Communication method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a communication method and device. The communication method comprises the following steps: a first device sends a first signal, wherein the first signal is used for determining whether a second device is in a direct communication range of the first device; wherein the first device and the second device are both devices in an IOT scene. By implementing the embodiment of the invention, the problem of how to judge whether other equipment (such as the second equipment) is in a direct communication range by the IOT equipment can be solved, and the IOT equipment can conveniently determine which communication method is adopted to communicate with other equipment (such as the second equipment), such as direct communication with other equipment (such as the second equipment). It is also necessary to communicate with other devices (e.g., a second device) through a network device.

Description

A communication method and apparatus Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an information interaction method and apparatus in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. Background Technology

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to connecting any object to a network through information sensor devices and according to agreed-upon protocols. Objects exchange and communicate information through communication media to achieve functions such as intelligent identification, location, tracking, and monitoring. IoT devices can be applied to various scenarios, such as autonomous driving and smart home applications. In case of an accident, IoT devices can proactively initiate alarms. These alarms can then be delivered to users via other communication devices.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure presents a communication method and apparatus.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, the method being executed by a first device, the method comprising: sending a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a second device, the method comprising: receiving a first signal sent by a first device, the first signal being used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module for transmitting a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of a first device; wherein the first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to receive a first signal sent by a first device, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0010] The first device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the aforementioned first aspect;

[0011] The second device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: one or more processors;

[0013] The processor is used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to execute the optional implementations of the first and second aspects mentioned above.

[0014] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0015] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by the communication device, implements optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0016] According to the technical solution disclosed herein, the problem of how IoT devices can determine whether other devices (such as a second device) are within direct communication range can be solved, making it easier for IoT devices to determine which communication method to use to communicate with other devices (such as a second device), thereby ensuring information interaction in IoT scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figures 2A-2E are schematic diagrams illustrating the architecture of an A-IoT device communicating with a network device and / or a terminal according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4D is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 5A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 8B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 8200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This disclosure presents a communication method and apparatus.

[0036] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, which is executed by a first device and includes: sending a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0037] In the above embodiments, the problem of how IoT devices can determine whether other devices (such as a second device) are within direct communication range can be solved, making it easier for IoT devices to determine which communication method to use to communicate with other devices (such as a second device), thereby ensuring information interaction in IoT scenarios.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device and the second device is a terminal.

[0039] The above embodiments can solve the problem of how IoT devices determine whether a terminal device is within direct communication range.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-described transmission of the first signal includes: periodically transmitting the first signal according to a first transmission period; or non-periodically transmitting the first signal.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first transmission period based on a protocol agreement; or, determining a first transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration; or, determining a first transmission period based on a first device implementation.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a second signal sent by a second device, and determining that the second device is within direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: after sending the first signal, starting a timer; during the operation of the timer, receiving a second signal sent by the second device, determining that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, the second signal being used to respond to the first signal.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: after sending the first signal, starting a timer; when the timer times out and no second signal is received from the second device, the first device retransmits the first signal, the second signal being used to respond to the first signal.

[0045] In some embodiments, in conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: when the value of a counter reaches a first threshold, determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is transmitted.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: incrementing the counter by one after sending the first signal; and updating the value of the counter to the initial value upon receiving the second signal sent by the second device.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on a protocol agreement; or determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration; or determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on a first device implementation.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0049] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: measuring the signal strength of a third signal to obtain a measurement result of the third signal; if the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to a second threshold, determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device; or if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold, determining that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the signal strength of the third signal sent by the second device can be measured, and the measurement result of the third signal can be used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device. This can solve the problem of how IoT devices determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to the second transmission period; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: triggering first information, wherein the second device, within the direct communication range of the first device, sends the first information to the second device via a first resource, wherein the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device and the second device; or, triggering first information, wherein the second device, outside the direct communication range of the first device, sends the first information to the second device via a second resource; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication via a first network device.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the first device sends the first information to the second device through a specific communication method, thereby ensuring information interaction in the IoT scenario.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending the first information to the second device via the second resource includes: sending the first information to the first network device via the third resource, and the first network device sending the second information to the second device via the fourth resource; wherein the second information includes the first information, and the third and fourth resources are both air interface resources.

[0056] Secondly, this disclosure provides a communication method, which is executed by a second device. The method includes: receiving a first signal sent by a first device, wherein the first signal is used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device and the second device is a terminal.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a first signal sent by a first device, and sending a second signal to the first device to enable the first device to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a third signal to a first device to enable the first device to measure the signal strength of the third signal, and determining whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device based on the measurement result of the third signal.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to the second transmission period; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a second transmission period based on a protocol agreement; or, determining a second transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration; or, determining a second transmission period based on a second device implementation.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: the second device receiving first information sent by the first device through a first resource within the direct communication range of the first device, the first resource being used for direct communication between the first device and the second device; or, the second device receiving first information sent by the first device through a second resource outside the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second resource is used for forwarding communication between the first device and the second device through a first network device.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, receiving the first information sent by the first device through the second resource includes: receiving the second information sent by the first network device through the fourth resource, wherein the second information is information sent by the first network device when it receives the first information sent by the first device through the third resource, the second information includes the first information, and both the third resource and the fourth resource are air interface resources.

[0066] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the first device is used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0067] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the second device is used to execute an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0068] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including:

[0069] The first device is configured as an optional implementation of the aforementioned first aspect;

[0070] The second device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0071] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform an optional implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0072] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform an optional implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0073] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0074] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0075] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in alternative implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0076] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described according to optional implementations of the first and second aspects above.

[0077] It is understood that the first device, the second device, the communication system, the storage medium, the program product, the computer program, the chip, or the chip system described above are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0078] This disclosure provides communication methods and apparatus. In some embodiments, terms such as information processing method and communication method can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as information processing apparatus and communication apparatus, and as can terms such as information processing system and communication system.

[0079] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0080] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0081] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0082] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0083] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0085] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0086] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0087] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0088] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0089] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0090] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0091] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0092] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0093] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network devices, core network devices, etc.

[0094] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," or "fixed station." In some embodiments, it may also be understood as "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," or "bandwidth part (BWP)."

[0095] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)," "user terminal," "mobile station (MS)," "mobile terminal (MT)," "subscriber station," "mobile unit," "subscriber unit," "wireless unit," "remote unit," "mobile device," "wireless device," "wireless communication device," "remote device," "mobile subscriber station," "access terminal," "mobile terminal," "wireless terminal," "remote terminal," "handset," "user agent," "mobile client," "client," etc.

[0096] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0097] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0098] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system may include, but is not limited to, a first device and a second device. The communication system may also include network devices. The number and configuration of devices shown in Figure 1 are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure. In practical applications, it may include two or more first devices and two or more second devices. The communication system 100 shown in Figure 1 is exemplified by including a first device 101 and a second device 102.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first device 101 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device or an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. This A-IoT device does not need to generate its own energy but can collect energy, such as by collecting energy based on signals emitted by the surrounding environment or nearby devices, and can communicate based on the collected energy. The device may also be battery-free and require no battery replacement. In other words, this A-IoT device needs to collect energy from radio waves emitted by the surrounding environment or nearby devices to power itself. This A-IoT device features low memory, low processing power, low power consumption, small data transmission, and mass deployment. A-IoT devices are maintenance-free and have a long service life.

[0100] In some embodiments, the second device 102 can be a terminal. A terminal, as used herein, can be a user-side entity used to receive or transmit signals, such as a mobile phone. It can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. A terminal can be at least one of the following: a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0101] In some embodiments, the network device may be an access network device. In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0102] In some embodiments, the network device may be a core network device. The core network device in this document may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function); UPF (User Plane Function); SMF (Session Management Function); UDM (Unified Data Management), etc. The AMF can be used to perform registration, connection, reachability, and mobility management. The UPF can be used for packet routing and forwarding, policy enforcement, traffic reporting, and QoS (Quality of Service) processing. The SMF can be used for tunnel maintenance, IP address allocation and management, UP function selection, policy enforcement and QoS control, billing data collection, roaming, etc. The UDM can be used for 3GPP AKA (Authentication and Key Agreement) authentication, user identification, access authorization, registration, mobility, subscription, SMS management, etc.

[0103] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0104] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0105] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0106] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0107] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0108] It's important to note that in today's IoT networks, traditional IoT devices are typically powered by conventional batteries with limited lifespans, negatively impacting user experience. The astronomical growth of IoT networks, coupled with the sheer number of IoT devices, has pushed maintenance costs, including labor and battery expenses, to unprecedented levels. Billions of conventional batteries are discarded annually, with only a fraction being effectively recycled, causing harmful impacts on the Earth's ecosystem. Maintaining IoT networks and replacing batteries can be extremely challenging under some extreme environmental conditions. In this regard, battery-free IoT communication has been proposed, which will improve network performance and sustainability and expand application scenarios. Furthermore, battery-free communication is more environmentally friendly and safer for children and the elderly. By eliminating conventional batteries, device size and cost can be significantly reduced, paving the way for a variety of new applications.

[0109] In the 5G era, various LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technologies have been developed, such as MTC (Machine Type Communication), NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), and RedCap (Reduced Capability), to meet the growing demands of vertical industries. These LPWA technologies achieve low cost, low power consumption, and massive connectivity, satisfying the requirements of many applications. However, many use cases and applications remain unresolved in the following situations: First, devices powered by traditional batteries are unsuitable, for example, under extreme environmental conditions (e.g., high voltage, extremely high / low temperatures, humid environments). Second, maintenance-free devices are required (e.g., traditional batteries that do not require replacement). Finally, ultra-low complexity, very small device size / form factor (e.g., thickness in millimeters), and longer lifespan are required.

[0110] Ambient power-enabled IoT is a promising technology that can address the aforementioned unmet needs. An ambient power-enabled IoT device is an IoT device powered by energy harvesting, without batteries or with limited energy storage capacity (e.g., using capacitors), providing energy by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable source.

[0111] Energy harvested from the environment can power sensing nodes to perform data transmission and wireless communication. Current mainstream low-power IoT communication chips (such as BLE, LoRa, and NB-IoT) consume tens or even hundreds of milliwatts of power for transmission and reception, while environmental energy harvesting yields only microwatts, insufficient to power these types of nodes. Therefore, a new wireless communication technology is needed to reduce communication energy consumption to tens or even below ten microwatts. The current mainstream approach uses backscatter communication technology. Backscatter communication is one of the key technologies for building a green, energy-efficient, low-cost, and flexibly deployable future IoT, and is an important means of realizing "intelligent interconnection of everything."

[0112] Backscatter communication utilizes the principle of radio frequency (RF) signal backscattering to design an extremely low-power modulation and transmission technology. For example, when an RF signal reaches the surface of an object, a portion is reflected. The transmitting node adjusts the matching between its receiving antenna and impedance according to the information to be transmitted, enhancing the reflection of the incident RF signal and modulating its acquired sensing data onto the reflected signal to complete data transmission. This process is similar to a reflector. Compared to other communication technologies, backscatter communication does not require complex RF structures, reducing the use of components such as power amplifiers, high-precision crystal oscillators, duplexers, and high-precision filters. It also does not require complex baseband processing, thus simplifying terminal design and significantly reducing terminal node costs.

[0113] Backscatter communication has been widely used in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems, resulting in many large-scale commercial applications. Its working principle is that the receiver (usually an RFID reader) sends a radio frequency excitation signal to activate a passive node (usually an RFID tag). The tag uses backscatter communication to modulate its own information onto the radio frequency signal. The reader receives the reflected signal from the passive tag and demodulates it to achieve information transmission.

[0114] Currently, RFID technology also has many drawbacks, such as short coverage distance (the wireless signal experiences double-path fading during communication, resulting in significant path loss and a short effective communication distance), single-channel transmission, the need for precise tag alignment, and the lack of power control. There is significant room for improvement in the communication aspects of RFID technology. Integrating 3GPP communication technologies is needed to improve the wireless communication performance of RFID technology in passive IoT applications.

[0115] In communication systems, to save power and reduce device complexity, a new type of Internet of Things (IoT) device has been introduced, such as IoT devices or Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices. For example, this new type of IoT device needs to collect radio waves emitted by the surrounding environment or nearby devices to obtain energy before it can operate. Therefore, before obtaining energy, this new type of IoT device is usually in a "power-off" state, i.e., offline. For this reason, the communication system needs to support data communication methods with shorter transmission times, lower memory consumption, and more convenient terminal management to complete the data communication process as quickly as possible.

[0116] In some embodiments, this disclosure implements a wireless communication design based on backscattering technology for communication with an ambient energy device (also referred to as an IoT device or an environmental IoT device, i.e., the first device herein). Optionally, the aforementioned IoT device or environmental IoT device (also called an Ambient IoT device, or A-IoT device) can be applied to various different communication architectures in the communication system. Taking an A-IoT device as an example, Figures 2A-2E are schematic diagrams illustrating the architecture of an A-IoT device communicating with a network device and / or a terminal according to embodiments of this disclosure. Optionally, as shown in Figure 2A, the A-IoT device (i.e., the Ambient IoT device in Figure 2A) and the network device (such as a base station (BS)) can directly receive and transmit data or signals.

[0117] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2B, A-IoT devices and network devices (such as base stations (BS)) can indirectly receive and send data or signals through intermediate nodes. These intermediate nodes can be, for example, relays, integrated access backhaul (IAB) devices, terminals, or repeaters.

[0118] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2C, A-IoT devices and network devices (such as base stations (BS)) can directly transmit uplink data, and A-IoT devices and network devices (such as base stations (BS)) can indirectly transmit downlink data through intermediate nodes, such as relays, IAB devices, terminals, and repeaters.

[0119] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2D, downlink data can be transmitted directly between A-IoT devices and network devices (such as base stations (BS)), while uplink data can be transmitted indirectly between A-IoT devices and network devices (such as base stations (BS)) through intermediate nodes.

[0120] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2E, the A-IoT device and the terminal (or user equipment (UE)) can directly receive and send data. The terminal can be responsible for collecting data from the A-IoT device and forwarding the collected data to the network device.

[0121] In some embodiments of a passive IoT system, the data transmission type of an IoT device or an A-IoT device may include, but is not limited to, the following three types: DO-DTT, DT, and DO-A. DO-DTT (Device-originated–device-terminated triggered) can be understood as data triggered by a network device, such as data returned during inventory processing; for example, the identifier of the IoT device, such as an EPC (Electronic Product Code) or a temporary identifier. DT (Device-terminated) can be understood as, for example, an access command; for example, data returned by the IoT device after executing an access command sent by a network device, for example, an ACK (acknowledgment) response. DO-A (Device-originated–autonomous) can be understood as data actively transmitted by the IoT device, such as proactive reporting triggered by sensor functions.

[0122] For example, this IoT device can be applied to autonomous driving scenarios, such as speed detection and vehicle fault detection. IoT devices with multiple integrated sensors mounted on vehicle components can proactively initiate communication when the measured threshold (such as pressure, resistance, temperature, etc.) is exceeded, or when the vehicle's speed exceeds a certain limit, the IoT device can also proactively initiate an alarm. As another example, IoT devices can also be applied to smart home scenarios, such as detecting fires, gas leaks, and indoor water leaks. When an accident occurs, the IoT device can proactively initiate an alarm. For instance, the IoT device can send warning information directly to a second device (such as a terminal) via unicast, multicast, or broadcast. However, this communication method has distance requirements between the second device and the IoT device; for example, the second device must be within a certain distance of the IoT device. If the second device moves, and the distance between them exceeds the range for direct communication, the warning information from the IoT device needs to be forwarded to the second device through a third device (such as a base station or core network equipment). Therefore, the IoT device needs to determine whether the second device is within the range for direct communication before sending the warning information.

[0123] To address this, this disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus that can solve the problem of how IoT devices determine whether other devices (such as a second device) are within the range of direct communication. This facilitates IoT devices in determining which communication method to use to communicate with other devices (such as a second device), such as whether to communicate directly with other devices (such as a second device) or to communicate with other devices (such as a second device) through a network device, thereby ensuring information interaction in IoT scenarios.

[0124] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0125] Step S3101: The first device 101 sends a first signal.

[0126] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101. In some embodiments, both the first device 101 and the second device 102 are devices in an IoT scenario.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first signal may be a discovery signal or other signals, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure. In some embodiments, the first device 101 may periodically send the first signal according to a first transmission period. For example, after establishing a unicast connection with the second device 102, the first device 101 periodically sends the first signal according to the first transmission period. For example, the first signal may include, but is not limited to, the identifier of the second device 102. For example, the first signal may include the identifier of the first device 101. For example, the first signal may include the identifier of the first device 101 and the identifier of the second device 102. For example, the identifier of the first device 101 may be an EPC (Electronic Product Code), such as an identifier assigned by a third party; the identifier of the first device 101 may also be an identifier assigned by an operator, or the identifier of the first device 101 may also be a temporary identifier, such as a random number or a string. This disclosure does not specifically limit the optional implementation of the identifier of the IoT device.

[0128] For example, after establishing multicast communication with the second device 102, the first device periodically sends a first signal according to a first transmission cycle. For example, the first signal may include a group identifier, which indicates a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier includes the second device 102. For example, the first information may include the identifier of the first device 101. For example, the first signal may include the identifier of the first device 101 and the aforementioned group identifier. For example, the identifier of the first device 101 may be an EPC (Electronic Product Code), such as an identifier assigned by a third party; the identifier of the first device 101 may also be an identifier assigned by an operator, or the identifier of the first device 101 may be a temporary identifier, such as a random number or a string. This disclosure does not specifically limit the optional implementation methods of the identifier of the IoT device.

[0129] For example, the first device 101 broadcasts a first signal according to a first transmission period. For example, the first signal may include an identifier of the first device 101, which may be an EPC (Electronic Product Code), such as an identifier assigned by a third party; the identifier of the first device 101 may also be an identifier assigned by an operator, or the identifier of the first device 101 may be a temporary identifier, such as a random number or a string. This disclosure does not specifically limit the optional implementation of the identifier of the IoT device.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the first transmission period based on a protocol agreement. That is, the aforementioned first transmission period may be determined based on a protocol agreement.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the first transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. For example, the network device sends configuration information to the first device 101, the configuration information including a first transmission period configuration; the first device 101 receives the configuration information and determines the first transmission period based on the configuration information. Alternatively, for example, the network device pre-configures the first transmission period, and the first device 101 determines the first transmission period through the network device pre-configuration.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first device 101 can determine the first transmission period based on its own capabilities (such as communication capabilities). For example, the first device 101 can determine the first transmission period based on its own capabilities (such as communication capabilities); a greater capability results in a smaller first transmission period, and vice versa. For example, the first device 101 can determine the first transmission period based on the application scenario and / or system time. For instance, if the first device 101 is an IoT device applied to an autonomous driving scenario, the first transmission period is larger if the system time falls within the vehicle's usual time period, and smaller if the system time falls within the vehicle's unusable time period. As another example, if the first device 101 is an IoT device applied to a smart home scenario, such as detecting fires, gas leaks, or indoor water leaks, the first transmission period is larger if the system time is at night, and smaller if the system time is during the day. It is understood that the above-described first device 101, based on the optional implementation of determining the first transmission period, is merely an example for the convenience of understanding in the field, and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this disclosure.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may transmit the first signal non-periodically. For example, the first device 101 may determine the time to transmit the first signal according to its implementation. For instance, if the first device 101 determines according to its implementation that it is necessary to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, then the first device 101 transmits the first signal.

[0134] In step S3102, the second device 102 receives the first signal and sends the second signal.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the second device 102 receives a first signal sent by the first device 101, the second device 102 sends a second signal. For example, the second signal can be used to respond to the first signal. In some embodiments, the second signal can be response information to the first signal. For example, the second signal can be an acknowledgment (ACK) signal or other response signal, which is not specifically limited in this disclosure.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first device 101 and the second device 102 can both be IoT devices. In some embodiments, the first device 101 can be an IoT device and the second device 102 can be a terminal. The IoT device can send a first signal to determine whether it receives a response signal (i.e., a second signal) from the terminal to the first signal, thereby determining whether the terminal is within the direct communication range of the IoT device. This allows the IoT device to determine which communication method to use to communicate with the terminal. For example, it can use direct communication to send the first information (such as a warning message) directly to the terminal, or the first information (such as a warning message) from the IoT device can be forwarded to the terminal through a third device (such as a network device).

[0137] In some embodiments, the first device 101 can be a terminal, and the second device 102 can be an IoT device. The terminal can send a first signal to determine whether it receives a response signal (i.e., a second signal) from the IoT device, thus determining whether the terminal is within the direct communication range of the IoT device. For example, if the terminal determines that it is within the direct communication range of the IoT device, it informs the IoT device of the determination result, allowing the IoT device to determine which communication method to use to communicate with the terminal, such as sending the first information (e.g., warning information) directly to the terminal via direct communication. If the terminal determines that it is not within the direct communication range of the IoT device, it does not send a determination result to the IoT device; that is, if the IoT device does not receive the terminal's determination result, the first information (e.g., warning information) from the IoT device is forwarded to the terminal through a third device (e.g., a network device).

[0138] In some embodiments, the first device 101 sends a first signal to the second device 102 via unicast. Upon receiving the first signal, the second device 102 also sends a second signal to the first device 101 via unicast. In some embodiments, the first device 101 sends the first signal via multicast. Upon receiving the first signal, the second device 102 also sends a second signal to the first device 101 via multicast. In some embodiments, the first device 101 sends the first signal via broadcast. Upon receiving the first signal, the second device 102 can also send a second signal to the first device 101 via broadcast.

[0139] In step S3103, the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102 and determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0140] For example, if the second device 102 receives a first signal sent by the first device 101, then the second device 102 sends a second signal, and correspondingly, the first device 101 can receive the second signal sent by the second device 102. When the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102, it determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0141] In step S3104, within the direct communication range of the first device 101, the second device 102 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource.

[0142] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. For example, when the first device 101 triggers the first information, the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 via a first resource. In some embodiments, the above-described steps "first device 101 triggers the first information" and step S3101 can be interchanged or executed simultaneously.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device 101 and the second device 102. For example, the first device 101 is an IoT device. The first device 101 triggers first information, and the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101. Then, the first device 101 can send the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource, and correspondingly, the second device 102 receives the first information sent by the first device 101 through the first resource.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first resource may be configured or pre-configured by the network device. For example, the first device 101 may select a resource from the configured or pre-configured first resource and send the first information to the second device 102 through the selected resource.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information may be a warning information (or alarm information), or it may refer to information (or data) actively initiated by the first device 101. For example, the transmission type of the first information is DO-A, that is, information actively sent by the first device 101, which is different from DO-DTT and DT types.

[0146] For example, the first device 101 is an IoT device. Taking the application of the first device 101 in an autonomous driving scenario as an example, such as speed detection, vehicle fault detection, etc., the first device 101, which is equipped with multiple integrated sensors on vehicle components, actively initiates communication (i.e., the first device 101 triggers the first information) when the measurement threshold (such as pressure, resistance, temperature, humidity, etc.) is exceeded. Or, when the speed of the vehicle exceeds a certain threshold, the first device 101 can also actively initiate an alarm, i.e., the first device 101 triggers the first information.

[0147] For example, the first device 101 is an IoT device. The first device 101 is applied to smart home scenarios, such as fire detection (temperature detection), gas leak detection (gas concentration detection), indoor water leakage detection (humidity detection), etc. When an accident occurs, the first device 105 can actively initiate an alarm, that is, the first device 101 triggers the first information.

[0148] In step S3105, the first device 101 did not receive the second signal sent by the second device 102, and determined that the second device 102 was not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0149] For example, if the second device 102 does not receive the first signal sent by the first device 101, then the second device 102 will not send the second signal. Correspondingly, if the first device 101 does not receive the second signal sent by the second device 102, then it is determined that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0150] In step S3106, since the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, the first device 101 sends the first information to the first network device through the third resource.

[0151] The steps S3103 and S3105 described above correspond to the cases where the first device receives and does not receive the second signal, respectively. In general, these two processes are mutually exclusive; one of them must be selected.

[0152] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. For example, if the first device 101 triggers the first information and the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through a second resource. The second resource is used for the first device 101 and the second device 102 to forward communication through a first network device. In some embodiments, the above-described steps "first device 101 triggers the first information" and step S3101 can be interchanged or executed simultaneously.

[0153] For example, if the first device 101 is an IoT device, and the first device 101 triggers the first information, and the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, then the first device 101 can send the first information to the first network device through the third resource.

[0154] For example, the aforementioned third resource may be configured or pre-configured by the network device. For example, the first device 101 may select a resource from the configured or pre-configured third resources and send the first information to the first network device through the selected resource. For example, the first device 101 may request a dynamically scheduled third resource and send the first information to the first network device through the requested scheduled third resource. Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first information sent by the first device 101 through the third resource.

[0155] In step S3107, the first network device sends the second information to the second device 102 through the fourth resource.

[0156] For example, the first network device sends second information to the second device 102 through the fourth resource, and correspondingly, the second device 102 receives the second information sent by the first network device through the fourth resource, the second information including the first information. For example, the first network device may include, but is not limited to, a base station, core network equipment, etc. In some embodiments, both the third resource and the fourth resource are air interface resources.

[0157] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0158] In some embodiments, terms such as “uplink”, “uplink”, and “physical uplink” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “downlink”, “downlink”, and “physical downlink”, and terms such as “sidelink”, “sidelink”, “sidelink communication”, “sidelink communication”, “direct connection”, “direct link”, “direct communication”, and “direct link communication”.

[0159] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0160] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0161] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0162] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0163] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3107. For example, step S3101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S3101+S3102+S3103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S3101+S3102+S3103+S3104 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S3101+S3102+S3105 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S3101+S3102+S3105+S3106+S3107 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0164] In some embodiments, steps S3102, S3103, S3104, S3105, S3106, and S3107 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0165] In some embodiments, steps S3104, S3105, S3106, and S3107 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0166] In some embodiments, steps S3105, S3106, and S3107 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0167] In some embodiments, steps S3103, S3104, S3106, and S3107 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0168] In some embodiments, steps S3103 and S3104 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0169] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3A.

[0170] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0171] Step S3201: The first device 101 sends a first signal.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0173] The optional implementation of step S3201 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] In step S3202, after the first device 101 sends the first signal, it increments the counter by one. The counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is sent.

[0175] For example, the first device 101 may periodically transmit the first signal according to a first transmission cycle, and increment the counter after transmitting the first signal in one first transmission cycle. For example, the first device 101 may transmit the first signal non-periodically, and increment the counter after transmitting the first signal. For example, the initial value of the counter may be 0.

[0176] In step S3203, the second device 102 receives the first signal and sends the second signal.

[0177] In some embodiments, the second signal is used in response to the first signal.

[0178] The optional implementation of step S3203 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3102 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0179] Step S3204: The first device 101 starts the timer.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first device 101 starts a timer after transmitting the first signal. For example, the first device 101 may periodically transmit the first signal according to a first transmission cycle, and start the timer after transmitting the first signal in one first transmission cycle. For example, the first device 101 may transmit the first signal non-periodically, and start the timer after transmitting the first signal. For example, the timer is used to determine whether to retransmit the first signal.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned timer based on a protocol agreement. For example, the aforementioned timer may be a protocol-defined timer, which the first device 101 determines based on the protocol agreement.

[0182] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the timer based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. For example, the timer may be configured or pre-configured by the network device, and the first device 101 determines the timer through network device configuration or pre-configuration.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned timer based on its implementation. That is, the first device 101 determines the timer through its implementation. For example, the first device 101 determines a first time interval based on its implementation, which is the duration of the timer. After the first device 101 periodically sends the first signal according to the first transmission cycle, it starts the timer, and the duration of the timer is the first time interval.

[0184] In step S3205, during the operation of the timer, the first device 101 receives a second signal sent by the second device 102, and determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0185] For example, the first device 101 can periodically send a first signal according to a first transmission cycle. After sending the first signal in one first transmission cycle, a timer is started. When the second device 102 receives the first signal sent by the first device 101, the second device 102 sends a second signal. Correspondingly, if the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102 during the timer's operation, the first device 101 can determine that the second device 102 is within its direct communication range. For example, when the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102, it stops the timer.

[0186] For example, the first device 101 sends the first signal non-periodically, and starts a timer after sending the first signal. When the second device 102 receives the first signal from the first device 101, the second device 102 sends a second signal. Correspondingly, if the first device 101 receives the second signal from the second device 102 during the timer's operation, the first device 101 can determine that the second device 102 is within its direct communication range. For example, when the first device 101 receives the second signal from the second device 102, it stops the timer.

[0187] In step S3206, the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102 and updates the value of the counter to the initial value.

[0188] For example, if the second device 102 receives a first signal sent by the first device 101, then the second device 102 sends a second signal, and correspondingly, the first device 101 can receive the second signal sent by the second device 102. If the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102 during the operation of the timer, then the first device 101 can update the value of the counter to the initial value. For example, the initial value can be 0.

[0189] In step S3207, when the timer expires and the second signal sent by the second device 102 is not received, the first device 101 retransmits the first signal.

[0190] For example, the first device 101 can periodically send a first signal according to a first transmission cycle. After sending the first signal in a first transmission cycle, a timer is started. If the second device 102 does not receive the first signal sent by the first device 101, the second device 102 will not send a second signal. Correspondingly, if the first device 101 retransmits the first signal when the timer expires and it does not receive the second signal sent by the second device 102, the first device 101 will retransmit the first signal.

[0191] For example, the first device 101 sends the first signal non-periodically, and starts a timer after sending the first signal. If the second device 102 does not receive the first signal sent by the first device 101, the second device 102 will not send the second signal. Correspondingly, when the timer expires and the second signal is not received from the second device 102, the first device 101 retransmits the first signal.

[0192] In step S3208, the first device 101 increments the counter by one. The counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is sent.

[0193] For example, the first device 101 can periodically send a first signal according to a first transmission cycle. After sending the first signal in a first transmission cycle, the first device 101 starts a timer and increments the counter. If the timer times out and the second signal is not received from the second device 102, the first device 101 retransmits the first signal and increments the counter.

[0194] For example, the first device 101 sends the first signal non-periodically. After sending the first signal, it starts a timer and increments the counter. If the timer expires and the second signal is not received from the second device 102, the first device 101 resends the first signal and increments the counter.

[0195] In step S3209, the counter value reaches the first threshold, and the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0196] For example, when the timer expires and the second signal sent by the second device 102 is not received, the first device 101 returns to step S3207, that is, retransmits the first signal. After retransmitting the first signal, the first device 101 increments the counter by one until it receives the second signal sent by the second device 102 and updates the counter value to the initial value, or the counter value reaches a first threshold. For example, if the first device 101 receives the second signal sent by the second device 102, it can update the counter value to the initial value and determine that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101. For example, if the counter value reaches the first threshold, the first device 101 can determine that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned first threshold based on a protocol agreement. For example, the aforementioned first threshold may be agreed upon in the protocol, and the first device 101 determines the first threshold based on the protocol agreement.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the first threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. For example, the first threshold may be based on network device configuration or pre-configuration, and the first device 101 determines the first threshold through network device configuration or pre-configuration.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may be implemented to determine the aforementioned first threshold. That is, the first device 101 determines the first threshold through implementation. For example, the aforementioned first threshold is used to determine whether to retransmit the first signal, that is: the first threshold is used to represent the maximum allowed number of times the first signal can be transmitted.

[0200] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. Optional implementations of this can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0201] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through a second resource. For example, the first device 101 sends the first information to the first network device through a third resource. The first network device sends the second information to the second device 102 through a fourth resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of steps S3106 and S3107 in FIG. 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0203] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3201 to S3212. For example, steps S3201+S3202+S3203+S3204+S3205+S3206 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S3201+S3202+S3203+S3204+S3207+S3208+S3209 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0204] In some embodiments, steps S3202 and S3204 may be performed in a different order or simultaneously, and steps S3205 and S3206 may be performed in a different order or simultaneously.

[0205] In some embodiments, steps S3207, S3208, and S3209 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0206] In some embodiments, steps S3205 and S3206 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0207] In some embodiments, other optional implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3B.

[0208] Figure 3C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3C, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0209] In step S3301, the second device 102 sends a third signal.

[0210] In some embodiments, the second device 102 sends a third signal to the first device 101. Correspondingly, the first device 101 receives the third signal sent by the second device 102, enabling the first device 101 to measure the signal strength of the third signal and determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101 based on the measurement result. For example, after establishing a unicast connection with the first device 101, the second device 102 sends the third signal, which includes the identifier of the first device 101 and / or the identifier of the second device 102. For example, after establishing multicast communication with the first device 101, the second device 102 sends the third signal. For example, the third signal may include the identifier of the second device 102 and / or a group identifier, whereby the group identifier indicates a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier includes the first device 101. For example, the second device 102 may send the third signal via broadcast.

[0211] In some embodiments, the third signal may be a signal periodically transmitted by the second device 102 according to a second transmission cycle. For example, the second device 102 periodically transmits the third signal according to the second transmission cycle, and correspondingly, the first device 101 can receive the third signal transmitted by the second device 102. For example, the third signal may be a reference signal, or other reference signals used to measure signal strength; this disclosure does not specifically limit its nature. For example, the second transmission cycle may be agreed upon by a protocol, configured or pre-configured by the network device, or determined by the second device based on its implementation.

[0212] In some embodiments, the third signal may be a signal that the second device 102 transmits non-periodically. For example, the second device 102 transmits the third signal non-periodically, and the timing of transmitting the third signal is determined by the second device 102 based on actual needs. For instance, the second device 102 transmits the third signal when it is determined, based on implementation, that it is necessary to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101. For example, the third signal may be a reference signal, or it may be other reference signals used to measure signal strength; this disclosure does not specifically limit its application in this regard.

[0213] In some embodiments, the third signal can be a second signal. In some embodiments, the second signal can be response information to the first signal. For example, the second signal can be an ACK signal or other response signal, which is not specifically limited in this disclosure. For example, the first device 101 sends a first signal, and the second device 102 receives the first signal and sends a second signal (i.e., the third signal). Optional implementations of the first device 101 sending the first signal can be found in the optional implementations of step S3101 in FIG. 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, and will not be repeated here. Optional implementations of the second device 102 receiving the first signal and sending the second signal can be found in the optional implementations of step S3102 in FIG. 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] In step S3302, the first device 101 measures the signal strength of the third signal and obtains the measurement result of the third signal.

[0215] For example, when the first device 101 receives a third signal sent by the second device 102, the first device 101 measures the signal strength of the third signal. For example, it can measure at least one of RSRP (Reference Signal Receiving Power), RSRQ (Reference Signal Receiving Quality), and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) of the third signal to obtain the measurement result of the third signal.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first device 101 can acquire a measurement configuration for the third signal, and based on this measurement configuration, the first device 101 measures the signal strength of the third signal to obtain a measurement result for the third signal. For example, the first device 101 can obtain the measurement configuration for the third signal through network device configuration or pre-configuration. Alternatively, the first device 101 can obtain the measurement configuration for the third signal through a protocol agreement. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the invention, nor will it elaborate further.

[0217] In step S3303, if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0218] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned third threshold based on a protocol agreement. For example, the aforementioned third threshold may be agreed upon in the protocol, and the first device 101 determines the third threshold based on the protocol agreement.

[0219] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the third threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. For example, the third threshold may be based on network device configuration or pre-configuration, and the first device 101 determines the third threshold through network device configuration or pre-configuration.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned third threshold based on its implementation. That is, the first device 101 determines the third threshold through its implementation. For example, the aforementioned third threshold is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0221] In step S3304, if the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to the second threshold, the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the second threshold based on a protocol agreement. For example, the second threshold may be a protocol agreement, and the first device 101 determines the second threshold based on the protocol agreement.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the second threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. For example, the second threshold may be based on network device configuration or pre-configuration, and the first device 101 determines the second threshold through network device configuration or pre-configuration.

[0224] In some embodiments, the first device 101 may determine the aforementioned second threshold based on its implementation. That is, the first device 101 determines the second threshold through its implementation. For example, the aforementioned second threshold is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0225] For example, the third threshold and the second threshold can be the same threshold value or different threshold values. For example, when the third threshold and the second threshold are the same threshold value, the measurement result of the third signal is equal to the second threshold. Then, the first device 101 can determine that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, or it can determine that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0226] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. Optional implementations of this can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0227] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0228] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through a second resource. For example, the first device 101 sends the first information to the first network device through a third resource. The first network device sends the second information to the second device 102 through a fourth resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of steps S3106 and S3107 in FIG. 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0229] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3301 to S3304. For example, steps S3301 + S3302 + S3303 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S3301 + S3302 + S3304 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0230] In some embodiments, step S3304 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0231] In some embodiments, step S3303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0232] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3C may be referred to.

[0233] Figure 4A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a first device 101, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0234] Step S4101: Send the first signal.

[0235] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0236] The optional implementation of step S4101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0237] Step S4102: Receive the second signal sent by the second device 102 and determine that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0238] The optional implementation of step S4102 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0239] In step S4103, within the direct communication range of the first device 101, the second device 102 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource.

[0240] The optional implementation of step S4103 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3104 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0241] Step S4104: If the second signal sent by the second device 102 is not received, it is determined that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0242] The optional implementation of step S4104 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3105 in Figure 3A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0243] In step S4105, since the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the second resource.

[0244] Optional implementations of step S4105 can be found in optional implementations of steps S3106 and S3107 in Figure 3A, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0245] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4105. For example, step S4101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S4101 + step S4102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S4101 + step S4102 + step S4103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S4101 + step S4104 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S4101 + step S4104 + step S4105 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0246] In some embodiments, steps S4102, S4103, S4104, and S4105 are optional and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0247] In some embodiments, steps S4103, S4104, and S4105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0248] In some embodiments, steps S4104 and S4105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0249] In some embodiments, steps S4102, S4103, and S4105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0250] In some embodiments, steps S4102 and S4103 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0251] Figure 4B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a first device 101, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0252] Step S4201: Send the first signal.

[0253] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0254] The optional implementation of step S4201 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3201 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0255] Step S4202: After sending the first signal, increment the counter by one. The counter is used to record the number of times the first signal has been sent.

[0256] The optional implementation of step S4202 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3202 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0257] Step S4203: Start the timer.

[0258] The optional implementation of step S4203 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3204 in Figure 3B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0259] Step S4204: During the operation of the timer, a second signal sent by the second device 102 is received, and it is determined that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0260] The optional implementation of step S4204 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3205 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0261] In step S4205, a second signal is received from the second device 102, and the value of the counter is updated to the initial value.

[0262] The optional implementation of step S4205 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3206 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0263] Step S4206: When the timer expires and the second signal sent by the second device 102 is not received, the first signal is retransmitted.

[0264] The optional implementation of step S4206 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3207 in Figure 3B, as well as other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0265] Step S4207: Increment the counter by one. The counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is sent.

[0266] The optional implementation of step S4207 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3208 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0267] In step S4208, the counter value reaches the first threshold, and the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0268] The optional implementation of step S4208 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3209 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0269] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. Optional implementations of this can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0270] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0271] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through a second resource. For example, the first device 101 sends the first information to the first network device through a third resource. The first network device sends the second information to the second device 102 through a fourth resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of steps S3106 and S3107 in FIG. 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0272] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S4201 to S4208. For example, steps S4201+S4202+S4203+S4204+S4205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S4201+S4202+S4203+S4206+S4207+S4208 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0273] In some embodiments, steps S4202 and S4203 may be performed in a different order or simultaneously, and steps S4204 and S4205 may be performed in a different order or simultaneously.

[0274] In some embodiments, steps S4206, S4207, and S4208 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0275] In some embodiments, steps S4204 and S4205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0276] Figure 4C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4C, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a first device 101, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0277] Step S4301: Receive the third signal sent by the second device 102.

[0278] In some embodiments, the second device 102 sends a third signal to the first device 101, and the first device 101 receives the third signal sent by the second device 102, so that the first device 101 measures the signal strength of the third signal and determines whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101 based on the measurement result of the third signal.

[0279] The optional implementation of step S4301 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3301 in Figure 3C, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3C, which will not be repeated here.

[0280] Step S4302: Measure the signal strength of the third signal to obtain the measurement result of the third signal.

[0281] The optional implementation of step S4302 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3302 in Figure 3C, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3C, which will not be repeated here.

[0282] In step S4303, if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0283] The optional implementation of step S4303 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3303 in Figure 3C, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3C, which will not be repeated here.

[0284] In step S4304, if the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to the second threshold, the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0285] The optional implementation of step S4304 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3304 in Figure 3C, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3C, which will not be repeated here.

[0286] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first device 101 triggers the first information. Optional implementations of this can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of step S3104 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0288] Optionally, in some embodiments, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101, and the first device 101 sends the first information to the second device 102 through a second resource. For example, the first device 101 sends the first information to the first network device through a third resource. The first network device sends the second information to the second device 102 through a fourth resource. Optional implementations can be found in the optional implementations of steps S3106 and S3107 in FIG. 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0289] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S4301 to S4304. For example, steps S4301 + S4302 + S4303 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S4301 + S4302 + S4304 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0290] In some embodiments, step S4304 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0291] In some embodiments, step S4303 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0292] Figure 4D is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4D, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a first device 101, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0293] Step S4401: Send a first signal, which is used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device.

[0294] In some embodiments, both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. In some embodiments, the first device is an IoT device, and the second device is a terminal.

[0295] In some embodiments, an optional implementation of transmitting the first signal includes periodically transmitting the first signal according to a first transmission period. In some embodiments, an optional implementation of transmitting the first signal includes non-periodicly transmitting the first signal.

[0296] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first transmission period based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first transmission period based on a first device implementation.

[0297] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a second signal sent by a second device, and determining that the second device is within direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0298] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after sending the first signal, starting a timer; during the operation of the timer, receiving a second signal sent by the second device, determining that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, the second signal being used to respond to the first signal.

[0299] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after sending the first signal, starting a timer; when the timer times out and no second signal is received from the second device, the first device retransmits the first signal, and the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0300] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the value of a counter reaches a first threshold, determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is transmitted.

[0301] In some embodiments, the method further includes: incrementing the counter by one after sending the first signal; and updating the value of the counter to the initial value upon receiving the second signal sent by the second device.

[0302] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a timer and / or a first threshold based on a first device implementation.

[0303] In some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0304] In some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0305] In some embodiments, the method further includes: measuring the signal strength of a third signal to obtain a measurement result of the third signal; determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device if the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to a second threshold; or determining that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0306] In some embodiments, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to the second transmission period; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0307] In some embodiments, the method further includes: triggering first information, wherein the second device sends the first information to the second device through a first resource within the direct communication range of the first device, the first resource being used for direct communication between the first device and the second device.

[0308] In some embodiments, the method further includes: triggering first information, wherein the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device, and sending the first information to the second device through a second resource; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

[0309] In some embodiments, sending the first information to the second device via the second resource includes: sending the first information to the first network device via the third resource, and the first network device sending the second information to the second device via the fourth resource; wherein the second information includes the first information, and the third and fourth resources are both air interface resources.

[0310] Optional implementations of the first device-side method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in the description of the relevant steps of the first device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 3A to 3C above, and will not be repeated here.

[0311] Figure 5A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a second device 102, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0312] Step S5101: Receive the first signal sent by the first device 101.

[0313] For example, the first device 101 sends a first signal, and for example, the first device 101 sends a first signal to the second device 102, and correspondingly, the second device 102 receives the first signal sent by the first device 101.

[0314] In some embodiments, the first signal is used to determine whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0315] The optional implementation of step S5101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A, step S3201 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0316] Step S5102: Receive the first signal and send the second signal.

[0317] The optional implementations of step S5102 can be found in step S3102 of Figure 3A, the optional implementations of step S3203 of Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0318] In step S5103, the second device 102 receives the first information sent by the first device 101 through the first resource within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0319] In some embodiments, the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device 101 and the second device 102. For example, the first device 101 is an IoT device. The first device 101 triggers first information, and the first device 101 determines that the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101. Then, the first device 101 can send the first information to the second device 102 through the first resource, and correspondingly, the second device 102 receives the first information sent by the first device 101 through the first resource.

[0320] The optional implementation of step S5103 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3104 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0321] In step S5104, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101 and receives the second information sent by the first network device through the fourth resource, the second information containing the first information.

[0322] The optional implementation of step S5104 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3107 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0323] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S5101 to S5104. For example, steps S5101 + S5102 + S5103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S5101 + S5102 + S5104 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0324] In some embodiments, step S3104 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0325] In some embodiments, step S3103 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0326] Figure 5B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a second device 102, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0327] Step S5201: Send the third signal.

[0328] In some embodiments, the second device 102 sends a third signal to the first device 101, and the first device 101 receives the third signal sent by the second device 102, so that the first device 101 measures the signal strength of the third signal and determines whether the second device 102 is within the direct communication range of the first device 101 based on the measurement result of the third signal.

[0329] The optional implementation of step S5201 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3301 in Figure 3C, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3C, which will not be repeated here.

[0330] In step S5202, the second device 102 receives the first information sent by the first device 101 through the first resource within the direct communication range of the first device 101.

[0331] The optional implementation of step S5202 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3104 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0332] In step S5203, the second device 102 is not within the direct communication range of the first device 101 and receives the second information sent by the network device through the fourth resource, the second information containing the first information.

[0333] The optional implementation of step S5203 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3107 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0334] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S5201 to S5203. For example, step S5201 + step S5202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S5201 + step S5203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0335] In some embodiments, step S5203 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0336] In some embodiments, step S5202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0337] Figure 5C is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5C, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a second device 102, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0338] Step S5301: Receive a first signal sent by the first device. The first signal is used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device.

[0339] In some embodiments, both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. In some embodiments, the first device is an IoT device, and the second device is a terminal.

[0340] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a first signal sent by a first device, and sending a second signal to the first device to enable the first device to determine whether the second device is within direct communication range of the first device, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0341] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a third signal to a first device to cause the first device to measure the signal strength of the third signal, and determining whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device based on the measurement result of the third signal. Exemplarily, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to a second transmission cycle; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0342] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a second transmission period based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a second transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a second transmission period based on a second device implementation.

[0343] In some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0344] In some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0345] In some embodiments, the method further includes: a second device receiving first information sent by the first device through a first resource within the direct communication range of the first device, the first resource being used for direct communication between the first device and the second device.

[0346] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the second device receiving first information sent by the first device through a second resource when the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

[0347] In some embodiments, receiving first information sent by a first device through a second resource includes: receiving second information sent by a first network device through a fourth resource, wherein the second information is information sent by the first network device when it receives the first information sent by the first device through a third resource, the second information includes the first information, and both the third resource and the fourth resource are air interface resources.

[0348] Optional implementations of the second device-side method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in the description of the relevant steps of the second device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 3A to 3C above, and will not be repeated here.

[0349] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a communication system 100, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0350] In step S6101, the first device 101 sends a first signal to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device.

[0351] The optional implementation of step S6101 can be found in step S3101 of Figure 3A, the optional implementation of step 3201 of Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0352] In step S6102, the second device receives the first signal and sends the second signal.

[0353] In some embodiments, the second signal is used in response to the first signal.

[0354] The optional implementation of step S6102 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3102 in Figure 3A, step S3203 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0355] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method described in the embodiments of the first device side, the second device side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0356] It is worth noting that this disclosure proposes an information interaction method in an IoT scenario, solving the problem of how IoT devices determine whether a terminal is within direct communication range. The following will describe this in detail with reference to embodiments.

[0357] In some embodiments, a first device sends a first signal, and a second device responds to the first signal with a second signal.

[0358] For example, the first device is an IoT device, and the second device is a terminal device. Alternatively, the first device may be a terminal device, and the second device may be an IoT device. Or, both the first and second devices may be IoT devices.

[0359] For example, the IoT device periodically transmits a first signal according to a first transmission cycle. For example, the first signal can be a discovery signal or other signals, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure. For example, after establishing a unicast connection with the terminal, the IoT device periodically transmits the first signal. For example, the first signal includes the terminal's identifier; optionally, the first signal includes the IoT device's identifier. For example, after establishing multicast communication with the terminal, the IoT device periodically transmits the first signal. For example, the first signal includes a group identifier; optionally, the first signal includes the IoT device's identifier. The first transmission cycle can be specified by a protocol or configured / pre-configured to the IoT device, or the IoT device can determine the first transmission cycle through its implementation.

[0360] For example, the IoT device sends the first signal non-periodically. For example, the IoT device determines the time to send the first signal according to the implementation. For example, the IoT device determines according to the implementation that it needs to determine whether the terminal device is within the direct communication range, and then sends the first signal.

[0361] For example, the IoT device receives a second signal to determine that the terminal device is within direct communication range. For example, the second signal may be an ACK signal or other response signal, and this disclosure does not specifically limit it.

[0362] In some embodiments, the first device sends a first signal, starts a timer, and receives a second signal during the timer's operation. If the first device determines that it has not received the second signal, it retransmits the first signal.

[0363] For example, the timer may be specified by a protocol or configured / pre-configured to the IoT device, or the IoT device may determine the timer through its implementation. For example, the IoT device maintains a first time interval based on its implementation, and receives a second signal within that first time interval after sending the first signal. If the IoT device determines that the timer has expired and the second signal has not been received, the IoT device retransmits the first signal.

[0364] In some embodiments, when the first device sends a first signal to a first quantity (i.e., a first threshold), the first device determines that the terminal device is not within the direct communication range.

[0365] Example: An IoT device maintains a counter. The IoT device sends a first signal, incrementing the counter by 1. The IoT device retransmits the first signal, incrementing the counter by 1 again. When the counter reaches a first count, the IoT device determines that the terminal device is not within the scope of direct communication. This first count can be specified by the protocol or configured / pre-configured to the IoT device, or the IoT device can determine this first count through its implementation.

[0366] In some embodiments, the first device measures the signal strength of the third signal, and if the measurement result is less than or equal to a first threshold, the IoT device determines that the terminal device is not within the direct communication range.

[0367] For example, the IoT device measures the RSRP / RSRQ / RSSI of a third signal. If the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to a first threshold, the IoT device determines that the terminal device is not within the direct communication range. For example, this first threshold may be specified by a protocol or configured / pre-configured to the IoT device, or the IoT device may determine the first threshold through its implementation. For example, the third signal may be a signal periodically / aperiodically sent by the terminal device to the IoT device, such as a reference signal, etc., without specific limitation. For example, the third signal may be a response signal from the terminal device to the IoT device, such as a response signal to the first signal (a second signal), etc. For example, if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the IoT device determines that the terminal device is within the direct communication range.

[0368] In some embodiments, the first device triggers first information, the first device determines that the terminal device is within the direct communication range, the first device sends the first information to the terminal device, the first device determines that the terminal device is not within the direct communication range, and the first device sends the first information to the terminal device through the first network device.

[0369] For example, an IoT device triggers first information, such as sensing that pressure, stress, temperature, humidity, etc., exceed a preset threshold. The IoT device determines that the terminal device is within the direct communication range, selects a resource from the configured / pre-configured first resources, and sends the first information to the terminal device. For example, the first resource is similar to a sidelink (SL) resource, used for direct communication between the terminal device and the IoT device.

[0370] For example, the IoT device triggers the first information, determines that the terminal device is not within the direct communication range, and sends the first information to the terminal device through the first network device. For example, the first network device includes, but is not limited to, base stations, core networks, etc. For example, the IoT device selects a resource from the configured / pre-configured second resources and sends the first information to the first network device. For example, the IoT device can request dynamically scheduled second resources and send the first information to the network device. For example, the second resource is an air interface resource.

[0371] This disclosure also provides embodiments of an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the first device in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the second device in any of the above methods.

[0372] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0373] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with information processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0374] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7A, the communication device 7100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 7101, a processing module 7102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is used to send a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of a first device; wherein, both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario.

[0375] In some embodiments, the first device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the second device is a terminal.

[0376] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is configured to: periodically transmit a first signal according to a first transmission period. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is configured to: non-periodically transmit the first signal.

[0377] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is configured to: determine a first transmission period based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is configured to: determine a first transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is configured to: determine a first transmission period based on a first device implementation.

[0378] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: receive a second signal sent by the second device and determine that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0379] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: start a timer after sending the first signal; during the operation of the timer, receive a second signal sent by the second device, determine that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, and the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0380] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: start a timer after sending the first signal; the transceiver module 7101 is further configured to: when the timer times out and no second signal is received from the second device, the first device retransmits the first signal, and the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0381] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: determine that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device when the value of the counter reaches a first threshold; wherein the counter is used to record the number of times the first signal is transmitted.

[0382] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: increment the counter by one after sending the first signal; and update the value of the counter to the initial value upon receiving the second signal sent by the second device.

[0383] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: determine a timer and / or a first threshold based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: determine a timer and / or a first threshold based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: determine a timer and / or a first threshold based on a first device implementation.

[0384] In some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0385] In some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0386] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: measure the signal strength of the third signal to obtain a measurement result of the third signal; if the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to a second threshold, determine that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device. Exemplarily, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to a second transmission cycle; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0387] In some embodiments, the processing module 7102 is further configured to: measure the signal strength of the third signal to obtain a measurement result of the third signal; if the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold, determine that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device. Exemplarily, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to a second transmission cycle; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0388] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is further configured to: trigger first information, and the second device sends the first information to the second device through a first resource within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device and the second device.

[0389] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is further configured to: trigger first information, indicating that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device, and send the first information to the second device through a second resource; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

[0390] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is further configured to: send first information to a first network device through a third resource, and the first network device sends second information to a second device through a fourth resource; wherein the second information includes the first information, and both the third and fourth resources are air interface resources.

[0391] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S3101, S3104, S3106, S3201, S3207, but not limited thereto) performed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S3103, S3202, S3204, S3205, S3206, S3208, S3209, S3302, S3303, S3304, but not limited thereto) performed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0392] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7B, the communication device 7200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 7201, a processing module 7202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is used to receive a first signal sent by a first device, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; both the first device and the second device are devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. In some embodiments, the first device is an IoT device, and the second device is a terminal.

[0393] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is further configured to: receive a first signal sent by the first device, and send a second signal to the first device so that the first device determines whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

[0394] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is further configured to: send a third signal to the first device, so that the first device measures the signal strength of the third signal and determines whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device based on the measurement result of the third signal. Exemplarily, the third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically transmitted by the second device according to a second transmission cycle; a signal non-periodicly transmitted by the second device; or a second signal.

[0395] In some embodiments, the processing module 7202 is configured to: determine a second transmission period based on a protocol agreement. In some embodiments, the processing module 7202 is configured to: determine a second transmission period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration. In some embodiments, the processing module 7202 is configured to: determine a second transmission period based on a second device implementation.

[0396] In some embodiments, the first signal includes the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device.

[0397] In some embodiments, the first signal includes a group identifier and / or an identifier of a first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier including a second device.

[0398] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is further configured to: receive first information sent by the first device through a first resource within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device and the second device.

[0399] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is further configured to: receive first information sent by the first device through a second resource when the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

[0400] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is further configured to: receive second information sent by the first network device through a fourth resource, the second information being information sent by the first network device when it receives the first information sent by the first device through a third resource, the second information including the first information, and both the third resource and the fourth resource being air interface resources.

[0401] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S3102, step S3203, step S3301, but not limited thereto) performed by the second device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the second device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0402] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0403] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0404] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 8100 can be a first device (e.g., an IoT device or an A-IoT device), a second device (e.g., a terminal), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the second device in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 8100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0405] As shown in Figure 8A, the communication device 8100 includes one or more processors 8101. The processor 8101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 8100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 8101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 8100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0406] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more transceivers 8103. When the communication device 8100 includes one or more transceivers 8103, the transceivers 8103 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S3101, S3104, S3106, S3201, S3207, S3102, S3203, S3301, but not limited thereto), and the processor 8101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S3103, S3202, S3204, S3205, S3206, S3208, S3209, S3302, S3303, S3304, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceivers may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, terms such as transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface can be used interchangeably; terms such as transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit can be used interchangeably; and terms such as receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit can be used interchangeably.

[0407] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more memories 8102 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 8102 may be located outside the communication device 8100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 8100 may include one or more interface circuits 8104. Optionally, the interface circuits 8104 are connected to the memories 8102 and can be used to receive data from the memories 8102 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 8102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 8104 can read data stored in the memories 8102 and send the data to the processor 8101.

[0408] The communication device 8100 described in the above embodiments may be a first device or a second device, but the scope of the communication device 8100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 8100 may not be limited by FIG8A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0409] Figure 8B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 8200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 8100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 8200 shown in Figure 8B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0410] Chip 8200 includes one or more processors 8201. Chip 8200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0411] In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more interface circuits 8202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more memories 8203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 8203 may be located outside of chip 8200. Optionally, interface circuit 8202 is connected to memory 8203, and interface circuit 8202 can be used to receive data from memory 8203 or other devices, and interface circuit 8202 can be used to send data to memory 8203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 8202 can read data stored in memory 8203 and send the data to processor 8201.

[0412] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 8202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S3101, S3104, S3106, S3201, S3207, S3102, S3203, S3301, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 8202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 8202 performing data interaction between the processor 8201, the chip 8200, the memory 8203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 8201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S3103, S3202, S3204, S3205, S3206, S3208, S3209, S3302, S3303, S3304, but not limited thereto).

[0413] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device 8100, cause the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0414] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 8100, causes the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0415] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0416] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0417] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0418] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0419] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is performed by a first device, and the method comprises: sending a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within a direct communication range of the first device; wherein the first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things scenario.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first device is an Internet of Things device, and the second device is a terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The sending of the first signal comprises: periodically sending the first signal according to a first sending period; or non-periodically sending the first signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the first sending period based on a protocol agreement; or determining the first sending period based on a network device configuration or pre-configuration; or determining the first sending period based on implementation of the first device.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving a second signal sent by the second device to determine that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further comprises: starting a timer after sending the first signal; receiving the second signal sent by the second device during running of the timer to determine that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further comprises: starting a timer after sending the first signal; re-sending the first signal by the first device when the timer times out and the second signal sent by the second device is not received, wherein the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device when a value of a counter reaches a first threshold, wherein the counter is used to record a number of times of sending the first signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The method further comprises: performing an increment operation on the counter after sending the first signal; receiving the second signal sent by the second device to update the value of the counter to an initial value.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the timer and / or the first threshold based on a protocol agreement; or determining the timer and / or the first threshold based on a network device configuration or pre-configuration; or determining the timer and / or the first threshold based on implementation of the first device.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The first signal comprises an identifier of the second device and / or an identifier of the first device; or The first signal comprises a group identifier and / or an identifier of the first device, the group identifier being used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier comprises the second device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: measuring a signal strength of a third signal to obtain a measurement result of the third signal; determining that the second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device when the measurement result of the third signal is less than or equal to a second threshold; or determining that the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device when the measurement result of the third signal is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically sent by the second device according to a second sending period; a signal non-periodically sent by the second device; and the second signal.

14. The method of any one of claims 1-13, wherein, The method further comprises: triggering first information, the second device being within the direct communication range of the first device, sending the first information to the second device through a first resource; wherein the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device and the second device; or, triggering first information, the second device not being within the direct communication range of the first device, sending the first information to the second device through a second resource; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The method further comprises: sending the first information to the first network device through a third resource, and the first network device sends second information to the second device through a fourth resource; wherein the second information contains the first information, and the third resource and the fourth resource are both air interface resources.

16. A method of communication, comprising: The method is executed by the second device, and the method comprises: receiving a first signal sent by the first device, the first signal being used to determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device; The first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things scenario.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The first device is an Internet of Things device, and the second device is a terminal.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving a first signal sent by the first device, sending a second signal to the first device to make the first device determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, and the second signal is used to respond to the first signal.

19. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a third signal to the first device to make the first device measure the signal strength of the third signal and determine whether the second device is within the direct communication range of the first device according to the measurement result of the third signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The third signal is any one of the following: a signal periodically sent by the second device according to a second sending period; a signal non-periodically sent by the second device; The second signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the second sending period based on a protocol agreement; or, determining the second sending period based on network device configuration or pre-configuration; or, determining the second sending period based on the implementation of the second device.

22. The method of any one of claims 16-21, wherein, The first signal comprises the identifier of the second device and / or the identifier of the first device; or, The first signal comprises a group identifier and / or the identifier of the first device, and the group identifier is used to indicate a group, and the group corresponding to the group identifier comprises the second device.

23. The method of any one of claims 16-22, wherein, The method further comprises: The second device is within the direct communication range of the first device, and receives first information sent by the first device through a first resource; wherein the first resource is used for direct communication between the first device and the second device; or, The second device is not within the direct communication range of the first device, and receives first information sent by the first device through a second resource; wherein the second resource is used for the first device and the second device to forward communication through the first network device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, The receiving the first information sent by the first device through the second resource comprises: receiving second information sent by the first network device through a fourth resource, the second information being information sent by the first network device when the first network device receives the first information sent by the first device through a third resource, the second information containing the first information, the third resource and the fourth resource being air interface resources.

25. A communications device, characterized by comprise: a transceiver module, configured to send a first signal, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within a direct communication range of a first device; wherein the first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things scenario.

26. A communications device, characterized by comprise: a transceiver module, configured to receive a first signal sent by a first device, the first signal being used to determine whether a second device is within a direct communication range of the first device; the first device and the second device are both devices in an Internet of Things scenario.

27. A communication system, characterized by comprise: a first device configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-15; a second device configured to perform the method of any one of claims 16-24.

28. A communications device, characterized by comprise: one or more processors; wherein the communication device is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-15, 16-24.

29. A storage medium, the storage medium storing instructions, wherein, The instructions, when executed on the communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method of any one of claims 1-15, 16-24.

30. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterised in that, The computer program, when executed on the communication device, implements the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-15, 16-24.

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