device is provided. The method includes: receiving configuration from a communication device indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; receiving a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and transmitting a second signal to the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a communication method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: sending capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a communication method performed by a communication device is provided. The method includes: sending a configuration to an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; sending a first signal based on the frame structure information to the IoT device, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and receiving a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a communication method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes: receiving capability information from a terminal device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link over a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth aspect.

[0014] Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from a more detailed description of some exemplary embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1A to 1E Example communication environments in which example implementations of this disclosure may be carried out are illustrated; Figure 2A and Figure 2B Schematic diagrams of IoT frames according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated respectively; Figure 3 Signaling flows for communication on IoT frames according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; Figures 4A to 4C Schematic diagrams illustrating frame structures according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown respectively; Figure 5 Signaling flows for communication on IoT frames according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated; Figure 6 Schematic diagrams illustrating timing advances according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 7 Flowcharts illustrating methods implemented at Internet of Things (IoT) devices according to some example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 8 Flowcharts illustrating methods implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 9 Flowcharts illustrating methods implemented at a communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 10 Flowcharts illustrating methods implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; and Figure 11 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0018] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0019] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include, but are not limited to: user equipment (UE); personal computers; desktop computers; mobile phones; cellular phones; smartphones; personal digital assistants (PDAs); portable computers; tablets; wearable devices; Internet of Things (IoT) devices; Ultra-reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) devices; Internet of Everything (IoE) devices; machine-type communication (MTC) devices; devices on vehicles for V2X communication, where X refers to pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks; devices for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB); spacecraft or aerospace vehicles in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), including satellites and high-altitude platforms (HAPs) covering Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS); and different types of reality (such as Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR)). Extended Reality (XR) devices, including those for Virtual Reality (VR) and Virtual Reality (VR); unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as drones (aircraft without human pilots); devices on high-speed trains (HSTs); or image capture devices such as digital cameras and sensors; gaming devices; music storage and playback equipment; or internet devices enabling wireless or wired internet access and browsing. "Terminal devices" may also have "multicast / broadcast" capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical applications, V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, smart TV, radio services, wireless software delivery, group communication, and IoT applications. "Terminal devices" may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), a situation known as multi-SIM. The term "terminal device" is used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0020] The term "network device" refers to a device that provides or hosts a cell or coverage area for terminal devices to communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs), radioheads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), IAB nodes, low-power nodes (such as femtonodes and piconodes), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), etc.

[0021] Terminal devices or network devices may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Terminal devices or network devices typically include models that have been trained on specific functions based on a large amount of collected data and can be used to predict some information.

[0022] Terminal or network devices can operate within several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (e.g., 450MHz to 6000MHz), FR2 (e.g., 24.25GHz to 52.6GHz), bands greater than 100GHz, and terahertz (THz). Terminal or network devices can also operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. In Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) applications, terminal devices may connect to more than one network device. Terminal or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, and cross-division duplex modes.

[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure can be executed in test equipment (e.g., signal generator, signal analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, test terminal equipment, test network equipment, channel simulator). In some embodiments, the terminal equipment can be connected to a first network equipment and a second network equipment. One of the first network equipment and the second network equipment can be a master node, and the other can be a slave node. The first network equipment and the second network equipment can use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, the first network equipment can be a first RAT device, and the second network equipment can be a second RAT device. In some embodiments, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information related to different RATs can be sent to the terminal equipment from at least one of the first network equipment or the second network equipment. In some embodiments, first information can be sent from the first network equipment to the terminal equipment, and second information can be sent from the second network equipment directly or via the first network equipment to the terminal equipment. In some embodiments, information configured by the second network equipment and related to the configuration of the terminal equipment can be sent from the second network equipment via the first network equipment. Information configured by the second network device and related to the reconfiguration of the terminal device can be sent directly from the second network device or via the first network device to the terminal device.

[0024] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” and its variations should be understood as open terms meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one implementation” and “implementation” should be understood as “at least one implementation.” The term “another implementation” should be understood as “at least one other implementation.” The terms “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions are given below.

[0025] In some examples, values, programs, or devices are described as “best,” “lowest,” “highest,” “smallest,” “maximum,” etc. It should be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate that a choice can be made among many alternative functionalities used, and that such a choice is not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or otherwise preferred than other choices.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other resource used to implement communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in both the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0027] Ambient IoT is a 3GPP IoT device that is smaller and cheaper than previous generations of IoT. Ultimately, the energy source for ambient IoT is energy derived from radio waves. Both ambient IoT and ambient computing rely on energy harvesting as one of the key mechanisms for powering and enabling the technology. Energy harvesting applied to ambient IoT and ambient computing involves utilizing the power in ambient radio waves to power microcomputers.

[0028] Environmental IoT devices may have new radio / air interfaces to readers / nodes. These new radio interfaces can be frame-based or frameless. Deploying environmental IoT services on existing systems can reduce operating costs and rapidly commercialize new services. However, the frame structure of IoT devices is not yet well-defined.

[0029] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the IoT radio interface is frame-based. A frame structure is indicated to the IoT device. The IoT device performs communication based on this frame structure. The frame-based interface may have better compatibility with current NR / NB-IoT frame-based interfaces.

[0030] As used herein, the term "IoT radio interface" can refer to an air interface used for IoT communication. The term "IoT symbol" as used herein can refer to a resource used for IoT communication in the time domain. The term "frame" can refer to a duration. The term "backscatter" as used herein can refer to a method of transmitting data using an incident radio-frequency (RF) signal without a battery or power source. The term "backscattered signal" as used herein can refer to a reflection of an ambient radio-frequency signal. The term "cyclic prefix" as used herein can refer to a guard interval in an insert symbol.

[0031] The principles and specific implementations of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figures 1A to 1E Examples of communication environments 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented are illustrated. In the exemplary embodiments, such as… Figure 1A As shown, the communication environment 100 may include an IoT device 110 and a network device 120. In another example implementation, Figure 1B The illustrated communication environment 100 may include an IoT device 110, a network device 120, and an intermediate node 130 with IoT capabilities (e.g., environmental IoT). The intermediate node 130 may be one of the following: a relay device, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a UE, or a repeater. In an IAB network, an IAB node acts as a relay node, relaying traffic via multiple hops from a macro cell to an end user and vice versa, or acts as an access point to serve nearby UEs.

[0033] In yet another example implementation, such as Figure 1C As shown, the communication environment 100 may include an IoT device 110, a network device 120, and an auxiliary node 140 with IoT capabilities (e.g., environmental IoT). The auxiliary node 140 may provide signals to the IoT device 110 and can be considered a signal source. The auxiliary node 140 may be one of the following: a relay device, an IAB node, a UE, or a repeater. In yet another example implementation, as... Figure 1D As shown, the communication environment 100 may include an IoT device 110 and a terminal device 150. In another example implementation, such as Figure 1E As shown, the communication environment 100 may include an IoT device 110, a network device 120, and a terminal device 150.

[0034] In some implementation schemes, Figures 1A to 1E The IoT device 110 shown can be provided with a carrier by another node inside or outside the communication environment 100. Figures 1A to 1E The links in the communication environment 100 shown can be bidirectional or unidirectional.

[0035] It should be understood that Figures 1A to 1E The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the example embodiments of this disclosure.

[0036] The communications in communication environment 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communication (MTC), etc. The embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented according to any generation of communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G-Advanced Networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0037] In one example implementation, the IoT device may be a first type of IoT device, wherein there is no energy storage, no environmental source collection, or no independent signal generation. In another example implementation, the IoT device may be a second type of IoT device, having energy storage collected from an environmental source but no independent signal generation. In this case, the use of the stored energy may include amplification of the reflected signal. Both the first and second types of IoT devices can perform backscatter transmission because there is no independent signal generation. In another example implementation, the IoT device may be a third type of IoT device, having energy storage collected from an environmental source and independent signal generation. The third type of IoT device may have an active RF component for transmission.

[0038] The IoT communication performed can be based on the IoT symbol structure. The IoT device 110 and the devices communicating with the IoT device 110 (e.g., network device 120, intermediate node 130, auxiliary node 140, and terminal device 150) can support the IoT symbol structure.

[0039] In one implementation, an IoT symbol may include one or more Orthogonal Frequency Division Discrete Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. That is, the duration of an IoT symbol can be equal to the duration of one or more OFDM symbols. OFDM can refer to a multicarrier modulation where the user bitstream is transmitted on Nc subcarriers. The duration of an OFDM symbol can be based on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size, i.e., the number of subcarriers. In this way, considering the OFDM symbol rate, it can have better coexistence with current systems and can meet the typical data rates of IoT services in the environment. For example, the duration of one IoT symbol can be equal to the duration of seven OFDM symbols. As an example, the duration of IoT (receive) symbol 210-1 can be equal to the duration of OFDM symbols 230-1, 230-2, 230-3, 230-4, 230-5, 230-6, and 230-7, and the duration of IoT (receive) symbol 210-1 can be equal to the duration of OFDM symbols 230-8, 230-9, 230-10, 230-11, 230-12, 230-13, and 230-14. That is, in Figure 3 In the scenario shown in A, one IoT symbol can include seven OFDM symbols. Note that... Figure 3 A is an example only and not a limitation.

[0040] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol can be equal to the total duration of one or more OFDM symbols including a cyclic prefix (CP). This provides better compatibility. A cyclic prefix (CP) can refer to a technique used in digital communication systems to mitigate inter-symbol interference (ISI) and multipath fading. A CP can be a set of samples copied from the end of each transmitted symbol to its beginning, acting as a guard interval. In the example, an IoT symbol may not require a CP. The number of symbols per time slot (frame) can be 14 (in the case of a regular CP). The number of symbols per time slot (frame) can be 12 (in the case of an extended CP). The number of symbols within a time slot may not change with the parameter set or subcarrier spacing.

[0041] In some implementations, the number of OFDM symbols for one IoT symbol can be 7×2. u ,in u It is the parameter set of OFDM symbols. For example, u It can be one of the following: 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. In this case, the duration of an IoT symbol can be 0.5 ms. One bit of each IoT symbol can have a data rate close to 2 kbps. In the example implementation, since the first OFDM symbol of the regular CP at the beginning of each 0.5 ms half-frame is relatively long, the 0.5 ms IoT duration can make each IoT symbol have an equal duration.

[0042] In some other implementations, an extended CP (ECP) can be used to determine IoT symbols for the subcarrier spacing (SCS) (e.g., 60 kHz) so that each IoT symbol can have the same symbol duration, since the ECP has the same duration for each OFDM symbol. In this case, candidate values ​​for the ECP can be one of the following: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12. Subcarrier spacings of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz can be supported. That is, subcarriers can be spaced from 15 kHz to 240 kHz apart. The subcarriers can be secondary modulation signal frequencies modulated into the primary frequency (i.e., the carrier) to provide an additional transmission channel.

[0043] Alternatively, an OFDM symbol or a subframe may include multiple IoT symbols. For example, the duration of an OFDM symbol or the length of a subframe may be equal to the duration of the multiple IoT symbols within the frame. In this case, in some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol may be determined based on a predetermined number of time units. For example, each IoT symbol may be determined by the number of chips used (e.g., the sampling rate Ts defined in LTE and / or NR). The term "chip" as used herein may refer to a time unit. For example, as... Figure 3 As shown in Figure B, the duration of OFDM symbol 231 can be equal to the durations of IoT (received) symbols 211-1 and 211-2. That is, OFDM symbol 231 can include IoT symbols 211-1 and 211-2. Note that... Figure 3 B is an example only and not a limitation.

[0044] In some example implementations, the IoT symbol used for receiving (also referred to as the "IoT receive symbol") may have a different duration than the IoT symbol used for transmitting (also referred to as the "IoT transmit symbol"). In this case, the durations of the IoT transmit and receive symbols can be configured or indicated separately. For example, the duration of the IoT transmit symbol can be longer than the duration of the IoT receive symbol. As an example, such as Figure 3 As shown in Figure A, the duration of the IoT transmit symbol 220 can be equal to the durations of the IoT receive symbols 210-1 and 210-2. Note that... Figure 3 A is for illustrative purposes only and not a limitation. In this way, a longer transmission symbol duration used for backscatter transmission can improve the coverage of IoT devices, since the limited power of backscatter transmission is a bottleneck for coverage.

[0045] Alternatively, the IoT received symbol can have the same duration as the IoT transmitted symbol. For example, such as... Figure 3 As shown in Figure B, the duration of the IoT transmit symbol 221 can be equal to the duration of the IoT receive symbol 211-1. Note that... Figure 3 B is an example only and not a limitation.

[0046] refer to Figure 3 This diagram illustrates signaling flow 300 for communication over an IoT frame according to some embodiments of this disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figures 1A to 1D Let's discuss signaling flow 300. This signaling flow involves IoT device 110 and communication device 320. Communication device 320 can be one of the following: network device 120, intermediate node 130, auxiliary node 140, or terminal device 150.

[0047] Communication device 320 sends (3010) a configuration indicating frame structure information for the IoT radio interface to IoT device 110. The frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols (or subframes) within the frame. For example, the frame structure information may indicate the type of multiple IoT symbols (or multiple subframes) arranged sequentially within the frame. That is, IoT device 110 receives the configuration from communication device 320. A frame may have a predetermined duration and include a predetermined number of subframes, each with the same duration. For example, a frame may have a duration of 10 ms and include 10 subframes, each with a duration of 1 ms. Some symbols may be defined within the subframes, where each symbol may have its carrier frequency and duration. For illustrative purposes only, the implementation is described with reference to multiple IoT symbols within a frame. It should be noted that the implementation also applies to cases where the frame includes multiple subframes. In this way, the IoT device can be indicated to which symbol to transmit, receive, or charge on, and the IoT device can be deployed with existing NR / narrowband (NB)-IoT services.

[0048] For example, such as Figure 4A As shown, the frame structure information indicates the types of IoT symbols 410-1, 410-2, 410-3, 410-4, 410-5, and 410-6 in frame 400. Note that... Figure 4A The number of IoT symbols shown is merely an example and not a limitation. In this way, IoT uses fewer than 10 bits (1024 frames) to indicate the system frame number (SFN), which reduces the signaling overhead of indicating the SFN, considering that IoT devices may not track the connection for long periods of time.

[0049] The type of IoT symbol may include one or more of the following: public IoT receiver symbol, dedicated IoT receiver symbol, public IoT transmitter symbol, dedicated IoT transmitter symbol, charging symbol, or empty symbol. In an example implementation, the plurality of symbols may include one or more public IoT receiver symbols (also referred to as "basic receiver symbols"). If the IoT symbol is a public IoT receiver symbol, at least one of the first type of IoT device or the second type of IoT device described above can receive signals on that symbol.

[0050] In another example implementation, the plurality of symbols may include one or more dedicated IoT receiver symbols (also referred to as "advanced receiver symbols") associated with IoT capabilities. If the IoT symbol is a dedicated IoT receiver symbol, a second type of IoT device can receive signals on that symbol, while a first type of IoT device may not be expected to receive or transmit signals on that symbol. IoT capabilities may refer to energy storage capabilities.

[0051] In another example implementation, the plurality of symbols may include one or more public IoT transmitting symbols (also referred to as "basic transmitting symbols"). If the IoT symbol is a public IoT transmitting symbol, at least one of the first type of IoT device or the second type of IoT device may transmit signals on that symbol.

[0052] In yet another example implementation, the plurality of symbols may include one or more dedicated IoT transmitting symbols (also referred to as “advanced transmitting symbols”) associated with IoT capabilities. If the IoT symbol is a dedicated IoT transmitting symbol, a second type of IoT device may transmit signals on that symbol, while a first type of IoT device may not be expected to receive or transmit signals on that symbol.

[0053] In some implementations, the plurality of symbols may include one or more charging symbols. If the IoT symbol is a charging symbol, an RF signal for charging can be expected on that symbol, and transmitting and / or receiving cannot be performed on that symbol. For example, the RF signal on that symbol can be used to charge a second type of IoT device.

[0054] Alternatively or otherwise, the plurality of symbols may include one or more empty symbols. If an IoT symbol is an empty symbol, an RF signal for charging may not be expected on that symbol, and transmission and / or reception cannot be performed on that symbol. For example, IoT device 110 may skip transmission or reception on an empty symbol. Type 1 IoT devices may not need to maintain frame timing after an empty symbol.

[0055] IoT device 110 can determine (3020) frame structure information based on configuration. In an example implementation, IoT device 110 can obtain frame structure information directly from the configuration. Figure 4B An example of frame structure information is shown. For example, the frame structure information in the received (3010) configuration may indicate that symbol 410-2 is a basic receive symbol, symbol 410-3 is a basic receive symbol, symbol 410-4 is a charging symbol, symbol 410-5 is a basic transmit symbol, and symbol 410-6 is an advanced transmit symbol.

[0056] Alternatively, the IoT device 110 can obtain an index of the frame structure information from the configuration. For example, the subframe index used to indicate the frame structure information can be specified or predefined. The subframe index used to indicate the frame structure information can be dynamically indicated. In an example implementation, the index of the frame structure information can be indicated on the first subframe every 20ms. Alternatively, the index of the frame structure information can be indicated on any subframe that includes the frame structure information. In this way, it is beneficial to adjust transmission based on the service load. IoT may have limited coverage and a limited number of devices, meaning that the required services may change dynamically.

[0057] IoT device 110 can obtain frame structure information from a pre-defined frame structure table based on an index. Table 1 below shows an example frame structure table. Note that Table 1 is only an example and not a limitation. In the example implementation, the frame structure table can be pre-configured at IoT device 110.

[0058] Table 1

[0059] For example, if the index indicates "1", then IoT device 110 can be obtained from the table above. Figure 4C The frame structure information shown. For example... Figure 4C As shown, the frame structure information can indicate that symbol 410-1 is the index, symbol 410-2 is the basic receive symbol, symbol 410-3 is the basic receive symbol, symbol 410-4 is the charging symbol, symbol 410-5 is the basic transmit symbol, and symbol 410-6 is the advanced transmit symbol.

[0060] Back Figure 3 The communication device 320 sends (3030) a first signal based on frame structure information to the IoT device 110. The first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain. For example, the sub-signals may include up-converted baseband signals. That is, the IoT device 110 receives the first signal based on frame structure information from the communication device 320. In an example implementation, if the IoT device 110 has IoT capabilities, it can receive the first signal on both common and dedicated reception symbols. Alternatively, if the IoT device 110 does not have IoT capabilities, it can receive the first signal on common reception symbols. For example, as... Figure 4C As shown, IoT device 110 can receive a first signal on symbols 410-2 and 410-3. Furthermore, IoT device 110 can receive an RF signal on symbol 410-4. In this case, IoT device 110 can use the RF signal received on symbol 410-4 for charging.

[0061] IoT device 110 sends (3040) a second signal based on frame structure information to communication device 320. That is, communication device 320 receives the second signal from IoT device 110. This second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of these sub-signals from the first signal. For example, the second signal may be a time-domain function of a continuous subset of multiple sub-signals in the time domain. In an example implementation, if IoT device 110 has IoT capabilities, it can transmit the second signal on both public and private transmission symbols. Alternatively, if IoT device 110 does not have IoT capabilities, it can transmit the second signal on public transmission symbols. For example, as... Figure 4C As shown, IoT device 110 can transmit a second signal on symbols 410-5. In some embodiments, if IoT device 110 has IoT capabilities (i.e., a second type of IoT device), then IoT device 110 can also transmit a second signal on symbols 410-6. Alternatively, if IoT device 110 does not have IoT capabilities (i.e., a first type of IoT device), then IoT device 110 may not transmit a second signal on symbols 410-6.

[0062] refer to Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a signaling flow 500 for communication over an IoT frame according to some embodiments of this disclosure. For illustrative purposes, this signaling flow relates to... Figure 1E The terminal device 150 and network device 120 are shown.

[0063] Terminal device 150 sends capability information (5010) to network device 120. That is, network device 520 receives this capability information from terminal device 510. This capability information may pertain to simultaneous communication on link 101 (hereinafter referred to as the "first link") between terminal device 150 and IoT device 110 and link 102 (hereinafter referred to as the "first link") between terminal device 150 and network device 120. Alternatively, this capability information may pertain to communication on either link 101 or link 102 for a certain period of time. In this way, the terminal device can maintain its connection to the network via the Uu interface (i.e., the interface between the UE and gNB) and its connection to the IoT device via a new interface.

[0064] Network device 120 can send (5020) timing advance information between the first link and the second link to terminal device 150. That is, terminal device 150 can receive timing advance information from network device 120. In this way, the UE's scheduling of IoT transmission / reception can be determined based on the indicated gap information and the network's Uu transmission / reception scheduling information.

[0065] In an example implementation, the timing advance information may include a first timing advance value between a first frame of the first link 101 used for transmission and a first frame of the second link 102 used for reception. For example, as... Figure 6 As shown, the timing advance information may include a timing advance 620 between frames of the new interface link (i.e., link 101) for IoT device 110 and frames of the Uu interface link (i.e., link 102) for UE downlink reception timing. In this way, the network can align the timing of frames of the new interface link between the network transmitted signal and the UE transmitted signal.

[0066] Alternatively or otherwise, the timing advance information may include a second timing advance value between the second frame of the first link 101 used for receiving and the second frame of the first link 101 used for transmitting. For example, as Figure 6 As shown, the timing advance information may include a timing advance 610 between frames of the new interface link (i.e., link 101) used for receiving signals and frames of the new interface link (i.e., link 101) used for transmitting signals.

[0067] In some implementations, IoT transmission and reception may not indicate timing advance. In this case, the terminal device 150 can be configured with a reserved duration for switching between transmission and reception on the first link. For example, some reserved symbols or flexible symbols can be configured or specified between IoT transmission-to-reception switching and reception-to-transmission switching. Reserved symbols can be used for switching gaps. This reduces the complexity of environmental IoT compared to timing advance, as it eliminates the need to track timing advance.

[0068] In some other implementations, the timing advance information may include the duration of the gap between the first and second links (e.g., the number of OFDM symbols). In one example implementation, the gap duration can be used to switch from the UE transmitting IoT signals to the UE transmitting Uu signals. In another example implementation, the gap duration can be used to switch from the UE transmitting ambient IoT signals to the UE receiving Uu signals, for example, Figure 6 The gap duration is 630. In another example embodiment, the gap duration can be used to switch from a UE receiving an IoT signal to a UE transmitting a Uu signal. In yet another example embodiment, the gap duration can be used to switch from a UE receiving an IoT signal to a UE receiving a Uu signal. In yet another example embodiment, the gap duration can be used to switch from a UE transmitting a Uu signal to a UE transmitting an IoT signal. In example embodiments, the gap duration can be used to switch from a UE transmitting a Uu signal to a UE receiving an IoT signal, for example, Figure 6The interval duration is 640. For example, the interval duration can be used to switch from the UE receiving a Uu signal to the UE transmitting an IoT signal. Alternatively or otherwise, the interval duration can be used to switch from the UE receiving a Uu signal to the UE receiving an IoT signal. In this way, it can help the UE decide how to coordinate resources for environmental IoT and resources for NR / NB-IoT.

[0069] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 700 implemented at an Internet of Things (IoT) device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, [the following will be discussed]. Figures 1A to 1E The angle description method of IoT device 110 in 700.

[0070] At box 710, IoT device 110 receives configuration from communication device indicating frame structure information for the IoT wireless interface. The frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within the frame. In some example implementations, the frame has a predetermined duration and includes a predetermined number of subframes, each having the same duration.

[0071] At box 720, IoT device 110 receives a first signal based on frame structure information from a communication device. This first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain.

[0072] At frame 730, IoT device 110 sends a second signal based on frame structure information to communication device. This second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of these sub-signals from the first signal.

[0073] In some example implementations, the type of IoT symbol includes at least one of the following: public IoT receive symbol, dedicated IoT receive symbol associated with IoT capability, public IoT transmit symbol, dedicated IoT transmit symbol associated with IoT capability, charging symbol, and empty symbol.

[0074] In some example implementations, if IoT device 110 has IoT capabilities, it can receive the first signal on both public and private reception symbols. Alternatively, if IoT device 110 does not have IoT capabilities, it can receive the first signal on public reception symbols.

[0075] In some example implementations, if IoT device 110 has IoT capabilities, it can transmit a second signal on both public and private transmission symbols. Alternatively, if IoT device 110 does not have IoT capabilities, it can transmit a second signal on public transmission symbols.

[0076] In some example implementations, IoT device 110 can receive radio frequency signals for charging the IoT device on a charging symbol. In some example implementations, IoT device 110 can enable skipping transmission and reception on an empty symbol.

[0077] In some example implementations, IoT device 110 can obtain frame structure information from a configuration. In some example implementations, IoT device 110 can obtain an index of the frame structure information from the configuration. IoT device 110 can then use this index to retrieve the frame structure information from a pre-defined frame structure table.

[0078] In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the duration of one or more Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In some example implementations, the duration of an OFDM symbol or the length of a subframe is equal to the duration of multiple IoT symbols in the frame. In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on a predetermined number of time units. In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the total duration of one or more OFDM symbols including a cyclic prefix. In some example implementations, the number of OFDM symbols used for IoT symbols is represented as 7×2. u , where u represents a number associated with the subcarrier spacing used for the OFDM symbol. In some example implementations, the duration of the IoT symbol is determined based on an extended cyclic prefix of a predetermined subcarrier spacing. In some example implementations, the duration of the IoT symbol used for reception among the plurality of IoT symbols differs from the duration of the IoT symbol used for transmission among the plurality of IoT symbols.

[0079] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 800 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided. For discussion purposes, method 800 will be described from the perspective of terminal device 150.

[0080] At box 810, terminal device 150 sends capability information of the terminal device to network device 120. This capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time. The first link is between terminal device 150 and Internet of Things (IoT) device 110, and the second link is between terminal device 150 and network device 120.

[0081] In some example implementations, at block 820, terminal device 150 may receive timing advance information between a first link and a second link from network device 120. In some example implementations, the timing advance information includes at least one of the following: a first timing advance value between a first frame for transmission of the first link and a first frame for reception of the second link, a second timing advance value between a second frame for reception of the first link and a second frame for transmission of the first link, or the duration of the gap between the first link and the second link.

[0082] In some example implementations, the terminal device is configured with a reserved duration for switching between transmitting and receiving on the first link.

[0083] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 900 implemented at a communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For example, the communication device may be one of the following: network device 120, intermediate node 130, auxiliary node 140, or terminal device 150.

[0084] At box 910, the communication device sends a configuration to the IoT device indicating frame structure information for the IoT radio interface. The frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within the frame.

[0085] At box 920, the communication device sends a first signal based on frame structure information to the IoT device. This first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain.

[0086] At box 930, the communication device receives a second signal from the IoT device based on frame structure information. This second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of these sub-signals from the first signal.

[0087] In some example implementations, the type of IoT symbol includes at least one of the following: public IoT receive symbol, dedicated IoT receive symbol associated with IoT capability, public IoT transmit symbol, dedicated IoT transmit symbol associated with IoT capability, charging symbol, and empty symbol.

[0088] In some example implementations, the frame has a predetermined duration and includes a predetermined number of subframes, each having the same duration. In some example implementations, this configuration includes frame structure information. Alternatively, the configuration includes an index of the frame structure information.

[0089] In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the duration of one or more Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. In some example implementations, the duration of an OFDM symbol or the length of a subframe is equal to the duration of multiple IoT symbols in the frame. In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on a predetermined number of time units. In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the total duration of one or more OFDM symbols including a cyclic prefix.

[0090] In some example implementations, the number of OFDM symbols used for IoT symbols is represented as 7×2. u , where u represents a number associated with the subcarrier spacing used for OFDM symbols. In some example implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on an extended cyclic prefix of a predetermined subcarrier spacing. In some example implementations, the duration of receiving an IoT symbol among a plurality of IoT symbols differs from the duration of transmitting an IoT symbol among the plurality of IoT symbols.

[0091] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a communication method 1000 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided. For discussion purposes, method 1000 will be described from the perspective of network device 120.

[0092] At 1010, network device 120 receives capability information of terminal device 150 from terminal device 150. This capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first and second links for a certain period of time. The first link is located between terminal device 150 and Internet of Things (IoT) device 11, and the second link is located between terminal device 150 and network device 120.

[0093] In some example implementations, at block 1020, network device 120 may send timing advance information between the first link and the second link to terminal device 150.

[0094] In some example implementations, the timing advance information includes at least one of the following: a first timing advance value between a first frame of a first link for transmission and a first frame of a second link for reception, a second timing advance value between a second frame of a first link for reception and a second frame of a first link for transmission, or the duration of the gap between the first link and the second link.

[0095] Figure 11 This is a simplified block diagram of device 1100 suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Device 1100 can be considered as... Figures 1A to 1EAnother example implementation of any of the devices shown is provided. Thus, device 1100 may be implemented or be at least a part of IoT device 110, network device 120, intermediate node 130, auxiliary node 140, or terminal device 150.

[0096] As shown in the figure, device 1100 includes a processor 1110, a memory 1120 coupled to the processor 1110, a suitable transceiver 1140 coupled to the processor 1110, and a communication interface coupled to the transceiver 1140. The memory 1120 stores at least a portion of a program 1130. Depending on the requirements, the transceiver 1140 can be used for bidirectional or unidirectional communication. The transceiver 1140 may include at least one of a transmitter 1142 and a receiver 1144. The transmitter 1142 and receiver 1144 may be functional modules or physical entities. The transceiver 1140 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication; however, in practice, the access node mentioned in this application may have several antennas. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between the Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and eNBs / gNBs, the Un interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal equipment.

[0097] Assume that program 1130 includes program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1110, enable device 1100 to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure, as referenced herein. Figures 1A to 10 The embodiments discussed herein may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1110 of device 1100, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 1110 may be configured to implement various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of the processor 1110 and the memory 1120 may form a processing unit 1150 suitable for implementing various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0098] Memory 1120 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, as non-limiting examples, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. Although only one memory 1120 is shown in device 1100, several physically different memory modules may exist in device 1100. Processor 1110 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following: as non-limiting examples, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. Device 1100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-dependent on a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0099] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) device is provided, the IoT device including circuitry. The circuitry is configured to: receive configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; receive a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and transmit a second signal to the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods implemented by the IoT device as discussed above.

[0100] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided, comprising circuitry. The circuitry is configured to send capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain duration, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0101] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising circuitry. The circuitry is configured to: transmit configuration to an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; transmit a first signal to the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and receive a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods implemented by the communication device as discussed above.

[0102] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising circuitry. The circuitry is configured to receive capability information from the terminal device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain duration, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the circuitry can be configured to perform any of the methods discussed above implemented by the network device.

[0103] As used herein, the term "circuit" can refer to hardware circuitry and / or a combination of hardware and software circuitry. For example, a circuit can be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As another example, a circuit can be any part of a hardware processor with software, including digital signal processors, software, and memory, which work together to enable a device (such as a terminal device or network device) to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit can be hardware circuitry and / or a processor (such as a microprocessor or a portion thereof) that requires software / firmware to operate, but which may be absent when operation is not required. As used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses a specific implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor alone, or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0104] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an Internet of Things (IoT) device is provided. The IoT device includes: components for receiving configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; components for receiving a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and components for transmitting a second signal to the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal. In some embodiments, the first component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 700. In some example embodiments, the first component may also include components for performing other operations of some example embodiments of method 700. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0105] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: components for transmitting capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device. In some embodiments, a second component may include components for performing corresponding operations of method 800. In some example embodiments, the second component may also include components for performing other operations of method 800 in some example embodiments. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0106] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes: components for transmitting configuration to an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; components for transmitting a first signal based on the frame structure information to the IoT device, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and components for receiving a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal. In some embodiments, a third component may include components for performing a corresponding operation of method 900. In some example embodiments, the third component may also include components for performing other operations of some example embodiments of method 900. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0107] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a network apparatus is provided. The network apparatus includes: a component for receiving capability information of the terminal device from the terminal device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link, or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain duration, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device. In some embodiments, a fourth component may include a component for performing a corresponding operation of method 1000. In some example embodiments, the fourth component may also include a component for performing other operations of method 1000 in some example embodiments. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module.

[0108] In summary, the implementation scheme disclosed herein provides the following aspects.

[0109] In one aspect, an Internet of Things (IoT) device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the IoT device to: receive configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; receive a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal comprises a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and transmit a second signal to the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0110] In some implementations, the types of IoT symbols include at least one of the following: public IoT receive symbol, dedicated IoT receive symbol associated with IoT capability, public IoT transmit symbol, dedicated IoT transmit symbol associated with IoT capability, charging symbol, and empty symbol.

[0111] In some implementations, an IoT device is configured to: receive a first signal on a public receiving symbol and a dedicated receiving symbol based on the determination that the IoT device has IoT capability; or receive a first signal on a public receiving symbol based on the determination that the IoT device does not have IoT capability.

[0112] In some implementations, the IoT device is configured to: transmit a second signal on both a public transmission symbol and a dedicated transmission symbol, depending on whether the IoT device is determined to have IoT capabilities; or transmit a second signal on a public transmission symbol, depending on whether the IoT device is determined not to have IoT capabilities.

[0113] In some implementations, the IoT device is further enabled to receive a radio frequency signal for charging the IoT device on a charging symbol.

[0114] In some implementations, the IoT device is further enabled to skip sending and receiving on empty symbols.

[0115] In some implementations, a frame has a predetermined duration and includes a predetermined number of subframes, each of which has the same duration.

[0116] In some implementations, the IoT device obtains frame structure information from the configuration.

[0117] In some implementations, the IoT device is configured to: obtain an index of frame structure information from a configuration; and, based on that index, obtain frame structure information from a pre-determined frame structure table.

[0118] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the duration of one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

[0119] In some implementations, the duration of an OFDM symbol or the length of a subframe is equal to the duration of multiple IoT symbols in the frame.

[0120] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on a predetermined number of time units.

[0121] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the total duration of one or more OFDM symbols including the cyclic prefix.

[0122] In some implementations, the number of OFDM symbols used for IoT symbols is expressed as 7×2 u , where u represents a number associated with the subcarrier spacing used for OFDM symbols.

[0123] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on an extended cyclic prefix of a predetermined subcarrier interval.

[0124] In some implementations, the duration of the IoT symbol used for receiving among the plurality of IoT symbols is different from the duration of the IoT symbol used for transmitting among the plurality of IoT symbols.

[0125] In one aspect, a terminal device is proposed, the terminal device comprising: a processor configured to cause the terminal device to: send capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain duration, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0126] In some implementations, the terminal device receives timing advance information between the first link and the second link from the network device.

[0127] In some implementations, the timing advance information includes at least one of the following: a first timing advance value between a first frame of a first link for transmission and a first frame of a second link for reception, a second timing advance value between a second frame of a first link for reception and a second frame of a first link for transmission, or the duration of the gap between the first link and the second link.

[0128] In some implementations, the terminal device is configured with a reserved duration for switching between transmitting and receiving on the first link.

[0129] In one aspect, a communication device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the IoT device to: send configuration to the Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; send a first signal to the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; and receive a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a sub-set of the sub-signals from the first signal.

[0130] In some implementations, the types of IoT symbols include at least one of the following: public IoT receive symbol, dedicated IoT receive symbol associated with IoT capability, public IoT transmit symbol, dedicated IoT transmit symbol associated with IoT capability, charging symbol, and empty symbol.

[0131] In some implementations, a frame has a predetermined duration and includes a predetermined number of subframes, each of which has the same duration.

[0132] In some implementations, the configuration includes frame structure information, or the configuration includes an index of the frame structure information.

[0133] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the duration of one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

[0134] In some implementations, the duration of an OFDM symbol or the length of a subframe is equal to the duration of multiple IoT symbols in the frame.

[0135] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on a predetermined number of time units.

[0136] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol in a frame is equal to the total duration of one or more OFDM symbols including the cyclic prefix.

[0137] In some implementations, the number of OFDM symbols used for IoT symbols is expressed as 7×2u, where u represents a number associated with the subcarrier spacing used for OFDM symbols.

[0138] In some implementations, the duration of an IoT symbol is determined based on an extended cyclic prefix of a predetermined subcarrier interval.

[0139] In some implementations, the duration of the IoT symbol used for receiving among the plurality of IoT symbols is different from the duration of the IoT symbol used for transmitting among the plurality of IoT symbols.

[0140] In one aspect, a network device is proposed, comprising: a processor configured to cause the network device to: receive capability information of the terminal device from a terminal device, wherein the capability information relates to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

[0141] In some implementations, the network device sends timing advance information between the first link and the second link to the terminal device.

[0142] In some implementations, the timing advance information includes at least one of the following: a first timing advance value between a first frame of a first link for transmission and a first frame of a second link for reception, a second timing advance value between a second frame of a first link for reception and a second frame of a first link for transmission, or the duration of the gap between the first link and the second link.

[0143] In one aspect, an Internet of Things (IoT) device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods discussed above implemented by the IoT device.

[0144] In one aspect, a terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0145] In one aspect, a communication device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the communication device as discussed above.

[0146] In one aspect, a network device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform the methods implemented by the network device as discussed above.

[0147] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods discussed above implemented by the Internet of Things (IoT) device.

[0148] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0149] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method implemented by the communication device discussed above.

[0150] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the network device discussed above.

[0151] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods discussed above implemented by the Internet of Things (IoT) device.

[0152] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the terminal device as discussed above.

[0153] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods implemented by the communication device discussed above.

[0154] In one aspect, a computer program includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the methods discussed above implemented by the network device.

[0155] Generally, various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0156] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as those included in program modules) that execute on a target real or virtual processor in a device to perform the functions described above with reference to Figures 1 to 1. Figure 11 The described process or method. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined in various implementation schemes or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions used for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0157] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0158] The aforementioned program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. Machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0159] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all the illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. While several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. 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.

[0160] Although this disclosure has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. An Internet of Things (IoT) device, said IoT device comprising: The processor is configured to cause the IoT device to: Receive configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; Receive a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; as well as A second signal based on the frame structure information is sent to the communication device, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of the sub-signals from the first signal.

2. The IoT device of claim 1, wherein the type of the IoT symbol includes at least one of the following: Public IoT receiver symbols Dedicated IoT receiver symbols related to IoT capabilities Public IoT transmission symbols, Dedicated IoT transmission symbols associated with the aforementioned IoT capabilities, Charging symbol Empty symbol.

3. The IoT device of claim 2, wherein the IoT device: Based on the determination that the IoT device has the IoT capability, the first signal is received on the public receiving symbol and the dedicated receiving symbol; or Based on the determination that the IoT device does not have the IoT capability, the first signal is received on the public receiving symbol.

4. The IoT device of claim 2, wherein the IoT device: Based on the determination that the IoT device has the IoT capability, the second signal is transmitted on the public transmission symbol and the dedicated transmission symbol; or Based on the determination that the IoT does not have the IoT capability, the second signal is transmitted on the common transmission symbol.

5. The IoT device of claim 2, further comprising the following: The charging symbol receives a radio frequency signal for charging the IoT device.

6. The IoT device of claim 2, further comprising the following: This allows sending and receiving to be skipped on the empty symbol.

7. The IoT device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the IoT device: The index for obtaining the frame structure information from the configuration; and Based on the index, the frame structure information is obtained from a pre-determined frame structure table.

8. The IoT device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the number of OFDM symbols used for IoT symbols is represented as 7 × 2 u ,in u This represents a number associated with the subcarrier spacing of an OFDM symbol.

9. The IoT device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the duration of the IoT symbol is determined based on an extended cyclic prefix of a predetermined subcarrier interval.

10. The IoT device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the duration of the IoT symbol used for receiving among the plurality of IoT symbols is different from the duration of the IoT symbol used for transmitting among the plurality of IoT symbols.

11. A terminal device, the terminal device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the terminal device to: Sending capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the terminal device: Receive timing advance information between the first link and the second link from the network device.

13. The terminal device according to claim 12, wherein the timing advance information includes at least one of the following: A first timing advance value between the first frame of the first link used for transmission and the first frame of the second link used for reception. The second timing advance value between the second frame of the first link used for receiving and the second frame of the first link used for transmitting, or The duration of the gap between the first link and the second link.

14. A communication device, the communication device comprising: The processor is configured to cause the IoT device to: Send a configuration to an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within the frame; Send a first signal based on the frame structure information to the IoT device, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; as well as Receive a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of the sub-signals from the first signal.

15. A network device, the network device comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to cause the network device to: The terminal device receives capability information from the terminal device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

16. A communication method implemented at an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the communication method comprising: Receive configuration from a communication device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within a frame; Receive a first signal from the communication device based on the frame structure information, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; as well as A second signal based on the frame structure information is sent to the communication device, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of the sub-signals from the first signal.

17. A communication method implemented at a terminal device, the communication method comprising: Sending capability information of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

18. A communication method implemented at a communication device, the communication method comprising: Send a configuration to an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the configuration indicating frame structure information for an IoT radio interface, wherein the frame structure information indicates the type of IoT symbols within the frame; Send a first signal based on the frame structure information to the IoT device, wherein the first signal includes a set of sub-signals in the time domain; as well as Receive a second signal from the IoT device based on the frame structure information, wherein the second signal is a backscattered signal generated based on a subgroup of the sub-signals from the first signal.

19. A communication method implemented at a network device, the communication method comprising: The terminal device receives capability information from the terminal device, wherein the capability information pertains to simultaneous communication on a first link and a second link or communication on one of the first link and the second link for a certain period of time, wherein the first link is between the terminal device and an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second link is between the terminal device and the network device.

20. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

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