Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for energy state of environmental IoT devices

Abstract

Some embodiments described herein provide a signaling framework for exchanging handshake messages between a reader and an ambient Internet of Things (IoT) device. The reader can determine the energy state of the ambient IoT device and, when the energy state is determined to be below a threshold, perform subsequent processes for the ambient IoT device. In some embodiments, the reader can transmit an energy harvesting command to the ambient IoT device to prepare the device for energy harvesting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication systems, including radio frequency power supply equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless communication devices. For example, wireless communication system standards and protocols may include, for instance, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G), 3GPP New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) (often referred to as Wi-Fi within the industry organization). ® ).

[0003] As envisioned by 3GPP, different wireless communication system standards and protocols can use various radio access networks (RANs) for communication between RAN base stations (sometimes referred to as RAN nodes, network nodes, or simply nodes) and wireless communication equipment called user equipment (UEs). 3GPP RANs can include, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and / or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0004] Each RAN can use one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to perform communication between the base station and the UE. For example, GERAN implements the GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RATs, E-UTRAN implements the LTE RAT (sometimes simply referred to as LTE), and NG-RAN implements the NR RAT (this NR RAT is sometimes referred to herein as the 5G RAT, 5G NR RAT, or simply NR). In some deployments, E-UTRAN may also implement the NR RAT. In some deployments, NG-RAN may also implement the LTE RAT.

[0005] The base stations used by a RAN can correspond to that RAN. An example of an E-UTRAN base station is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as Evolved Node B, Enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB). An example of an NG-RAN base station is a Next Generation Node B (sometimes also called gNode B or gNB).

[0006] The RAN provides communication services to external entities through its connection with the core network (CN). For example, E-UTRAN can utilize the evolved packet core (EPC), while NG-RAN can utilize the 5G core network (5GC). Attached Figure Description

[0007] To facilitate the identification of any particular element or action in the discussion, one or more of the most significant digits in the figure reference numerals refer to the figure number in which the element was first introduced.

[0008] Figure 1 Examples are illustrated of environmental IoT devices that can use explicit feedback tables to provide readers with the remaining energy status, according to some implementation schemes.

[0009] Figure 2 An example is given of a series of time slots in the time domain according to some implementation schemes, and a graph is given showing the storage energy level of environmental IoT devices during the time domain.

[0010] Figure 3 Examples are shown of a series of uplink symbols scheduled for an environmental IoT device at a reader according to some implementation schemes, and examples of actual uplink transmissions received from the environmental IoT device at the reader.

[0011] Figure 4 Example uplink scheduling and RSRP at the reader for each uplink timing are illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0012] Figure 5 Example uplink scheduling and RSRP are illustrated according to some implementation schemes for uplink signals at a reader that have determined the decreasing trend for each uplink timing.

[0013] Figure 6 Examples of methods for a reader according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0014] Figure 7 Methods for environmental IoT devices according to some implementation schemes are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 8 An example architecture of a wireless communication system according to the implementation scheme disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0016] Figure 9 A system for performing signaling transfer between a wireless device and a network device according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Various implementations are described with respect to the UE. However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementations can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic component.

[0018] Furthermore, the embodiments described herein are based on Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The reference to IoT devices is provided for illustrative purposes only, and the embodiments described herein can be used with any device capable of collecting and exchanging data. IoT devices can embed sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to communicate with other devices and systems. IoT devices can vary in size, complexity, and functionality. Their range extends from small, simple devices, such as temperature sensors and smart home appliances, to more complex devices, such as industrial machinery and autonomous vehicles.

[0019] Some IoT devices include environmental IoT devices. Environmental IoT devices are devices capable of harvesting energy from environmental sources. For example, some environmental IoT devices can be powered using radio frequency (RF) waves. To power such devices using RF, the embodiments described herein provide enhancements to the wireless communication system framework to introduce a new category of devices capable of harvesting energy from environmental sources. Environmental IoT devices may be referred to as RF-powered devices. Environmental IoT devices may also be referred to as UE devices.

[0020] There are various types of environmental IoT devices that wireless communication systems can support. For example, in terms of energy storage, some devices may be battery-free devices with no energy storage capacity and rely entirely on the availability of an external energy source. Some devices may include limited energy storage capacity, which does not require manual replacement or recharging but can be charged by harvesting energy from environmental sources. In some implementations, device classification may be based on characteristics corresponding to the device (e.g., energy source, energy storage capacity, passive / active transmission, etc.).

[0021] The implementation scheme described herein considers the following set of IoT devices in different environments. IoT device type A has no energy storage, harvests energy from environmental sources, and does not have independent signal generation, only backscatter transmission. IoT device type B has energy storage from environmental sources but does not perform independent signal generation (e.g., backscatter transmission). The use of stored energy by IoT device type B may include amplification of the backscatter signal. IoT device type C has energy storage from environmental sources and has independent signal generation (e.g., active RF components for transmission). A common aspect of all these device categories is that they may rely solely on energy harvested from environmental sources. From the perspective of a wireless communication system, RF energy harvesting can be considered. For example, a device may utilize energy from incoming signals from other nodes in the system.

[0022] For device types B and C, there is a possibility of energy storage based on data collection. For readers (e.g., network nodes or other UE devices) used to communicate with type B and type C devices, understanding the energy state of these devices can be beneficial. For example, an estimate of the energy stored in the device can be provided to the reader. Based on the energy state, the reader may be able to determine whether environmental IoT devices are capable of transmitting, receiving, and / or processing.

[0023] The embodiments described herein provide a new framework for handshaking between a reader and an ambient IoT device of type B / type C, allowing the reader to determine or estimate the device's remaining state of energy. In some embodiments described herein, the reader may use the handshake with the ambient IoT device to determine the estimated state of energy of the device before following up with actual communication, thus ensuring that the ambient IoT device has sufficient remaining energy.

[0024] Some implementations in this paper provide a signaling framework for exchanging handshake messages. Some implementations provide implicit and / or explicit methods for determining the energy state of IoT devices in the environment. Once the energy state is determined, some implementations in this paper provide subsequent processes.

[0025] In some embodiments described herein, the environmental IoT device may provide explicit feedback to the reader regarding the energy storage level. In some embodiments, the reader may request feedback from the environmental IoT device regarding its current energy storage level.

[0026] In some implementations, a single threshold may be defined for the environmental IoT device. The environmental IoT device may use a single bit to indicate whether it has sufficient energy to continue communicating, based on a comparison of its current energy storage level to the threshold. For example, the environmental IoT device may be configured with a certain threshold. The threshold may be related to the amount of energy required to send / receive / process. The threshold may be a value greater than or equal to the required power amount. In some implementations, the threshold may be a static, predefined value. In some implementations, the threshold may be dynamic and vary based on environmental conditions and / or the type of task the environmental IoT device is performing. The environmental IoT device may report whether its current energy storage level is above or below the threshold.

[0027] In some implementations, environmental IoT devices can report their energy storage levels with greater granularity. Figure 1 An example is illustrated of an explicit feedback table 102, which an environmental IoT device may use to provide a reader with the remaining energy status according to some embodiments. The explicit feedback table 102 may be pre-configured for the environmental IoT device. As shown, the explicit feedback table 102 may include multiple energy storage ranges. The explicit feedback table 102 may include a minimum level 104 and a maximum level 106 for each range. Based on the current state, the environmental IoT device may indicate to the reader via bitmap 110 the index 108 corresponding to the current range, as indicated in the explicit feedback table 102.

[0028] For example, the reader can request the current energy storage level of an ambient IoT device. The ambient IoT device can respond to the request by providing one of the values ​​in bitmap 110. If the ambient IoT device sends 00, it indicates that the current energy storage level of the ambient IoT device is between A1 joules and A2 joules. A1 and A2 can represent set values ​​known to both the reader and the ambient IoT device. If the ambient IoT device sends 01, it indicates that the current energy storage level of the ambient IoT device is between B1 joules and B2 joules. If the ambient IoT device sends 10, it indicates that the current energy storage level of the ambient IoT device is between C1 joules and C2 joules. If the ambient IoT device sends 11, it indicates that the current energy storage level of the ambient IoT device is between D1 joules and D2 joules.

[0029] In some implementations, the environmental IoT device may indicate the exact level of currently stored energy, rather than a range. In some implementations, the environmental IoT may indicate the range of maximum transmit power at that point in time.

[0030] In some implementations, the environmental IoT device can provide explicit feedback even if the reader does not transmit a request. In an example implementation, the environmental IoT device can be configured by the reader to report to the reader when its energy level drops below a certain threshold; otherwise, the environmental IoT device does not transmit an explicit report about its energy status. In this implementation, the reader can assume that the environmental IoT device has sufficient energy to communicate with the reader as long as it does not receive an energy level status report.

[0031] Pre-configured resources can be used to transmit energy level status reports. In some implementations, configured permitted and / or dedicated resources can be used by the environmental IoT device to report feedback. For example, if the energy level of the environmental IoT device drops below a certain threshold, the environmental IoT device can report feedback to the reader in the next available configured permitted resource, such as... Figure 2 exemplified.

[0032] Figure 2 A series of time slots in time domain 202 are illustrated, along with a graph 216 showing the storage energy level 218 of the environmental IoT device during time domain 202. As shown, during each time slot (e.g., first time slot 210, second time slot 212, third time slot 214), the environmental IoT device has been assigned pre-configured uplink permission resources (e.g., first UL permission resource 204, second UL permission resource 206, third UL permission resource 208). The uplink permission resources can be configured by the reader during the initial connection process. The uplink permission resources can provide periodic resources to the environmental IoT device, which can be used to report when the storage energy level 218 drops below a threshold 220.

[0033] As shown in graph 216, during the first time slot 210, the stored energy level 218 may decrease slightly. The environmental IoT device can determine that there is no need to report at this time by comparing the stored energy level 218 with a threshold 220 and determining that the stored energy level 218 is greater than the threshold 220. However, during the second time slot 212, the environmental IoT device can determine that the stored energy level 218 has dropped below the threshold 220.

[0034] Therefore, the environmental IoT device can determine that it should transmit feedback to the reader during the next uplink resource period. The environmental IoT device can determine that the second UL granted resource 206 has been granted and generate storage energy level feedback for the third UL granted resource 208. During the third UL granted resource 208, the environmental IoT device can transmit storage energy level feedback to the reader. In some embodiments, the storage energy level feedback may be an indication that the storage energy level 218 is below a threshold 220, or the current range of the storage energy level, or the exact energy level. For example, the environmental IoT device can use... Figure 1 The bitmap 110 is used to indicate the current range of its current storage energy level.

[0035] In some implementations, the reader may implicitly determine when the energy level of the ambient IoT device falls below a certain threshold. For example, the ambient IoT device may be semi-statically and / or dynamically instructed / requested to send to the reader. In some implementations, if the reader does not receive any transmissions at the configured / indicated transmission timing, the reader may assume that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold. For example, if the reader does not detect any energy from the ambient IoT device during a scheduled uplink symbol, the reader may determine that the ambient IoT device lacks sufficient power for transmission.

[0036] In some implementations, the reader may send a query or handshake command to the device and expect the device to send an acknowledgment (ACK) in response to the query or handshake command. If the reader does not receive an ACK, it may assume that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold. In some implementations, the query or handshake command may be sent after the reader determines that it has missed sending a semi-static and / or dynamic indication / request from the ambient IoT device. In such implementations, the query or handshake command and the corresponding ACK may be a way to confirm whether the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold.

[0037] In some implementations, environmental IoT devices can be semi-statically and / or dynamically instructed / requested to send messages to the reader. If the reader does not receive any messages for "N" (e.g., the configured number) consecutive times at the configured / instructed transmission timing, the reader can assume that the energy level of the environmental IoT device is below a certain threshold, such as... Figure 3 exemplified.

[0038] Figure 3An example is illustrated, showing a series of scheduled uplink symbols 302 for an ambient IoT device at a reader according to some embodiments, and an example of actual uplink transmissions 304 received from the ambient IoT device at the reader. In the illustrated embodiment, a threshold is set for three consecutive periods of no uplink on the scheduled resources. In other embodiments, this threshold may be set for more or fewer consecutive periods of no uplink transmissions from the ambient IoT device on the scheduled resources.

[0039] As shown in the figure, during the uplink symbol 306 of the first schedule, the reader can receive the actual uplink transmission 308 from the ambient IoT device. However, during the uplink symbol 310 of the second schedule, the reader may fail to receive the actual uplink transmission from the ambient IoT device. Therefore, the reader can increment the counter to a missed uplink opportunity. Then, during the uplink symbol 312 of the third schedule, the reader can receive the second actual uplink transmission 314 from the ambient IoT device. Because the uplink transmission was received, the reader can reset the counter. On the uplink symbol 316 of the fourth schedule, the reader can receive the third actual uplink transmission 318 from the ambient IoT device, and the counter can remain at zero.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the reader does not receive an uplink transmission from the ambient IoT device during the next three consecutive scheduled uplink symbols 320. After each consecutive opportunity without an uplink transmission on the scheduled resource, the reader may increment a counter by one until a threshold number of missed opportunities is reached. In the illustrated implementation, this threshold is set to three. Therefore, after three consecutive scheduled uplink symbols 320 have passed, the reader may assume that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold.

[0041] In some implementations, the reader can make an implicit determination about the energy level of the environmental IoT device based on the signal strength of the signal from the environmental IoT device. For example, in some implementations, the environmental IoT device may be semi-statically and / or dynamically instructed / requested to send data to the reader. If the reader receives a transmission from the environmental IoT device at a configured / instructed transmission time, but the received signal strength, such as the reference signal received power (RSRP), is below a certain threshold, the reader may assume that the energy level of the environmental IoT device is below that threshold.

[0042] For example, a reader can schedule ambient IoT devices for uplink. The reader can receive signals from the ambient IoT device during the scheduled resource period. The reader can measure the strength of the received signal and compare that measurement to a threshold. If the measured strength is below the threshold, the reader can determine that the ambient IoT device's energy level is insufficient and below a certain threshold.

[0043] In some implementations, the reader may consider the signal strength of multiple consecutive signals from the environmental IoT device. For example, the environmental IoT device may be semi-statically and / or dynamically instructed / requested to send to the reader, and in the event that the reader receives a transmission at a configured / indicated transmission timing. If the received signal strength (such as RSRP) is below a certain threshold for “N” consecutive timings (where N is the number of thresholds), the reader may assume that the energy level of the environmental IoT device is below a certain threshold, such as… Figure 4 exemplified.

[0044] Figure 4 An example uplink schedule 402 and RSRP 404 at the reader for each uplink timing are illustrated. For each uplink timing, the reader measures the signal strength of the signal from the ambient IoT device and compares that measurement to a threshold. In the illustrated example, during the first uplink timing 408, the first RSRP measurement 410 is above the threshold 406. However, during the subsequent three consecutive uplink timings 414, the corresponding RSRP measurements 412 drop below the threshold 406.

[0045] In the illustrated implementation, the threshold N is set to three. If RSRP 404 drops below threshold 406 for three consecutive periods, the reader can determine that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold. In other implementations, the value of N can be increased or decreased. The reader can use a counter that resets each time the RSRP value exceeds threshold 406. When the reader determines that RSRP measurement 412 corresponding to three consecutive uplink periods 414 drops below threshold 406, the reader can determine that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is insufficient and below a certain threshold.

[0046] In some implementations, the reader may consider the trend of signal strength from multiple consecutive signals from the environmental IoT device. For example, the environmental IoT device may be semi-statically and / or dynamically instructed / requested to send to the reader. If the reader receives a transmission at the configured / instructed transmission timing, but the received signal strength decreases over the last "N" transmission timings, the reader may assume that the energy level of the environmental IoT device is below a certain threshold, such as... Figure 5 exemplified.

[0047] Figure 5 An example uplink schedule 502 and RSRP 504 are illustrated at the reader for each uplink timing in which a decreasing trend is determined. The reader can measure the RSRP 504 of the signal received from the ambient IoT device during each uplink timing in the uplink schedule. The reader can compare each measurement of RSRP 504 with the previous measurement. The reader can determine the trend, and once a decreasing signal strength trend is detected across a configured number of uplink timings, the reader can determine that the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold.

[0048] If the RSRP measurement is less than a previously determined RSRP measurement, the reader can increment a counter. If a subsequent RSRP measurement is equal to or greater than the previous RSRP measurement, the reader can reset the counter. Once the counter reaches a threshold (“N”), the reader can assume that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a certain threshold. For example, the RSRP measurement 508 corresponding to the last three consecutive uplink moments 506 is decreasing. In the illustrated embodiment, N is set to three, and therefore, the reader can infer that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below the threshold.

[0049] In some implementations, the reader may transmit an energy harvesting command after determining, using any of the implementations described herein, that the energy level of the ambient IoT device is below a threshold. For example, the reader may transmit an energy harvesting command to the ambient IoT device to prepare it to harvest energy for charging. In some implementations, the reader (or another node) may transmit the energy harvesting command only after the reader determines that the device's energy level has fallen below a certain threshold. The determination of the energy level can be performed using any of the methods described herein.

[0050] In some implementations, the reader can reconfigure symbols to accommodate a period for energy harvesting. The reader can transmit harvesting signals (e.g., unmodulated carrier waves) to the environmental IoT device to charge its storage. In some implementations, the reader can transmit energy harvesting commands and additional time-domain resource allocations (e.g., in terms of symbols / slots / frames) to the environmental IoT device to prepare for harvesting energy to charge the device. This allows the environmental IoT device to determine resources when it expects to receive a carrier wave from the reader (or another node) and harvest energy.

[0051] In some implementations, environmental IoT devices may implicitly determine that they need to prepare for and receive carrier waves for energy harvesting. This implicit determination may be based on explicit and / or implicit feedback as described herein. Based on explicit and / or implicit feedback, the environmental IoT device may expect to receive harvesting signals from a reader (or another node) on pre-configured resources. For example, when the environmental IoT device transmits explicit feedback indicating that the stored energy is below a threshold, the environmental IoT device may be ready to receive harvesting signals. Similarly, based on the RSRP of one or more uplink signals, the environmental IoT device may be ready to receive harvesting signals.

[0052] Figure 6 A method 600 for a communication node such as a reader (e.g., a UE or a network node) is illustrated. The illustrated method 600 includes establishing 602 a wireless connection with an environmental IoT device. Method 600 also includes determining 604 the energy state of the environmental IoT device. Method 600 further includes performing an energy harvesting process 606 for the environmental IoT device when the energy state is determined to be below a threshold.

[0053] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes: requesting feedback from an environmental IoT device; and receiving feedback from the environmental IoT device indicating the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device.

[0054] In some implementations of method 600, the feedback includes an indication of the current energy storage level compared to a threshold.

[0055] In some implementations of method 600, the feedback includes an indication of the energy range in which the current energy storage level is located.

[0056] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes: receiving a report from the environmental IoT device when the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device drops below a threshold; and assuming that the environmental IoT device has sufficient energy for communication when no report is received.

[0057] In some implementations of method 600, reports are received during the configured authorized or dedicated resource period.

[0058] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes: determining that the energy state is below a threshold when no expected transmission is received from an environmental IoT device.

[0059] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes: transmitting a query or handshake command to an environmental IoT device; and determining that the energy state is below a threshold when no acknowledgment corresponding to the query or handshake command is received.

[0060] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes: determining that the energy state is below a threshold when no continuous transmissions of the expected number of transmissions from an environmental IoT device are received.

[0061] In some embodiments of method 600, determining the energy state includes: when the received signal strength is below a signal strength threshold, determining that the energy state is below the threshold.

[0062] In some embodiments of method 600, determining the energy state includes: determining that the energy state is below the threshold when the received signal strength is below the signal strength threshold for a configured number of consecutive transmissions.

[0063] In some implementations of method 600, determining the energy state includes determining that the energy state is below a threshold when the received signal strength decreases with each subsequent transmission opportunity for a configured number of consecutive transmission opportunities.

[0064] In some embodiments of method 600, the energy harvesting process includes transmitting an energy harvesting command to an environmental IoT device to prepare the environmental IoT device for energy harvesting.

[0065] In some embodiments of method 600, the energy harvesting process further includes transmitting time-domain resource allocation corresponding to the energy harvesting signal.

[0066] In some implementations of method 600, the energy harvesting process includes triggering a second communication node to send an energy harvesting signal to an environmental IoT device.

[0067] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising components for performing one or more elements of method 600. The apparatus may be, for example, a base station (such as network device 918 as a reader (e.g., base station or UE), as described herein).

[0068] The embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of method 600. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, the memory of a base station (such as memory 922 of a network device 918 acting as a reader, as described herein).

[0069] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of method 600. This apparatus may be, for example, a base station (such as network device 918 as a reader, as described herein).

[0070] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of method 600. The apparatus may be, for example, a base station (such as network device 918 as a reader, as described herein).

[0071] The implementation scheme envisioned herein includes a signal as described in or related to one or more elements of method 600.

[0072] The embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions, wherein execution by a processing element causes the processing element to perform one or more elements of method 600. The processor may be a processor of a base station (such as processor 920 of network device 918 as a base station, as described herein). These instructions may, for example, reside in the processor and / or in the memory of the base station (such as memory 922 of network device 918 as a reader, as described herein).

[0073] Figure 7 A method 700 for an IoT device is illustrated. The illustrated method 700 includes establishing a wireless connection with a communication node (702). Method 700 also includes providing the communication node with explicit or implicit feedback (704) regarding the energy state of the IoT device in the environment. Method 700 further includes harvesting energy from a radio frequency (RF) signal (706) when the energy state is determined to be below a threshold.

[0074] In some implementations of method 700, providing explicit or implicit feedback includes: receiving a feedback request from a communication node; and transmitting explicit feedback to the communication node, the explicit feedback indicating the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device.

[0075] In some implementations of method 700, explicit feedback includes an indication of the current energy storage level compared to a threshold.

[0076] In some implementations of method 700, explicit feedback includes an indication of the energy range in which the current energy storage level is located.

[0077] In some implementations of method 700, providing explicit or implicit feedback includes transmitting a report to the communication node when the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device drops below a threshold.

[0078] In some implementations of method 700, reports are sent during the configured granted or dedicated resource period.

[0079] In some implementations of method 700, implicit feedback includes preventing the transmission of desired information to a communication node to indicate that the energy state is below a threshold.

[0080] In some implementations, method 700 further includes: receiving a query or handshake command from a communication node; and preventing the transmission of an acknowledgment corresponding to the query or handshake command if the energy state is determined to be below a threshold.

[0081] In some implementations of method 700, implicit feedback includes preventing the communication node from sending consecutive transmissions of the desired number of times to indicate that the energy state is below a threshold.

[0082] In some embodiments of method 700, implicit feedback includes transmitting a signal with a signal strength below a signal strength threshold to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

[0083] In some embodiments of method 700, implicit feedback includes transmitting a configured number of consecutive transmissions with a signal strength below a signal strength threshold to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

[0084] In some implementations, method 700 further includes: receiving an energy harvesting command from a communication node, and preparing for energy harvesting based on the energy harvesting command.

[0085] In some implementations, method 700 further includes receiving a time-domain resource allocation corresponding to an energy harvesting command.

[0086] In some implementations, method 700 further includes determining the need for preparing and receiving a carrier for energy harvesting based on explicit or implicit feedback.

[0087] In some embodiments of method 700, an RF signal is transmitted from a second communication node.

[0088] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising components for performing one or more elements of method 700. This apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as a wireless device 902 as an environmental IoT device, as described herein).

[0089] The embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of method 700. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, the memory of a UE (such as memory 906 of a wireless device 902 as an environmental IoT device, as described herein).

[0090] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of method 700. This apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as a wireless device 902 as an environmental IoT device, as described herein).

[0091] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of method 700. The apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as a wireless device 902 as an environmental IoT device, as described herein).

[0092] The implementation scheme envisioned herein includes a signal as described in or related to one or more elements of method 700.

[0093] The embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions, wherein execution by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more elements of method 700. The processor may be a processor of the UE (such as processor 904 of a wireless device 902 as a UE, as described herein). These instructions may, for example, reside in the processor and / or in the memory of the UE (such as memory 906 of a wireless device 902 as an environmental IoT device, as described herein).

[0094] Figure 8 An example architecture of a wireless communication system 800 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. The following description is provided for an example wireless communication system 800 operating in conjunction with LTE system standards and / or 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications.

[0095] like Figure 8 As shown, the wireless communication system 800 includes UE 802 and UE 804 (but any number of UEs may be used). In this example, UE 802 and UE 804 are exemplified as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device configured for wireless communication.

[0096] UE 802 and UE 804 can be configured to be communicatively coupled to RAN 806. In an implementation, RAN 806 can be NG-RAN, E-UTRAN, etc. UE 802 and UE 804 utilize connections (or channels) with RAN 806 (shown as connection 808 and connection 810, respectively), where each of these connections includes a physical communication interface. RAN 806 may include one or more base stations (such as base station 812 and base station 814) implementing connection 808 and connection 810.

[0097] In this example, Connection 808 and Connection 810 are air interfaces that implement this type of communication coupling and can conform to the RAT used by RAN806, such as LTE and / or NR, for example.

[0098] In some implementations, UE 802 and UE 804 may also exchange communication data directly via sidelink interface 816. UE 804 is shown configured to access an access point (shown as AP 818) via connection 820. For example, connection 820 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection conforming to any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 818 may include Wi-Fi. ® Router. In this example, AP 818 may connect to another network (e.g., the Internet) without using CN 824.

[0099] In the implementation, UE 802 and UE 804 may be configured to communicate with each other or with base station 812 and / or base station 814 on a multi-carrier communication channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals according to various communication technologies, such as but not limited to orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0100] In some implementations, all or some of the base stations in base station 812 or base station 814 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network. Furthermore, or in other implementations, base station 812 or base station 814 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 822. In implementations where the wireless communication system 800 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 824 is an EPC), interface 822 may be an X2 interface. This X2 interface may be defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In implementations where the wireless communication system 800 is an NR system (e.g., when CN 824 is a 5GC), interface 822 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to the 5GC, between a base station 812 (e.g., a gNB) connected to the 5GC and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN 824).

[0101] RAN 806 is shown communicatively coupled to CN 824. CN 824 may include one or more network elements 826 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 802 and UE 804) connected to CN 824 via RAN 806. Components of CN 824 may be implemented in a single physical device or a separate physical device including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media).

[0102] In the implementation scheme, CN 824 may be an EPC, and RAN 806 may be connected to CN 824 via S1 interface 828. In the implementation scheme, S1 interface 828 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface carrying service data between base station 812 or base station 814 and the serving gateway (S-GW), and an S1-MME interface serving as the signaling interface between base station 812 or base station 814 and the mobility management entity (MME).

[0103] In the implementation scheme, CN 824 may be a 5GC, and RAN 806 may be connected to CN 824 via NG interface 828. In the implementation scheme, NG interface 828 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface carrying service data between base station 812 or base station 814 and user plane function (UPF), and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface serving as the signaling interface between base station 812 or base station 814 and access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0104] Generally, application server 830 can be an element that provides Internet Protocol (IP) bearer resources (e.g., packet-switched data services) for use with CN 824. Application server 830 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, group communication sessions, etc.) for UE 802 and UE 804 via CN 824. Application server 830 can communicate with CN 824 via IP communication interface 832.

[0105] Figure 9 A system 900 for performing signaling transfer 934 between a wireless device 902 and a network device 918 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. System 900 may be part of a wireless communication system as described herein. Wireless device 902 may be, for example, a UE (User Equipment) of a wireless communication system. Network device 918 may be, for example, a base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB) of a wireless communication system.

[0106] Wireless device 902 may include one or more processors 904. Processor 904 is executable instructions that cause various operations of wireless device 902 to be performed as described herein. Processor 904 may include one or more baseband processors, which are implemented using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0107] Wireless device 902 may include memory 906. Memory 906 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 908, which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 904. Instructions 908 may also be referred to as program code or computer program. Memory 906 may also store data used by processor 904 and results calculated by the processor.

[0108] Wireless device 902 may include one or more transceivers 910, which may include radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuitry and / or receiver circuitry, which use antenna 912 of wireless device 902 to facilitate signaling transmission to and / or from wireless device 902 and other devices (e.g., network device 918) according to a corresponding RAT (e.g., signaling transmission 934).

[0109] Wireless device 902 may include one or more antennas 912 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments with multiple antennas 912, wireless device 902 can fully utilize the spatial diversity of such multiple antennas 912 to transmit and / or receive multiple different data streams on the same time-frequency resource. This behavior may be referred to as, for example, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) behavior (referring to multiple antennas used at each of the transmitting and receiving devices to implement this aspect). MIMO transmission by wireless device 902 can be achieved according to pre-decoding (or digital beamforming) applied at wireless device 902, which multiplexes data streams across antennas 912 based on known or assumed channel characteristics, such that each data stream is received with appropriate signal strength relative to the others at a desired location in the spatial domain (e.g., the location of the receiver associated with that data stream). Some implementations may use a single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) approach (where all data streams are directed to a single receiver) and / or a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) approach (where individual data streams may be directed to individual (different) receivers at different locations in the airspace).

[0110] In some implementations with multiple antennas, the wireless device 902 can implement analog beamforming technology, whereby the phase of the signal transmitted by the antenna 912 is relatively adjusted so that the (joint) transmission of the antenna 912 can be directed (this is sometimes referred to as beam control).

[0111] Wireless device 902 may include one or more interfaces 914. Interfaces 914 can be used to provide input to or output to wireless device 902. For example, wireless device 902 as a UE may include interfaces 914, such as microphones, speakers, touchscreens, and buttons, to allow users of the UE to make inputs and / or outputs to the UE. Other interfaces of such UEs may consist of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry that allow the UE to communicate with other devices (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 910 / antenna 912 already described), and may be based on known protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi). ® and Bluetooth ® (etc.) to perform the operation.

[0112] Wireless device 902 may include an energy state module 916. The energy state module 916 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the energy state module 916 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 908 stored in memory 906 and executed by processor 904. In some examples, the energy state module 916 may be integrated within processor 904 and / or transceiver 910. For example, the energy state module 916 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 904 or transceiver 910.

[0113] The energy status module 916 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, for example, Figures 1 to 8 The energy status module 916 is configured to determine the current energy level of the environmental IoT devices, provide feedback to the network device 918, and enable the wireless device 902 to prepare energy harvesting signals.

[0114] Network device 918 may include one or more processors 920. Processor 920 is executable instructions that cause various operations of network device 918 to be performed as described herein. Processor 920 may include one or more baseband processors, which are implemented using, for example, a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0115] Network device 918 may include memory 922. Memory 922 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 924, which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 920. Instructions 924 may also be referred to as program code or computer program. Memory 922 may also store data used by processor 920 and results calculated by the processor.

[0116] Network device 918 may include one or more transceivers 926, which may include RF transmitter circuitry and / or receiver circuitry that use antenna 928 of network device 918 to facilitate signaling transmission to and / or from network device 918 and other devices (e.g., signaling transmission 934) in accordance with corresponding RAT.

[0117] Network device 918 may include one or more antennas 928 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments having multiple antennas 928, network device 918 may perform MIMO, digital beamforming, analog beamforming, beam control, etc., as described.

[0118] Network device 918 may include one or more interfaces 930. Interfaces 930 may be used to provide input to or output to network device 918. For example, network device 918 as a base station may include interfaces 930 consisting of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 926 / antenna 928 already described), which enable the base station to communicate with other equipment in the core network and / or enable the base station to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the purpose of performing operations, management, and maintenance of the base station or other equipment operatively connected to the base station.

[0119] Network device 918 may include an energy status module 932. The energy status module 932 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the energy status module 932 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 924 stored in memory 922 and executed by processor 920. In some examples, the energy status module 932 may be integrated within processor 920 and / or transceiver 926. For example, the energy status module 932 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 920 or transceiver 926.

[0120] The energy status module 932 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, for example, Figures 1 to 8 The energy status module 932 is configured to determine the current energy level of the environmental IoT device and transmit an indication to the wireless device 902 to prepare an energy harvesting signal.

[0121] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components illustrated in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods as described herein. For example, a baseband processor as described herein in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples illustrated herein. Similarly, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc., as described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples illustrated herein.

[0122] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the embodiments described above may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustrative and descriptive information, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In light of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice with various embodiments.

[0123] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components, including specific logical parts for performing the operations; or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0124] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation in one implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that, unless expressly stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0125] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0126] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a communication node, the method comprising: Establish wireless connections with environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices; Determine the energy state of the environmental IoT devices; as well as When the energy state is determined to be below a threshold, an energy harvesting process is performed for the environmental IoT device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: Request feedback from the IoT devices in the environment; as well as The feedback is received from the environmental IoT device, and the feedback indicates the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the feedback includes an indication of the current energy storage level compared to the threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the feedback includes an indication of the energy range in which the current energy storage level is located.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device drops below the threshold, a report is received from the environmental IoT device; as well as If the report is not received, it is assumed that the environmental IoT device has sufficient power for communication.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the report is received during the configuration of authorized or dedicated resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When no expected transmission is received from the environmental IoT device, the energy state is determined to be below the threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: Send query or handshake commands to the IoT devices in the environment; as well as If no confirmation corresponding to the query or handshake command is received, the energy state is determined to be below the threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When no consecutive transmission opportunities are received from the environmental IoT device to reach the configured number of transmissions, the energy state is determined to be below the threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When the received signal strength is lower than the signal strength threshold, the energy state is determined to be lower than the threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When the received signal strength is lower than the signal strength threshold for a configured number of consecutive transmissions, the energy state is determined to be below the threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the energy state comprises: When the received signal strength decreases with each subsequent transmission opportunity for a configured number of consecutive transmission opportunities, the energy state is determined to be below the threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting process includes transmitting an energy harvesting command to the environmental IoT device to prepare the environmental IoT device for energy harvesting.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the energy harvesting process further includes transmitting time-domain resource allocation corresponding to the energy harvesting signal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting process includes triggering a second communication node to send an energy harvesting signal to the environmental IoT device.

16. A method for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the method comprising: Establish a wireless connection with the communication node; Provide the communication node with explicit or implicit feedback regarding the energy status of the environmental IoT devices; as well as Energy is harvested from radio frequency (RF) signals when the energy state is determined to be below a threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the explicit feedback or the implicit feedback comprises: Receive feedback requests from the communication node; as well as The explicit feedback is transmitted to the communication node, indicating the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the explicit feedback includes an indication of the current energy storage level compared to the threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the explicit feedback includes an indication of the energy range in which the current energy storage level is located.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the explicit feedback or the implicit feedback comprises transmitting a report to the communication node when the current energy storage level of the environmental IoT device drops below the threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the report is sent during the configuration of authorized or dedicated resources.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the implicit feedback includes preventing the transmission of a desired signal to the communication node to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising: Receive query or handshake commands from the communication node; as well as If the energy state is determined to be below the threshold, the transmission of confirmation corresponding to the query or handshake command is prevented.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the implicit feedback includes preventing the communication node from sending a continuous number of transmissions expected to be sent to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the implicit feedback comprises transmitting a signal strength below a signal strength threshold to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the implicit feedback comprises transmitting a configured number of consecutive transmissions having a signal strength below a signal strength threshold to indicate that the energy state is below the threshold.

27. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: Receive energy harvesting commands from the communication node, and prepare for energy harvesting based on the energy harvesting commands.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising: Receive time-domain resource allocation corresponding to the energy harvesting command.

29. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: The need to prepare and receive carriers for energy harvesting is determined based on the explicit or implicit feedback.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the RF signal is transmitted from the second communication node.

31. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

32. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

33. An apparatus comprising a logic component, module, or circuit for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

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