Design of timing signal acquisition for control information in environmental IoT communication

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products designed for timing acquisition signals of control information for environmental IoT communications. A method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, and transmitting a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device. Each pattern in the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of the physical channel. At least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one pattern from the at least one pattern.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments typically relate to mobile or wireless communication systems such as 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th Generation (5G) Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR) Access Technology, 6th Generation (6G) RAT, and / or other communication systems. For example, some exemplary embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for designing timing acquisition signals for control information in environmental IoT communications. Background Technology

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless communication systems can include radio frequency (RF) 5G RAT, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved LTE UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), LTE-A Pro, NR access technologies and / or the MulteFire Alliance. 5G radio systems refer to next-generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G systems are typically built on 5G NR, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radios. NR is expected to support service classes such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). NR is anticipated to provide ultra-wideband, ultra-robust, low-latency connectivity, and massive networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) refers to the radio access network (RAN) for 5G, which can provide radio access for NR, LTE, and LTE-A. It should be noted that nodes that provide radio access for user equipment in 5G (e.g., NodeBs similar to those in UTRAN or evolved NodeBs (eNBs) in LTE) can be called next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) when built on NR radios, and next-generation eNBs (NG-eNBs) when built on E-UTRA radios.

[0003] 3GPP 6G aims to build upon the strengths and breakthroughs of previous cellular technologies, enabling a smooth transition from 5G to 6G using Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS). 6G Carrier Aggregation (CA) can further improve network capacity and coverage, while dual connectivity can support non-co-located 6G areas. Using Next-Generation Mobile Broadband (NextGenMBB), user equipment can experience data rates of approximately 500 Mbps. 6G may also integrate Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to improve traffic in fixed locations such as homes, offices, and businesses. FWA can deliver ultra-high data speeds using terahertz and millimeter-wave bands, potentially up to 100 Gbps, especially with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas.

[0004] In addition, 3GPP 6G is expected to integrate artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) technologies to perform network automation and enable self-optimizing networks (SON). For example, AI / ML can monitor network usage, conditions, and traffic in real time and automatically adjust network parameters such as interference mitigation, spectrum management, and load balancing, thereby providing faster failure recovery and reducing network congestion. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to transmit data to a network device at least via the first physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least receive from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0006] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: transmitting data to a network device via the first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0007] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for transmitting data to a network device via the first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for receiving from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0008] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: transmitting data to a network device via the first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0009] According to some exemplary embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: transmitting data to a network device via the first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0010] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: an acquisition circuitry configured to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a transmission circuitry configured to transmit data to a network device via the first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a receiving circuitry configured to receive a timing acquisition signal from the network device for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0011] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to receive data from a reader at least via the first physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least select one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least send a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel to a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0012] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving data from a reader via the first physical channel. The method may further include: selecting one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0013] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for receiving data from a reader via the first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for selecting one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for sending a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0014] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving data from a reader via the first physical channel. The method may further include: selecting one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0015] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The method may further include: receiving data from a reader via the first physical channel. The method may further include: selecting one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0016] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: an acquisition circuitry configured to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a receiving circuitry configured to receive data from a reader via the first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a selection circuitry configured to select one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a transmitting circuitry configured to transmit a timing acquisition signal to a reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0017] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least determine the at least one pattern. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least send at least one determined pattern of the timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0018] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending at least one determined pattern of timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0019] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: components for receiving a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device and transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for determining the at least one pattern. The apparatus may further include: components for transmitting at least one determined pattern of the timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0020] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception on a first physical channel of a network device, and being transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending at least one determined pattern of the timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0021] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending at least one determined pattern of timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0022] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: a receiving circuitry configured to perform a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device and transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a determining circuitry configured to perform determining the at least one pattern. The apparatus may further include: a transmitting circuitry configured to perform transmitting at least one determined pattern of the timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0023] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: send a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0024] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0025] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: a component for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a component for transmitting a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0026] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0027] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0028] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: an acquisition circuitry configured to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a transmission circuitry configured to transmit a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0029] According to some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: receive the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: determine the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: determine an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0030] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: receiving the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The method may further include: determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The method may further include: determining an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0031] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for receiving the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The apparatus may further include: components for determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The apparatus may further include: components for determining an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0032] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: receiving the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The method may further include: determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The method may further include: determining an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0033] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The method may further include: receiving the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The method may further include: determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The method may further include: determining an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0034] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: an acquisition circuitry configured to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a receiving circuitry configured to receive the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns. The apparatus may further include: a determining circuitry configured to determine the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal. The apparatus may further include: a determining circuitry configured to determine an execution operation based on the determined pattern.

[0035] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: determine the at least one pattern. The at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may also cause the apparatus to at least: send the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0036] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0037] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: components for receiving a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The apparatus may further include: components for determining the at least one pattern. The apparatus may further include: components for transmitting at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0038] According to various example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least one method. The method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and being transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0039] According to some exemplary embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and being transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The method may further include: determining the at least one pattern. The method may further include: sending the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0040] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: a receiving circuitry configured to perform a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception via a physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel. The apparatus may further include: a determining circuitry configured to perform a determination of the at least one pattern. The method may further include: a transmitting circuitry configured to perform a transmission of the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To correctly understand the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 An example of a signaling diagram for one or more D2Rs using timing acquisition signals, according to certain example embodiments, is shown;

[0043] Figure 2 An example of a signaling diagram for acquiring one or more R2D patterns using timing, according to some example embodiments, is shown;

[0044] Figure 3 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0045] Figure 4 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0046] Figure 5 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0047] Figure 6 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0048] Figure 7 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0049] Figure 8 Examples showing flowcharts of methods according to various example embodiments;

[0050] Figure 9 Examples of various network devices according to some example embodiments are shown;

[0051] Figure 10 Examples of 5G / 6G network and system architectures according to certain example embodiments are shown;

[0052] Figure 11 Another example of a 6G system architecture according to some example embodiments is shown; and

[0053] Figure 12 An example of a 6G RAN user plane protocol stack is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0054] It should be readily understood that components as generally described in the accompanying drawings and illustrated in certain example embodiments can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for control information in environmental IoT communications is not intended to limit the scope of certain example embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0055] 3GPP Release (Rel)-19 is considering supporting Ambient IoT (A-IoT) communication in NR networks. 3GPP is also considering signaling control information from A-IoT devices to readers (D2R). However, currently, there is no technology for another physical channel for D2R links besides the Physical Device to Reader Channel (PDRCH). Therefore, if control information is present, it can be transmitted along with the data in the PDRCH. However, this approach may be inefficient because the control information may be too small to add redundant bits for channel coding and / or CRC.

[0056] Similarly, for a Reader-to-A-IoT (R2D) link, the PRDCH may be the only physical channel used for the R2D link, and the PRDCH can transmit R2D control information, such as scheduling information including multiple IDs associated with (multiple) target A-IoT devices. However, the A-IoT device may need to decode the received PRDCH, even though the PRDCH is not intended for that device. The A-IoT device may be a passive device, so once it detects a signal power greater than a threshold, the device may need to wake up and receive the PRDCH, but requiring the device to decode every PRDCH it receives may be inefficient.

[0057] Timing acquisition signals can be used in IoT networks for device synchronization during communication, indicating the start of data transmission, and other operations, especially for real-time functions such as SFO estimation, CFO estimation, channel estimation, and / or interference estimation. Various devices may rely on timing acquisition signals (e.g., timing reference pulses, master clock signals) to coordinate device operation. For example, to send data to a remote device, a reader device may rely on precise timing to schedule transmissions and ensure correctly delivered and ordered data; similarly, a remote device may use such precise timing to coordinate incoming data from the reader.

[0058] In some example implementations, binary signals can be considered for use as timing acquisition signals. Depending on the position of the timing acquisition signal relative to the PDRCH / PRDCH, the timing acquisition signal can include at least one of the following: a preamble, intermediate code, and / or postamble for the PDRCH / PRDCH. For example, the timing acquisition signal can include a preamble, where the symbol or bits of the signal are located before the communication packet of the PDRCH / PRDCH; if a timing acquisition signal is present in the middle of data transmission through the PDRCH / PRDCH, this timing acquisition signal can be referred to as an intermediate preamble. Similarly, a timing acquisition signal following the PDRCH / PRDCH can be referred to as a postamble. In a single D2R / R2D transmission, there may be more than one or all of a preamble, intermediate code, and postamble, where the timing acquisition signal may be transmitted three times. Although the following description is provided in the context of the preamble, either the intermediate code or the postamble can also be applied.

[0059] Some of the example embodiments described herein can have various technical effects to overcome the aforementioned problems. For example, some example embodiments can provide an efficient method for carrying control information on D2R and / or R2D links, especially when, for example, ACK or NACK is the only control information transmitted in D2R. Some example embodiments for R2D links can provide power reduction when the reader provides a specific preamble pattern to the A-IoT device and instructs it to maintain the sleep pattern without performing subsequent PRDCH decoding once it detects these patterns. Therefore, some example embodiments discussed below are intended to improve computer-related technologies.

[0060] Some example embodiments may apply multiple patterns to at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal for D2R / R2D transmission. For example, the reader may provide one or more D2R preamble patterns to (multiple) A-IoT devices, where each pattern is used for ACK / NACK or more detailed information about NACK. Other example embodiments may apply R2D preamble usage. The baseline of the A-IoT device may be a passive device, thus the A-IoT device can be woken up once a specific signal with power greater than a threshold is detected. Once the A-IoT device detects a specific pattern in the timing acquisition signal portion of the R2D reception timing, the device can determine whether it needs to decode the PRDCH of the R2D reception timing.

[0061] Figure 1 An example of signaling diagram 100 is shown, illustrating techniques using various D2R preamble patterns. For example... Figure 9As shown, according to certain example embodiments, IoT device 110 and UE 130 may be similar to UE 920, while NE 120 may be similar to NE 910. NE 120 and / or UE 130 may be readers. In various example embodiments, the reader may trigger A-IoT devices to send D2R signals, and the reader may receive and decode the received D2R signals. For example, the reader may be an NE or a UE, and may send data to / receive data from multiple A-IoT devices. The reader may or may not provide a carrier signal; if the reader does not provide a carrier signal, the carrier may be provided by another network entity (e.g., a carrier node).

[0062] At operation 101, the reader (i.e., NE 120 and / or UE 130) can detect and determine the A-IoT device that may be connected (e.g., A-IoT device 110), for example, by performing a proximity detection process. Specifically, NE 120 and / or UE 130 can find the A-IoT device that will be connected to the reader.

[0063] If the reader is UE 130, at operation 102, UE 130 may send a request to NE 120 for a pattern (e.g., a D2R preamble) for the timing acquisition signal, enabling NE 120 to configure the preamble pattern for the device. Then, at operation 103, if NE 120 receives requests from multiple UEs, NE 120 may consider multiple UEs in the same surrounding area and determine the D2R preamble pattern for the timing acquisition signal; and at operation 104, the determined D2R preamble pattern is provided to UE 130. In some example embodiments, one or more D2R preamble patterns may be specified in the standard and / or hardcoded into UE 130.

[0064] At operation 105, the reader (i.e., NE 120 or UE 130) may send one or more D2R preamble patterns to the A-IoT device 110. The D2R preamble patterns may have different lengths. In some example embodiments, one or more D2R preamble patterns may be hardcoded into the A-IoT device. The preamble patterns may include, for example, preamble patterns #1, #2, #3, and #4, where each pattern indicates different control information. As an example, pattern #1 may indicate ACK, and pattern #2 may indicate NACK. If the reader wants more detailed information about NACK, the reader may send preamble patterns such as pattern #3 (e.g., NACK: lack of power), pattern #4 (e.g., NACK: processing PRDCH requires more than maximum power (i.e., exceeds the maximum capacity of the A-IoT device)), and / or pattern #5 (e.g., NACK due to a burst error, which can be determined based on the Manchester coding (MC) quality of the transmission segment).

[0065] In various example embodiments, the patterns can be configured accordingly as predefined bit patterns, such as 101010101010 and 100110011001 for patterns #1 and #2, respectively. However, specific patterns can be specified and / or configured in the specification. In various example embodiments, the patterns can be configured with different OOK chip rates (i.e., M), where M represents the number of chips per OFDM symbol. For example, pattern #1 would be a binary sequence with M=1 and pattern #2 would correspondingly be another binary sequence with M=4.

[0066] In some example embodiments, one or more patterns may use bit sequences (such as, for example, m The sequence and / or binary Golay code are used to generate a code of length -N (N>1), thereby generating an orthogonal code to be associated. In various example embodiments, the lengths of the preamble pattern and the binary bit sequence may vary depending on the number of symbols and the chip rate of the on / off keying (OOK) modulation.

[0067] At operation 106, UE 130 can send PRDCH to A-IoT device 110.

[0068] At operation 107, after receiving the PRDCH from reader 130, A-IoT device 110 can determine whether it has been correctly decoded and determine the preamble pattern. For example, if A-IoT device 110 decodes the PRDCH without errors, it can use the preamble pattern #1, which corresponds to ACK. Alternatively, if A-IoT device 110 fails to decode the PRDCH because the energy required to decode it exceeds its maximum capacity, it can use its corresponding preamble pattern (e.g., preamble pattern #4).

[0069] At operation 108, A-IoT device 110 can send a preamble and PDRCH to UE 130 based on the determined preamble pattern.

[0070] In various example embodiments, A-IoT device 110 can save pattern information under a sleep pattern. When A-IoT device 110 is connected to a reader, A-IoT device 110 can perform a state transition with or without network indication.

[0071] The sequence / preamble pattern used for timing signal acquisition can be received from the NE 120 and / or hard-coded into a specific sequence / preamble pattern, which can be a fixed set of sequences specified according to the specification.

[0072] Figure 2 An example of signaling diagram 200 is shown, illustrating techniques for using multiple R2D preamble patterns. According to some example embodiments, IoT device 210 and UE 230 may be similar to UE 920, while NE 220 may be similar to NE 910, as... Figure 9 As shown in the diagram. NE 220 and / or UE 230 can be readers.

[0073] At operation 201, the reader (i.e., NE 220 and / or UE 230) can detect and determine the A-IoT device (e.g., A-IoT device 210) that may be connected, for example, by performing a proximity detection process. Specifically, NE 220 and / or UE 230 can find the A-IoT device that will be connected to the reader.

[0074] At operation 202, UE 230 may send a request to NE 220 for a pattern of timing acquisition signal (e.g., R2D preamble) to indicate whether to decode PRDCH.

[0075] At operation 203, NE 220 can determine the R2D preamble pattern of the timing acquisition signal to indicate whether to decode PRDCH.

[0076] At operation 204, NE 220 may send the R2D preamble pattern determined at operation 203 to UE 230. In some example embodiments, one or more R2D preamble patterns may be specified and / or hardcoded into UE 230 in a standard form.

[0077] At operation 205, UE 230 may send the R2D preamble pattern received at operation 204 to IoT device 210. The R2D preamble pattern may have different lengths. In some example embodiments, one or more R2D preamble patterns may be hardcoded into A-IoT device 210.

[0078] In various example embodiments, pattern #A can be an indication of PRDCH reception; therefore, if A-IoT device 210 detects a previous preamble pattern in the timing acquisition portion, pattern #A may mean that A-IoT device 210 should decode the PRDCH received after the preamble. Similarly, pattern #B may indicate that A-IoT device 210 should skip PRDCH reception, or that A-IoT device 210 is allowed not to decode the PRDCH; therefore, if A-IoT device 210 detects a previous preamble pattern in the timing acquisition portion, pattern #B may mean that the PRDCH is not intended for A-IoT device 210.

[0079] At operation 206, UE 230 can send a timing acquisition signal to IoT 210 based on the preamble pattern and PRDCH. Additionally, the UE can send a start indicator before the timing acquisition signal. For example, R2D transmission can be performed, including the transmission of the R2D preamble (e.g., preamble pattern #A or #B) and PRDCH.

[0080] At operation 207, based on the received timing acquisition signal, IoT device 210 can determine the preamble pattern to be used.

[0081] At operation 208, IoT device 210 can determine whether to decode the PRDCH. For example, if IoT device 210 detects preamble pattern #A in a received timing acquisition signal, it can decode the PRDCH. Alternatively, if IoT device 210 detects preamble pattern #B, it can enter a sleep mode and / or may not decode the received PRDCH at the current time. In various example embodiments, the transmission of a particular preamble pattern can be an indication of the state transition behavior of the A-IoT device. For example, the transmission of a timing acquisition signal based on pattern #A instructs the device to perform a state transition from a sleep state to a normal / active state in order to receive and decode data transmitted via the PRDCH.

[0082] In various example embodiments, the reader may provide each device with a single preamble pattern (e.g., pattern #B) to indicate that IoT device 210 should not decode the (multiple) PRDCHs sent after the preamble pattern #B.

[0083] Figure 3 An example flowchart of method 300 is shown, which can be generated by an NE or a UE (e.g., Figure 9 The NE910 or UE 920 shown herein is implemented according to various example embodiments.

[0084] At step 301, the method may include acquiring at least one pattern. Each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception in the physical channel.

[0085] At step 302, the method may further include: sending data to a network device via a first physical channel.

[0086] At step 303, the method may further include: receiving a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel from a network device. At least a portion of the timing acquisition signal may include one pattern from at least one pattern.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the method may further include providing the network device with a configuration of the at least one pattern.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving the configuration of the at least one pattern from a network entity.

[0089] In various example embodiments, the method may further include sending a request to a network entity for at least one pattern of a timing acquisition signal.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may be predefined in a standard specification.

[0091] In some example embodiments, at least a portion of the time acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a device-to-reader preamble, a device-to-reader intermediate code, or a device-to-reader postamble for the second physical channel.

[0092] In various example embodiments, the first physical channel may include a physical reader-to-device channel, and the second physical channel may include a physical device-to-reader channel.

[0093] The indication may include at least one of the following: an acknowledgment (ACK) for successful reception of the first physical channel; a negative acknowledgment (NACK) for failure to receive the first physical channel; a NACK due to insufficient charging power; or a NACK as the energy required to process the physical channel exceeds the maximum capacity of the energy.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0095] Figure 4 An example flowchart of method 400 is shown, which can be generated by an NE or a UE (e.g. Figure 9 The NE910 or UE 920 shown herein is implemented according to various example embodiments.

[0096] At step 401, the method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel.

[0097] At step 402, the method may further include: receiving data from the reader via a first physical channel.

[0098] At step 403, the method may further include: selecting one pattern from at least one pattern in response to the received first physical channel.

[0099] At step 404, the method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel to the reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving at least one pattern from a reader.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may be predefined in a standard specification.

[0102] In various example embodiments, at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a device-to-reader preamble, a device-to-reader intermediate code, or a device-to-reader postamble for the second physical channel.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the first physical channel includes a physical reader-to-device channel, and the second physical channel includes a physical device-to-reader channel.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the indication may include at least one of the following: an acknowledgment (ACK) for successful reception of the first physical channel; a negative acknowledgment (NACK) for failure to receive the first physical channel; a NACK due to insufficient charging power; or a NACK as the energy required to process the physical channel exceeds the maximum capacity of the energy.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0106] Figure 5An example flowchart of method 500 is shown, which can be generated by an NE or a UE (e.g., Figure 9 The NE910 or UE 920 shown herein is implemented according to various example embodiments.

[0107] At step 501, the method may include: receiving a request from a user equipment for at least one pattern. The at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel of the network device and is transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel.

[0108] At step 502, the method may further include: determining the at least one pattern.

[0109] At step 503, the method may further include: sending at least one defined pattern of a timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0110] In some example embodiments, at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a device-to-reader preamble, a device-to-reader intermediate code, or a device-to-reader postamble for the second physical channel.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the first physical channel may include a physical reader-to-device channel, and the second physical channel may include a physical device-to-reader channel.

[0112] In various example embodiments, the indication may include at least one of the following: an acknowledgment (ACK) for successful reception of the first physical channel; a negative acknowledgment (NACK) for failure to receive the first physical channel; a NACK due to insufficient charging power; or a NACK as the energy required to process the physical channel exceeds the maximum capacity of the energy.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0114] Figure 6 An example flowchart of method 600 is shown, which can be implemented by an NE or UE (e.g., according to various example embodiments) Figure 9 (As shown in NE 910 or UE 920) is executed.

[0115] At step 601, the method may include: acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel.

[0116] At step 602, the method may further include: sending a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to the network device. At least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the method may further include providing the network device with a configuration of the at least one pattern.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving the configuration of the at least one pattern from a network entity.

[0119] In various example embodiments, the method may further include sending a request to a network entity for at least one pattern of a timed acquisition signal.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may be predefined in a standard specification.

[0121] In some example embodiments, at least a portion of the time acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a reader-to-device preamble, a reader-to-device intermediate code, or a reader-to-device postamble for the physical channel.

[0122] In various example embodiments, the physical channel may include a physical reader-to-device channel.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the operation may include at least one of the following: decoding the physical channel; skipping the physical channel; transitioning from a sleep state to a normal / active state; or transitioning from a normal / active state to a sleep state.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0125] Figure 7 An example flowchart of method 700 is shown, which can be generated by NE or UE (e.g. Figure 9 The NE 910 or UE 920 shown herein is implemented according to various example embodiments.

[0126] At step 701, the method may include acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel.

[0127] At step 702, the method may further include receiving a physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from the reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the patterns of the at least one pattern.

[0128] At step 703, the method may further include: determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal.

[0129] At step 704, the method may further include: determining the operation to be performed based on the determined pattern.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving the configuration of the at least one pattern from a reader.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may be predefined in a standard specification.

[0132] In various example embodiments, at least a portion of the time acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a device-to-reader preamble, a device-to-reader intermediate code, or a device-to-reader postamble.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the physical channel may include a physical reader-to-device channel.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the operation may include at least one of the following: decoding the physical channel; skipping the physical channel; transitioning from a sleep state to a normal / active state; or transitioning from a normal / active state to a sleep state.

[0135] In various example embodiments, at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0136] Figure 8 An example flowchart of method 800 is shown, which can be generated by an NE or UE (such as...). Figure 9 The NE 910 or UE 920 shown herein is implemented according to various example embodiments.

[0137] At step 801, the method may include: receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to a physical channel received by a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel.

[0138] At step 802, the method may further include: determining at least one pattern.

[0139] At step 803, the method may further include: sending at least one defined signal pattern to the user equipment.

[0140] In some example embodiments, at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal may include at least one of the following: a reader-to-device preamble, a reader-to-device intermediate code, or a reader-to-device postamble for the physical channel.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the physical channel may include a physical reader-to-device channel.

[0142] In various example embodiments, the operation includes at least one of the following: decoding the physical channel; skipping the physical channel; transitioning from a sleep state to a normal / active state; or transitioning from a normal / active state to a sleep state.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the at least one pattern may include a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

[0144] Figure 9 An example system according to certain example embodiments is shown. In one example embodiment, the system may include multiple devices, such as, for example, NE 910 and / or UE 920.

[0145] NE 910 can be a base station (e.g., 3G UMTS NodeB, 4G LTE evolved NodeB, 5G NR next-generation NodeB, 6G gNB, 6G gNE, 5G-6G MRSS), a serving gateway, a server, and / or any other access node or a combination thereof.

[0146] NE 910 may also include at least one gNB centralized unit (CU), which may be associated with at least one gNB distributed unit (DU). The at least one gNB-CU and at least one gNB-DU may be connected via at least one F1 interface and at least one X... n -C interface and / or at least one NG interface communicate via the fifth-generation core network (5GC).

[0147] UE 920 may include one or more of the following devices: mobile devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets or portable media players, digital cameras, pocket cameras, game consoles; navigation units, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) devices; desktop or laptop computers; single-location devices, such as sensors or smart meters; or any combination thereof. Furthermore, NE 910 and / or UE920 may be one or more of the Citizen Broadband Wireless Service Equipment (CBSD).

[0148] NE 910 and / or UE 920 may include at least one processor, designated accordingly as 911 and 921. Processors 911 and 921 may be implemented by any computing or data processing device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or similar device. The processor may be implemented as a single controller, or multiple controllers or processors.

[0149] At least one memory may be provided in one or more of the device, as indicated at 912 and 922. The memory may be fixed or removable. The memory may include computer program instructions or computer code. Memory 912 and 922 may be independently any suitable storage device, such as non-transitory computer-readable media. The term "non-transitory" as used herein may correspond to limitations of the medium itself (i.e., tangible rather than tactile) rather than limitations of data storage persistence (e.g., random access memory (RAM) versus read-only memory (ROM)). Hard disk drives (HDDs), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, or other suitable memory may be used. These memories may be integrated into a single integrated circuit as a processor, or may be separate from one or more processors. Furthermore, the computer program instructions stored in the memory and which can be processed by the processor may be in any suitable form of computer program code, such as a compiled or interpreted computer program written in any suitable programming language.

[0150] Processors 911 and 921, memories 912 and 922, and any subset thereof, can be configured to provide with Figure 1-8 The components corresponding to each block. Although not shown, these devices may also include positioning hardware, such as GPS or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) hardware, which can be used to determine the device's location. Other sensors are also permitted and can be configured to determine location, altitude, speed, direction, etc., such as barometers, compasses, etc.

[0151] like Figure 9 As shown, transceivers 913 and 923 can be provided, and one or more devices may also include at least one antenna, as shown accordingly in Figures 914 and 924. The device may have a plurality of antennas, such as an array of antennas configured for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or multiple antennas for multiple RATs. Other configurations of these devices may be provided, for example. Transceivers 913 and 923 may be transmitters, receivers, both transmitters and receivers, or may be units or devices configured for both transmitting and receiving.

[0152] Memory and computer program instructions can be configured, together with a processor for a specific device, to cause a hardware device (such as a UE) to perform any of the above processes (i.e. Figure 1-8 Therefore, in some example embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable medium may be encoded with computer instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process such as one of the processes described herein. Alternatively, some example embodiments may be executed entirely in hardware.

[0153] In some example embodiments, the apparatus may include being configured to perform Figure 1-8 Circuit systems for any process or function shown. In this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) hardware circuitry implementations only (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), (b) combinations of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and / or (multiple) processors (such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent where operation does not require software. This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers implementations of only hardware circuitry or processors (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuitry or processors and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers 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.

[0154] Figure 10 Examples of 5G / 6G network and system architectures according to certain example embodiments are shown. The figures illustrate various network functions that may be implemented as software operating as part of a network device or dedicated hardware, as the network device itself or dedicated hardware, or as virtual functions operating as a network device or dedicated hardware. Figure 10 The NE and UE shown can be similar to NE 910 and UE 920, respectively. User plane functions (UPFs) can provide services such as intra- and inter-RAT mobility, data packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane quality of service (QoS) processing, downlink packet caching, and / or triggering downlink data notifications. Application functions (AFs) primarily interact with the core network to facilitate traffic routing and interact with application usage within the policy framework.

[0155] Figure 11 An example of a proposed 6G architecture is shown, which can support lifecycle management (LCM) and be configured to natively support AI / ML and cloud-native functions. The 6G gNB can also be configured to support multi-RANP spectrum sharing (MRSS).

[0156] Figure 12An example of a proposed 6G RAN protocol stack is shown, which may share some similarities with the 5G RAN protocol stack. For example, the 6G RAN protocol stack shown may include Serving Data Application Protocol (SDAP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), and Media Access Control (MAC) functions, which can interface with multiple Radio Protocol Units (RPUs).

[0157] According to some example embodiments, processors 911 and 921, and memories 912 and 922 may be included in, or may form part of, a processing circuit system or a control circuit system. Additionally, in some example embodiments, transceivers 913 and 923 may be included in, or may form part of, a transceiver circuit system.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the apparatus (e.g., NE 910 and / or UE 920) may include components for performing the methods, processes, or any variations discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memory, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for inducing the execution of operations.

[0159] In various example embodiments, device 920 may be controlled by memory 922 and processor 921 to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel; to transmit data to a network device via the first physical channel; and to receive a timing acquisition signal from the network device for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0160] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel; components for transmitting data to a network device via the first physical channel; and components for receiving from the network device a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0161] In various example embodiments, the apparatus 910 / 920 may be controlled by the memory 912 / 922 and the processor 911 / 921 to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel; receive data from a reader via the first physical channel; select one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel; and send a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0162] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception of a first physical channel; components for receiving data from a reader via the first physical channel; components for selecting one of the at least one patterns in response to the received first physical channel; and components for sending a timing acquisition signal to the reader for a second physical channel, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes the selected pattern.

[0163] In various example embodiments, the apparatus 910 may be controlled by the memory 912 and the processor 911 to receive from the user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication that is received by a first physical channel of the network device and is transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel; determine the at least one pattern; and send at least one determined pattern of timing acquisition signal to the user equipment.

[0164] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an indication related to reception by a first physical channel of a network device and transmitted from the network device to the user equipment as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for a second physical channel; components for determining the at least one pattern; and components for sending the timing acquisition signal of at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0165] In various example embodiments, the device 920 may be controlled by a memory 922 and a processor 921 to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel; and to send a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0166] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel; and for sending a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel to a network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

[0167] In various example embodiments, the apparatus 910 / 920 may be controlled by the memory 912 / 922 and the processor 911 / 921 to acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to a reception of a physical channel; receive the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns; determine the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal; and determine the operation to be performed based on the determined pattern.

[0168] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for acquiring at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel; components for receiving the physical channel and a timing acquisition signal from a reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns; components for determining the pattern based on the received timing acquisition signal; and components for determining an operation to perform based on the determined pattern.

[0169] In various example embodiments, the apparatus 910 may be controlled by the memory 922 and the processor 921 to receive from the user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel by the network device and is sent from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel; determine the at least one pattern; and send the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0170] Some example embodiments may relate to an apparatus including components for performing any of the methods described herein, such as components for receiving from a user equipment a request for at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception by a physical channel of a network device, and is transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel; components for determining the at least one pattern; and components for sending the at least one determined pattern to the user equipment.

[0171] Features, structures, or characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described in this specification can be combined in one or more exemplary embodiments in any suitable manner. For example, the terms "various embodiments," "some embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language appearing in this specification refer to specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to exemplary embodiments that can be included in at least one exemplary embodiment. Therefore, the terms "in various embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in some embodiments," or other similar language appearing in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same group of exemplary embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in one or more exemplary embodiments in any suitable manner.

[0172] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, refers to at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0173] Furthermore, if necessary, the different functions or steps described above can be executed in different orders and / or concurrently. Additionally, if necessary, one or more of the functions or steps can be optional or combined. Therefore, the above description should be considered as an illustration of the principles and teachings of certain exemplary embodiments, and not as a limitation thereof.

[0174] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments can be practiced using processes in a different order and / or using hardware component configurations different from the disclosed configuration. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while maintaining the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0175] Partial Glossary

[0176] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0177] 5G (Fifth Generation)

[0178] 5GC fifth-generation core

[0179] 6G sixth generation

[0180] ACK confirmation

[0181] AF Application Functions

[0182] AI (Artificial Intelligence)

[0183] A-IoT Environmental Internet of Things

[0184] ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit)

[0185] CA carrier aggregation

[0186] CBSD Citizen Broadband Wireless Service Equipment

[0187] CPU (Central Processing Unit)

[0188] CU Centralized Unit

[0189] D2R Device to Reader

[0190] DC Dual Connection

[0191] DU Distributed Unit

[0192] eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0193] eNB Evolutionary Node B

[0194] FWA Fixed Wireless Access

[0195] gNB Next Generation Node B

[0196] GPS Global Positioning System

[0197] HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

[0198] IoT (Internet of Things)

[0199] LCM Lifecycle Management

[0200] LTE Long Term Evolution technology

[0201] LTE-A Advanced Long Term Evolution

[0202] MAC Media Access Control

[0203] MBB Mobile Broadband

[0204] MC Manchester encoding

[0205] MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)

[0206] MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)

[0207] ML Machine Learning

[0208] mMTC (Mass Machine Type Communication)

[0209] MRSS Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing

[0210] NACK (Negative Acknowledgment)

[0211] NE network entity

[0212] NG Next Generation

[0213] NG-eNB Next Generation Evolution Node B

[0214] NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network)

[0215] NR New Radio

[0216] NW Network

[0217] OOK On / Off Key Control

[0218] PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)

[0219] PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol)

[0220] PDRCH Physical Device to Reader Channel

[0221] PRDCH (Physical Reader to Device Channel)

[0222] QoS (Quality of Service)

[0223] R2D Reader to Device

[0224] RAM (Random Access Memory)

[0225] RAN (Radio Access Network)

[0226] RAT wireless access technology

[0227] RF (Radio Frequency)

[0228] RLC Wireless Link Control

[0229] ROM (Read-Only Memory)

[0230] RPU (Radio Protocol Unit)

[0231] RS reference signal

[0232] SDAP Service Data Application Protocol

[0233] SON self-optimizing network

[0234] TRP Transmitter / Receiver Point

[0235] UE User Equipment

[0236] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

[0237] UPF User Face Functions

[0238] URLLC Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication

[0239] UTRAN (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network)

[0240] WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the device to at least: Acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception in the physical channel; and Sending a timing acquisition signal and the physical channel to the network device, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory stores the instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: Provide the network device with the configuration of the at least one pattern; and / or Receive the configuration of the at least one pattern from the network entity.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one memory stores the instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: Send a request to the network entity for at least one pattern of a timed acquisition signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one pattern is predefined in a standard specification.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 or 3, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal comprises at least one of the following: a reader-to-device preamble, a reader-to-device intermediate code, or a reader-to-device postamble for the physical channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 or 3, wherein the physical channel comprises a physical reader-to-device channel.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the operation comprises at least one of the following: Decode the physical channel; Skip the physical channel; Transitioning from sleep state to normal / active state; or Transitioning from normal / active state to sleep state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the at least one pattern comprises a fixed pattern or a pseudo-random sequence.

9. A device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the device to at least: Acquire at least one pattern, wherein each of the at least one pattern is associated with an operation in response to reception of a physical channel; The physical channel and timing acquisition signal are received from the reader, wherein at least a portion of the timing acquisition signal includes one of the at least one patterns; The pattern is determined based on the received timing acquisition signal; as well as Based on the determined pattern, the operation to be performed is determined.

10. A device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the device to at least: A request is received from the user equipment for at least one pattern, each of the at least one pattern being associated with an operation in response to a reception by a physical channel of the network device, and being transmitted from the user equipment to the network device as at least part of a timing acquisition signal for the physical channel; Determine at least one pattern; and Send at least one defined pattern to the user equipment.

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