Reader selection in radio access network based on environmental internet of things capabilities

Abstract

A method is provided that includes receiving a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service. The request includes information indicating one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. The method includes selecting at least one reader of the environmental IoT device based at least on one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. And the method includes performing an operation to advance the request toward the at least one reader to activate one or more ambient IoT devices to implement the request, the one or more ambient IoT devices having one or more ambient IoT device capabilities or types.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to telecommunications, and in particular to devices that support services such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in a telecommunications system. Background Technology

[0002] A telecommunications system can be viewed as a facility that enables a communication session between two or more entities (e.g., user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carriers between various entities involved in a communication path. For example, a telecommunications system can be provided via a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. The communication session may include, for example, communication data used to carry communications such as voice, video, email, text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multi-way calling, data communication or multimedia services, and access to data network systems (such as the Internet).

[0003] In a wireless telecommunications system, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link. Examples of wireless telecommunications systems include Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication systems, and various wireless local networks, such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Some wireless systems can be divided into cells and are therefore often referred to as cellular systems.

[0004] Users can access the telecommunications system through appropriate communication equipment or terminals. A user's communication equipment may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or user facilities. The communication equipment is equipped with appropriate signal receiving and transmitting means for enabling communication, such as accessing a communication network or communicating directly with other users. The communication equipment can access a carrier provided by a station (e.g., a cell base station) and transmit and / or receive communication on that carrier.

[0005] Telecommunications systems and related equipment typically operate according to a given standard or specification that defines what the various entities associated with the communication system are allowed to do and how they should operate. Communication protocols and / or parameters used to connect the various entities are also usually defined. An example of a telecommunications system is the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Other examples of telecommunications systems are Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, and so-called 5G or New Radio (NR) networks. NR is being standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Summary of the Invention

[0006] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to telecommunications, and in particular, to devices that support services such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in a telecommunications system. This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Some example embodiments provide an apparatus for implementing a reader for an environmental IoT device, the apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: receives a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types; makes a determination as to whether the reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices; and based on the determination, performs operations to advance a request to enable activation of the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types to fulfill the request.

[0008] Some example embodiments provide a method performed by a reader of an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the method comprising: receiving a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; determining whether the reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices; and based on the determination, performing operations to advance a request to enable activation of one or more environmental IoT devices, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types to fulfill the request.

[0009] Some example embodiments provide an apparatus including: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: receives a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service, the request including information indicating one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types; selects a reader for at least one environmental IoT device based on the capabilities or types of the at least one environmental IoT device; and performs an operation to advance the request toward the at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

[0010] Some example embodiments provide a method comprising: receiving a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; selecting a reader for at least one environmental IoT device based on the capabilities or types of the at least one or more environmental IoT devices; and performing operations to advance a request to enable activation of one or more environmental IoT devices having the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0011] Some example embodiments provide an apparatus including: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: sends a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service to a user equipment (UE) reader, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; receives information indicating at least one standby UE reader; and resends the request to the at least one standby UE reader to trigger the at least one standby UE reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0012] Some example embodiments provide a method including: sending a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service to a user equipment (UE) reader, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; receiving information indicating at least one standby UE reader; and resending the request to at least one standby UE reader to trigger at least one standby UE reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0013] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, accompanied by the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. This disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure, whether or not such features or elements are explicitly combined in the particular exemplary embodiments described herein or otherwise narrated. This disclosure is intended to be read voluntarily such that any separable feature or element of this disclosure, in any aspect and exemplary embodiment, should be considered composable unless the context of this disclosure clearly indicates otherwise.

[0014] Therefore, it should be understood that this invention is provided merely so that this disclosure may include any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined in the particular exemplary embodiments described herein or otherwise narrated. This disclosure is intended to be read volute, such that any separable features or elements of this disclosure, in any aspect and exemplary embodiment, should be considered composable unless the context of this disclosure clearly indicates otherwise. Some exemplary embodiments are summarized in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. Other exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some principles of the exemplary embodiments by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Now that exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been generally described, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A telecommunications system according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, which includes one or more public land mobile networks (PLMNs) coupled to one or more external data networks.

[0017] Figure 2 A 5G NR deployment of a PLMN according to some example embodiments is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 More specifically, according to some example embodiments, Figure 2 All aspects of 5G NR deployment;

[0019] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The corresponding environment Internet of Things (IoT) topology in a PLMN deployment is illustrated according to various example embodiments;

[0020] Figure 5 Signal diagrams of one or more processes according to various example embodiments are shown;

[0021] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Signal diagrams of one or more processes according to various example embodiments are shown;

[0022] Figure 7 These are flowcharts of the steps in a method performed by a reader of an environmental IoT device according to various example embodiments;

[0023] Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C This is a flowchart illustrating the various steps in the method according to various example embodiments;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the various steps in the method according to various example embodiments; and

[0025] Figure 10 An apparatus according to some example embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In fact, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals throughout the drawings refer to the same elements.

[0027] Unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, references to first, second, etc., should not be construed as implying a particular order. A feature described as above another feature (unless otherwise stated or clear from the context) may actually be below it, and vice versa; similarly, a feature described as to the left of another feature may actually be to the right of it, and vice versa. Furthermore, while this document may refer to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships, etc., unless otherwise stated, any one or more (if not all) of these may be absolute or approximate to account for possible acceptable variations, such as those due to engineering tolerances.

[0028] As used herein, unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, an "OR" of a set of operands is an "inclusive OR," meaning it is true if and only if one or more operands are true, as opposed to "XOR," which is false if all operands are true. Thus, for example, "[A] OR [B]" is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an" mean "one or more," unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, referring to the singular form. Additionally, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, the terms "data," "content," "digital content," "information," and similar terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The term "network" can refer to a group of interconnected computers, including clients and servers; and within a network, these computers can be interconnected directly or indirectly in various ways, including via one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, etc.

[0029] This disclosure discusses systems and architectures, and while specific terminology may be used, it is broadly applicable to a wide range of technologies. For example, while this disclosure may refer to technologies from 3GPP, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), UMTS, LTE, Advanced LTE, 5G NR, Advanced 5G, and 6G, this disclosure is equally applicable to non-3GPP technologies such as IEEE 802, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Bluetooth. The exemplary embodiments described herein also refer to Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), but the exemplary embodiments are equally applicable to Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPNs) and private entities operating these networks. Furthermore, although some examples and figures focus on Radio Access Networks (RANs) and 3GPP access, the exemplary embodiments are applicable to any type of network access. This includes not only 5G or 6G 3GPP access, but also non-3GPP access, such as wired access, untrusted non-3GPP access, and trusted non-3GPP access using the Wireless Access Gateway Function (W-AGF), Non-3GPP Interoperability Function (N3IWF), or Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function (TNGF) to connect to the 5G or 6G core network.

[0030] Furthermore, as used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a purely hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only); (b) a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, and (ii) any part of (multiple) hardware processors with software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions; or (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0031] The definition of "circuit" above applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers only hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. The term "circuit" also covers, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0032] Figure 1A telecommunications system 100 according to various example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. This telecommunications system typically includes one or more telecommunications networks. As shown, for example, the system includes one or more PLMNs 102 coupled to one or more other external data networks 104—particularly including wide area networks (WANs), such as the Internet. It should be understood that PLMNs can be deployed in a variety of different ways. In particular, some deployments of 4G LTE and 5G NR are considered standalone (SA) deployments. Other deployments combine 4G LTE and 5G technologies and are referred to as non-standalone (NSA) deployments.

[0033] Each PLMN 102 includes a core network (CN) 106 backbone network, such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for 4G LTE and the 5G Core Network (5GC) (sometimes referred to as NGC) for 5G NR; and each core network and the Internet are coupled to one or more RANs 108, air interfaces, etc., which implement one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Examples of these RANs include the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) for 4G LTE and the Next Generation (NG) Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) for 5G NR. As used herein, “network equipment” refers to any suitable equipment on the telecommunications network side. Examples of suitable network equipment are described in more detail below.

[0034] Examples of radio access technologies include 3GPP radio access technologies such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, Advanced LTE, 5G NR, Advanced 5G, and 6G. Other examples of radio access technologies include IEEE 802 technologies, such as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.15 (including 802.15.1 (WPAN / Bluetooth), 802.15.4 (Zigbee), and 802.15.6 (WBAN)), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc. Generally, radio access technology can refer to any 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or higher generation mobile communication technology and its different versions, as well as any other wireless radio access technology that can be arranged to interoperate with such mobile communication technologies to provide access to CN 106 of the MNO.

[0035] Telecommunication system 100 also includes one or more radio units, which may be referred to differently as User Equipment (UE) 110, terminal equipment, mobile station, etc. A UE is typically a device configured to communicate with network equipment or another UE within a telecommunications network. A UE can be a portable computer (e.g., laptop, notebook, tablet), a mobile phone (e.g., cellular phone, smartphone), a wearable computer (e.g., smartwatch), etc. In other examples, a UE can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Industrial IoT (IIoT) device, a vehicle equipped with Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication technology, etc. In some examples, as mentioned by 3GPP, a UE can be a Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) device, an enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) device, a RedCap device, an Ambient IoT (sometimes called AIoT) device, etc.

[0036] In operation, these UEs 110 can connect to one or more RANs 108 based on their specific radio access technologies, thereby accessing a specific CN 106 of the PLMN 102, or accessing one or more external data networks 104 (e.g., the Internet). External data networks can provide Internet access, operator services, third-party services, etc. For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) classifies 5G mobile network services into three categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) or massive IoT (MIoT).

[0037] In various examples, RAN108 can be configured as one or more macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femtocells, etc. RAN typically includes one or more radio access nodes that interact with UE 110. In various examples, radio access nodes can be referred to as base stations (BS), access points (APs), base transceiver stations (BTS), node Bs (NBs), evolved NBs (eNBs), macro BSs, NBs (MNBs) or eNBs (MeNBs), home BSs, NBs (HNBs) or eNBs (HeNBs), next-generation NBs (gNBs), enhanced gNBs (en-gNBs), next-generation eNBs (ng-eNBs), etc. The term "gNB" in 5G NR can correspond to the eNB in ​​4G LTE. Furthermore, NG-RAN nodes can refer to either gNBs or ng-eNBs.

[0038] RAN108 may include some type of network control / management entity responsible for controlling radio access nodes. The network control / management entity and the radio access nodes may be separate or integrated into a single device. The network control / management entity may include processing circuitry configured to perform various management functions, etc. The processing circuitry may be associated with memory, computer-readable storage media, or a database for maintaining the information required for the management functions.

[0039] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a 5G NR deployment 200, sometimes referred to as a 5G system (5GS). As shown, NG-RAN 202 includes one or more gNBs 204 configured to connect one or more UEs 110 to the NG-RAN, thereby accessing 5GC 206. In some deployments, the operation of the gNB or other radio access nodes can be distributed or functionally decomposed into components, including one or more Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) or Radio Units (RUs) and Baseband Units (BBUs); and in some architectures, the BBU can be split into a Central / Centralized Unit (CU) 208 (central node) and Distributed Units (DUs) 210 (distributed nodes). A CU can be, for example, a server, host, or node. In some architectures, RRHs / RUs and DUs can be co-located. Node operation can also be distributed across multiple servers, hosts, or nodes.

[0040] It should also be understood that the allocation of work between core network operations and radio access node operations may vary depending on the implementation. The 5G network architecture can be based on so-called CU-DU separation. One gNB-CU (one CU 208) can control one or more gNB-DUs (DU 210). A gNB-CU can control multiple spatially separated gNB-DUs, at least acting as transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) nodes. However, in some example embodiments, a gNB-DU may include, for example, the Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY) layer, while the gNB-CU may include layers above the RLC layer, such as the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Resource Control (RRC), and Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Other functional divisions are also possible. Those skilled in the art should be familiar with the OSI model and the functions within each layer.

[0041] In some example embodiments, the server or CU 208 can generate a virtual network through which the server communicates with the radio nodes. Typically, a virtual network can involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and functions into a single software-based management entity, i.e., the virtual network. Such a virtual network can provide flexible operational distribution between the server and the radio heads / nodes. In fact, any digital signal processing task can be performed in the CU or DU 210, and the boundaries of responsibility transfer between the CU and DU can be selected according to the embodiment.

[0042] In various scenarios, UE 110 can be configured to operate using multiple antenna panels or beams, such as via Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology, which allows the UE to significantly increase its data rate capabilities. A feature associated with this capability is called Multiple Transmit and Receive Points (mTRP) (sometimes also referred to as "Multiple TRPs"), which enables the network to communicate with the UE using multiple TRPs. Each TRP can be a set of geographically co-located antennas, antenna arrays, or panels supporting transmit point (TP) and / or receive point (RP) functionality. In various examples, a TRP can be a radio access node (e.g., gNB 204, ng-eNB), radio access node antennas, antenna arrays, or panels, RRH, RU, remote antennas of a radio access node, antenna arrays, or panels, etc.

[0043] Figure 3 More specifically, various aspects of a 5G NR deployment 200 of an MNO according to some example embodiments are depicted. As shown in the figure, the deployment includes an NG-RAN 202 with multiple gNBs 204 configured to connect multiple UEs 110 to the NG-RAN for access to a 5GC 206. The 5GC may include multiple network functions (NFs) partitioned between the control plane (CP) and the user plane (UP). In particular, the 5GC may include, for example, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 302, a Session Management Function (SMF) 304, a User Plane Function (UPF) 306, a Network Open Function (NEF) 308, and / or an Application Function (AF) 310. Other suitable examples of NFs include a Policy and Charging Function (PCF), a Network Repository Function (NRF), a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), and so on.

[0044] In the control plane, AMF 302 is configured to provide UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc. SMF 304 is configured to provide various functions, including Session Management (SM), UE Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation and management, selection and control of (multiple) UPF 306s, policy application and QoS control, lawful interception, SM portion termination of NAS messages, Downlink Data Notification (DDN), roaming functions, handling locally implemented QoS based on Application Service Level Agreements (SLAs), charging data collection, and charging interfaces, etc. If the UE110 has multiple sessions, a different SMF can be assigned to each session to manage them individually, potentially providing different functions for each session.

[0045] UPF 306 supports a variety of user plane operations and functions, such as packet routing and forwarding, traffic processing (e.g., applying QoS policies), anchoring for intra / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable), packet inspection and policy rule application, lawful interception (UP collection), traffic billing and reporting, etc. UPF is the interconnection point between the 5GC and at least one external data network (DN) 314 (i.e., the DN's entry or exit point), and routes packets to and from the DN. The DN can be configured to provide Internet access, carrier services, third-party services, etc.

[0046] The AF 310 can interact with the 5GC 206 to enable the deployment of specific services and applications. The AF communicates with other NFs to request and manage network resources, ensuring the network adapts to the requirements of different applications and services. The NEF 308 allows authorized third-party applications and services to access specific NFs and services in a controlled manner. The NEF enables the exposing of network capabilities to external entities, fostering innovation and the development of new services.

[0047] Some deployments support IoT devices, and the number of IoT devices is expected to increase significantly, many of which have very long lifespans (e.g., five years or more). In many cases, charging these IoT devices or regularly replacing their batteries becomes increasingly impractical, given the enormous human and material costs involved.

[0048] Environmental IoT devices are IoT devices powered by energy harvesting, making them battery-free or equipped with limited energy storage capabilities (e.g., using capacitors). In some of these deployments, environmental IoT complements other IoT technologies such as NB-IoT / eMTC and RedCap. Environmental IoT is designed to cover additional use cases requiring more cost-effectiveness, power efficiency, and especially battery-free functionality. In particular, environmental IoT can be used for ID tags (replacing them with a wider range of radio frequency (RF) tags), sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors), healthcare (e.g., monitoring personal medical information), logistics (e.g., tracking objects), and more.

[0049] Two specific use cases have been proposed: asset identification and management, and commands. The asset management use case involves identifying objects via tags or other environmental IoT devices for inventory management. The command use case includes "read" and "write" operations on environmental IoT devices, where "read" can be further considered as retrieving information from the environmental IoT device. Sensor nodes are a typical example of environmental IoT devices in the command use case.

[0050] Environmental IoT devices can be passive or active. They can harvest energy and then transmit it using active circuitry. Active environmental IoT devices may include, for example, active components such as amplifiers, while passive environmental IoT devices typically do not. Instead, passive environmental IoT devices use a communication technique known as backscattering, where an external RF signal is used to activate / excite the device, and this RF signal is modulated with information by the passive device before being reflected / backscattered. In various examples, modulating information on the reflected / backscattered signal can be referred to as transmitting a backscattered signal. In some examples, environmental devices may have the ability to switch between active and passive modes.

[0051] An environmental IoT system architecture may include environmental IoT devices, as well as activators (also known as illuminators or AIoT activators) and readers (sometimes referred to as reader devices or AIoT readers). As described above, environmental IoT devices may include passive radios, and the activator is a device configured to send an activation signal (an external RF signal) to provide power to wake up the passive radio, thereby allowing the environmental IoT device to send one or more signals (backscattered signals) carrying a message. The reader is a device configured to listen for and detect signals(s) from the environmental IoT devices. The activator and reader may be co-located or separate devices.

[0052] In 3GPP, environmental IoT devices can be classified as Device A, Device B, or Device C. Device A (passive) is a completely battery-free device with no energy storage capacity and cannot independently generate / amplify signals (it can only backscatter). Device A devices are entirely dependent on the availability of external power. Device B (semi-passive) is a device with limited energy storage capacity that does not require manual replacement or charging. Device B devices do not generate independent signals but may utilize backscattering with potential reflection gain. Device C (active) is an active transmitting device with limited energy storage capacity based on environmental energy.

[0053] PLMN deployments, such as 5G NR deployment 200, can support IoT (e.g., environmental IoT) in a variety of different topologies. Figure 4A and Figure 4B A first environmental IoT topology 400A and a second environmental IoT topology 400B according to various example embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated. As shown, the illustrated topologies include a RAN node 402 (e.g., gNB 204, TRP) and an environmental IoT device 404 (sometimes referred to as an AIoT device). In the first environmental IoT topology, the RAN node can be, for example, a gNB, a TRP of a gNB, etc. In the second environmental IoT topology, in some examples, the RAN node is more specifically a gNB. The second environmental IoT topology also includes a UE, such as a UE reader 406. An environmental IoT (AIoT) CN 408, which is a CN 106 supporting environmental IoT services, is also shown in both topologies. In 5GC 206, this support can be provided by one or more NFs, such as an AMF 302 or a dedicated NF, such as an environmental IoT function (AIoTF).

[0054] In the first environmental IoT topology 400A, the environmental IoT device 404 is configured to communicate directly and bidirectionally with the RAN node 402. Communication may include environmental IoT data and / or signals between the RAN node and the environmental IoT device. In the second environmental IoT topology 400B, the environmental IoT device is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the RAN node via a UE reader 406, or more specifically with the gNB 204. In the second environmental IoT topology, the UE is an intermediate node and is configured to transmit environmental IoT data and / or signals between the gNB and the environmental IoT device.

[0055] In various environmental IoT topologies, the activator and reader of the environmental IoT device 404 are co-located. Specifically, in the first environmental IoT topology 400A, the RAN node 402 can simultaneously act as both the activator and reader of the environmental IoT device. In the second environmental IoT topology 400B, the UE reader 406 can simultaneously act as both the activator and reader of the environmental IoT device. In other environmental IoT topologies, the activator and reader of the environmental IoT device are separate devices. Specifically, for example, in another environmental IoT topology, the RAN node (e.g., gNB 204, TRP) can act as the activator, while the UE can act as the reader. Similarly, in yet another environmental IoT topology, the UE can act as the activator, while the RAN node can act as the reader.

[0056] Typically, environmental IoT devices (404) have limited support for capabilities such as radio capabilities, hardware capabilities, and / or security capabilities. For example, an environmental IoT device may operate only on one frequency, support a limited frequency offset range, support only one random access channel (RACH) access type (e.g., three-step RACH access), and may or may not support continuous wave (CW) control, etc. Alternatively, for example, an environmental IoT device may have limited memory, may or may not include amplifiers, may or may not include frequency shifting circuitry, etc.

[0057] In some examples, RAN node 402 (e.g., gNB 204, TRP) can receive requests for environmental IoT services (e.g., inventory requests) from AF 310, and the request may include a region or a list of candidate readers. The RAN node may request at least one reader located in that region or candidate reader list to activate environmental IoT device(s) 404 to fulfill the request. As above, in some examples, the readers(s) may include the TRP(s) in a first environmental IoT topology 400A, or UE readers 406 (environmentally IoT-enabled UE readers) in a second environmental IoT topology 400B. However, if the capabilities of the readers(s) are incompatible with the capabilities or types (e.g., radio capabilities, hardware capabilities, security capabilities) of the environmental IoT devices(s) targeted by the environmental IoT service (e.g., inventory), the environmental IoT devices may not respond or respond incorrectly (e.g., without the expected security), which may render the request unsuccessful, incorrect, or unreliable.

[0058] In many cases, AF 310 is aware of the capabilities of the environmental IoT devices. In environmental IoT service requests (e.g., inventory requests, command requests), AF typically targets the same type of environmental IoT device 404. Therefore, these target environmental IoT devices are more likely to have the same capabilities (e.g., radio capabilities, hardware capabilities, security capabilities). Therefore, the example embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution to the aforementioned problem by notifying RAN node 402 of the capabilities or types of the environmental IoT devices(s) targeted by the environmental IoT service request. The RAN node can then select an appropriate reader that matches or is compatible with the capabilities or types of the environmental IoT devices(s).

[0059] Some example embodiments follow an application protocol (e.g., NG Application Protocol (NGAP)) or RRC method, where RAN node 402 may receive environmental IoT service requests (e.g., inventory requests, command requests) from AIoT CN 408 or from AF 312 via AIoT CN, the requests including one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. In some examples, the environmental IoT service request may also include a region and / or a list of candidate readers. As indicated above, the environmental IoT device capabilities may include multiple radio capabilities, multiple hardware capabilities, and / or multiple security capabilities.

[0060] In some examples, it can be assumed that RAN node 402 is at least aware of the reader's radio capabilities. In the first environment IoT topology 400A, the RAN node can be configured with TRP capabilities. In the second environment IoT topology 400B, if the UE reader 406 is in an RRC connected state or an RRC inactive state, the gNB 204 can retrieve the UE capabilities; if the UE reader is in an RRC idle state, the gNB can receive the UE capabilities as part of the paging radio capabilities received from AMF 302. The RAN node can select readers(e.g., TRP, UE) with one or more capabilities or types compatible with one or more environment IoT device capabilities or types targeted by the environment IoT service request for the environment IoT device 404.

[0061] For example, in the first environmental IoT topology 400A, AF 310 can send an environmental IoT service request to the RAN node via environmental IoT CN 408, and the request may include one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types (e.g., radio capabilities, hardware capabilities, security capabilities). The RAN node can then select at least one TRP or other reader for the environmental IoT device based at least on one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. In some examples, the RAN node can receive a list of candidate TRPs and the AIoT service request, and filter from the candidate TRPs to select at least one TRP compatible with the environmental IoT device(s) capabilities or types(s). In other examples, the RAN node can receive a region associated with the scope of the AIoT service request and determine at least one TRP located within that region that is compatible with the environmental IoT device(s) capabilities or types(s).

[0062] For example, in the second environmental IoT topology 400B, AF 310 can send an environmental IoT service request to gNB 204 via environmental IoT CN 408, and the request may include one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types (e.g., radio capabilities, hardware capabilities, security capabilities). gNB can then select at least one UE reader 406 or other reader for the environmental IoT device based at least on one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. In some examples, gNB can receive a list of candidate UE readers and the AIoT service request, and filter from the candidate UE readers to select at least one UE reader compatible with the environmental IoT device capabilities(s) or types(s). In other examples, gNB can receive a region associated with the scope of the AIoT service request and determine at least one UE reader located within that region that is compatible with the environmental IoT device capabilities(s) or types(s).

[0063] Some example embodiments follow a non-access stratum (NAS) based approach, wherein in the second environmental IoT topology 400B, the UE reader 406 may receive environmental IoT service requests (e.g., inventory requests, command requests) from the environmental IoT CN 408 or via the environmental IoT CN from the AF 312, the requests including one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types. The UE reader can determine whether the UE reader matches or is compatible with the environmental IoT device capabilities or types(s).

[0064] If UE reader 406 determines that the UE reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of (multiple) environmental IoT devices, the compatible UE reader can activate (multiple) environmental IoT devices 404 to fulfill the request. Conversely, if the UE reader determines that it is incompatible with the capabilities or types of (multiple) environmental IoT devices, the incompatible UE reader can forward at least a portion of the request to its serving gNB 204 (RAN node 402). In some examples, the incompatible UE reader can forward a request (or a portion of the request) containing information identifying environmental IoT CN 408 or AF 310.

[0065] Then, gNB 204 can select at least one backup UE reader 406 that is compatible with the capabilities or types of the multiple environmental IoT devices(s). In some examples, gNB can directly forward the request to the multiple backup UE readers(s), thereby triggering the multiple backup readers(s) to activate the multiple environmental IoT devices(s)404 to fulfill the request. In other examples, gNB can send information instructing the multiple backup reader UEs(s) to the environmental IoT CN 408 or AF 310 for the environmental IoT CN or AF to trigger the multiple backup reader UEs(s) to activate the multiple environmental IoT devices(s). In some examples, the environmental IoT CN or AF can also verify or filter the multiple backup reader UEs(s) and then trigger the verified or filtered reader(s).

[0066] To further illustrate some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, Figure 5 This is a signal diagram 500 of one or more processes of the NGAP / RRC method according to some example embodiments. As shown, the processes involve a first reader 510A with first radio capability and a second reader 510B with second radio capability. In a first environment IoT topology 400A, the reader may be a TRP associated with RAN node 402. In a second environment IoT topology 400B, the reader may be a UE reader 406 served by gNB 204 (RAN node).

[0067] As shown in the figure, RAN node 402 may receive, in step 501, one or more capabilities (e.g., radio capabilities) associated with the type of environmental IoT device 404 targeted by the environmental IoT service request from environmental IoT CN 408 or AF 310 (via environmental IoT CN). In this example, the environmental IoT service request is an inventory request. The radio capabilities may include, for example, frequency, frequency offset, CW control capabilities, RACH type (e.g., three-step RACH access), etc. And in some examples, the environmental IoT service request may also include a region (e.g., an inventory region) and / or a list of candidate readers.

[0068] RAN node 402 can identify the reader involved in the environmental IoT service request in step 502. This may include readers located in the received area or readers received in a list of candidate readers. The RAN node can know the reader's radio capabilities. For example, in the first environmental IoT topology 400A, the RAN node can be configured with TRP capabilities. In the second environmental IoT topology 400B, if UE reader 406 is in an RRC connected state or an RRC inactive state, gNB 204 (RAN node) can retrieve the UE's radio capabilities; otherwise, if the UE reader is in an RRC idle state, gNB can receive the UE's radio capabilities as part of the paging radio capabilities received from AMF 302. The RAN node can compare the received radio capabilities associated with the target environmental IoT device 404 with the radio capabilities of the involved reader and select a reader with radio capabilities that match or are compatible with the radio capabilities of the environmental IoT device(s). As shown, the RAN node selects the first reader 510A.

[0069] RAN node 402 may trigger (in step 503) selected readers (e.g., first reader 510A) to activate (in step 503) environmental devices 404 to fulfill the request. The readers may activate (in step 504) environmental IoT devices, and the (in step 505) environmental IoT devices may respond. In some examples, the readers, and possibly the RAN node, may aggregate responses from the readers. The aggregated responses may then be forwarded to the requesting environmental IoT CN 406 or AF 310.

[0070] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Signal diagram 600 illustrates one or more processes of a NAS-based method according to some example embodiments. Similar to the previous examples, the processes involve a first UE reader 406A with first radio capability and a second UE reader 406B with second radio capability. However, Figure 6A and Figure 6B The (multiple) processes shown are more specifically directed to the second environment IoT topology 400B, where the reader can be a UE reader 406 served by gNB 204 (RAN node 402).

[0071] like Figure 6A As shown, the second UE reader 406B can receive, in step 601, one or more capabilities (e.g., radio capabilities) associated with the type of environmental IoT device 404 targeted by the environmental IoT service request from the environmental IoT CN 408 or AF310 (via the environmental IoT CN) via the NAS. In this example, the environmental IoT service request is an inventory request. The radio capabilities may include, for example, frequency, frequency offset, CW control capabilities, RACH type (e.g., three-step RACH access), etc.

[0072] The second UE reader 406B may determine in step 602 that the second UE reader is mismatched or incompatible with the capabilities of (multiple) environmental IoT devices. The second UE reader may determine that a gNB is involved. The second UE reader may forward an environmental IoT request to the gNB 204 (RAN node 402) it serves in step 603, which includes the received environmental IoT radio capabilities (here, the first radio capability), and the second UE reader may also add an identifier (ID) for environmental IoT CN 408 or AF 310.

[0073] In step 604, gNB 204 can select one or more standby UE readers based on, for example, a first device capability. As shown, gNB can select a first UE reader 406A compatible with the first radio capability. In the first option, gNB can then directly forward the ambient IoT service request to the first UE reader in step 605 to trigger the first UE reader to activate (multiple) ambient IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0074] like Figure 6B As shown, in the second option, gNB 204 can indicate to the Environment IoT CN 408 / AF310, in step 605bis, the selected (multiple) backup UE readers (e.g., UE reader 406A), which the gNB recommends be used to fulfill the Environment IoT service request. The Environment IoT CN / AF can verify or filter from the backup UE readers in steps 606bis and 607bis and resend the Environment IoT service request to the verified backup UE readers, in this case, the first UE reader.

[0075] An environmental IoT service request can trigger (multiple) backup UE readers (here, the first UE reader 406A) to activate (multiple) environmental IoT devices 404 to fulfill the request. The (multiple) backup readers can activate (multiple) environmental IoT devices in step 608, and (multiple) environmental IoT devices can respond in step 609. In some examples, (multiple) backup readers, along with a possible gNB 204, can aggregate responses from (multiple) readers. The aggregated response can then be forwarded to the requesting environmental IoT CN 406 or AF 310 in step 610.

[0076] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 700 performed by a reader of an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, as shown in box 702. The method includes making a determination in box 704 whether the reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; and based on this determination, performing operations to advance a request in box 706 to fulfill the request for activation of one or more environmental IoT devices, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

[0077] In some examples, requests for environmental IoT services are environmental IoT inventory requests or environmental IoT commands.

[0078] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0079] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0080] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, amplifier, or frequency shift circuitry.

[0081] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities. In some examples, it is determined that one or more radio capabilities of the reader are compatible with one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities.

[0082] In some examples, the reader is determined to be a compatible reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices. In some examples, performing the action in box 708 includes activating one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0083] In some examples, the reader is a user equipment (UE) reader served by a radio access network (RAN) node, and the UE reader is determined to be an incompatible UE reader that is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices. In some examples, performing the operation in box 708 includes forwarding at least a portion of a request to the RAN node for the RAN node to select at least one alternative UE reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0084] In some examples, the request is received by the UE reader from the application function via the environmental IoT core network, and the request is forwarded to the RAN node along with information identifying the environmental IoT core network or the application function.

[0085] Figure 8A – Figure 8C This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 800 according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, such as... Figure 8A As shown in box 802. The method includes selecting at least one reader of an environmental IoT device based on at least one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types, as shown in box 804. The method also includes performing an operation to advance a request toward the at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types, as shown in box 806.

[0086] In some examples, requests for environmental IoT services are environmental IoT inventory requests or environmental IoT commands.

[0087] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0088] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0089] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, amplifier, or frequency shift circuitry.

[0090] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities. In some examples, selecting at least one reader in box 804 includes determining that one or more radio capabilities of the at least one reader are compatible with one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, as shown in boxes 8xx.

[0091] In some examples, the request is received from an application function, and the action performed in box 806 includes triggering at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0092] In some examples, the request is received from a reader, and at least one reader is identified as at least one standby reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more IoT devices in the environment.

[0093] In some examples, the reader is an incompatible reader that is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more IoT devices in the environment.

[0094] In some examples, performing an operation in box 806 includes triggering at least one standby reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0095] In some examples, the request is received by the reader from the application function via the environmental IoT core network. In some examples, performing the operation in box 806 includes sending information to the environmental IoT core network or the application function instructing at least one backup reader to trigger the at least one backup reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0096] In some examples, the request is received from the reader along with an identifier or address of the environmental IoT core network or application function, and the information indicating at least one backup reader is sent using the identifier or address.

[0097] In some examples, information indicating at least one backup reader is also sent to verify at least one backup reader for environmental IoT core network or application function verification.

[0098] In some examples, selecting at least one reader in box 804 includes receiving a list of candidate readers and a request for an environmental IoT service, such as... Figure 8B As shown in box 808. In some examples, selecting at least one reader also includes filtering from candidate readers to select at least one reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more IoT devices in the environment, as shown in box 810.

[0099] In some examples, selecting at least one reader in box 804 includes receiving a region associated with the range of requests for environmental IoT services, such as... Figure 8C As shown in box 812. In some examples, selecting at least one reader also includes identifying at least one reader located within the area and compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, as shown in box 814.

[0100] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 900 according to various example embodiments. The method includes sending a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service to a user equipment (UE) reader, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, such as... Figure 9 As shown in box 902. The method includes receiving information indicating at least one standby UE reader, as shown in box 904. And the method includes resending a request to at least one standby UE reader to trigger at least one standby UE reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices, as shown in box 906.

[0101] In some examples, method 900 also includes verifying at least one standby UE reader.

[0102] In some examples, information indicating at least one backup UE reader is received based on the determination that the UE reader is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more AIoT devices.

[0103] In some examples, the method is executed by the application function, and the request for the environmental IoT service is sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

[0104] In some examples, the method is executed by the environmental IoT core network, and requests for environmental IoT services are sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

[0105] In some examples, the UE reader is served by a radio access network (RAN) node, and information indicating at least one standby UE reader is received from the RAN node at which at least one standby UE reader is selected.

[0106] In some examples, information indicating at least one standby UE reader is received based on the RAN node determining that at least one standby UE reader is compatible with one or more environmental IoT capabilities or types.

[0107] In some examples, requests for environmental IoT services are environmental IoT inventory requests or environmental IoT commands.

[0108] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0109] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0110] In some examples, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, amplifier, or frequency shift circuitry.

[0111] According to example embodiments of this disclosure, telecommunications system 100 or PLMN 102, and its components, such as UE 110, CN 106, RAN 108, NG-RAN 202, gNB 204, 5GC 206, NF (e.g., AMF 302, SMF 304, UPF 306, NEF 308, AF 310), RAN node 402, environmental IoT device 404, UE reader 406 and / or reader 510A, 510B, can be implemented in various ways. The means of implementing the system and its components can include hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some examples, one or more devices can be configured to act as or otherwise implement the system and its components shown and described herein. In examples involving multiple devices, the individual devices can be connected to or otherwise communicate with each other in a variety of different ways, such as directly or indirectly via wired or wireless networks.

[0112] According to some example embodiments, in conjunction with Figure 7At least some of the described methods 700 can be performed by means including functions for performing the corresponding steps of the method. Similarly, refer to Figure 8A – Figure 8C At least some of the described method 800 can be performed by means including functions for performing the corresponding steps of the method. And refer to... Figure 9 At least some of the described method 900 can be performed by means including functions for performing the corresponding steps of the method. Examples of suitable means include TRP, gNB (e.g., gNB-DU, gNB-CU), ng-eNB, NF, or any suitable means such as a server, host, or node. Examples of other suitable means include user equipment, user devices, user terminals, etc.

[0113] Figure 10 An apparatus 1000 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein components for performing various functions include hardware, either alone or under the guidance of one or more computer programs from a computer-readable storage medium or other memory, such as computer memory. Generally, the apparatus of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may include, be incorporated into, or be embodied in one or more fixed or portable electronic devices. Examples of suitable electronic devices include wearable computers, mobile phones, portable computers, desktop computers, workstation computers, servers (server computers), etc. The apparatus may include one or more of each of a plurality of components, such as, for example, a processing circuitry system 1002 connected to a computer-readable storage medium or other memory 1004.

[0114] The processing circuit system 1002 may consist of one or more processors, either alone or in combination with one or more computer-readable storage media. The processing circuit system is generally any computer hardware capable of processing information, such as, for example, data, computer programs, and / or other suitable electronic information. The processing circuit system comprises a collection of electronic circuits, some of which may be packaged as integrated circuits or multiple interconnected integrated circuits (integrated circuits are sometimes more commonly referred to as "chips"). The processing circuit system may be configured to execute computer programs, which may be stored on the processing circuit system or otherwise stored in memory 1004 (of the same or another device).

[0115] The processing circuitry system 1002 may be multiple processors, a multi-core processor, or some other type of processor, depending on the specific embodiment. Furthermore, the processing circuitry system may be implemented using multiple heterogeneous processor systems, where a main processor exists alongside one or more auxiliary processors on a single chip. As another illustrative example, the processing circuitry system may be a symmetric multiprocessor system comprising multiple processors of the same type. In yet another example, the processing circuitry system may be embodied as or otherwise include one or more ASICs, FPGAs, etc. Therefore, while the processing circuitry system may be able to execute a computer program to perform one or more functions, various examples of processing circuitry systems may be able to perform one or more functions without the aid of a computer program. In any case, the processing circuitry system may be suitably programmed to perform functions or operations according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0116] Memory 1004 is typically any computer hardware capable of temporarily and / or permanently storing information, such as, for example, data, computer programs, instructions 1006 (e.g., computer-readable program code), and / or other suitable information. Memory may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory and may be fixed or removable. Examples of suitable memory include recording media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drives, flash memory, thumb drives, removable computer disks, optical disks, or some combination thereof.

[0117] Memory 1004 is a non-transitory device capable of storing information. An example of a suitable memory is a computer-readable storage medium, which differs from a computer-readable transmission medium capable of transferring information from one location to another. Examples of suitable computer-readable transmission media include electronic carrier signals, telecommunication signals, or some combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (tangible, not a signal), not on the persistence of data storage (e.g., compared to RAM and ROM). Computer-readable media as used herein generally refers to computer-readable storage media or computer-readable transmission media. A computer-readable medium is any entity or device capable of storing and carrying information (e.g., one or more computer programs or portions thereof).

[0118] In addition to memory 1004 (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium), processing circuitry 1002 may also be connected to one or more interfaces for displaying, sending, and / or receiving information. Interfaces may include communication interface 1008 and / or one or more user interfaces. Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information, such as to and from other devices(s), networks(s), etc. Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information via physical (wired) and / or wireless communication links. Examples of suitable communication interfaces include network interface controllers (NICs), wireless NICs (WNICs), etc.

[0119] The user interface may include a display 1010 and / or one or more user input interfaces 1012. The display may be configured to present or otherwise display information to a user; suitable examples include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, organic LED (OLED) displays, active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLEDs), etc. The user input interfaces may be wired or wireless and may be configured to receive information from the user into the device, for example, for processing, storage, and / or display. Suitable examples of user input interfaces include microphones, image or video capture devices, keyboards or keypads, joysticks, contact-sensitive surfaces (separate from or integrated into the touchscreen), biosensors, etc. The user interface may also include one or more interfaces for communicating with peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners, etc.

[0120] The processing circuitry 1002 executes the instructions 1006, or stores the instructions in the memory 1004, supporting combinations of operations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this way, the apparatus 1000 may include at least one processing circuitry and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing circuitry, wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory. It will also be understood that one or more functions, and combinations of functions, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system and / or processing circuitry, or a combination of dedicated hardware and program code instructions, performing the specified functions.

[0121] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented in the form of one or more computer programs or computer processes defined therein. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be executed by performing at least a portion of a computer program including instructions. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable medium that can be read by a computer, processing circuitry system, or other suitable means. As mentioned above, for example, the computer program can be stored in memory, such as a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, for example, the computer program can be stored in a computer-readable transmission medium. The software coding used to perform the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is entirely within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.

[0122] It should be understood that any suitable instructions can be loaded from memory or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium, a computer-readable transmission medium) onto a computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable means to produce a particular machine, such that particular machine becomes a component for implementing the functions described herein. These instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can instruct a computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable means to operate in a particular manner, thereby producing a particular machine or a particular article of manufacture. In some examples, instructions stored in a computer-readable medium can produce an article of manufacture, wherein the article of manufacture becomes a component for implementing the functions described herein. Instructions can be retrieved from a computer-readable medium and loaded onto a computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable means to configure the computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable means to perform operations to be performed on or by the computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable means.

[0123] The retrieval, loading, and execution of instructions, including program code, can be performed sequentially so that one instruction is retrieved, loaded, and executed at a time. In some example embodiments, retrieval, loading, and / or execution can be performed in parallel so that multiple instructions are retrieved, loaded, and / or executed simultaneously. The execution of program code instructions can produce computer-implemented processes such that the instructions, executed by a computer, processing circuitry system, or other programmable device, provide operations for implementing the functions described herein.

[0124] As explained above and reiterated below, this disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example embodiments.

[0125] Clause 1. A method performed by a reader of an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the method comprising: receiving a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; determining whether the reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices; and based on the determination, performing operations to advance a request to enable activation of the one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

[0126] Clause 2. As in Clause 1, wherein the request for the Environmental IoT Service is an Environmental IoT Inventory Request or an Environmental IoT Command.

[0127] Clause 3. As in Clause 1 or Clause 2, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0128] Clause 4. As in Clause 3, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0129] Clause 5. As in Clause 3 or Clause 4, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

[0130] Clause 6. The method of any one of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, wherein it is determined that one or more radio capabilities of the reader are compatible with one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities.

[0131] Clause 7. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein determining that the reader is a compatible reader compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, and performing the operation includes activating one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0132] Clause 8. The method of any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the reader is a user equipment (UE) reader served by a radio access network (RAN) node, and the UE reader is determined to be an incompatible UE reader that is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices, and wherein performing the operation includes forwarding at least a portion of a request to the RAN node for the RAN node to select at least one alternative UE reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0133] Clause 9. The method of Clause 8, wherein the request is received by the UE reader from the application function via the environmental IoT core network, and the request is forwarded to the RAN node along with information identifying the environmental IoT core network or the application function.

[0134] Clause 10. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus performs a method as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 9.

[0135] Clause 11. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 9.

[0136] Clause 12. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 9.

[0137] Clause 13. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 9.

[0138] Clause 14. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 9.

[0139] Clause 15. A method comprising: receiving a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service, the request including information indicating one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types; selecting at least one reader of the environmental IoT devices based at least on the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices; and performing an operation to advance the request toward the at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request, the one or more environmental IoT devices having one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

[0140] Clause 16. The method of Clause 15, wherein the request for the Environmental IoT Service is an Environmental IoT Inventory Request or an Environmental IoT Command.

[0141] Clause 17. As in Clause 15 or Clause 16, one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0142] Clause 18. The method of Clause 17, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0143] Clause 19. The method of Clause 17 or Clause 18, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

[0144] Clause 20. The method of any one of Clauses 15 to 19, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, wherein selecting at least one reader includes determining that one or more radio capabilities of at least one reader are compatible with one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities.

[0145] Clause 21. The method of any one of Clauses 15 to 20, wherein the request is received from an application function and the operation includes triggering at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0146] Clause 22. The method of any of Clauses 15 to 21, wherein the request is received from a reader, and at least one reader is identified as a backup reader compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more IoT devices in the environment.

[0147] Clause 23. The method of Clause 22, wherein the reader is an incompatible reader that is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more IoT devices in the environment.

[0148] Clause 24. The method as described in Clause 22 or Clause 23, wherein performing the operation includes triggering at least one backup reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

[0149] Clause 25. The method of any one of Clauses 22 to 24, wherein a request is received by a reader from an application function via the environmental IoT core network, and wherein performing the operation includes sending information to the environmental IoT core network or the application function instructing at least one backup reader for the environmental IoT core network or the application function to trigger at least one backup reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0150] Clause 26. The method of any of Clauses 22 to 25, wherein the request is received from the reader along with an identifier or address of the environmental IoT core network or application function, and the information indicating at least one backup reader is sent using the identifier or address.

[0151] Clause 27. The method of Clause 26, wherein information indicating at least one backup reader is also sent for verification of at least one backup reader for the environmental IoT core network or application functions.

[0152] Clause 28. The method of any one of Clauses 15 to 27, wherein selecting at least one reader comprises: receiving a list of candidate readers and a request for an environmental IoT service; and filtering from the candidate readers to select at least one reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0153] Clause 29. The method of any one of Clauses 15 to 28, wherein selecting at least one reader comprises: receiving an area associated with the scope of the request for the environmental IoT service; and identifying at least one reader located within the area and compatible with the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0154] Clause 30. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus performs a method as described in any one of Clauses 15 to 29.

[0155] Clause 31. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method as described in any one of Clauses 15 to 29.

[0156] Clause 32. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 15 to 29.

[0157] Clause 33. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 15 to 29.

[0158] Clause 34. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 15 to 29.

[0159] Clause 35. A method comprising: sending a request for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) service to a user equipment (UE) reader, the request including information indicating the capabilities or type of one or more environmental IoT devices; receiving information indicating at least one standby UE reader; and resending the request to at least one standby UE reader to trigger the at least one standby UE reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

[0160] Clause 36. The method of Clause 35, wherein the method further includes verifying at least one standby UE reader.

[0161] Clause 37. The method of Clause 35 or Clause 36, wherein information indicating at least one backup UE reader is received based on the determination that the UE reader is incompatible with the capabilities or types of one or more AIoT devices.

[0162] Clause 38. The method of any one of Clauses 35 to 37, wherein the method is performed by an application function and the request for the environmental IoT service is sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

[0163] Clause 39. The method of any one of Clauses 35 to 38, wherein the method is performed by the environmental IoT core network and the request for environmental IoT services is sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

[0164] Clause 40. The method of any one of Clauses 35 to 39, wherein the UE reader is served by a radio access network (RAN) node, and information indicating at least one standby UE reader is received from the RAN node at which at least one standby UE reader is selected.

[0165] Clause 41. The method of Clause 40, wherein information indicating at least one standby UE reader is received based on the RAN node determining that at least one standby UE reader is compatible with one or more environmental IoT capabilities or types.

[0166] Clause 42. The method of any of Clauses 35 to 41, wherein the request for the Environmental IoT Service is an Environmental IoT Inventory Request or an Environmental IoT Command.

[0167] Clause 43. The method of any of Clauses 35 to 42, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

[0168] Clause 44. The method of Clause 43, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

[0169] Clause 45. The method of Clause 43 or Clause 44, wherein one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

[0170] Clause 46. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus performs a method as described in any one of Clauses 35 to 45.

[0171] Clause 47. An apparatus comprising components for performing a method as described in any one of Clauses 35 to 45.

[0172] Clause 48. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 35 to 45.

[0173] Clause 49. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 35 to 45.

[0174] Clause 50. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuitry system, cause a device to perform a method as described in any one of Clauses 35 to 45.

[0175] Those skilled in the art, having benefited from the teachings of the description and accompanying drawings presented herein, will conceive of numerous modifications and other implementations of the present disclosure set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific implementations disclosed, and that modifications and other implementations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, although the foregoing description and accompanying drawings have described exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions can be provided through alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, combinations different from those explicitly described above, such as those possibly set forth in some of the appended claims, are also contemplated. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for implementing a reader for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the apparatus comprising: At least one memory, the at least one memory being configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuitry system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: Receive a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; Determine whether the reader is compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices; and based on the determination, The operation of advancing the request is performed to enable the activation of one or more environmental IoT devices, which have the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request for the environmental IoT service is an environmental IoT inventory request or an environmental IoT command.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of at least one memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities. in, The following determination is made: one or more radio capabilities of the reader are compatible with the radio capabilities of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining that the reader is a compatible reader compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more IoT devices in the environment, and the apparatus being caused to perform the operation comprises: The device is configured to activate the one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reader is a user equipment (UE) reader served by a radio access network node (RAN), and the determination that the UE reader is an incompatible UE reader incompatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more IoT devices in the environment, and The device is made to perform the operation including: The device is configured to forward at least a portion of the request to the RAN node for the RAN node to select at least one standby UE reader compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more IoT devices in the environment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the request is received by the UE reader from the application function via the environmental IoT core network, and the request, together with information identifying the environmental IoT core network or the application function, is forwarded to the RAN node.

10. An apparatus for implementing a reader for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, comprising: At least one memory, the at least one memory being configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuitry system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: Receive a request for an environmental IoT service, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; At least one reader of the environmental IoT device shall be selected based on the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices. as well as Perform the operation of advancing the request toward the at least one reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request, the one or more environmental IoT devices having the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request for the environmental IoT service is an environmental IoT inventory request or an environmental IoT command.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of at least one memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities. The device is configured to select the at least one reader including: The device is configured to determine that one or more radio capabilities of the at least one reader are compatible with the radio capabilities of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request is received from an application function, and the apparatus is caused to perform the operation comprising: The device is configured to trigger the at least one reader to activate the one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request is received from a reader, and the at least one reader is at least one backup reader determined to be compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reader is an incompatible reader that is incompatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more IoT devices in the environment.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is caused to perform the operation comprising: The device is configured to trigger the at least one backup reader to activate the one or more environmental IoT devices to fulfill the request.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the request is received by the reader from the application function via the environmental IoT core network, and The device is made to perform the operation including: The device is configured to send information to the environmental IoT core network or the application function instructing the at least one backup reader to activate the one or more environmental IoT devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the request is received from the reader along with an identifier or address of the environment IoT core network or the application function, and the information indicating the at least one backup reader is sent using the identifier or address.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information indicating the at least one backup reader is further sent for use in verifying the at least one backup reader in the environment IoT core network or the application function.

23. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein selecting the at least one reader comprises: The device is configured to: Receive a list of candidate readers and the request for the IoT service of the environment; as well as Filter from the candidate readers to select at least one reader that is compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more IoT devices in the environment.

24. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein selecting the at least one reader comprises: The device is configured to: The region associated with the scope of the request for the IoT service of the environment; as well as Identify at least one reader located within the area and compatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

25. An apparatus for implementing a reader for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, comprising: At least one memory, the at least one memory being configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuitry system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions such that the apparatus at least: Send a request for environmental IoT services to the user equipment (UE) reader, the request including information indicating the capabilities or types of one or more environmental IoT devices; Receive information indicating at least one standby UE reader; as well as The request is resent to the at least one standby UE reader to trigger the at least one standby UE reader to activate one or more environmental IoT devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one processing circuitry is configured to execute the instructions such that the apparatus also verifies the at least one backup UE reader.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the information indicating the at least one backup UE reader is received based on determining that the UE reader is incompatible with the capabilities or types of the one or more environmental IoT devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the method is performed by an application function, and the request for the environmental IoT service is sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the method is performed by the environmental IoT core network, and the request for the environmental IoT service is sent from the application function to the UE reader via the environmental IoT core network.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the UE reader is served by a radio access network (RAN) node, and the information indicating the at least one standby UE reader is received from the RAN node, at which the at least one standby UE reader is selected.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the information indicating the at least one standby UE reader is received based on the RAN node determining that the at least one standby UE reader is compatible with the one or more environmental IoT capabilities or types.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the request for the environmental IoT service is an environmental IoT inventory request or an environmental IoT command.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include at least one of the following: one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, or one or more environmental IoT device security capabilities.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: operating frequency, frequency offset range, or supported random access channel (RACH) access type.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the one or more environmental IoT device capabilities or types include the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities, and the one or more environmental IoT device hardware capabilities include at least one of the following: the presence of at least one memory, an amplifier, or a frequency shift circuit.

Images