Apparatus, method and computer program

Abstract

An apparatus is provided that includes means for receiving, from a first access node, information associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information comprises at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; means for receiving the response based on the received information; and means for providing a report related to the response to the first access node or the second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a method, apparatus, system, and computer program, and specifically, but not exclusively, to processing activators and readers in different serving cells of environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices. Background Technology

[0002] A communication system can be viewed as a facility that enables a communication session between two or more entities (such as user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carrier waves between various entities involved in the communication path. A communication system can be provided, for example, by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. A communication session can include, for example, communication of data carrying communications such as voice, video, email, text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multiplexed calls, data communication or multimedia services, and access to data network systems such as the Internet.

[0003] In wireless communication systems, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link. Examples of wireless systems include Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication systems, and various 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 communication system through appropriate communication equipment or terminals. A user's communication equipment may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or user device. The communication equipment is equipped with appropriate signal receiving and transmission means for enabling communication, such as access to a communication network or direct communication with other users. The communication equipment can access a carrier provided by a station (e.g., a base station in a cell) and transmit and / or receive communication on that carrier.

[0005] Communication systems and associated equipment typically operate according to a given standard or specification that outlines what the various entities associated with the system are allowed to do and how they should be implemented. The communication protocols and / or parameters used for connectivity are also usually defined. One example of a communication system is the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) (3G radio). Other examples of communication systems include the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of UMTS radio access technology and so-called 5G or New Radio (NR) networks. NR is being standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Other examples of communication systems include 5G Advanced (NR Rel-18 and above) and 6G. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect, a first device is provided, comprising: components for receiving information associated with receiving a response from a first access node and receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; components for receiving the response based on the received information; and components for providing a report related to the response to the first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

[0007] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0008] The first device may include components for providing a request to the first access node for a gap configuration for receiving a response.

[0009] The first device may include components for performing a discovery process against the second device.

[0010] The first device can be a reader device. The second device can be an activator device.

[0011] The other device can be an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) device. The response can be an AIoT response.

[0012] In a second aspect, an access node is provided, comprising: components for providing information from the access node to a first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and components for receiving, at the first access node, a report related to the response received at the first device based on the provided information.

[0013] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0014] The access node may include: a component for receiving a trigger from a network function to provide information to a first device; and a component for providing information based on the trigger.

[0015] The access node may include components for receiving, at the access node, a request from the first device for a gap configuration for receiving a response.

[0016] In a third aspect, a second device is provided, comprising: components for receiving information from a second access node associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal; and components for providing the activation signal based on the received information.

[0017] A response from another device can be received by the first device. The first device can be associated with the first access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0018] The second device may include components for providing a request to the second access node for a gap configuration for providing an activation signal.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, an access node is provided, comprising: a component for providing information associated with providing an activation signal to a second device from the access node, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0020] The access node may include: a component for receiving a trigger from a network function to provide information to a second device; and a component for providing information based on the trigger.

[0021] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus including a network function is provided, the apparatus including components for providing a trigger from the network function to at least one of the following: a first access node for providing information to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device; or a second access node for providing information to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal, and wherein the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0022] The apparatus may further include a component for receiving, at a network function, a report relating to a response received at the first device, based on the provided information.

[0023] Reports can be received at the network function via a second access node.

[0024] In a sixth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving from a first access node information associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; receiving the response based on the received information; and providing a report related to the response to the first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

[0025] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0026] The method may include providing a request to the first access node for a gap configuration for receiving responses.

[0027] This method may include performing a discovery process for a second device.

[0028] The first device can be a reader device. The second device can be an activator device.

[0029] The other device can be an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) device. The response can be an AIoT response.

[0030] In a seventh aspect, a method is provided, comprising: providing from an access node to a first device information associated with receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and receiving, at the first access node, a report related to the response received at the first device based on the provided information.

[0031] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0032] The method may include: receiving a trigger from a network function for providing information to the first device; and a component for providing the information based on the trigger.

[0033] The method may include receiving a request from a first device at the access node for a gap configuration for receiving a response.

[0034] In an eighth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving from a second access node information associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal; and providing the activation signal based on the received information.

[0035] A response from another device can be received by the first device. The first device can be associated with the first access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0036] The method may include providing a request to the second access node for a gap configuration used to provide an activation signal.

[0037] In a ninth aspect, a method is provided, comprising providing information from an access node to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0038] The method may include: receiving a trigger from a network function to provide the information to the second device; and a component for providing the information based on the trigger.

[0039] In a tenth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: at a network function, providing a trigger from the network function to at least one of: a first access node for providing information to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device; or a second access node for providing information to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal, and wherein the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0040] The method may further include: receiving, at a network function, a report relating to the response received at the first device, based on the provided information.

[0041] Reports can be received at the network function via a second access node.

[0042] In an eleventh aspect, a first device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the first device to perform at least the following: receiving from a first access node information associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; receiving the response based on the received information; and providing a report related to the response to the first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

[0043] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0044] The first device may be made to provide a request to the first access node for a gap configuration for receiving responses.

[0045] The first device can be made to perform a discovery process for the second device.

[0046] The first device can be a reader device. The second device can be an activator device.

[0047] The other device can be an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) device. The response can be an AIoT response.

[0048] In a twelfth aspect, an access node is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the access node to at least: provide information from the access node to a first device relating to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and receiving, based on the provided information, a report at the first access node relating to the response received at the first device.

[0049] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0050] The access node may include: a component for receiving a trigger from a network function to provide information to a first device; and a component for providing information based on the trigger.

[0051] The access node can be configured to receive a request for a gap configuration for receiving a response from the first device.

[0052] In a thirteenth aspect, a second device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the second device to at least: receive from a second access node information associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal; and providing the activation signal based on the received information.

[0053] A response from another device can be received by the first device. The first device can be associated with the first access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0054] The second device can be made to provide a request to the second access node for the gap configuration used to provide the activation signal.

[0055] In a fourteenth aspect, an access node is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access node to at least: provide information from the access node to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0056] The access node can be enabled to receive a trigger from the network function to provide information to the second device, and to provide information based on the trigger.

[0057] In a fifteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided including a network function comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the apparatus to at least: provide a trigger from the network function to at least one of: a first access node for providing information to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device; or a second access node for providing information to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or a gap configuration for providing the activation signal, and wherein the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0058] The apparatus may further include a component for receiving, at a network function, a report relating to a response received at the first device, based on the provided information.

[0059] Reports can be received at the network function via a second access node.

[0060] In a sixteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a first device, cause the first device to perform at least the following operations: receiving from a first access node information associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; receiving the response based on the received information; and providing a report related to the response to the first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

[0061] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0062] The first device can be made to perform a request to the first access node for a gap configuration for receiving a response.

[0063] The first device can be made to perform a discovery process for the second device.

[0064] The first device can be a reader device. The second device can be an activator device.

[0065] The other device can be an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) device. The response can be an AIoT response.

[0066] In a seventeenth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by an access node, cause the access node to perform at least the following operations: providing information from the access node to a first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and receiving, based on the provided information, a report at the first access node related to the response received at the first device.

[0067] The additional device can be activated by a transmission from the second device. The second device can be associated with a second access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0068] The access node can be configured to receive a trigger from a network function to provide information to a first device, and to provide information based on the trigger.

[0069] The access node may include components for receiving, at the access node, a request from the first device for a gap configuration for receiving a response.

[0070] In an eighteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a second device, cause the second device to perform at least the following operations: receiving from a second access node information associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or a gap configuration for providing the activation signal; and providing the activation signal based on the received information.

[0071] A response from another device can be received by the first device. The first device can be associated with the first access node. The first access node and the second access node can be different.

[0072] The second device can be configured to send a request to the second access node for a gap configuration used to provide an activation signal.

[0073] In a nineteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by an access node, cause the device to perform at least the following operations: providing information from the access node to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0074] The access node can be configured to receive triggers from network functions to provide information to a second device, and to provide information based on the triggers.

[0075] In a twentieth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform at least the following operations: providing a trigger from the network function to at least one of: a first access node for providing information to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device; or a second access node for providing information to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, a gap configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or a gap configuration for providing the activation signal, and wherein the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0076] The apparatus may further include a component for receiving, at a network function, a report relating to a response received at the first device, based on the provided information.

[0077] In a twenty-first aspect, a reader device is provided, comprising: means for receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for receiving an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device; means for transmitting a positioning reference signal based on receiving the first information; means for receiving second information from at least one additional user device and receiving the positioning reference signal from the at least one additional user device, the second information being associated with the positioning reference signal; means for determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal; means for determining at least one activator device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and means for configuring an activation session at the determined at least one activator device based on the first information.

[0078] The components used to determine the activator device may include components for sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0079] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0080] The reader device may include components for determining the activator device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0081] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0082] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0083] In a twenty-second aspect, an activator device is provided, comprising: components for receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to provide environmental IoT transmission to an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device response is received by a reader device; components for transmitting a positioning reference signal based on the received first information; components for receiving second information from at least one additional user device and receiving the positioning reference signal from the at least one additional user device, the second information being associated with the positioning reference signal; components for determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal; components for determining at least one reader device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and components for configuring a reading session at the determined at least one reader device based on the first information.

[0084] The components used to determine the reader device may include components for sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0085] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0086] The activator device may include components for determining the reader device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0087] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0088] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0089] In a twenty-third aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to receive an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device; transmitting a positioning reference signal based on the received first information; receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information being related to the positioning reference signal; and receiving the positioning reference signal from at least one additional user device; determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal; determining at least one activator device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configuring an activation session at the determined at least one activator device based on the first information.

[0090] Determining the activator device may include sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0091] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0092] The reader device may include components for determining the activator device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0093] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0094] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0095] In a twenty-fourth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to provide environmental IoT transmission to an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device response is received by a reader device; transmitting a location reference signal based on receiving the first information; receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information being related to the location reference signal; and receiving the location reference signal from the at least one additional user device; determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received location reference signal; determining at least one reader device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configuring a reading session at the at least one determined reader device based on the first information.

[0096] Determining the reader device includes sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0097] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0098] The activator device may include components for determining the reader device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0099] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0100] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0101] In a twenty-fifth aspect, a reader device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the reader device to at least: receive first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for receiving an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device; transmit a location reference signal based on receiving the first information; receive second information from at least one additional user device, the second information relating to the location reference signal; and receive the location reference signal from the at least one additional user device; determine a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received location reference signal; determine at least one activator device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configure an activation session at the at least one determined activator device based on the first information.

[0102] The device can be configured to sort at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0103] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0104] The reader device may include components for determining the activator device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0105] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0106] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0107] In a twenty-sixth aspect, an activator device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the activator device to perform at least the following operations: receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for providing environmental IoT transmission to an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device responds to being received by a reader device; transmitting a positioning reference signal based on receiving the first information; receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information being related to the positioning reference signal; and receiving the positioning reference signal from the at least one additional user device; determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal; determining at least one reader device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configuring a reading session at the at least one determined reader device based on the first information.

[0108] The device can sort at least one other user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0109] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0110] The activator device may include components for determining the reader device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0111] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0112] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0113] In a twenty-seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a reader device, cause the reader device to perform at least the following operations: receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for receiving an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device; transmitting a location reference signal based on receiving the first information; receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information relating to the location reference signal; and receiving the location reference signal from the at least one additional user device; determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received location reference signal; determining at least one activator device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configuring an activation session at the at least one determined activator device based on the first information.

[0114] Determining the activator device may include sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0115] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0116] The reader device may include components for determining the activator device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0117] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0118] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0119] In a twenty-eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by an activator device, cause the activator device to perform at least the following operations: receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for providing environmental IoT transmissions to an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device responds to being received by a reader device; transmitting a location reference signal based on receiving the first information; receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information relating to the location reference signal; and receiving the location reference signal from the at least one additional user device; determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received location reference signal; determining at least one reader device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and configuring a reading session at the at least one determined reader device based on the first information.

[0120] Determining a reader device may include sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold.

[0121] Each of the at least one delay threshold can be associated with the type of environmental IoT device.

[0122] The activator device may include components for determining the reader device based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0123] The first piece of information may include scheduling information.

[0124] The positioning reference signal may include the side link positioning reference signal.

[0125] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of the above aspects.

[0126] Many different embodiments have been described above. It should be understood that other embodiments can be provided by any combination of two or more of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0127] Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example 5GS communication system is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an example mobile communication device is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example control device is shown; Figure 4 An example IoT architecture is shown, in which reader devices and activator devices are in different cells; Figure 5 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 7 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 8 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 9 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 10 The signaling diagram for the example solution is shown; Figure 11 The signaling diagram for the example solution is shown; Figure 12 The signaling diagram for the example solution is shown; Figure 13 The signaling diagram for the example solution is shown; Figure 14 The signaling diagram for the example solution is shown; Figure 15 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown; Figure 16 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0128] Before explaining the examples in detail, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 A brief explanation of some general principles of wireless communication systems and mobile communication devices is provided to help understand the underlying technology of the described examples.

[0129] A suitable example of a communication system is the 5G or NR concept. The network architecture in NR can be similar to that of advanced LTE. Base stations in an NR system can be referred to as next-generation node Bs (gNBs). Changes to the network architecture can depend on the need to support various radio technologies and more granular quality of service (QoS) support, as well as some on-demand requirements for, for example, QoS levels to support user quality of experience (QoE). Furthermore, network-aware services and applications, and service and application-aware networks, may bring about changes to the architecture. These involve information-centric networks (ICNs) and user-centric content delivery networks (UC-CDNs). NR can use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, far more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites cooperating with smaller stations, and may also employ various radio technologies to achieve better coverage and enhanced data rates.

[0130] Future networks can leverage Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), a network architecture concept that proposes virtualizing network node functions as "building blocks" or entities that can be operatively connected or linked together to provide services. Virtualized network functions (VNFs) can include one or more virtual machines running computer program code using standard or general-purpose servers instead of custom hardware. Cloud computing or data storage can also be utilized. In radio communications, this might mean performing node operations, at least partially, within servers, hosts, or nodes operatively coupled to a remote radio head. Node operations can also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be understood that the functional distribution between core network operations and base station operations may differ from or even not exist in LTE.

[0131] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G system (5GS) 100 is shown. The 5GS may include a user equipment (UE) 102 (which may also be referred to as a communication device or terminal), a 5G radio access network (5GRAN) 104, a 5G core network (5GCN) 106, one or more internal or external application functions (AF) 108, and one or more data networks (DN) 110.

[0132] An example 5G core network (CN) includes functional entities. 5GCN 106 may include one or more Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) 112, one or more Session Management Functions (SMF) 114, Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 116, Unified Data Management (UDM) 118, one or more User Plane Functions (UPF) 120, Unified Data Repository (UDR) 122, and / or Network Exposure Function (NEF) 124. The UPF is controlled by the SMF (Session Management Function) that receives policies from the PCF (Policy Control Function).

[0133] The CN connects to the UE via a radio access network (RAN). The 5G RAN may include one or more gNodeB (gNB) distributed unit (DU) functions connected to one or more gNodeB (gNB) centralized unit (CU) functions. The RAN may include one or more access nodes.

[0134] The User Plane Function (UPF), known as the PDU Session Anchor (PSA), is responsible for forwarding frames back and forth between the DN and the tunnel established through 5G to the UE that exchanges services with the DN.

[0135] Now refer to Figure 2 A more detailed description of possible mobile communication devices, Figure 2 A schematic partial cross-sectional view of a communication device 200 is shown. Such a communication device is generally referred to as a user equipment (UE) or terminal. Suitable mobile communication devices can be provided by any device capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include mobile stations (MS) or mobile devices (such as mobile phones or so-called smartphones), computers equipped with wireless interface cards or other wireless interface facilities (e.g., USB dongles), personal data assistants (PDAs) or tablet computers equipped with wireless communication capabilities, VoIP phones, portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), or any combination thereof. Mobile communication devices can provide, for example, data communication for carrying communications such as voice, email, text messages, multimedia, etc. Therefore, a variety of services can be provided to the user via the user's communication device. Non-limiting examples of these services include two-way or multiplexed calling, data communications or multimedia services, or simply access to data communications network systems such as the Internet. Broadcast or multicast data may also be provided to users. Non-limiting examples of content include downloads, television and radio programs, videos, advertisements, various alarms, and other information.

[0136] Mobile devices typically include at least one data processing entity 201, at least one memory 202, and other possible components 203 for software and hardware assistance in performing tasks designed to be performed, including controlling access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. The data processing, storage, and other related components may be housed on appropriate circuit boards and / or chipsets. This feature is indicated by reference numeral 204. Users can control the operation of the mobile device using a suitable user interface (e.g., keypad 205, voice commands, touch-sensitive screen or touchpad, combinations thereof). A display 208, speaker, and microphone may also be provided. Furthermore, mobile communication devices may include appropriate connectors (wired or wireless) for connecting to other devices and / or for connecting external accessories (e.g., hands-free devices).

[0137] Mobile device 200 can receive signals via air or radio interface 207 through appropriate means for receiving, and can transmit signals via appropriate means for transmitting radio signals. Figure 2 In this diagram, the transceiver device is schematically designated by box 206. The transceiver device 206 may be provided, for example, by means of radio components and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be located inside or outside the mobile device.

[0138] Figure 3 An example of a control device 300 for a communication system is shown, which is coupled to and / or used to control a station accessing the system, such as a RAN node (e.g., a base station, eNB, or gNB), a relay node, or a core network node (such as an MME or Serving Gateway (S-GW) or Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW)), or a core network function (such as an AMF / SMF), or a server or host. The method can be implemented in a single control device or across more than one control device. The control device can be integrated with or external to a node or module of the core network or RAN. In some embodiments, the base station includes a separate control device unit or module. In other embodiments, the control device can be another network element, such as a radio network controller or a spectrum controller. In some embodiments, each base station can have such a control device as well as control devices provided in the radio network controller. The control device 300 can be arranged to provide control over communications within the service area of ​​the system. The control device 300 includes at least one memory 301, at least one data processing unit 302, 303, and an input / output interface 304. The control device can be coupled to a receiver and transmitter of the base station via the interface. The receiver and / or transmitter can be implemented as a radio front end or a remote radio head.

[0139] The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connections has grown rapidly in recent years and is projected to reach hundreds of billions by 2030. As more and more things are expected to be interconnected to improve productivity and increase life comfort, there is a need to further reduce the size, cost, and power consumption of IoT devices. For example, regularly replacing the batteries of all IoT devices is impractical due to the consumption of materials and manpower. Using energy harvested from the environment to power IoT devices for self-sustaining communication has become a trend, especially in applications with a large number of devices, such as ID tags and sensors.

[0140] 3GPP specified NB-IoT / eMTC and NR RedCap prior to Release 18 to meet the requirements for low-cost and low-power devices for wide-area IoT communication. These IoT devices typically consume tens or hundreds of milliwatts of power during transmission and reception, while costing only a few dollars. However, to achieve the Internet of Things, there is a demand for IoT devices that are ten times or even a hundred times cheaper and consume less power, especially for large-scale applications requiring battery-free devices.

[0141] One issue with existing 3GPP technologies for the target use case is their ability to collaborate with energy harvesting within a limited device size. Cellular devices typically consume tens or even hundreds of milliwatts of power for transceiver processing. For example, in an NB-IoT module, typical current consumption for receive processing is around 60mA with a supply voltage above 3.1V, while 70mA is used for transmit processing at 0dBm power. Considering the small size of actual devices (a few square centimeters), the output power provided by a typical energy harvester is mostly less than 1 milliwatt. Since the available power is far less than the consumed power, directly powering cellular devices via energy harvesting is impractical in most cases.

[0142] One possible solution is to integrate energy harvesting with rechargeable batteries or supercapacitors. However, several issues remain. First, in practice, both rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors may suffer from shortened lifespans. Providing a constant charging current or voltage via energy harvesting is difficult, and prolonged continuous charging is required due to the small output power from the energy harvester. Inconsistent charging current and prolonged continuous charging are detrimental to battery life. For supercapacitors, their lifespan can be significantly reduced in high-temperature environments (e.g., less than 3 years at 50 degrees Celsius). Second, device size will increase significantly. Since small coin cells can only provide tens of milliamps of current, much larger batteries (e.g., AA batteries) are typically used to power cellular devices, and their size can even exceed that of the module itself. To store energy for a suitable operating duration (e.g., one second), supercapacitors require capacitance in the hundreds of millifarads. Such supercapacitors can be larger than NB-IoT modules. Third, rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors may be more expensive than the module itself. Even with bulk purchases, the cost of suitable batteries or supercapacitors can reach one or several dollars, which could double the cost of the equipment.

[0143] RFID is a well-known technology that supports battery-free tags (also known as IoT devices). Commercial passive RFID tags can consume as little as 1 microwatt. The key technologies for achieving this low power consumption are envelope detection for downlink data reception and backscatter communication for uplink data transmission. RFID is designed for short-range communication, with a typical effective range of less than 10 meters. Since the air interface of RFID has remained virtually unchanged since 2005, transmission schemes have become a barrier to improving link budgets and its ability to support scalable networks.

[0144] Backscattering represents a battery-free technology that uses incoming radio frequency (RF) signals for data transmission. This method relies on the passive reflection and modulation of the RF signal to convert it into a small amount of electricity, typically ranging from tens to hundreds of microwatts. This collected energy is then used to encode data and facilitate communication without requiring an external power source.

[0145] Due to the extremely low power consumption of backscatter communication, many non-3GPP technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, and LoRa, have begun to be researched. Various studies have shown that, based on or with minor modifications to the aforementioned air interfaces, passive tags can support power consumption of a few or tens of microwatts. Most of this research focuses on long-range communication. For example, LoRa tags implemented using commercially available off-the-shelf components can transmit their sensing data to a receiver up to 381 meters away.

[0146] Passive / Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) refers to IoT devices that operate without a dedicated power source. These devices, which may be battery-free or have limited energy storage, obtain power from various environmental sources such as radio waves, light, motion, heat, or other suitable power sources.

[0147] A passive radio is a device that uses energy from an incoming wireless signal transmitted on a specific carrier and / or bandwidth to power its circuitry. Once triggered by the incoming energy, the passive radio activates and transmits or reflects the signal. A typical passive radio architecture includes an activator, which is the device that sends the activation signal; the passive radio, which uses the energy and listens for the activation signal; and a reader, which listens for and detects the passive radio signal.

[0148] Three different types of devices have been identified: Device A, Device B, and Device C.

[0149] Device A is a passive device without energy storage. Device B is a passive device with energy storage, while device C is an active device with energy storage.

[0150] The design target for power consumption is less than or equal to 10μW for device A, less than or equal to 1mW for device C, and between these values ​​for device B. The design target for device complexity for device A is comparable to that of UHF RFID, the design target for device complexity for device C is several orders of magnitude lower than that of NB-IoT, and the design target for device complexity for device B is between that of device A and device C.

[0151] The coexistence of AIoT and cellular communication can be achieved through fully integrated AIoT and cellular communication, where their coexistence is achieved through network-controlled resource scheduling (i.e., the activation and reading of AIoT devices are scheduled), and thus the network is always aware of the impact of AIoT communication on "normal" cellular operation. One advantage of this approach is the control of the (radio) network for AIoT, and therefore the mitigation of any problems associated with coexistence (e.g., interference). A disadvantage is that AIoT devices need to implement at least the essential parts of the 3GPP communication stack in both the user plane and control plane, which may be problematic, at least for AIoT device types A and B.

[0152] Alternatively or additionally, the coexistence of AIoT and cellular communication can be achieved through a completely decoupled approach, where their coexistence is accomplished by deploying AIoT on a different carrier than cellular communication, and the only impact on cellular devices (which act as activators or readers) is the need to configure measurement gaps to minimize disruption to their "normal" cellular communication. One advantage of this approach is that AIoT devices (such as types A and B) will no longer need to implement a complete user and control plane stack.

[0153] Alternatively or additionally, the coexistence of AIoT and cellular communications can be achieved through partially decoupled AIoT and cellular communications, where activation and reading can occur on different carriers than "normal" cellular communications, or the activator and reader can be under the control of different cells (or even operators). In this case, a combination of resource scheduling and measurement gaps can be deployed to achieve the coexistence of AIoT and cellular communications. One advantage of this approach is that the activator and reader no longer need to be under the same serving cell.

[0154] Measurement gaps (MG) (also referred to herein as “gap”) are specific time intervals during which a UE does not participate in sending or receiving data to or from its serving cell. These gaps are intentionally designed to allow the UE to focus on measuring signals from sources beyond its current active bandwidth portion (BWP). These measurement gaps can be configured by the gNB or requested by the UE. However, in both cases, the gNB configures the MG for a given duration with a given periodicity for a given purpose. The MG length should be long enough for the UE to switch to a new carrier, perform all necessary measurements (on one or more new carriers), and switch back to its original serving carrier.

[0155] The measurement gap (MG) can be defined as the time interval during which the UE is exempt from UL / DL TX / RX with its serving cell (e.g., the device does not participate in sending or receiving data with its serving cell), allowing the UE to perform signal measurements outside of its current active BWP. The measurement gap can be configured by the gNB or requested by the UE. However, in both cases, the gNB configures the MG for a given duration with a given periodicity for a given purpose.

[0156] 3GPP standards can define different MG modes, depending on whether the UE should perform intra-frequency cell and / or inter-frequency cell and / or RAT inter-E-UTRAN cell or PRS measurements and / or whether the UE supports independent measurement gap modes for different frequency ranges.

[0157] In an A-IoT system, activators and readers can be configured to detect and manage hundreds or even thousands of potential A-IoT devices. Some of these A-IoT devices can operate on different carrier frequencies or utilize various subsets of carriers for their communication (different from the activator / reader UE carrier, but the carriers between A-IoT devices are also different, depending on the device type).

[0158] When a UE requests AIoT device detection / communication (i.e., activation / reading) on ​​a carrier different from the active cell carrier, an MG is needed for activation (also known as the activation gap (AG)) or for reading. Given the current specification, configuring the MG for the activator UE and the reader UE may not be straightforward, as the NR NW does not know which AIoT devices are near which activator and / or reader, and current MG configurations are not equipped with measurements of thousands of potentially concurrent signals.

[0159] Another problem may arise if the selected activator UE and reader UE are served by different cells, because in this case, the activator UE and reader UE need to coordinate with their respective serving cells on how to cooperate with each other.

[0160] Figure 4 An example architecture is shown in which an activator device for AIoT devices has one serving cell (cell A) and a reader device for AIoT devices has another serving cell (cell B).

[0161] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. The method can be performed at a first device.

[0162] In 501, the method includes receiving from a first access node information associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response.

[0163] In 502, the method includes receiving a response based on the received information.

[0164] In 503, the method includes: providing a report relating to the response to a first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving a response.

[0165] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. This method can be executed at an access node. The access node can be a reference... Figure 5 The first access node mentioned in the described method.

[0166] In 601, the method includes: providing information from an access node to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response.

[0167] In 602, the method includes receiving, at a first access node, a report relating to a response received at a first device, based on the information provided.

[0168] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. The method can be performed at a second device. The second device may include an activator device. The second device may include a UE.

[0169] In 701, the method includes receiving information from a second access node associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0170] In 702, the method includes providing an activation signal based on the received information.

[0171] Figure 8 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. This method can be executed at an access node. The access node can be a reference... Figure 6 The second access node mentioned in the described method.

[0172] In 801, the method includes providing information from an access node to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0173] Figure 9 A flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. This method can be performed at a device including network functionality. The network functionality may be an SCU (System-Controlled Unit).

[0174] In 901, the method includes providing a trigger from a network function to at least one of the following: A first access node is configured to provide a first device with information associated with receiving a response from another device, or a second access node is configured to provide a second device with information associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal, and wherein the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0175] In reference Figures 5 to 9 In the described method, an additional device can be activated by a transmission from a second device, wherein the second device is associated with a second access node. A response from the additional device can be received by a first device, wherein the first device is associated with a first access node, and the first and second access nodes are different.

[0176] Reference Figures 5 to 9 In the described method, the first device may include a reader device. The first device may include a UE. The first access node may be a gNB (also known as a serving gNB). The second device may include an activator device. The second device may include a UE. The second access node may be a gNB (also known as a serving gNB). Additional devices may be AIoT devices. The response may be an AIoT response.

[0177] Direct scheduling is feasible if the activator device and / or reader device uses the same operating frequency carrier as the corresponding serving gNB for AIoT device communication. In principle, AG or MG is required whenever the operating frequency carrier used for AIoT communication by the activator device or reader device differs from the operating frequency carrier allocated by the serving gNB.

[0178] To enable inter-cell coordination of activation and read sessions (i.e., when the activator device and the reader device belong to different cells), the following set of solutions is provided, linking to specific deployment scenarios listed in Table 1.

[0179]

[0180] In Solution 1, there is resource scheduling for both the activator device and the reader device.

[0181] In the example embodiment, the SCU makes a request to the serving gNB of both the activator UE and the reader UE, and the gNB then triggers resource allocation in its respective UE. The serving gNB of the reader UE then receives the AIoT response report and forwards it to the SCU.

[0182] Figure 10 An example signaling diagram based on the method of Solution 1 is shown.

[0183] In step 1, the SCU triggers the initiation of the AIoT activation / read session by contacting both gNB A and gNB B. This involves providing a trigger from the network function to the first access node to provide information associated with receiving a response from another device to the first device, and to the second access node to provide information associated with providing an activation signal to another device.

[0184] The assumption here is that the SCU already knows the specific activator device and reader device to be triggered, as well as the associated service gNB.

[0185] In step 2, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB A sends an instruction to the activator that it needs to send an activation signal to the AIoT device and resource scheduling information to the activator, enabling the activator to actually send its activation signal. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., an SCU) to provide information to a second device and providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes scheduling information for providing the activation signal.

[0186] In step 3, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB B sends resource scheduling information to the reader, enabling the reader to receive responses from the AIoT device and report the AIoT device's response to the gNB B. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., SCU) to provide information to the first device, and components for providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving a response or scheduling information for reporting a response.

[0187] In step 4, the activator device sends an activation signal to the AIoT device.

[0188] In step 5, the AIoT device provides its response upon receiving the activation signal (either by backscattering the activation signal or by performing an active transmission).

[0189] In step 6, the reader device receives the AIoT device's response and reports it to the gNB B. This is an example of providing a report related to the response from the first device to the first access node.

[0190] In step 7, the gNB B reports the AIoT device response back to the SCU. This is an example of receiving a report from the first device related to the response received at the first device based on the provided information at the network function.

[0191] In Solution 2, there is an AG activation gap (AG) for the activator device and a scheduling for the reader device.

[0192] In the example embodiment, the SCU makes a request to the serving gNB of both the activator UE and the reader UE, and the gNB then triggers the configuration of (AG) and resource allocation in its respective UE. Then, the serving gNB of the reader UE receives the AIoT response report and forwards it to the SCU.

[0193] Figure 11 An example signaling diagram based on the method of Solution 2 is shown.

[0194] In step 1, the SCU triggers the initiation of the AIoT activation / reading session by contacting both gNB A and gNB B. This involves the network function providing a trigger to the first access node to provide information associated with receiving a response from another device to the first device, and to the second access node to provide information associated with providing an activation signal to another device. The assumption here is that the SCU already knows the specific activator device and reader device to be triggered, as well as the associated serving gNB.

[0195] In step 2, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB A sends an indication that the activator device needs to send an activation signal to the AIoT device, along with a configuration for the activation gap, enabling the activator to actually send its activation signal. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., an SCU) to provide information to a second device and providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes a gap configuration for providing the activation signal. The gap configuration may consist of a duration and a carrier that the gNB A assumes will be unreachable during the gap period.

[0196] In step 3, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB B sends resource scheduling information to the reader, enabling the reader to receive responses from the AIoT device and report the AIoT device's response to the gNB B. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., SCU) to provide information to the first device, and components for providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving a response or scheduling information for reporting a response.

[0197] In step 4, the activator sends an activation signal to the AIoT device.

[0198] In step 5, the AIoT device provides its response upon receiving the activation signal (either by backscattering the activation signal or by performing an active transmission).

[0199] In step 6, the reader receives the AIoT device's response and reports it to the gNB B. This is an example of providing a report related to the response from the first device to the first access node.

[0200] In step 7, the gNB B reports the AIoT device response back to the SCU. This is an example of receiving a report from the first device related to the response received at the first device based on the provided information at the network function.

[0201] In Solution 3, there is a scheduling of the activator device and an interaction triggered by the activator device to the reader device's MG. The SCU sends a request to the activator device's service gNB, and the gNB then triggers resource allocation for the activator device.

[0202] The activator UE finds a suitable reader device, which in turn triggers the reader device to request configuration of the MG. The activator device may receive auxiliary information for finding the reader; for example, a list of candidate readers may be provided indirectly (via the SCU) by a neighboring gNB.

[0203] After the activation and reading session ends, the reader device sends an AIoT response report back to the activator, which then sends it back to the SCU via the serving gNB.

[0204] Figure 12 An example signaling diagram based on the method of Solution 3 is shown.

[0205] In step 1, the SCU triggers the initiation of an activator-guided AIoT activation / reading session by contacting gNB A. The assumption here is that the SCU already knows the specific activator device but not the reader device that should be part of the session. This is an example of providing a trigger from network functions to a second access node to provide information associated with providing an activation signal to another device.

[0206] In step 2, when the gNB A receives an SCU trigger, the sending activator device needs to send an activation signal to the AIoT device and an instruction to send resource scheduling information to the activator device, enabling the activator device to send its activation signal. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., SCU) to provide information to a second device and providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes scheduling information for providing the activation signal.

[0207] In step 3, the activator device finds, requests, and configures an activation / reading session with the reader device. This is an example of the discovery process being performed on the second device for the first device. This discovery can be based on sidelink discovery (e.g., using the Prose framework).

[0208] In step 4, upon being located by the activator device, the reader device requests a measurement gap configuration from its serving gNB (i.e., gNB B), during which the reader device can perform an AIoT response read and provide a report back to the activator. This is an example of providing a request to the first access node for a gap configuration for receiving responses. The gap configuration may include the duration and which carriers gNB A will assume the activator device will be unreachable during the gap period.

[0209] In step 5, the activator sends an activation signal to the AIoT device.

[0210] In step 6, the AIoT device provides its response upon receiving the activation signal (either by backscattering the activation signal or by performing an active transmission).

[0211] In step 7, the reader device receives the AIoT device's response and reports it to the activator device. This is an example of providing a report related to the response from the first device to the second device. This reporting can be performed via a side link.

[0212] In step 8, the activator will send the AIoT response report received from the reader back to the service gNB (i.e., gNB A).

[0213] In step 9, gNB A reports the AIoT device response to the SCU. This is an example of receiving a report related to the response received at the first device from the network function based on the provided information, wherein the report is received at the network function via the second access node.

[0214] In Solution 4, there is a scheduling of the reader device and an activation gap (AG) of the activator device triggered by an interaction initiated by the reader device. The SCU makes a request to the service gNB of the reader device, and the gNB then triggers resource allocation for the reader device.

[0215] The reader device finds a suitable activator device (which may be in the same serving cell as the activator or in a different serving cell, the latter being the focus of this disclosure), which in turn triggers the activator device to request the configuration of the AG. The reader UE may receive auxiliary information for finding the activator device; for example, a list of candidate activator devices may be provided indirectly (via the SCU) by a neighboring gNB.

[0216] After the activation and reading session ends, the reader device sends an AIoT response report to the SCU via the serving gNB.

[0217] Figure 13 An example signaling diagram based on the method of Solution 4 is shown.

[0218] In step 1, the SCU triggers the initiation of an AIoT activation / reading session for the reader by contacting the gNB B. This is an example of a network function providing a trigger to the first access node to provide the first device with information associated with receiving a response from another device. The assumption here is that the SCU already knows the specific reader device, but does not know the activator device that should be part of the session.

[0219] In step 2, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB B sends resource scheduling information to the reader, enabling the reader to receive responses from the AIoT device and report the AIoT device's response to the gNB B. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function to provide information to the first device, and the components for providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving a response or scheduling information for reporting a response. In step 3, the reader device finds, requests, and configures an activation / reading session with the activator device. This is an example of a discovery process performed on the first device for a second device. This discovery can be based on sidelink discovery (e.g., using the Prose framework).

[0220] In step 4, upon being located by the reader, the activator device requests a configuration for an activation gap from its serving gNB (i.e., gNB A), in which the activator device can perform the transmission of an activation signal to the AIoT device. This is an example of providing a request to the second access node for a gap configuration used to provide the activation signal.

[0221] In step 5, the activator device sends an activation signal to the AIoT device.

[0222] In step 6, the AIoT device provides its response upon receiving the activation signal (either by backscattering the activation signal or by performing an active transmission).

[0223] In step 7, the reader receives the AIoT device's response and reports it to the gNB B. This is an example of providing a report related to the response from the first device to the first access node.

[0224] In step 8, the gNB B reports the AIoT device response to the SCU. This is an example of receiving a report from the first device at the network function based on the provided information, relating to the response received at the first device.

[0225] In Solution 5, gap configurations exist for the activator device and the reader device. The activator device sets an activation gap (AG), and the reader device sets a measurement gap (MG). The Session Control Unit (SCU) sends a request to the serving gNB of both the activator and reader devices, and the gNB then triggers the gap configuration in its corresponding UE. The serving gNB of the reader device then receives the AIoT response report and forwards it to the SCU.

[0226] Figure 14 An example signaling diagram based on the method of Solution 5 is shown.

[0227] In step 1, the SCU triggers the initiation of the AIoT activation / read session by contacting both gNB A and gNB B. This involves providing a trigger from the network function to the first access node to provide information associated with receiving a response from another device to the first device, and to the second access node to provide information associated with providing an activation signal to another device.

[0228] The assumption here is that the SCU already knows the specific activator device and reader device to be triggered, as well as the associated service gNB.

[0229] In step 2, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB A sends an indication that the activator needs to send an activation signal to the AIoT device and activation gap information to the activator, enabling the activator to send its activation signal. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., an SCU) to provide information to a second device and providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes a gap configuration for providing the activation signal. The activation gap configuration may include the duration and the carrier that the gNB A will assume will be unreachable during the gap period.

[0230] In step 3, upon receiving an SCU trigger, the gNB B sends measurement gap information to the reader, enabling the reader to receive responses from AIoT devices and report AIoT device responses to the gNB B. This is an example of receiving a trigger from a network function (e.g., an SCU) to provide information to the first device and providing information based on the trigger. In this example, the information includes a gap configuration for receiving responses. The measurement gap configuration may include the duration and the carrier that the gNB A will assume will be unreachable by the activator during the gap period.

[0231] In step 4, the activator device sends an activation signal to the AIoT device.

[0232] In step 5, the AIoT device provides its response upon receiving the activation signal (either by backscattering the activation signal or by performing an active transmission).

[0233] In step 6, the reader device receives the AIoT device's response and reports it to the gNB B. This is an example of providing a report related to the response from the first device to the first access node.

[0234] In step 7, the gNB B reports the AIoT device response to the SCU. This is an example of receiving a report from the first device at the network function based on the provided information, relating to the response received at the first device.

[0235] In each solution, the SCU may not necessarily reside in any one service gNB. For example, the SCU may be an additional feature of the LMF. In this case, SCU-gNG interaction may require defining the IE in the NRPPa auxiliary information and NRPPa report. SCU-UE (activator device / reader device) interaction may require defining the IE in the LPP auxiliary information and LPP report.

[0236] This information can be received via radio resource control signaling or downlink control information.

[0237] If both the activator device and the reader device are UEs, session requests and configurations can be performed via the SL control channel.

[0238] Triggers can be received in the MAC CE. If the activator or reader is a UE, the session request and configuration can be implemented via the RRC IE or MAC CE. For example, RRC signaling can be used to configure the UE as an activator, which can be part of RRC reconfiguration signaling. Resource allocation and triggering for sending the activation signal can include DCI, or resource allocation can be DCI, and then the triggering for sending the activation signal can be in the DL MAC CE.

[0239] The physical properties of a response from another device (e.g., an environmental IoT device) can be a backscattered signal (in the case of type A and B devices) or an active signal (in the case of type C devices). The AIoT signal design can be UL transmission (e.g., it will have a PUSCH component) or SL transmission (e.g., it will have both PSCCH and PSSCH components), or a container of a type such as PBSCH (Physical Backscatter Shared Channel) can be introduced. The response can be carried by at least one of the following: Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), or Physical Backscatter Shared Channel (PBSCH).

[0240] The report can be a MAC CE, RRC layer report, or a higher layer report (e.g., in a NAS container).

[0241] Figure 15 A flowchart of an example method that can be executed at a reader device is shown. This method is an example of a discovery process performed by a first device (e.g., a reader device) against a second device (e.g., an activator device).

[0242] In 1501, the method includes receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to receive an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device.

[0243] In 1502, the method includes transmitting a positioning reference signal based on the received first information.

[0244] In 1503, the method includes: receiving second information from at least one additional user equipment, the second information being related to a positioning reference signal; and receiving the positioning reference signal from at least one additional user equipment.

[0245] In 1504, the method includes determining the delay associated with each of at least one other user equipment based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal.

[0246] In 1505, the method includes determining at least one activator device from at least one additional user device based on the determined delay.

[0247] In 1506, the method includes configuring an activation session at at least one determined activator device based on first information.

[0248] Positioning reference signals may include side link (SL) positioning reference signals (PRS).

[0249] The first information may include scheduling information. The second information may include the RX-TX time difference calculated at another UE based on the PRS measurement provided at the other UE.

[0250] The following describes an example embodiment of how a reader UE can select an activator UE.

[0251] In an example embodiment, to select an activator, the reader UE can trigger a reduced SL positioning session, i.e., initiate SL anchor discovery. Once anchor discovery is complete, the reader UE can terminate the SL positioning session and continue with activator selection.

[0252] For example, in the first step, the UE can send an SL PRS for anchor selection. This is an example of transmitting a positioning reference signal, where the positioning reference signal is an SL PRS.

[0253] In the second step, all nearby UEs receiving the SL PRS measure the PRS and respond to the reader UE using the SL PRS and the RX-TX time difference calculated using the PRS measurement. This is an example of receiving second information related to a positioning reference signal from at least one other user equipment; and receiving the positioning reference signal from at least one other user equipment.

[0254] In the third step, the reader UE calculates its own RX-TX time difference and, using the report from step 2, calculates the delay up to each nearby UE that is now a candidate activator, i.e.: a. To candidate activator UE1's d1,... b. … c. to candidate activator UEi, etc.

[0255] The third step is to determine an example of the delay associated with each of at least one other user equipment based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal.

[0256] Determining the activator device may include sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold. Each of the at least one latency threshold may be associated with a type of environmental IoT device.

[0257] For example, in the fourth step, depending on the type of AIoT device the reader has been configured to detect, the reader UE selects one or more activator UEs as follows: a. For device type A, the maximum activation range aA and the corresponding read range rA, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daA = aA / c, drA = rA / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, all UEs that satisfy the condition di <= daA + drA are selected as activator UEs, and their IDs are collected in the set SA = {ID1, ..., IDx}.

[0258] b. For device type B, the maximum activation range aB and the corresponding read range rB, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daB = aB / c, drB = rB / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, all UEs satisfying the condition di <= daB + drB are filtered, and their IDs are collected in set SB.

[0259] c. For device type C, the maximum activation range aC and the corresponding read range rC, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daC = aC / c, drC = rC / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, all UEs satisfying the condition di <= daC + drC are filtered, and their IDs are collected in set SC.

[0260] d. Using these three sets, the reader UE selects multiple candidate layers: i. Layer 1: Activators (UEs) in all sets, i.e. S1 = SA ∩ SB∩ SC.

[0261] ii. Layer 2: Activators in the set: SA ∩ SB, SA ∩ SC, SC ∩ SB.

[0262] iii. Layer 3: Activators in the set: SA SB SC The activator device can be determined based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0263] For example, in the fifth step, the reader UE selects the activator UE from layer 1, then from layer 2, and then from layer 3 according to the type of AIoT device that is the target of reading.

[0264] Figure 16 A flowchart of an example method that can be executed at an activator device is shown. This method is an example of a second device (e.g., an activator device) performing a discovery process against a first device (e.g., a reader device).

[0265] In 1601, the method includes receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to provide environmental IoT transmissions to environmental IoT devices, wherein the environmental IoT device response is received by a reader device.

[0266] In 1602, the method includes transmitting a positioning reference signal based on the received first information.

[0267] In 1603, the method includes: receiving second information from at least one additional user equipment, the second information being related to a positioning reference signal; and receiving the positioning reference signal from at least one additional user equipment.

[0268] In 1604, the method includes determining the delay associated with each of at least one other user equipment based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal.

[0269] In 1605, the method includes determining at least one reader device from at least one other user device based on the determined delay.

[0270] In 1606, the method includes configuring a reading session at at least one determined reader device based on first information.

[0271] The following describes an example embodiment of how the activator UE can select the reader UE.

[0272] In an example embodiment, to select a reader device, the activator UE can trigger a reduced SL positioning session, i.e., initiate SL anchor discovery. Once anchor discovery is complete, the activator UE can terminate the SL positioning session and continue with reader selection.

[0273] For example, in the first step, the activator UE can send an SL PRS for anchor selection. This is an example of transmitting a positioning reference signal, where the positioning reference signal is an SL PRS.

[0274] In the second step, all nearby UEs receiving the SL PRS measure the PRS and respond to the activator UE using the SL PRS and the RX-TX time difference calculated using the PRS measurement. This is an example of receiving second information related to a positioning reference signal from at least one other user equipment; and receiving the positioning reference signal from at least one other user equipment.

[0275] In the third step, the activator UE calculates its own RX-TX time difference and, using the report from step 2, calculates the delay up to each nearby UE that is now a candidate reader, i.e.: a. To candidate reader UE1's d1,... b. … c. to candidate reader UEi's di etc.

[0276] The third step is to determine an example of the delay associated with each of at least one other user equipment based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal.

[0277] Determining the activator device may include sorting at least one additional user device based on at least one latency threshold. Each of the at least one latency threshold may be associated with a type of environmental IoT device.

[0278] In the fourth step, depending on the type of AIoT device the activator has been configured to detect, the activator UE selects one or more reader UEs as follows: e. For device type A, the maximum activation range aA and the corresponding read range rA, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daA = aA / c, drA = rA / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, for reader UEs, filter all UEs that satisfy the condition di <= daA + drA, and collect their IDs in the set SA = {ID1, ..., IDx}.

[0279] f. For device type B, the maximum activation range aB and the corresponding read range rB, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daB = aB / c, drB = rB / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, all UEs satisfying the condition di <= daB + drB are filtered, and their IDs are collected in set SB.

[0280] g. For device type C, the maximum activation range aC and the corresponding read range rC, and therefore the maximum activation / read latency, are daC = aC / c, drC = rC / c, where c = 3e8m / s. Then, all UEs satisfying the condition di <= daC + drC are filtered, and their IDs are collected in set SC.

[0281] h. Using these three sets, the reader UE selects multi-level candidates: iv. Layer 1: Reader UE in all sets, i.e. S1 = SA ∩ SB∩ SC.

[0282] v. Layer 2: Reader UE in the set: SA ∩ SB, SA ∩ SC, SC ∩ SB.

[0283] vi. Layer 3: Reader UE in the set: SA SB SC The activator device can be determined based on the type of IoT device in the environment.

[0284] For example, in the fifth step, the reader UE selects a reader UE from layer 1, then from layer 2, and then from layer 3 according to the type of AIoT device that is the target of the reading.

[0285] An apparatus (such as a first device) may include: components for receiving information associated with receiving a response from a first access node and receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; components for receiving the response based on the received information; and components for providing a report related to the response to the first access node or a second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

[0286] An apparatus (such as an access node) may include: components for providing information from the access node to a first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and components for receiving, at the first access node, a report related to the response received at the first device based on the provided information.

[0287] An apparatus (such as a second device) may include: components for receiving information from a second access node associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal; and components for providing the activation signal based on the received information.

[0288] An apparatus (such as an access node) may include: a component for providing information from the access node to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to another device, wherein the information includes at least one of: scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal.

[0289] A component including network functionality may include: a component for providing triggering from the network functionality to at least one of the following: a first access node for providing information to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device; or a second access node for providing information to a second device associated with providing an activation signal to the other device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, scheduling information for reporting the response, scheduling information for providing the activation signal, or interval configuration for providing the activation signal. Furthermore, the first access node and the second access node are different.

[0290] A reader device may include: components for receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is for receiving an environmental IoT response from an environmental IoT device, wherein the environmental IoT device is activated by a transmission from an activator device; components for transmitting a location reference signal based on receiving the first information; components for receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information being related to the location reference signal, and receiving the location reference signal from the at least one additional user device; components for determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received location reference signal; components for determining at least one activator device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and components for configuring an activation session at the at least one determined activator device based on the first information.

[0291] An activator device may include: components for receiving first information from an access node, wherein the first information is used to provide environmental IoT transmission to an environmental IoT device, wherein the response of the environmental IoT device is received by a reader device; components for transmitting a positioning reference signal based on the received first information; components for receiving second information from at least one additional user device, the second information being related to the positioning reference signal; and receiving the positioning reference signal from the at least one additional user device; components for determining a delay associated with each of the at least one additional user device based on the received second information and the received positioning reference signal; components for determining at least one reader device from the at least one additional user device based on the determined delay; and components for configuring a reading session at the determined at least one reader device based on the first information.

[0292] This component may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions executed by the processor.

[0293] The device may include user equipment such as a mobile phone, or an access node such as a gNB, or an NF such as an SCU, which is user equipment, gNB, or NF, or is included in user equipment, gNB, or NF or chipset, for performing at least some actions of user equipment, gNB, or NF / at least some actions of user equipment, gNB, or NF.

[0294] It should be understood that the device may include or be coupled to other units or modules, such as a radio section or radio head, for or for transmitting and / or receiving. Although the device has been described as a single entity, different modules and memories may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

[0295] Note that while some embodiments have been described with respect to 5G networks, similar principles can be applied to other networks and communication systems, such as 6G networks or 5G advanced networks. Therefore, although some example architectures of wireless networks, technologies, and standards have been described above by way of example, these embodiments can be applied to any other suitable form of communication system besides those shown and described herein.

[0296] It should also be noted that although exemplary embodiments have been described above, several changes and modifications can be made to the disclosed solutions without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0297] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0298] Generally, various embodiments can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of this disclosure may be shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, these blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0299] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of the (multiple) hardware processors (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, and (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors (such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof) require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not exist when it is not required to operate.

[0300] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors in general) and their accompanying software and / or firmware. 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.

[0301] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device (e.g., in a processor entity), or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs (also referred to as program products, including software routines, applets, and / or macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium, and they include program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components configured to perform the embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one piece of software code or a portion thereof.

[0302] Furthermore, it should be noted in this regard that any block in the logical flow shown in the accompanying drawings may represent a program step, or interconnected logical circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logical circuits, blocks and functions. Software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips or blocks of memory implemented within a processor, magnetic media such as hard disks or floppy disks, and optical media such as DVDs, CDs, and their data variants. Physical media are non-transitory media. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0303] The memory can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. As a non-limiting example, the data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can include one or more of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, gate-level circuits, and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0304] The embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is primarily a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools can be used to transform logic-level designs into semiconductor circuit designs ready for etching and formation on semiconductor substrates.

[0305] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of this disclosure is set forth in the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims, if any, are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0306] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure by way of non-limiting example. However, various modifications and adjustments may become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims, given the foregoing description. Nevertheless, all such and similar modifications to the teachings of this disclosure will still fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Indeed, there are other embodiments that include combinations of one or more embodiments with any other embodiments discussed above.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: A component for receiving information from a first access node associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; A component for receiving the response based on the received information; as well as A component for providing a report related to the received response to the first access node or the second device based on the received information and in response to receiving the response.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the additional device is activated by a transmission from the second device, and the second device is associated with a second access node, and the first access node and the second access node are different.

3. The first device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a component for providing a request to the first access node for the gap configuration for receiving the response.

4. The first device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising components for performing a discovery process against the second device.

5. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first device is a reader device and the second device is an activator device.

6. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the additional device is an environmental Internet of Things (AIoT) device, and the response is an AIoT response.

7. An access node, comprising: Components for providing information from the access node to a first device associated with receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; as well as A component for receiving, at the first access node, a report relating to the response received at the first device, based on the provided information.

8. The access node of claim 7, wherein the additional device is activated by a transmission from the second device, and the second device is associated with the second access node, and the first access node and the second access node are different.

9. The access node according to claim 7 or claim 8, comprising: A component for receiving a trigger from a network function to provide the information to the first device, and a component for providing the information based on the trigger.

10. The access node of claim 7 or claim 8, comprising a component for receiving, at the access node, a request from the first device for the gap configuration for receiving the response.

11. A method comprising: Receive information from a first access node that is associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; The response is received based on the received information; as well as Based on the received information and in response to receiving the response, a report related to the response is provided to the first access node or the second device.

12. A method comprising: The access node provides information to the first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; as well as Based on the information provided, a report relating to the response received at the first access node is received at the first access node.

13. A first device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first device to at least: Receive information from a first access node that is associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; The response is received based on the received information; as well as Based on the received information and in response to receiving the response, a report related to the response is provided to the first access node or the second device.

14. An access node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access node to at least: The access node provides information to the first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and Based on the information provided, a report relating to the response received at the first access node is received at the first access node.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a first device, cause the first device to perform at least the following: Receive information from a first access node that is associated with receiving a response from another device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; The response is received based on the received information; as well as Based on the received information and in response to receiving the response, a report related to the response is provided to the first access node or the second device.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an access node, cause the access node to perform at least the following: The access node provides information to the first device related to receiving a response from another device at the first device, wherein the information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information for receiving the response, interval configuration for receiving the response, or scheduling information for reporting the response; and Based on the information provided, a report relating to the response received at the first access node is received at the first access node.

Images