Environmental internet of things collision avoidance

Abstract

Environmental Internet of Things collision avoidance is provided. A method for environmental Internet of Things collision avoidance may include receiving a success rate of a response from a reader device; and determining a common contention window during which the plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The method may also include transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including the random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may typically involve mobile or wireless telecommunications systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5G New Radio (NR) access technologies or post-5G or 6G access technologies or other communication systems. For example, some example embodiments may involve environmental IoT collision avoidance. Background Technology

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunications systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) for Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, 5G or New Radio (NR) access technologies, and / or 6G radio access technologies. 5G and 6G radio systems refer to next-generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. While 5G and 6G network technologies are primarily based on New Radio (NR) technologies, 5G / 6G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRAN radios. NR is estimated to provide bit rates of 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and can at least support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) as well as massive machine-type communication (mMTC). NR promises to provide extremely wideband and ultra-robust, low-latency connectivity and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: achieve a success rate in receiving a response from a reader device. The apparatus may also be configured to determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit a response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus may be further configured to transmit activation signals to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signals including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0004] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive an activation signal from an activating device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window. The apparatus may also be configured to determine a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The apparatus may be further configured to transmit or reflect a response to the activation signal to the activating device.

[0005] Some exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: detect responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus may also be configured to transmit the calculated success rate of the responses to a reader device and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0006] Some exemplary embodiments may provide a method including: a success rate of receiving a response from a reader device; and determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit a response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The method may also include transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0007] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a method including: receiving an activation signal from an activation device by a device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window; and determining a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the device. The method may further include transmitting or reflecting the response to the activation signal to the activation device.

[0008] Some exemplary embodiments provide a method including: detecting responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices and calculating a success rate of the responses from the plurality of passive devices. The method may further include transmitting the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal to a reader device.

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including: components for receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device; and components for determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus may also include components for transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0010] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including: means for receiving an activation signal from an activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window; and means for determining a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The apparatus may also include means for transmitting or reflecting a response to the activation signal to the activation device.

[0011] Some exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including: components for detecting responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices; and components for calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus may further include components for transmitting the calculated success rate of the responses to a reader device and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0012] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive a success rate of a response from a reader device; and determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit a response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The device may also be caused to transmit an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0013] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive an activation signal from an activating device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window. The device may also be configured to determine a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the device. The device may also be configured to transmit or reflect a response to the activation signal to the activating device.

[0014] Some exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: detect responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The device may also be configured to transmit the calculated success rate of the responses to a reader device and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0015] Some exemplary embodiments may provide one or more computer programs, including instructions stored thereon for performing one or more methods described herein. Some exemplary embodiments may also provide one or more apparatuses including one or more circuit systems configured to perform one or more methods described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To correctly understand the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, as follows: Figure 1 An example of a connection topology is shown; Figure 2 Another example of a connection topology is shown; Figure 3 Another example of a connection topology is shown; Figure 4 An additional example of the connection topology is shown; Figure 5 An example of a connection topology for bidirectional communication is shown; Figure 6 An example of received power relative to the distance between devices on an IoT network is shown; Figure 7 A signal diagram for one or more processes is shown according to various exemplary embodiments; Figure 8 An example of a flowchart illustrating a method according to some exemplary embodiments is shown; Figure 9 An example flowchart of another method according to certain exemplary embodiments is shown; Figure 10 An example flowchart of another method according to some exemplary embodiments is shown; and Figure 11 A set of apparatuses according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0017] It will be readily understood that, as generally described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, components of certain example embodiments may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and nontransient computer program products for environmental Internet of Things (IoT) conflict avoidance. Although the devices discussed below and illustrated in the drawings refer to 5G / 6G or next-generation NodeB (gNB) devices and user equipment (UE) devices, this disclosure is not limited to gNBs and UEs only.

[0018] It will be readily understood that, as generally described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, components of certain example embodiments can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Different reference numerals from the various drawings may be used sequentially in the specification to refer to the same elements to indicate their features or functions. If desired, the different functions or processes discussed herein may be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. Furthermore, if desired, one or more functions or processes described may be optional or may be combined. Therefore, the following description should be considered as an illustration of the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, and not as a limitation thereof.

[0019] In 5G / 6G technologies, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has increased rapidly and will continue to increase, and they can be applied to a wide range of applications. As the number of IoT devices increases, it becomes more important to increase their production efficiency while reducing their size, cost, and power consumption. For example, routine battery replacements for IoT devices may be impractical or otherwise undesirable due to material costs and consumption, unnecessary waste, and increased manpower requirements. One solution to reducing the need for routine battery replacements is to use energy harvested from the surrounding environment to power IoT devices for self-sustaining communication. This can be particularly useful in implementations where a large number of devices, such as identification (ID) tags and sensors, are used.

[0020] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications can define certain IoT devices, such as RedCap devices, to meet the requirements for low-cost and low-power devices used for wide-area IoT communication. These IoT devices may consume relatively low power during transmission and reception, such as tens or hundreds of milliwatts. To realize the Internet of Everything, IoT devices with low cost and low power consumption are needed, especially for implementations that desir battery-free devices.

[0021] One issue with existing 3GPP technologies implementing IoT devices is the ability to provide energy harvesting capabilities for devices with limited size. IoT devices can consume, for example, tens or even hundreds of milliwatts of power for transceiver processing. Since the available power of an IoT device may be far less than the power it consumes in some implementations, directly powering cellular devices via energy harvesting may be impractical in most cases. One solution could be to integrate energy harvesting with rechargeable batteries or supercapacitors. However, rechargeable batteries and / or supercapacitors may be limited by shortened lifespans, as inconsistent charging currents and prolonged continuous charging can be detrimental to battery life. Another issue is the increased size of IoT devices when using rechargeable batteries or supercapacitors. Furthermore, both rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors can be expensive, potentially exceeding the cost of the rest of the IoT device, making this impractical.

[0022] IoT devices can be passive radio systems that utilize energy from wireless signals transmitted on a specific carrier and / or bandwidth, or from the bandwidth itself. The IoT device charges a simple circuit system that, once activated, can transmit or reflect signals encoded with at least the ID of the passive radio. The passive radio system can include: a passive radio that utilizes energy within a frequency range and listens for activation signals; an activator that transmits an activation signal aimed at waking the passive radio; and a reader that listens for and detects the passive radio signals. The reader may or may not be co-located with the activator. Once an activation signal is detected, the passive radio transmits or reflects a signal specific to the passive radio's radio ID.

[0023] Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an example of a passive device consisting of one or more tags and one or more readers via a wireless system. RFID can be designed for short-range communication, such as, for example, less than 10 meters. RFID can support battery-free tags. The power consumption of passive RFID tags can be as low as 1 microwatt. RFID can provide low power consumption using envelope detection for downlink data reception and backscatter communication for uplink data transmission.

[0024] 3GPP technology can define a connectivity topology for environmental IoT devices, which can be provided with carriers from one or more nodes inside or outside the topology. Figure 1 An example of a connection topology between a base station (BS) 101 and an environmental IoT device 102 connected by link 103 is shown. Link 103 in each topology can be bidirectional or unidirectional. The topology may also include one or more UEs, auxiliary nodes, or intermediate nodes.

[0025] Figure 2 Another example of a connection topology including a base station (BS) 201, an environmental IoT device 202, and an intermediate node 203 is shown. The environmental IoT device 202 can communicate bidirectionally with the intermediate node 203 between the environmental IoT device 202 and the BS 201. The intermediate node 203 can be a relay, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, UE, repeater, etc., and can function as an environmental IoT device. The intermediate node 203 can transmit data / information between the BS 201 and the environmental IoT device 202.

[0026] Figure 3 Another example of a connectivity topology including a base station (BS) 301, an environmental IoT device 302, and an auxiliary node 303 is shown. The environmental IoT device 302 can transmit data / signaling to the BS 301 and receive data / signaling from the auxiliary node 303. Figure 4An example of a connection topology including a base station (BS) 401, an environmental IoT device 402, and an auxiliary node 403 is shown, wherein the environmental IoT device 402 can receive data / signaling from the BS 401 and transmit data / signaling to the auxiliary node 403. The auxiliary nodes 303 / 403 can be used as relays, IABs, UEs, repeaters, etc., for the environmental IoT device.

[0027] Figure 5 An example of a connection topology for bidirectional communication between UE 501 and environmental IoT device 502 is shown. UE 501 and environmental IoT device 502 can communicate environmental IoT data and / or signaling.

[0028] Various exemplary embodiments can provide technical advantages to support and integrate Ambient IoT (A-IoT) in 5G NR networks using passive tags without power supply components. Due to the lack of power supply components, passive tags may not have any parts that allow them to become visible or audible to other devices such as readers, BSs, UEs, nodes, etc. Certain exemplary embodiments offer advantages over conventional technologies, which may experience deficiencies in providing the ability to discover and / or cover passive A-IoT devices due to the inherent nature of passive radio. Conventional passive radio may only be able to hear other radios within its own proximity.

[0029] Figure 6 An example of received power relative to distance between devices on an IoT network is shown. The network may include an activator 601, an ambient IoT device 602, and a reader 603. In this configuration, the activator 601 may be located at a starting point for measuring distance, such as at 0 meters, and the ambient IoT device 602, which may be a tag, may be located 20 meters away from the activator 601. The reader 603 may be located further away from the activator 601 and the ambient IoT device 602, such as at 200 meters away from the activator 601. The activation signal from the activator 601 may have a received power (e.g., more than 50 dB higher) than the received power of the modulated signal from the ambient IoT device 602 (e.g., a passive tag). The receiver of the reader 603 may need to handle high levels of interference (e.g., signal-to-interference-to-noise ratio (SINR), which may require a complex and expensive receiver). For example, if many passive ambient IoT devices respond to the same activation signal simultaneously, the interference level may increase significantly. Figure 5 As shown. For example, assuming 10,000 passive devices (e.g., tags) are located in a warehouse and respond to a single activation signal, the interference level may increase by, for example, by 40 dB in addition to existing activator interference used to communicate with the tags.

[0030] Environmental IoT devices can be silent, and each environmental IoT device can be addressed individually or within a smaller group (i.e., a subset) of environmental IoT devices by embedding its ID in the activation signal. For a large number of environmental IoT (tag) devices within the activation range, the response latency to the activation signal can increase significantly. In cases where the activation signal includes the ID of the tag to be activated and a large number of tags exist, numerous queries may be required to ensure that the group of tags activated by the activation signal is small enough for the reader to decode the response / response signal from the environmental IoT device.

[0031] Various exemplary embodiments offer the advantage of addressing high levels of interference that can arise between environmental IoT devices without individually addressing each environmental IoT device while simultaneously silencing other environmental IoT devices within the active range. This type of interference may be referred to as AIoT-to-AIoT interference. Some exemplary embodiments also allow environmental IoT devices (e.g., type A and / or type B) to have simple structures and may not have state-based random generators capable of randomizing their responses in a timely manner.

[0032] Some exemplary embodiments may use one or more processes to minimize AIoT-to-AIoT interference. These one or more processes randomize AIoT device responses, where it is not required that AIoT devices implement a random state generator and that the activator needs to send a dedicated activation signal to address each individual AIoT device. The activator may be able to randomize responses / acknowledgments from multiple AIoT devices by working with a reader to adapt to a common contention window (CW), during which AIoT devices may issue responses / acknowledgments. The activator may generate and distribute common random seeds to AIoT devices, which, together with the CW, enable AIoT devices to respond within the randomized response window of the CW. Passive devices (e.g., tags) may generate or select transmission slots based on the common random seed, the tag's ID, and the CW. Transmission slots may be generated or selected using, for example, a modulo-number contention window and / or an XOR operator, which may be expressed as: Slot = ((Tag ID) XOR random number).

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a reader that calculates or determines the success rate of each attempt to detect an acknowledgment / response to an activation signal from an AIoT device. The reader may trigger a race-resolving process at the activator, such as providing the activator with an indication to increase or decrease the size of the control wave (CW). Each AIoT device can use the CW and random seed provided by the activator, along with their unique ID, to randomize subsequent transmissions (e.g., acknowledgments / responses). This avoids the need to implement a state generator, which might otherwise be required for random transmissions.

[0034] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide one or more processes that advantageously minimize collisions or interference at the reader during attempts to detect responses / responses from tags, allowing responses / responses from all AIoT devices to be read. One or more processes may also enable the implementation of AIoT devices that do not require memory, providing lower complexity and cost for AIoT devices.

[0035] Figure 7 A signal diagram for one or more processes is illustrated according to various exemplary embodiments. The one or more processes may be executed by, for example, a configuration of an activator 701, a first AIoT device 702, a second AIoT device 703, and a reader 704. The one or more processes may include, at 710, the activator 701 initiating / transmitting an activation signal to the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. The activation signal may enable or trigger a response / acknowledgment from one or more AIoT devices, such as AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703. The activation signal may indicate a common contention window (CW) of a size that the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703 can respond to. This CW may be included in the activation signal or pre-encoded in each of the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. At 720, the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703 may transmit a response / acknowledgment to the activation signal by performing a backscatter transmission, which may be detected by the reader 704.

[0036] At 730, reader 704 can estimate whether the number of responding AIoT devices has too much interference to decode. For example, reader 704 can detect K AIoT devices from a total of N target AIoT devices, where K is the total number of devices transmitting activation signals. Reader 704 can estimate the signal strength (e.g., received signal power) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) to determine the number K of responding AIoT devices. Reader 704 can determine that the difference between K and K is at most the number of potentially interfered AIoT devices. This may not exclude the possibility that some of the remaining K AIoT devices were not activated to begin with an activation signal. In some exemplary embodiments, the expected number of responses from AIoT devices may be provided to reader 704 by one or more higher layers. However, exemplary embodiments are not limited to this, and the total number N of AIoT devices may be notified to reader 704 in any suitable manner, such as by activator 701 or another device on the network.

[0037] At 740, reader 704 can determine the success rate using the following equation (1):

[0038] Reader 704 may notify activator 701 (e.g., transmission indication) of the determined success rate and request activator 701 to perform a conflict avoidance management process (e.g., processes 750 and 760). At 750, activator 701 may determine that contention resolution should be performed by determining that an update or modification to the activation signal is desired, and activator 701 may determine the random seed and new content window (CW) to be included in the new activation signal for the AIoT device. The random seed, together with the unique ID of the AIoT device which can be stored in the AIoT device, allows each AIoT device to generate different random numbers without requiring the AIoT device to include specified hardware for a random number generator. The combination of the random seed and the unique ID of the AIoT device allows the AIoT to generate different random numbers. The size of the new CW (contention window (CWS)) may be determined based on the severity of interference (e.g., SINR).

[0039] At 760, activator 701 may transmit a new activation signal, including a random seed and a new CW, to the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703. The activation signal may be active for at least the duration of the CWS. Each of AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may initialize a random generator process to randomly generate values ​​based on the random seed and its unique device ID (or equivalent dedicated value). Each of AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may calculate the response window within the CWS based on the output of its random generator process. The random generator process may implement the following equation (2):

[0040] At 770, AIoT device 702 and second AIoT device 703 can determine the time instance of providing a response / response to the activator signal within the response window.

[0041] In 780 and 785, the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 can transmit a backscatter response / acknowledgment to the activation signal based on the calculated response window within the CW.

[0042] At 790, reader 104 can detect responses / acknowledgments from each of AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. Reader 704 can sequentially detect groups (subsets) of AIoT devices with reduced / limited interference levels based on response window groups. Based on the detected group of AIoT devices, reader 704 can calculate and update the success rate. At 795, if the success rate remains below a threshold and / or the received power or interference measured at reader 704 is above a certain threshold, reader 704 can notify activator 701 that it may need to increase CWS. Processes 740-795 can then be performed iteratively until the success rate becomes equal to or higher than the threshold for the success rate and / or the received power or interference measured at reader 704 becomes equal to or lower than the corresponding threshold.

[0043] Various exemplary embodiments can provide technical advantages to support and integrate Ambient IoT (A-IoT) in 5G NR networks using passive tags with no power supply components, while providing the ability to discover and / or cover passive tags due to the inherent nature of passive radio.

[0044] Figure 8 An example flowchart of a method according to certain exemplary embodiments is shown. In the example embodiment, Figure 8 The method can be performed by network elements or a group of network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, Figure 8The method can be performed by network nodes or network entities (such as activators within an RFID network), similar to... Figure 11 The device 1110 shown.

[0045] According to various exemplary embodiments, Figure 8 The method may include, at 810, determining a success rate for receiving a response from a reader device; and at 820, determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit a response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. At 830, the method may include transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0046] Some exemplary embodiments may provide that determining the common contention window includes scaling the length of the contention window according to a success rate. The method may also include transmitting an activation signal, different from the activation signal, to a plurality of passive devices before receiving the success rate from the reader device. The success rate may be based on a response triggered by the other activation signal. Receiving the success rate, determining the common contention window, and transmitting the activation signal may be performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

[0047] Figure 9 An example flowchart of a method according to certain exemplary embodiments is shown. In the example embodiment, Figure 9 The method can be performed by network elements or a group of network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, Figure 9 The method can be executed by user devices, mobile devices, etc. (such as AIoT devices), similar to... Figure 11 The device 1120 shown is shown.

[0048] According to various exemplary embodiments, Figure 9 The method may include, at 910, receiving an activation signal from an activating device, the activation signal including a random seed and a shared contention window. At 920, the method may further include determining a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the AIoT device. At 930, the method may include transmitting or reflecting a response to the activation signal to the activating device.

[0049] Some exemplary embodiments may provide that the common contention window includes the time length for the device to transmit a response to an activation signal. Receiving the activation signal, executing a random generator, and transmitting the response may be performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold. The method may further include calculating a response window within the size of the common contention window based on the results of the random generator.

[0050] Figure 10An example flowchart of a method according to certain exemplary embodiments is shown. In the example embodiment, Figure 10 The method can be performed by network elements or a group of network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, Figure 10 The method can be executed by a user device, mobile device, etc. (such as a reader), similar to Figure 11 The device 1130 described herein.

[0051] According to various exemplary embodiments, Figure 10 The method may include: at 1010, detecting responses to an activation signal from multiple passive devices, and at 1020, calculating a success rate of responses from the multiple passive devices. At 1030, the method may further include: transmitting the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal to a reader device.

[0052] Some exemplary embodiments may provide that the success rate can be calculated based on the ratio of the number of responses to the activation signal to the total number of multiple passive devices.

[0053] Figure 11 Devices 1110, 1120, and 1130 according to various exemplary embodiments are shown. In various exemplary embodiments, device 1110 may be an element in or associated with a communication network, such as an activator of an RFID system. Actuators 601 / 701 may be examples of devices 1110 according to the various exemplary embodiments described above. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that device 1110 may include Figure 11 Components or features not shown. Furthermore, device 1120 may be an element in or associated with a network, such as an AIoT device. AIoT devices 602 / 702 / 703 may be examples of device 1120 according to the various exemplary embodiments described above. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that device 1120 may include... Figure 11 Components or features not shown. Furthermore, device 1130 may be an element in or associated with a network, such as a reader in an RFID system. For example, reader 603 / 704 may be an example of device 1130 according to the various exemplary embodiments described above. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that device 1130 may include... Figure 11 Components or features not shown in the diagram.

[0054] According to various exemplary embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage device, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modem, transceiver, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some exemplary embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology.

[0055] like Figure 11 As shown in the example, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may respectively include or be coupled to processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 can be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In practice, as an example, processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although in Figure 11 The diagram illustrates a single processor 1112 (1122 and 1132) for each of devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130; however, multiple processors may be utilized according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include two or more processors that can form a multiprocessor system (e.g., in this case, processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may represent multiple processors), wherein the multiprocessor system can support multiprocessing. According to some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled to, for example, form a computer cluster.

[0056] Processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 can perform functions respectively associated with the operation of devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Examples include, for instance, precoding antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Figure 6-10 The process shown is as follows.

[0057] Devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may also include or be coupled to memories 1114, 1124, and / or 1134 (internal or external), which may be coupled to processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, respectively, for storing information and instructions that can be executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132. Memory 1114 (memories 1124 and 1134) may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 1114 (memories 1124 and 1134) may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic disks or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any combination of any other type of non-transitory machine or computer-readable medium. Instructions stored in memories 1114, 1124, and 1134 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, enable devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0058] In some example embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may also include or be coupled to an (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read external computer-readable storage media, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage media. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store data for execution by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 and / or devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Figure 6-10 Computer programs or software using any of the methods shown.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 1115, 1125, and 1135, respectively, for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting via uplink from devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may also include transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136, respectively, configured to transmit and receive information. Transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may also include radio interfaces (e.g., modems) coupled to antennas 1115, 1125, and 1135, respectively. The radio interfaces may correspond to one or more of various radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0060] For example, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be configured to modulate information about a carrier waveform for transmission by antennas(s)1115, 1125, and 1135, and to demodulate information received via antennas(s)1115, 1125, and 1135 for further processing by other elements of devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. In other example embodiments, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some example embodiments, devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touchscreen.

[0061] In some example embodiments, memories 1114, 1124, and 1134 store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, respectively. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. The memories may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Components of devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may be implemented in hardware or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to some exemplary embodiments, device 1110 may optionally be configured to communicate with devices 1120 and / or 1130 via wireless or wired communication links 1140, 1150, and / or 1160 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0062] According to some example embodiments, processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, and memories 1114, 1124, and 1134 may be included in or form part of a processing circuitry or control circuitry. Furthermore, in some example embodiments, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be included in or form part of a transceiver circuitry.

[0063] For example, in some exemplary embodiments, device 1110 may be controlled by memory 1114 and processor 1112 to receive a success rate of responses from a reader device and to determine a common contention window during which multiple passive devices are configured to transmit responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. Device 1110 may also be controlled to transmit activation signals to multiple passive devices, the activation signals including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0064] In various exemplary embodiments, device 1120 may be controlled by memory 1124 and processor 1122 to receive an activation signal from an activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window, and to determine a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the device. Device 1120 may also be controlled to transmit or reflect a response to the activation signal to the activation device.

[0065] In various exemplary embodiments, device 1130 may be controlled by memory 1134 and processor 1132 to detect responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. Device 1130 may also be controlled to transmit the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal to a reader device.

[0066] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus (e.g., apparatus 1110, apparatus 1120, and / or apparatus 1130) may include components for performing the methods, processes, or any variations discussed herein. Examples of components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for inducing the execution of operations.

[0067] Various exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus, such as apparatus 1110, which includes: components for a success rate of receiving a response from a reader device; and components for determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit a response. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. Apparatus 1110 may further include: components for transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0068] Various exemplary embodiments may relate to an apparatus, such as apparatus 1120, comprising: means for receiving an activation signal from an activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window; and means for determining a transmission time slot for responding to the activation signal. The transmission time slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of apparatus 1120. Apparatus 1120 may also include means for transmitting or reflecting a response to the activation signal to the activation device.

[0069] Various exemplary embodiments are applicable to a device, such as device 1130, which includes: means for detecting responses to an activation signal from a plurality of passive devices, and means for calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. Device 1130 may further include: means for transmitting the calculated success rate of the responses to a reader device and an indication of whether to change the length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0070] As used herein, the term "circuit system" can refer to a hardware-only implementation of a circuit system (e.g., analog and / or digital circuit systems), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor (including digital signal processors) having software, which work together to enable a device (e.g., device 1110, 1120, and / or 1130) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuitry and / or a processor or portion thereof that operates using software, but the software may be absent when operation is not required. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" can also encompass an implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor or multiple processors, or a portion thereof, along with accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit" can also cover, for example, baseband integrated circuits in servers, cellular network nodes or devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0071] A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components that, when the program runs, are configured to perform some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one piece of software code or a portion thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of certain example embodiments may be executed as routines, which may be implemented as added or updated software routines. Software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0072] As an example, software or computer program code, or portions thereof, may be in the form of source code, object code, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectric and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, a computer program may execute in a single electronic digital computer, or it may be distributed across multiple computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0073] In other example embodiments, the function may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in the device (e.g., devices 1110, 1120, and / or 1130), for example, by using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the function may be implemented as a signal, an intangible means that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other networks.

[0074] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus (such as a node, device, or corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer, or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element) or a chipset, including at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and an arithmetic processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0075] The features, structures, or characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this specification can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. For example, throughout this specification, the phrases "certain embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language refer to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "cell," "node," "gNB," or other similar language throughout this specification are used interchangeably.

[0076] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, indicates at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0077] It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure as described above can be practiced with processes of a different sequence and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from the disclosed configuration. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described based on these exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be readily apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments. While the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments can also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as LTE-Advanced and / or fourth-generation (4G) and / or sixth-generation (6G) technologies.

[0078] Partial vocabulary list: 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project 5G 5th generation 6G 6th generation AIoT (Ambient Internet of Things) BS base station CW Competition Window CWS Competition Window Size DL downlink EMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband gNB5G or next-generation node B ID identifier IoT LTE Long Term Evolution NR New Radio RAN Radio Access Network SINR signal versus interference plus noise ratio SR success rate UE User Equipment UL uplink

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Success rate of receiving responses from the reader device; A common contention window is determined, during which multiple passive devices are configured to transmit the response, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; as well as An activation signal is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the public competition window includes scaling the length of the competition window according to the success rate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: Before receiving the success rate from the reader device, another activation signal, different from the activation signal, is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, wherein the success rate is based on the response triggered by the other activation signal.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the transmission of receiving the success rate, determining the common contention window, and the activation signal is performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

5. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Receive an activation signal from the activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a public competition window; Determine a transmission time slot for the response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission time slot is determined based on the random seed and the identifier of the device; and The response to the activation signal is transmitted to or reflected to the activation device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the common contention window includes a time length for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 or 6, wherein receiving the activation signal, executing the random generator, and transmitting the response are performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The response window within the size of the public competition window is calculated based on the results of the random generator.

9. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: Detect the response to the activation signal from multiple passive devices; Calculate the success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; as well as The calculated success rate of the response and an indication of whether to change the length of the common contention window in the activation signal are transmitted to the reader device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the success rate is calculated based on the ratio of the number of responses to the activation signal to the total number of the plurality of passive devices.

11. A method comprising: Success rate of receiving responses from the reader device; A common contention window is determined, during which multiple passive devices are configured to transmit the response, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; as well as An activation signal is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the public competition window includes scaling the length of the competition window according to the success rate.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising: Before receiving the success rate from the reader device, another activation signal, different from the activation signal, is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, wherein the success rate is based on the response triggered by the other activation signal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the transmission of receiving the success rate, determining the common contention window, and the activation signal is performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

15. A method comprising: The device receives an activation signal from the activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common competition window; Determine a transmission time slot for the response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission time slot is determined based on the random seed and the identifier of the device; and The response to the activation signal is transmitted to or reflected to the activation device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the common contention window includes a time length for the device to transmit the response to the activation signal.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein receiving the activation signal, executing the random generator, and transmitting the response are performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15-17, further comprising: The response window within the size of the public competition window is calculated based on the results of the random generator.

19. A method comprising: Detect the response to the activation signal from multiple passive devices; Calculate the success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; as well as The calculated success rate of the response and an indication of whether to change the length of the common contention window in the activation signal are transmitted to the reader device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the success rate is calculated based on the ratio of the number of responses to the activation signal to the total number of the plurality of passive devices.

21. An apparatus comprising: Components used to measure the success rate of receiving responses from the reader device; Components for determining a common contention window, during which multiple passive devices are configured to transmit the response, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; as well as A component for transmitting an activation signal to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the public competition window includes scaling the length of the competition window according to the success rate.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising: A component for transmitting an activation signal different from the activation signal to the plurality of passive devices before receiving the success rate from the reader device, wherein the success rate is based on the response triggered by the other activation signal.

24. The apparatus according to any one of claims 21-23, wherein the transmission of receiving the success rate, determining the common contention window, and the activation signal is performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

25. An apparatus comprising: A component for receiving an activation signal from an activation device by the device, the activation signal including a random seed and a common contention window; Components for determining a transmission time slot for a response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission time slot is determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the device; and Components for transmitting or reflecting the response to the activation signal to the activation device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the common contention window includes a time length for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 or 26, wherein receiving the activation signal, executing the random generator, and transmitting the response are performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

28. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-27, further comprising: A component for calculating the response window within the size of the public competing window based on the results of a random generator.

29. An apparatus comprising: A component used to detect the response to an activation signal from multiple passive devices; A component used to calculate the success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; as well as A component for transmitting the calculated success rate of the response to the reader device and an indication of whether to change the length of the common contention window in the activation signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the success rate is calculated based on the ratio of the number of responses to the activation signal to the total number of the plurality of passive devices.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: Success rate of receiving responses from the reader device; A common contention window is determined, during which multiple passive devices are configured to transmit the response, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; and An activation signal is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, the activation signal including a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein determining the public competition window includes scaling the length of the competition window according to the success rate.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the means is further configured to: Before receiving the success rate from the reader device, another activation signal, different from the activation signal, is transmitted to the plurality of passive devices, wherein the success rate is based on the response triggered by the other activation signal.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 31-33, wherein the transmission of receiving the success rate, determining the common contention window, and the activation signal is performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: Receive an activation signal from the activation device, the activation signal including a random seed and a public competition window; Determine a transmission time slot for the response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission time slot is determined based on the random seed and the identifier of the device; and The response to the activation signal is transmitted to or reflected to the activation device.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the common contention window includes a time length for the device to transmit the response to the activation signal.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35 or 36, wherein receiving the activation signal, executing the random generator, and transmitting the response are performed iteratively until the success rate is equal to or exceeds a threshold.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 35-37, wherein the means is further configured to: The response window within the size of the public competition window is calculated based on the results of the random generator.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: Detect the response to the activation signal from multiple passive devices; Calculate the success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; and The calculated success rate of the response and an indication of whether to change the length of the common contention window in the activation signal are transmitted to the reader device.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the success rate is calculated based on the ratio of the number of responses to the activation signal to the total number of the plurality of passive devices.

41. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to claim 11.

42. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to claim 15.

43. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method according to claim 19.

44. An apparatus comprising one or more circuit systems configured to perform the method of claim 11.

45. An apparatus comprising one or more circuit systems configured to perform the method of claim 15.

46. ​​An apparatus comprising one or more circuit systems configured to perform the method of claim 19.

Images