Intermediate equipment grouping method and device, communication equipment, computer storage medium and program product

Abstract

The invention discloses an intermediate equipment grouping method and device, communication equipment, a computer storage medium and a program product. The method comprises the following steps: a second device receives first information which is sent by a network device and is used for packet measurement, and measures a first signal sent by a first device based on the first information to obtain a first measurement result; the first equipment is equipment added into a first group; and determining whether to join the first packet according to the first measurement result, or sending the first measurement result to the network device, so that the network device decides whether the second device joins the first packet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and specifically to an intermediate device grouping method, apparatus, communication equipment, computer storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional passive IoT technologies employ, for example Figure 1 The method shown allows passive IoT devices to be directly connected to the base station and communicate by sending and receiving data or signals. However, due to the low power of the reflected signal caused by the backscatter communication method of passive IoT devices and the self-interference between the carrier and the reflected signal of passive IoT devices, the coverage of the base station is greatly limited, resulting in poor performance of passive IoT by the base station.

[0003] In order to expand the coverage of base stations, such as Figure 2 As shown, an intermediate user equipment (UE) is set up between the base station and the passive IoT device to forward data / signals between the base station and the passive IoT device. However, a base station may connect to multiple intermediate UEs simultaneously. There is currently no effective solution for how to group multiple intermediate UEs and allocate resources to intermediate UEs within the same group to improve the system's resource utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the existing technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide an intermediate device grouping method, apparatus, communication device, computer storage medium, and program product.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an intermediate device grouping method, the method comprising: a second device receiving first information for group measurement sent by a network device, and measuring a first signal sent by a first device based on the first information to obtain a first measurement result; the first device being a device that has joined a first group;

[0007] The system determines whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result, or sends the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can make a decision on whether the second device should join the first group.

[0008] In the above scheme, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted along with the first instruction or the first data.

[0009] In the above scheme, when determining whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result: when the first signal is a reference signal transmitted alone, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information; and / or, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanied by the transmission of the first instruction or first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, first communication resource information.

[0010] In the above scheme, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0011] In the above scheme, when determining whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result, the step of measuring the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information includes: the second device measuring the first signal sent by the first device within one or more valid measurement windows based on the first information.

[0012] In the above scheme, determining whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result includes: when the second device determines that the measurement results in all valid measurement windows meet the first grouping conditions in the first information, it determines to join the first group; when it determines that the measurement results in at least one valid measurement window do not meet the first grouping conditions in the first information, it determines not to join the first group and terminates the grouping process.

[0013] In the above scheme, when the first information includes signal transmission resource information, the method further includes: the second device, without terminating the grouping process, sends a first signal according to the signal transmission resource information, so that devices that have not joined the first group can decide whether to join the first group.

[0014] In the above scheme, after determining that the first group has been added, the method further includes: the second device sending second information to the network device, the second information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group.

[0015] In the above scheme, the method further includes: the second device sending the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, and obtaining result information fed back by the terminal that received the first instruction or the first data; the second device sending second information to the network device, the second information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the result information.

[0016] In the above scheme, when the first measurement result is sent to the network device: the first information includes second measurement configuration information, and the second measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period.

[0017] In the above scheme, the reported configuration information includes reported time and frequency resources and / or reported events; when the reported configuration information includes reported events, before sending the first measurement result to the network device, the method further includes: the second device determining whether to send the first measurement result to the network device based on the reported configuration information.

[0018] In the above scheme, sending the first measurement result to the network device includes: when the second device determines that the reporting event is met, it determines to send the first measurement result to the network device; when it determines that the reporting event is not met, it determines not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

[0019] In the above scheme, when the first measurement result is sent to the network device, the method further includes: the second device receiving third information sent by the network device, the third information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the first resource configuration information.

[0020] In the above scheme, before the second device receives the first information for packet measurement sent by the network device, the method further includes: the second device sending fourth information to the network device, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, and location information.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide an intermediate device grouping method, the method being applied to network devices, the method comprising: determining a first device to be added to a first group; sending fifth information to the first device so that the first device can send a first signal; the first signal being used by a second device not added to the first group to perform measurements and decide whether to add to the first group based on the measurement results;

[0022] Send first information for group measurement to one or more second devices so that multiple second devices can measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement results; or receive the first measurement result sent by the second device and determine whether to join the second device in the first group based on the first measurement result.

[0023] In the above scheme, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted along with the first instruction or the first data.

[0024] In the above scheme, when multiple second devices measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement results: when the first signal is a reference signal sent alone, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information; and / or, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanied by the transmission of a first instruction or first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, first communication resource information.

[0025] In the above scheme, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0026] In the above scheme, after sending the first information for group measurement to one or more second devices, the method further includes: the network device receiving second information sent by the second device that determines to join the first group; wherein, when the first signal is a reference signal sent alone, the second information includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group; when the first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data, the second information includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group and result information, the result information being obtained by the second device based on sending the first instruction or first data.

[0027] In the above scheme, when receiving a second measurement result sent by at least one second device, the first information includes second measurement configuration information, which includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0028] In the above scheme, determining whether to add the at least one second device to the second group based on the first measurement result includes: when the number of received first measurement results is unique, determining to add the second device corresponding to the first measurement result to the first group; when the number of received first measurement results is not unique, selecting one second device from the multiple second devices corresponding to the multiple first measurement results to add to the first group.

[0029] In the above scheme, after determining whether to add the second device to the first group based on the first measurement result, the method further includes: the network device sending third information to the second device, the third information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the first resource configuration information.

[0030] In the above scheme, the first device is determined by the network device among multiple devices, or the first device is determined by the network device to be added to the first group based on the measurement results.

[0031] In the above scheme, before determining the first device to join the first group, the method further includes: the network device receiving fourth information sent by each device, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, location information;

[0032] Accordingly, when the first device is determined among multiple devices, the determination of the first device to join the first group includes: the network device determining the first device to join the first group among multiple devices based on one or more of the capability information, measurement report and location information.

[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an intermediate device grouping apparatus, which is applied to a second device. The apparatus includes: a first communication unit, a measurement unit, and a first processing unit; wherein...

[0034] The first communication unit is configured to receive first information for packet measurement sent by the network device;

[0035] The measurement unit is used to measure the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information, and obtain a first measurement result; the first device is a device that has been added to the first group;

[0036] The first processing unit is configured to determine whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result; or, the first communication unit is further configured to send the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can make a decision on whether the second device should join the first group.

[0037] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an intermediate device grouping apparatus, the apparatus being applied to a network device, the apparatus comprising: a second processing unit and a second communication unit; wherein,

[0038] The second processing unit is used to determine the first device to be added to the first group;

[0039] The second communication unit is configured to send fifth information to the first device so that the first device can send a first signal; the first signal is used by a second device that has not joined the first group to perform measurement and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement result; it is also configured to send first information for group measurement to one or more second devices so that multiple second devices can measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement result;

[0040] Alternatively, the second communication unit is further configured to receive a first measurement result sent by the second device; the second processing unit is further configured to determine whether to add the second device to the first group based on the first measurement result.

[0041] Fifthly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a communication device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of the method applied to a second device or a network device as described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method applied to a second device or network device as described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the embodiments of the present invention for application to a second device or a network device.

[0044] This invention provides a method, apparatus, communication device, computer storage medium, and program product for grouping intermediate devices. The method involves a second device to be grouped receiving first information from a network device for measuring a first signal. Based on the first information, the second device measures the first signal sent by a first device already in the group to obtain a measurement result. The second device then makes a grouping decision based on the measurement result, or feeds the measurement result back to the network device, which then makes a grouping decision based on the measurement result. This achieves the grouping of intermediate devices, allocating the same passive IoT link resources to intermediate devices within the same group, thereby improving the system's resource utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an existing passive IoT topology.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another existing passive IoT topology.

[0047] Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the measurement window in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the effective measurement window in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0050] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0052] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0053] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the intermediate device grouping device provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0054] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the intermediate device grouping device provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0055] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0057] The technical solutions of this invention can be applied to various communication systems, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or 5G systems. Optionally, a 5G system or 5G network can also be referred to as a new radio system or NR network.

[0058] For example, the communication system used in this embodiment of the invention may include network devices and terminal devices (also referred to as terminals, communication terminals, etc.); the network device may be a device that communicates with the terminal device. The network device can provide communication coverage within a certain area and can communicate with terminals located within that area. Optionally, the network device may be a base station in various communication systems, such as an evolved Node B (eNB) in an LTE system, or a gNB in ​​a 5G or NR system.

[0059] It should be understood that devices with communication functions in the network / system of this application embodiment can be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminals with communication functions. Network devices and terminal devices can be the specific devices described above, which will not be repeated here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities. This embodiment of the present invention does not limit these.

[0060] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document. The term "and / or" in this document merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0061] The terms “first,” “second,” etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0062] This invention proposes a method for grouping intermediate devices. Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;like Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0063] Step 101: The second device receives the first information for packet measurement sent by the network device;

[0064] Step 102: Based on the first information, measure the first signal sent by the first device to obtain a first measurement result; the first device is a device that has joined the first group;

[0065] Step 103: Determine whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result, or send the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can make a decision on whether the second device should join the first group.

[0066] The intermediate device grouping method of this invention is applied to a second device, namely, an intermediate device or intermediate UE to be grouped. The first device is an intermediate device that has already joined the first group, i.e., an intermediate device that has completed grouping. It can be an intermediate device designated by the network device to join the first group, for example, it can be called the initial intermediate device, or it can be an intermediate device determined to join the first group using the intermediate device grouping method of this invention. In other words, the technical solution of this invention can cyclically determine whether an intermediate device has joined the first group. In the current round scenario, the device determined to join the first group in the previous round can be called the first device, and the intermediate device to be grouped in this round can be called the second device.

[0067] In this embodiment, the network device can be a base station used to communicate with passive IoT devices. Passive IoT devices can be devices applied in various passive Internet of Things (A-IoT) scenarios such as intelligent transportation, smart homes, smart healthcare, smart manufacturing, smart logistics systems, and smart security systems, such as autonomous vehicles, intelligent traffic lights, and intelligent rehabilitation equipment.

[0068] It should be noted that all intermediate devices (including the second device) have been connected to the network device before the packet is started. This embodiment of the invention does not impose specific restrictions on the method by which intermediate devices (including the second device) connect to the network device, such as random access.

[0069] In this embodiment, the second device to be grouped receives first information sent by the network device, so that the second device can measure the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information. The specific content included in the first information will be described in detail later in this embodiment of the invention.

[0070] In some implementations, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted in conjunction with the first instruction or the first data.

[0071] In this embodiment, the first signal measured by the second device can be sent by the first device alone, that is, the first device only sends the first signal; or, the first signal can also be sent along with the first instruction or first data when the first device communicates with the A-IoT device, that is, the first device sends the first signal and the first instruction / data according to the A-IoT communication resources.

[0072] For example, when the first signal is transmitted alone, it can be a specific sequence or pilot for measurement by a second device; when the first signal is transmitted along with instructions or data for communication with an A-IoT device, it can be one or more of a preamble, midamble, postamble, or other pilots carried in the instructions or data. This embodiment of the invention does not impose specific limitations on the specific sequence or pilot used when transmitting the first signal alone; it can be a common sequence or pilot with a known waveform.

[0073] In this embodiment of the invention, different grouping procedures are applied to different types of the first signal (one is sent alone, and the other is sent with a first command or first data). When the first signal is sent alone, i.e., the first signal is only used for measurement by the second device, the grouping procedure of the intermediate UE is independent of the communication procedure between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device (e.g., inventory, command, etc.). When the first signal is sent with a command or data, i.e., the first signal is multiplexed with the command or data used for communication between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device, the grouping procedure of the intermediate UE and the communication procedure between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device are performed simultaneously.

[0074] In this embodiment, whether the second device joins the first group can be decided by the second device itself or by the network device. Based on this, the following implementation methods can be adopted for both the second device decision-making and the network device decision-making methods, combined with the different first signals (one is sent alone, and the other is sent with the first instruction or the first data).

[0075] In some implementations, when determining whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result: when the first signal is a separately transmitted reference signal, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, signal transmission resource information; and / or,

[0076] When the first signal is a reference signal accompanying the transmission of the first instruction or the first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, and first communication resource information.

[0077] In this embodiment, the decision on whether to join the first group is made by the second device or by the network device. In these two cases, the first information received by the second device is different.

[0078] This embodiment mainly addresses the situation where the second device acts as the execution subject of the decision group. When the first signal is sent alone, the first information may include one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, and signal transmission resource information. When the first signal is sent along with the first instruction or first data, the first information may include one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, signal transmission resource information, and first communication resource information.

[0079] The first measurement configuration information may be measurement configuration information configured by the network device for the second device to be grouped, used to measure the first signal.

[0080] A group identifier is used to characterize a grouping process based on the current grouping target. One group identifier can correspond to one grouping target (e.g., finding an intermediate UE that can reuse passive IoT communication resources, determining an intermediate UE that needs to compete for resources, determining an intermediate UE that can jointly receive feedback signals from an A-IoT device, etc.). For example, the group identifier corresponding to the first group can characterize a grouping process with the grouping target of finding an intermediate UE that can reuse passive IoT communication resources.

[0081] The first grouping condition can be a measurement result judgment condition when performing the first grouping. Based on this grouping condition, it is determined whether to add the current second device to the first group. For example, if the grouping goal of the first group is to find an intermediate UE that can reuse passive IoT communication resources, then the first grouping condition can be set to the measurement result of the first signal being less than a preset threshold. The specific process of judgment based on the first grouping condition in this embodiment of the invention will be described in detail later.

[0082] The signal transmission resource information is resource information used by a second device newly added to the first group to transmit a first signal. When transmitting the first signal alone, the signal transmission resource information may include potential signal transmission resource information, such as time-frequency resources for transmitting a specific sequence or pilot; when transmitting the first signal accompanied by a first command or first data, the signal transmission resource information may include time-frequency resources for transmitting a first command or first data carrying the first signal.

[0083] In the scenario where the first signal is accompanied by the transmission of the first command or the first data, the first information also includes first communication resource information, which is the resource information for communication between the second device newly added to the first group and the A-IoT device. For example, the first communication resource information may include A-IoT air interface time and frequency resources.

[0084] In some implementations, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0085] In this embodiment, when the second device acts as the executing entity of the decision group, the first measurement configuration information in the first information received by the second device may include one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0086] The measurement object information can be the time-frequency position of the first signal, i.e., the time-domain and / or frequency-domain position of the specific sequence / pilot to be measured, or the time-domain and / or frequency-domain position of one or more of the preamble, midamble, postamble, and pilot carried in the first command or first data to be measured. The measurement quantity configuration information represents the parameter information required to measure the first signal, which may specifically include parameters such as cumulative received energy and reference signal received power (RSRP). The measurement period, for the case of periodic measurement of the first signal, represents the time interval for measuring the first signal.

[0087] In this embodiment, after receiving the first information sent by the network device, the second device measures the first signal sent by the first device that has been added to the group and obtains the first measurement result, so that the second device can realize the grouping according to the first measurement result, or send the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can realize the grouping according to the first measurement result.

[0088] It should be noted that the grouping process of the intermediate device grouping method with the second device as the execution subject is different from that of the intermediate device grouping method with the network device as the execution subject. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention will describe in detail the grouping process of the intermediate device side under the two different grouping methods below.

[0089] First, this embodiment of the invention provides a detailed description of the grouping process on the intermediate device side when the second device acts as the executing entity for decision grouping.

[0090] In some implementations, when determining whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result, the second device measures the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information, including: the second device measures the first signal sent by the first device within one or more valid measurement windows based on the first information.

[0091] In this embodiment, when the second device is the execution object of the decision group, after receiving the first information sent by the network device, the second device determines the effective measurement window based on the signal transmission resource information in the first information, and measures the first signal sent by the first device according to the effective measurement window.

[0092] Specifically, for each intermediate device, the network device is configured or indicates one or more measurement windows in the signal transmission resource information. For any second device that is configured with signal transmission resource information, its effective measurement window is the measurement window at the transmission time domain position of the first signal indicated in the signal transmission resource information earlier than that of the first signal.

[0093] As an example, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the measurement window in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;like Figure 4 As shown, for a second device configured with signal transmission resource information, that is, the first information received by the second device includes signal transmission resource information, the second device can determine the transmission time domain position based on the signal transmission resource information. Figure 4 The third rectangle in the second device (shown in the configuration signal transmission resource information) determines the measurement window earlier than the transmission time domain position as the valid measurement window. Figure 4 The first two rectangles in the second device showing the configuration signal transmission resource information are all invalid measurement windows (the subsequent measurement windows are all invalid measurement windows). Figure 4 The last two rectangles in the second device with configured signal transmission resource information are shown. For a second device without configured signal transmission resource information, since no transmission time domain position is indicated, all measurement windows in its corresponding time domain position can be specified as valid measurement windows. Figure 4 (All rectangles in the second device shown that are not configured with signal transmission resource information).

[0094] It should be noted that all intermediate devices awaiting grouping can determine their potential priority for transmitting the first signal through the signal transmission resource information configured in the first information. That is, an intermediate device with fewer effective measurement windows has a higher priority for transmitting the first signal if it is determined to join the first group, while an intermediate device with more effective windows has a lower priority. It can be understood that the intermediate device with the lowest priority may only have the ability to receive and measure the first signal, but not the ability to transmit it. For each intermediate device configured with signal transmission resource information, during each measurement of the first signal, it needs to occupy one of its corresponding effective measurement windows sequentially according to its time-domain position.

[0095] The embodiments of the present invention do not impose specific restrictions on the method of determining the priority of the second device to be grouped. The priority of the second device can be randomly configured or indicated by the network device, or the priority of the second device can be configured or indicated based on the relevant information reported by each second device before the grouping begins. The priority of each second device remains unchanged after the configuration or indication based on the first information is completed.

[0096] In this embodiment, after the second device measures the first signal in the corresponding effective measurement window based on the first information to obtain the first measurement result, the second device determines whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result, thereby realizing the grouping of intermediate devices based on the grouping target of the first group.

[0097] In some implementations, determining whether to add to the first group based on the first measurement result includes: the second device determining to add to the first group when it determines that the measurement results in all valid measurement windows meet the first grouping conditions in the first information; and determining not to add to the first group and terminating the grouping process when it determines that the measurement results in at least one valid measurement window do not meet the first grouping conditions in the first information.

[0098] In this embodiment, after the second device obtains the first measurement result by measuring the first signal, the second device determines whether to join the first group according to the first grouping conditions until the grouping process ends.

[0099] Specifically, the second device can determine whether the current first measurement result meets the first grouping condition based on the first grouping condition. If the current first measurement result meets the first grouping condition and the second device has only one valid measurement window to obtain the current first measurement result, it can determine to join the first group, thereby ending the current grouping process for the second device.

[0100] If the current first measurement result meets the first grouping condition and the second device has multiple valid measurement windows, the grouping process for the second device continues. If the first measurement results corresponding to all valid measurement windows of the second device meet the first grouping condition, it is determined to be added to the first group. If the current first measurement result does not meet the first grouping condition, the second device is determined not to be added to the first group, and the grouping process ends.

[0101] If the current first measurement result does not meet the first grouping conditions, the second device determines not to join the first group and directly terminates the grouping process.

[0102] Understandably, the second device will only confirm joining the first group if the measurement results of all valid measurement windows meet the first grouping conditions; otherwise, it will not join the first group. The second device will end the grouping process whether it decides to join or not join the first group.

[0103] In some implementations, where the first information includes signal transmission resource information, the method further includes: the second device, without terminating the grouping process, transmitting a first signal based on the signal transmission resource information, so that devices not yet joined the first group can decide whether to join the first group.

[0104] In this embodiment, if the second device has not yet ended the grouping process, the second device will continue to receive and measure the first signal in the next valid measurement window. The second device newly added to the first group will then transmit the first signal at the transmission time domain position in the corresponding signal transmission resource information. The second device that has not ended the grouping process will repeatedly perform the judgment on the first measurement result based on the first grouping condition and the measured first measurement result until the aforementioned grouping process termination condition is met.

[0105] As an example, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the effective measurement window in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The configuration information received by the second device 1, the second device 2, and the second device 3, which were not joined to the first group, is as follows: Figure 5 As shown. The first device transmits the first signal at a specified time domain location, and the specific process of grouping the signals by the second devices is as follows:

[0106] First, second devices 1, 2, and 3 receive the first signal sent by the first device and perform measurements within their respective first valid measurement windows to obtain the first measurement result. Assuming that second devices 1 and 2 determine that their respective first measurement results meet the first grouping conditions, since second device 1 has only one valid measurement window, it determines to join the first group and ends the current grouping process; since second device 2 has multiple valid measurement windows, it continues the grouping process. Assuming that second device 3 determines that the first measurement result does not meet the first grouping conditions, it determines not to join the first group and ends the current grouping process.

[0107] Secondly, during the process of continuing to group the second device 2, the second device 1 sends a first signal according to its corresponding transmission time domain position; the second device 2 measures the received first signal in the corresponding second effective measurement window, and if the first measurement result satisfies the first grouping condition according to the first grouping condition, since there are no other effective measurement windows, the second device 2 determines to join the first group, and since there are no other second devices to be grouped, no other second devices measure the first signal sent by the second device 2, thus ending the current grouping process.

[0108] In some implementations, after determining that the first packet has been added, the method further includes: the second device sending second information to the network device, the second information including a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet.

[0109] In this embodiment, when the second device confirms that it has joined the first group, it reports the group identifier corresponding to the first group in the first information to the network device to inform the network device that the second device has joined the first group, thereby receiving the A-IoT air interface resources allocated by the network device that meet the group target of the first group.

[0110] For example, when the grouping objective is to find intermediate UEs that can reuse passive IoT communication resources, the network device can allocate the same A-IoT air interface time and frequency resources to intermediate devices within the first group.

[0111] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the second device sending the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, and obtaining result information fed back by the terminal that received the first instruction or the first data; the second device sending second information to the network device, the second information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the result information.

[0112] In this embodiment, when the first signal is sent along with the first instruction or the first data, that is, when the grouping process of the intermediate UE and the communication process between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device are carried out simultaneously, after determining that the current second device is added to the first group, the second device not only needs to send the first signal according to the signal sending resource information, but also needs to send the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, so as to communicate with the passive IoT device, and report the result information fed back by the passive IoT device that received the first instruction or the first data together with the group identifier corresponding to the first group to the network device, so that the network device can process the result information fed back by the passive IoT device.

[0113] It should be noted that in this embodiment of the invention, there is a second device that has not been configured with signal transmission resource information and is determined to join the first group. This second device may be a low-priority intermediate device, that is, an intermediate device that does not need to send the first signal or communicate with the passive IoT device.

[0114] When a network device acts as the execution entity for decision groups, in some implementations, when the first measurement result is sent to the network device, the first information includes second measurement configuration information, which includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0115] In this embodiment, when the network device acts as the execution subject of the decision group, the first information received by the second device includes second configuration information. The second measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0116] It should be noted that the measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle in the second measurement configuration information are the same as those in the first measurement configuration information. Since they have been described in detail above, they will not be repeated here. The content of the reported configuration information in this embodiment of the invention will be described in detail below.

[0117] In some implementations, the reporting configuration information includes reporting time-frequency resources and / or reporting events; when the second measurement configuration information includes reporting events, before sending the first measurement result to the network device, the method further includes: the second device determining whether to send the first measurement result to the network device based on the reporting event.

[0118] In this embodiment, the reporting configuration information in the second measurement configuration information may include reporting time-frequency resources and / or reporting events, wherein the reporting time-frequency resources represent the time-frequency resources for sending the first information, and the reporting events are used to distinguish whether the current grouping is an event-triggered type or a non-event-triggered type.

[0119] Specifically, when the reporting configuration information in the second measurement configuration information includes a reporting event, it indicates that this grouping is an event-triggered type; when the reporting configuration information in the second measurement configuration information does not include a reporting event, it indicates that this grouping is a non-event-triggered type.

[0120] In this embodiment, the reported event may specifically include the definition of an event triggering type, that is, the corresponding reporting threshold (condition). The event triggering type in this embodiment is different from the existing NR event. It may be a newly defined event related to the grouping target. For example, when the grouping target is to determine the intermediate device that can use the same A-IoT communication resources, the event may be defined as: the first measurement result is less than the threshold, that is, the definition is the condition for the intermediate device to report the measurement result.

[0121] If the reporting configuration information in the second measurement configuration information includes a reporting event, that is, if the current group is an event-triggered type, the second device can determine whether to report the first measurement result to the network device based on the reporting event, so that the network device can make a decision on whether to join the first group.

[0122] It should be noted that if the second measurement configuration information does not include the reporting event, that is, if this group is not an event-triggered type, all second devices that receive the second measurement configuration information will report the first measurement result to the network device after obtaining the first measurement result.

[0123] In some implementations, sending the first measurement result to the network device includes: when the second device determines that the reporting event is met, it decides to send the first measurement result to the network device; when it determines that the reporting event is not met, it decides not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

[0124] In this embodiment, when the reporting configuration information in the second measurement configuration information includes a reporting event, the second device can determine whether to report the first measurement result to the network device based on the reporting event. Specifically, when the first measurement result meets the reporting event, it is determined to send the first measurement result to the network device; when the first measurement result does not meet the reporting event, it is determined not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

[0125] As an example, the event is defined as follows: the first measurement result is less than a threshold; if the first measurement result of the current second device is less than the threshold value, the second device determines to send the first measurement result to the network device; if the first measurement result of the current second device is not less than the threshold value, the second device determines not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

[0126] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the invention, when it is determined that a first measurement result should be reported, the accuracy of the reported first measurement result is not limited. That is, the first measurement result reported to the network device can be a precise measurement value, or it can be a rough, specific indication used to describe the judgment result, such as indicating that the measurement result is greater than or less than a reporting threshold. This embodiment of the invention can configure or indicate the accuracy of the first measurement result reported by the second device during this grouping in the first information.

[0127] In some implementations, when the first measurement result is sent to the network device, the method further includes: the second device receiving third information sent by the network device, the third information including a group identifier corresponding to the first group and first resource configuration information.

[0128] In this embodiment, after the second device reports the first measurement result to the network device, the network device makes a decision on whether to add the second device that sent the first measurement result to the first group based on the first measurement result. After completing this round of group decision, the network device sends third information representing the decision result to the second device. The third information includes the group identifier corresponding to the first group. That is, the second device that receives the group identifier corresponding to the first group is the intermediate device that is determined to join the first group.

[0129] Optionally, the third information also includes first resource configuration information. When the first signal is sent alone, the first resource configuration information includes signal transmission resource information, allowing the second device newly joining the first group to send the first signal. When the first signal is sent accompanied by a first instruction or first data, the first resource configuration information includes both signal transmission resource information and first communication resource information, enabling the second device newly joining the first group to send not only the first signal to other second devices but also to the corresponding A-IoT device, thereby achieving communication with the passive IoT device. The explanations of the signal transmission resource information and the first communication resource information in this embodiment have been detailed above and will not be repeated here.

[0130] In some embodiments, prior to step 101, the method further includes: the second device sending fourth information to the network device, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, and location information.

[0131] In this embodiment, before grouping intermediate devices, all intermediate devices connected to the network device must each report a fourth piece of information related to A-IoT. This information may include one or more of the following: capability information, measurement reports, and location information. The network device uses this fourth piece of information to determine an initial intermediate device, i.e., the first intermediate device to send the first signal. The capability information is used to characterize whether the current second device possesses passive IoT capabilities.

[0132] In some optional implementations, for two different grouping processes—one where the intermediate device acts as the grouping decision-making entity and the other where the network device acts as the grouping decision-making entity—after completing the grouping in this round, the second device will re-execute steps 101-103. That is, the second device that has not joined the first group will re-receive the first information sent by the network device, measure the first signal sent by the second device that has newly joined the first group based on the first information, and obtain the first measurement result. Based on the first measurement result, it will determine whether to join the first group, or send the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can make a decision on whether the second device should join the first group, until the grouping process ends, thereby completing the grouping process of this grouping objective.

[0133] This invention also proposes an intermediate device grouping method. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The method is applied to network devices, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the method includes:

[0134] Step 201: Determine the first device to be added to the first group;

[0135] Step 202: Send fifth information to the first device so that the first device can send a first signal; the first signal is used by the second device, which has not joined the first group, to perform measurement and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement result;

[0136] Step 203: Send first information for group measurement to one or more second devices so that multiple second devices can measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement results, or receive the first measurement result sent by the second device and determine whether to join the second device in the first group based on the first measurement result.

[0137] Here, the intermediate device grouping method of this invention is applied to the network device side. The network device can be a base station for communicating with passive IoT devices, and the passive IoT devices can be devices applied in various A-IoT scenarios.

[0138] The first device in this embodiment of the invention is an intermediate device that has been added to the first device group, that is, an intermediate device that has completed the grouping. It can be an intermediate device that the network device specifies to be added to the first group, for example, it can be called the initial intermediate device. It can also be an intermediate device that is determined to be added to the first group using the intermediate device grouping method of this embodiment of the invention. That is, the technical solution of this embodiment of the invention can cyclically determine whether the intermediate device is added to the first group. In the current round scenario, the device that was determined to be added to the first group in the previous round can be called the first device, and the intermediate device to be grouped in this round can be called the second device.

[0139] In this embodiment, the network device determines whether a new device is joining the first group or an initial device is joining the first group. This embodiment can perform grouping decisions using two different execution objects: an intermediate device grouping method with the second device as the execution object and an intermediate device grouping method with the network device as the execution object. The grouping process on the network device side under these two different grouping methods will be described in detail later in this embodiment.

[0140] In this embodiment, after determining that a first device has been added to the first group, the network device sends the fifth information allocated to it to the first device so that the first device can send a first signal to the second device to be grouped.

[0141] Specifically, for the intermediate device grouping method that uses the second device as the execution object of the decision group, the first device is the initial intermediate device determined to join the first group, and the fifth information includes at least the first resource configuration information used by the first device to send the first signal; for the intermediate device grouping method that uses a network device as the execution object of the decision group, the first device is the initial intermediate device determined to join the first group, or a newly determined intermediate device to join the first group, and the fifth information includes at least the first resource configuration information used by the first device to send the first signal, and the group identifier corresponding to the first group.

[0142] In this embodiment, after sending the fifth information to the first device, the network device needs to send the first information to one or more second devices that have not joined the first group, so that the second devices can receive and measure the first signal sent by the first device.

[0143] In some implementations, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted in conjunction with the first instruction or the first data.

[0144] In this embodiment, the first signal received by the second device may be sent by the first device alone, that is, the first device only sends the first signal; or, the first signal may also be sent along with the first instruction or first data when the first device communicates with the A-IoT device, that is, the first device sends the first signal and the first instruction / data according to the A-IoT communication resources.

[0145] For example, when the first signal is transmitted alone, it may be a specific sequence or pilot for measurement by a second device; when the first signal is transmitted along with instructions or data for communication with an A-IoT device, it may be one or more of the preamble, midamble, postamble, or other pilots carried in the instructions or data. This embodiment of the invention does not impose specific limitations on the specific sequence or pilot used for the first signal; it may be a common sequence or pilot with known waveforms.

[0146] In this embodiment of the invention, two different grouping procedures are implemented depending on whether the first signal is sent alone or accompanied by a first command or first data. When the first signal is sent alone, i.e., the first signal is only used for measurement by the second device, the grouping procedure of the intermediate UE is independent of the communication procedure between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device (e.g., inventory, command communication). When the first signal is sent with a command or data, i.e., the first signal is multiplexed with the command or data used for communication between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device, the grouping procedure of the intermediate UE and the communication procedure between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device are performed simultaneously.

[0147] In this embodiment, whether the second device joins the first group can be decided by the second device itself or by the network device. Based on this, the following implementation methods can be adopted for both the second device decision-making and the network device decision-making methods, combined with the different first signals (one is sent alone, and the other is sent with the first instruction or the first data).

[0148] It should be noted that in step 202, when the packetization process of the intermediate UE is independent of the communication process between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device, the first resource configuration information in the fifth information sent by the network device to the first device may include signal transmission resource information, specifically including the time and frequency resources allocated by the network device to the first device, so that the first device can transmit the first signal according to the time and frequency resources.

[0149] When the packet processing of the intermediate UE and the communication process between the intermediate UE and the A-IoT device occur simultaneously, the first resource configuration information in the fifth information sent by the network device to the first device may include not only signal transmission resource information but also first communication resource information. That is, the first resource configuration information may include not only the time-frequency resources (e.g., absolute time or relative time offset) allocated by the network device for the first device but also the time-frequency resources allocated by the network device for A-IoT communication, so that the first device can send a first signal for measurement and communicate with the corresponding A-IoT device. The explanation of signal transmission resource information and first communication resource information in this embodiment has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0150] In some implementations, when multiple second devices measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement results: the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, signal transmission resource information; and / or,

[0151] When the first signal is a reference signal accompanying the transmission of the first instruction or the first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, and first communication resource information.

[0152] In this embodiment, the decision on whether to join the first group is made by the second device or by the network device. In these two cases, the first information received by the second device is different.

[0153] This embodiment mainly addresses the situation where the second device acts as the execution subject of the decision group. When the first signal is sent alone, it may include one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, and signal transmission resource information. When the first signal is sent along with the first instruction or first data, it may include one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group conditions, signal transmission resource information, and first communication resource information.

[0154] It should be noted that the specific content of the first information in the embodiments of the present invention has been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here.

[0155] In some implementations, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0156] In this embodiment, the first measurement configuration information may include one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period. The specific content of the first measurement configuration information has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0157] It should be noted that the grouping process of the intermediate device grouping method with the second device as the execution subject is different from that of the intermediate device grouping method with the network device as the execution subject. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention will describe in detail the grouping process on the network device side under the two different grouping methods below.

[0158] First, this embodiment of the invention provides a detailed description of the grouping process on the network device side when the second device acts as the executing entity for decision grouping.

[0159] In some embodiments, after step 203, the method further includes: the network device receiving second information sent by a second device that determines to join the first group; wherein, when the first signal is a reference signal sent alone, the second message includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group; when the first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data, the second message includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group and result information, the result information being obtained by the second terminal based on sending the first instruction or first data.

[0160] In this embodiment, after the network device sends first information to multiple second devices to be grouped, the second devices make their own grouping decisions. The network device then receives second information sent by the second device that has decided to join the first group, which includes the group identifier corresponding to the first group. This allows the network device to confirm that the second device has joined the first group and send A-IoT air interface resources that meet the grouping objectives of the first group to the second device that has joined the first group.

[0161] For example, when the grouping objective is to find intermediate UEs that can reuse passive IoT communication resources, the network device can allocate the same A-IoT air interface time and frequency resources to intermediate devices within the first group.

[0162] In this embodiment, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanying the transmission of the first instruction or the first data, the second message received by the network device from the second device that has confirmed joining the first group also includes result information. This result information is the information fed back by the second device that has joined the first group after communicating with the passive IoT device that received the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, so that the network device can further process the fed-back result information to complete the communication with the passive IoT device.

[0163] Secondly, this embodiment of the invention provides a detailed description of the grouping process on the network device side when the network device is the execution object of decision grouping.

[0164] In some implementations, when receiving a second measurement result sent by at least one second device, the first information includes second measurement configuration information, which includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0165] In this embodiment, when the network device is the execution object of the decision group, the first information sent by the network-side device to the second device includes second configuration information. The second measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0166] It should be noted that the contents of the second measurement configuration information in the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here.

[0167] In some implementations, determining whether to add the at least one second device to the second group based on the first measurement result includes: when the number of received first measurement results is unique, determining to add the second device corresponding to the first measurement result to the first group; when the number of received first measurement results is not unique, selecting one second device from multiple second devices corresponding to multiple first measurement results to add to the first group.

[0168] In this embodiment, when the network device is the execution object of the decision group, the network device will receive the first measurement result of the first signal sent by the second device, and determine whether to add the second device corresponding to the first measurement result to the first group based on the number of received first measurement results.

[0169] Specifically, when the number of first measurement results received by the network device is unique, that is, regardless of whether it is an event-triggered type or a non-event-triggered type, if the network device receives only one first measurement result, the second device corresponding to the first measurement result is directly added to the first group and the current grouping process ends.

[0170] When the number of first measurement results received by a network device is not unique, that is, regardless of whether it is an event-triggered type or a non-event-triggered type, if the network device receives multiple first measurement results, it is necessary to select one second device from the multiple second devices corresponding to the multiple first measurement results and add it to the first group according to a preset selection method.

[0171] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, the preset selection method is not specifically limited when the number of received first measurement results is not unique. For example, when the first measurement results include precise measurement values, the second device corresponding to the first measurement result with the smallest or largest measurement value can be selected to join the first group. Different selection methods can also be preset according to different grouping objectives.

[0172] In this embodiment, during the process of the network device determining the second device to be added to the first group based on the first measurement result, there may be a situation where the network device does not receive any first measurement result reported by the second device, or the network device fails to select any second device that can be added to the first group according to the preset selection method. In both of these cases, the current grouping process will be terminated directly.

[0173] Furthermore, after selecting one second device from multiple second devices that send the first measurement result to join the first group according to the preset selection method, the remaining second devices that have not joined the first group need to be updated as candidate intermediate devices for the next round of grouping. For event-triggered groups, since the network device receives the first measurement result after the second device judges based on the reported configuration information, after selecting one second device corresponding to the first measurement result to join the first group according to the preset selection method, the remaining second devices that send the first measurement result are all candidate intermediate devices for the next round of grouping.

[0174] For non-event-triggered types, since the network device receives the first measurement results sent by all second devices configured with first information, after selecting a second device corresponding to a first measurement result to join the first group according to a preset selection method, it is necessary to update the remaining second devices based on the other reported first measurement results. Second devices corresponding to first measurement results that meet the conditions for the next round of grouping are updated as candidate intermediate devices for the next round of grouping; second devices corresponding to first measurement results that do not meet the conditions for the next round of grouping directly end the current grouping process. This embodiment of the invention does not impose specific restrictions on the setting of the conditions for the next round of grouping; they can be set according to different grouping objectives.

[0175] In some implementations, after determining whether to add the second device to the first group based on the first measurement result, the method further includes: the network device sending third information to the second device, the third information including a group identifier corresponding to the first group and first resource configuration information.

[0176] In this embodiment, after the network device determines to add a second device to the first group based on the received first measurement result, the network device needs to send third information to the second device, including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the first resource configuration information, so that the second device can send a first signal to the remaining second devices (i.e., candidate intermediate devices) that are not added to the group.

[0177] It should be noted that the third information in the embodiments of the present invention is the same as the fifth information sent by the network device to the first device. The fifth information has been described in detail above in the embodiments of the present invention, and will not be repeated here.

[0178] In some implementations, the first device is determined by the network device among multiple devices, or the first device is determined by the network device to be added to the first group based on measurement results.

[0179] In this embodiment, for the execution subject of the decision grouping with an intermediate device or a network device as the execution subject of the decision grouping, the first device is determined by the network device among multiple devices, or the first device is determined by the network device to be added to the first group based on the measurement results. That is, the first device can be the initial intermediate device determined by the network device from multiple intermediate devices, or it can be an intermediate device newly added to the first group determined by the network device based on the received first measurement results.

[0180] In some implementations, prior to step 201, the method further includes: the network device receiving fourth information sent by each device, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, location information;

[0181] Accordingly, when the first device is determined among multiple devices, the determination of the first device to join the first group includes: the network device determining the first device to join the first group among multiple devices based on one or more of the capability information, measurement report and location information.

[0182] In this embodiment, before initiating the grouping of intermediate devices, the network device needs to receive fourth information related to A-IoT reported by all intermediate devices already connected to the network. This information may include one or more of the following: capability information, measurement reports, and location information. This allows the network device to determine the initial intermediate device based on the fourth information, i.e., the first intermediate device to send the first signal. The capability information is used to characterize whether the current second device possesses passive IoT capabilities.

[0183] In some implementations, after receiving the second information sent by the second device that has joined the first packet, the network device will determine whether to initiate a new round of packet processing based on preset judgment conditions. For example, the judgment condition may be to confirm that all intermediate devices accessing the network device have completed the first packet processing. If this condition is not met, a new round of packet processing for the target of the first packet can be initiated for the intermediate devices that have not completed the first packet processing.

[0184] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the invention, after the grouping process of the first grouping target is completed, a new round of grouping process can be started for other grouping targets.

[0185] As an example, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;like Figure 7 As shown, when the first signal is a separately transmitted reference signal, i.e., the grouping process of the intermediate device is independent of the communication process between the intermediate device and the A-IoT device, the second device 1, the second device 2, and the second device 3 are based on... Figure 5 The specific process by which network devices group their indicated valid measurement windows is as follows:

[0186] First, the network device determines a first device as the initial intermediate device based on the fourth information reported by all connected devices (this step is not shown in the diagram). The network device sends the third information, which includes the packet identifier corresponding to the first packet and the first resource configuration information, to the first device, and sends the first information for packet measurement to the second device 1, the second device 2 and the first device 3 respectively.

[0187] Secondly, the first device sends a first signal for measurement based on the first resource configuration information in the third information.

[0188] Then, the second device 1, the second device 2, and the first device 3 measure the received first signal in their respective first valid measurement windows and obtain the first measurement result. Since the first measurement results of the second device 1 and the second device 2 meet the first grouping condition in the first information, the second device 1 determines to join the first group and ends the grouping process when the second device 1 has only one valid measurement window. When the second device 2 has multiple valid measurement windows, the grouping process will continue. Since the first measurement result of the second device 3 does not meet the first grouping condition, it ends the grouping process.

[0189] Furthermore, when it is determined that the second device 1 will be added to the first group, the second device 1 sends the first signal according to the signal sending resource information in the first information. When the second device 2 determines in its corresponding second valid measurement window that the newly obtained first measurement result meets the first grouping condition, since there are no other valid measurement windows, the second device 2 determines to be added to the first group and ends the grouping process.

[0190] When the second device 2 determines to join the first group, the second device 2 sends the first signal according to the signal sending resource information in the first information, but no other intermediate device to be grouped measures the first signal.

[0191] Finally, the second device 1 and the second device 2, which are confirmed to have joined the first group, report the second information, including the group identifier corresponding to the first group, to the network device. After learning the grouping result, the network device sends A-IoT air interface resources (not shown in the figure) that meet the grouping target to the intermediate device that has joined the first group, thereby completing this grouping process.

[0192] In this embodiment, after the network device sends the first information, which is used to measure the first signal, to the intermediate device to be grouped, the intermediate device makes a grouping decision based on the first information and feeds back the grouping result to the network device, thereby realizing the grouping of the intermediate device. Then, by allocating A-IoT air interface resources that meet different grouping objectives to the intermediate devices in the same group, the performance of passive IoT operation in the system can be improved.

[0193] As an example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of the intermediate device grouping method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;like Figure 8 As shown, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanying the transmission of the first instruction or the first data, i.e., the grouping process of the intermediate device and the communication process between the intermediate device and the A-IoT device occur simultaneously, the specific process by which the network device groups the second device 1, the second device 2, and the second device 3 under the event triggering type is as follows:

[0194] First, the network device determines a first device as the initial intermediate device based on the fourth information reported by all connected devices (this step is not shown in the diagram). The network device then sends the fifth information, which includes the packet identifier corresponding to the first packet and the first resource configuration information, to the first device, and sends the first information for measurement.

[0195] Secondly, the first device sends a first signal accompanied by a first instruction or first data based on the first resource configuration information in the fifth information, and begins communication with the A-IoT device.

[0196] Then, the second device 1, the second device 2 and the first device 3 measure the first signal they receive and obtain the first measurement result. If the first measurement results of the second device 1 and the second device 3 meet the reporting configuration information, they send the corresponding first measurement result to the network device, and the second device 2 ends the grouping process.

[0197] Next, based on the first measurement results received from the second device 1 and the second device 3, the network device determines, according to a preset selection method, to add the second device 1 to the first group, sends the third information for sending the first signal and communicating with the A-IoT device to the second device 1, updates the remaining second device 3 as a candidate intermediate device, and sends the first information for measurement to the second device 3.

[0198] The second device 1 begins communicating with the A-IoT device based on the third information and sends a first signal.

[0199] If the second device 3 determines that the new first measurement result after measuring the first signal meets the reporting configuration information, it sends the first measurement result to the network device. If the network device receives only one first measurement result, it determines to add the second device 3 to the first group and sends third information to the second device 3 for communication with the A-IoT device, so that the second device 3 can start communicating with the A-IoT device.

[0200] Finally, in the absence of alternative intermediate devices, the network devices send the packet identifier corresponding to the first packet to the second device 1 and the second device 3 that have been confirmed to join the first packet (not shown in the diagram for this step), thereby completing this packet process.

[0201] In this embodiment, after the network device sends at least the first information for measuring the first signal to the intermediate device to be grouped, the intermediate device feeds back the measurement result of the first signal to the network device. The network device makes a grouping decision based on the measurement result, thereby realizing the grouping of the intermediate devices. Then, by allocating the same A-IoT link air interface resources to the intermediate devices in the same group, the spectrum utilization of the system is improved.

[0202] Based on the above embodiments, this invention also provides an intermediate device grouping device, which is applied to a second device. Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the intermediate device grouping device provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ;like Figure 9 As shown, the device includes: a first communication unit 31, a measurement unit 32, and a first processing unit 33; wherein,

[0203] The first communication unit 31 is used to receive first information for packet measurement sent by the network device;

[0204] The measurement unit 32 is used to measure the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information, and obtain a first measurement result; the first device is a device that has been added to the first group;

[0205] The first processing unit 33 is configured to determine whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result; or, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to send the first measurement result to the network device so that the network device can make a decision on whether the second device should join the first group.

[0206] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted in conjunction with the first instruction or the first data.

[0207] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, when the first processing unit 33 determines whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result: when the first signal is a reference signal transmitted alone, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information; and / or, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanied by the transmission of the first instruction or first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, first communication resource information.

[0208] In one optional embodiment of the present invention, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0209] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the measurement unit 32 is configured to measure the first signal sent by the first communication unit 31 within one or more effective measurement windows based on the first information, when the first processing unit 33 determines whether to join the first group based on the first measurement result.

[0210] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first processing unit 33 is configured to, based on the first measurement result, determine to add to the first group when all measurement results within the valid measurement windows meet the first grouping condition in the first information; and determine not to add to the first group and terminate the grouping process when at least one measurement result within the valid measurement window does not meet the first grouping condition in the first information.

[0211] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to send a first signal according to the signal transmission resource information when the first information includes signal transmission resource information and the grouping process has not been terminated, so as to allow devices that have not joined the first group to decide whether to join the first group.

[0212] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to send second information to the network device after the first processing unit 33 determines that the first packet has been added, the second information including the packet identifier corresponding to the first packet.

[0213] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to send the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, and obtain result information fed back by the terminal that received the first instruction or the first data; and is further configured to send second information to the network device, the second information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the result information.

[0214] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, when the first communication unit 31 sends the first measurement result to the network device: the first information includes second measurement configuration information, which includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0215] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the reporting configuration information includes reporting time and frequency resources and / or reporting events; the first processing unit 33 is further configured to, when the reporting configuration information includes reporting configuration information, determine whether to send the first measurement result to the network device based on the reporting event before the first communication unit 31 sends the first measurement result to the network device.

[0216] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first processing unit 33 is configured to, when it is determined that the reporting event is satisfied, decide to send the first measurement result to the network device; and when it is determined that the reporting event is not satisfied, decide not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

[0217] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to receive third information sent by the network device when the first communication unit 31 sends the first measurement result to the network device, the third information including a group identifier corresponding to the first group and first resource configuration information.

[0218] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first communication unit 31 is further configured to send fourth information to the network device before the first communication unit 31 receives the first information for group measurement sent by the network device, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, and location information.

[0219] In this invention, the measurement unit 32 and the first processing unit 33 in the device can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in practical applications; the first communication unit 31 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and a transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0220] Based on the above embodiments, this invention also provides an intermediate device grouping device, which is applied to a network device. Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the composition structure of the intermediate device grouping device provided in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ;like Figure 10 As shown, the device includes: a second processing unit 41 and a second communication unit 42; wherein,

[0221] The second processing unit 41 is used to determine the first device to be added to the first group;

[0222] The second communication unit 42 is configured to send fifth information to the first device so that the first device can send a first signal; the first signal is used by a second device that has not joined the first group to perform measurement and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement result; it is also configured to send first information for group measurement to one or more second devices so that multiple second devices can measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement result;

[0223] Alternatively, the second communication unit 42 is further configured to receive a first measurement result sent by the second device; the second processing unit 41 is further configured to determine whether to add the second device to the first group based on the first measurement result.

[0224] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted separately; or, the first signal is a reference signal transmitted in conjunction with the first instruction or the first data.

[0225] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, when multiple second devices measure the first signal sent by the first device and decide whether to join the first group based on the measurement results: when the first signal is a reference signal sent alone, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information; and / or, when the first signal is a reference signal accompanied by the transmission of a first instruction or first data, the first information includes one or more of the following: first measurement configuration information, group identifier corresponding to the first group, first group condition, signal transmission resource information, first communication resource information.

[0226] In one optional embodiment of the present invention, the first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0227] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second communication unit 42 is further configured to receive second information sent by a second device that determines that it is to be added to the first group after the second communication unit 42 sends first information for group measurement to one or more second devices; wherein, when the first signal is a reference signal sent separately, the second information includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group; when the first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data, the second information includes a group identifier corresponding to the first group and result information, wherein the result information is obtained by the second device based on sending the first instruction or first data.

[0228] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, when the second communication unit 42 receives a second measurement result sent by at least one second device, the first information includes second measurement configuration information, which includes one or more of the following: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement cycle.

[0229] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second processing unit 41 is configured to determine, when the number of first measurement results received by the second communication unit 42 is unique, to add the second device corresponding to the first measurement result to the first group; and when the number of first measurement results received by the second communication unit 42 is not unique, to select one second device from the multiple second devices corresponding to the multiple first measurement results and add it to the first group.

[0230] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second processing unit 41 is further configured to send third information to the second device after the second processing unit 41 determines whether to add the second device to the first group based on the first measurement result, the third information including the group identifier corresponding to the first group and the first resource configuration information.

[0231] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the first device is determined by the second processing unit 41 among a plurality of devices, or the first device is determined by the second processing unit 41 to be added to the first group based on measurement results.

[0232] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the second communication unit 42 is further configured to receive fourth information sent by each device before the second processing unit 41 determines the first device to be added to the first group, the fourth information including one or more of the following: capability information, measurement report, location information;

[0233] Accordingly, when the first device is determined by the second processing unit 41 among multiple devices, the second processing unit 41 is used to determine the first device to be added to the first group among multiple devices based on one or more of the capability information, measurement report and location information.

[0234] In the implementation of this invention, the second processing unit 41 in the device can be implemented by the CPU, DSP, MCU or FPGA in the network device in practical applications; the second communication unit 42 in the device can be implemented by a communication module (including: basic communication kit, operating system, communication module, standardized interface and protocol, etc.) and transceiver antenna in practical applications.

[0235] It should be noted that the intermediate device grouping device described above is only an example of the division of the above-described program modules. In practical applications, the above processing can be assigned to different program modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different program modules to complete all or part of the processing described above. In addition, the intermediate device grouping device and the intermediate device grouping method embodiment provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0236] This invention also provides a communication device. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware composition structure of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the communication device includes a memory 52, a processor 51, and a computer program stored in the memory 52 and capable of running on the processor 51.

[0237] Optionally, the communication device may specifically be a second device or a network device according to the embodiments of the present invention; when the processor 51 executes the program, it implements the steps of the intermediate device grouping method of the embodiments of the present invention applied to the second device or the network device.

[0238] Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one communication component 54. The various components in the communication device can be coupled together via a bus system 53. It is understood that the bus system 53 is used to implement communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, the bus system 53 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, in... Figure 11 The general labeled all buses as Bus System 53.

[0239] It is understood that memory 52 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM), flash memory, magnetic surface memory, optical disc, or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); magnetic surface memory can be disk storage or magnetic tape storage. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Static Random Access Memory (SSRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRSDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (ESDRAM), SyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus Random Access Memory (DRRAM).The memory 52 described in this embodiment of the invention is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0240] The methods disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention can be applied to processor 51, or implemented by processor 51. Processor 51 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of the hardware in processor 51 or by instructions in the form of software. The processor 51 may be a general-purpose processor, DSP, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Processor 51 can implement or execute the methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or being executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules may be located in a storage medium, which is located in memory 52. ​​Processor 51 reads the information in memory 52 and completes the steps of the aforementioned method in combination with its hardware.

[0241] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), DSPs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), FPGAs, general-purpose processors, controllers, MCUs, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the aforementioned method.

[0242] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon.

[0243] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the intermediate device grouping apparatus of the present invention; then, when the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the intermediate device grouping method of the present invention applied to a second device or a network device.

[0244] This invention also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that can be executed by a processor 51 of a communication device to complete the steps of the intermediate device grouping method described in this invention.

[0245] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0246] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0247] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0248] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0249] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0250] In addition, in the various embodiments of the present invention, each functional unit can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0251] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0252] Alternatively, if the integrated units of this invention are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0253] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for grouping intermediate devices, characterized in that, The method comprises: The second device receives first information for packet measurement sent by a network device, measures a first signal sent by a first device based on the first information, and obtains a first measurement result; the first device is a device that has joined a first packet; According to the first measurement result, it is determined whether to join the first packet, or the first measurement result is sent to the network device for the network device to make a decision on whether the second device joins the first packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first signal is a separately sent reference signal; or The first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, In the case of determining whether to join the first packet according to the first measurement result: When the first signal is a separately sent reference signal, the first information includes one or more of the following information: first measurement configuration information, a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet, a first packet condition, and signal sending resource information; and / or When the first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data, the first information includes one or more of the following information: first measurement configuration information, a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet, a first packet condition, signal sending resource information, and first communication resource information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following information: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, In the case of determining whether to join the first packet according to the first measurement result, the measurement of the first signal sent by the first device based on the first information comprises: The second device measures the first signal sent by the first device within one or more valid measurement windows based on the first information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The determination of whether to join the first packet according to the first measurement result comprises: When the second device determines that the measurement results in all valid measurement windows satisfy the first packet condition in the first information according to the first measurement result, it determines to join the first packet; When the second device determines that the measurement results in at least one valid measurement window do not satisfy the first packet condition in the first information, it determines not to join the first packet and terminates the packet process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, In the case that the first information includes signal sending resource information, the method further comprises: The second device sends a first signal according to the signal sending resource information to enable a device that has not joined the first packet to make a decision on whether to join the first packet, without terminating the packet process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, After determining to join the first packet, the method further comprises: The second device sends second information to the network device, and the second information includes a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises: The second device sends the first instruction or the first data according to the first communication resource information, and obtains result information fed back by a terminal that receives the first instruction or the first data; The second device sends second information to the network device, and the second information includes a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet and the result information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, In the case of sending the first measurement result to the network device, the method further comprises: The first information comprises second measurement configuration information, and the second measurement configuration information comprises one or more of the following information: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The reporting configuration information comprises reporting time-frequency resources and / or reporting events; in the case that the reporting configuration information comprises reporting events, before the first measurement result is sent to the network device, the method further comprises: The second device determines whether to send the first measurement result to the network device according to the reporting events.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The sending of the first measurement result to the network device comprises: When it is determined that the reporting events are met, the second device determines to send the first measurement result to the network device; and when it is determined that the reporting events are not met, the second device determines not to send the first measurement result to the network device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, In the case of sending the first measurement result to the network device, the method further comprises: The second device receives third information sent by the network device, and the third information comprises a group identifier corresponding to the first group and first resource configuration information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before the second device receives the first information for group measurement sent by the network device, the method further comprises: The second device sends fourth information to the network device, and the fourth information comprises one or more of the following information: capability information, measurement report, and location information.

15. A method of grouping intermediate devices, the method comprising: The method is applied to a network device, and the method comprises: Determining a first device that joins a first group, sending fifth information to the first device, so that the first device sends a first signal; the first signal is used for a second device that does not join the first group to perform measurement and make a decision on whether to join the first group according to a measurement result; Sending first information for group measurement to one or more second devices, so that the second devices perform measurement on the first signal sent by the first device and make a decision on whether to join the first group according to a measurement result, or receiving a first measurement result sent by a second device and determining whether to add the second device to the first group according to the first measurement result.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first signal is a separately sent reference signal; or The first signal is a reference signal sent along with a first instruction or first data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, In the case that the second devices perform measurement on the first signal sent by the first device and make a decision on whether to join the first group according to a measurement result, the first information comprises one or more of the following information: first measurement configuration information, a group identifier corresponding to the first group, a first group condition, and signal sending resource information; and / or When the first signal is a reference signal sent along with a first instruction or first data, the first information comprises one or more of the following information: first measurement configuration information, a group identifier corresponding to the first group, a first group condition, signal sending resource information, and first communication resource information. ​ 18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The first measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following information: measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein, After the network device sends the first information for packet measurement to one or more second devices, the method further includes: The network device receives second information sent by a second device determined to join a first packet; when the first signal is a separately sent reference signal, the second information includes a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet; when the first signal is a reference signal sent with a first instruction or first data, the second information includes a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet and result information obtained by the second device based on sending the first instruction or first data.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, In the case of receiving second measurement results sent by at least one second device, the first information includes second measurement configuration information, and the second measurement configuration information includes one or more of the following information: reporting configuration information, measurement object information, measurement quantity configuration information, and measurement period.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The determining whether to add the at least one second device to a second packet according to the first measurement results includes: When the number of received first measurement results is unique, determining to add a second device corresponding to the first measurement result to the first packet; When the number of received first measurement results is not unique, selecting one second device from a plurality of second devices corresponding to a plurality of first measurement results to add to the first packet.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein, After the determining whether to add the second device to the first packet according to the first measurement results, the method further includes: The network device sends third information to the second device, and the third information includes a packet identifier corresponding to the first packet and first resource configuration information.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first device is determined by the network device among a plurality of devices, or the first device is determined by the network device according to measurement results to join the first packet.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, Before the determining the first device to join the first packet, the method further includes: The network device receives fourth information sent by each device, and the fourth information includes one or more of the following information: capability information, measurement report, and location information. Correspondingly, in the case that the first device is determined by the network device among a plurality of devices, the determining the first device to join the first packet includes: The network device determines the first device to join the first packet among a plurality of devices according to one or more of the capability information, measurement report, and location information.

25. An intermediate device packet apparatus, comprising: The apparatus is applied to a second device, and the apparatus includes a first communication unit, a measurement unit, and a first processing unit; wherein The first communication unit is configured to receive first information for packet measurement sent by a network device; The measurement unit is configured to measure a first signal sent by a first device based on the first information to obtain a first measurement result; the first device is a device that has joined a first packet. The first processing unit is configured to determine whether to join the first group according to the first measurement result; or the first communication unit is further configured to send the first measurement result to the network device, so that the network device makes a decision on whether the second device joins the first group.

26. An intermediate device packet apparatus, comprising: The device is applied to a network device, and the device comprises a second processing unit and a second communication unit; wherein The second processing unit is configured to determine a first device that joins a first group. The second communication unit is configured to send fifth information to the first device, so that the first device sends a first signal; the first signal is used for a second device that does not join the first group to make a measurement and make a decision on whether to join the first group according to a measurement result; and the second communication unit is further configured to send first information for group measurement to one or more second devices, so that the second devices make a measurement on the first signal sent by the first device and make a decision on whether to join the first group according to a measurement result. Or, the second communication unit is further configured to receive a first measurement result sent by a second device; and the second processing unit is further configured to determine whether to join the first group according to the first measurement result.

27. A communication device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, wherein, The processor implements the steps of the method in any one of claims 1 to 14 when executing the program, or The processor implements the steps of the method in any one of claims 15 to 24 when executing the program.

28. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The program is executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method in any one of claims 1 to 14, or The program is executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method in any one of claims 15 to 24.

29. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the method in any one of claims 1 to 14, or The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the method in any one of claims 15 to 24.

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