Method for collision avoidance for environmental iot

Abstract

Embodiments herein include systems, methods, and apparatuses for reducing collisions between environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Some embodiments include an environmental IoT device that maintains and monitors a timer or counter. A reader, such as a base station, can provide a value for the counter or timer. The value can indicate when the environmental IoT device is allowed access to the reader.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates throughout to wireless communication systems, including collision avoidance manipulation for signaling transmission between a base station and ambient power supply equipment. Signaling can be transmitted directly between the base station and ambient power supply equipment and / or via intermediate nodes (e.g., user equipment). Background Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0008] Figure 1 A table illustrating design goals for an example set of IoT device types based on some implementation schemes is provided.

[0009] Figure 2 An example of a signal flow diagram for an IoT device in an environment with counter-based access to a reader, based on some implementation schemes, is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 The transmission timeline of an IoT device in an environment using counter-based access and reader communication is illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0011] Figure 4 An example of a signal flow diagram for an IoT device in an environment with timer-based access to a reader, based on some implementation schemes, is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 The transmission timeline of an IoT device in an environment using timer-based access and reader communication is illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0013] Figure 6 Examples of methods for environmental IoT devices according to some implementation schemes are provided.

[0014] Figure 7 An example architecture of a wireless communication system according to the implementation scheme disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 8 A system for performing signaling transfer between a wireless device and a network device according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Various implementations are described for the UE. However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementations can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic component.

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

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

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

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

[0021] For example, Figure 1A table illustrating design objectives 102 for an example set of IoT device types according to some implementations is provided. As shown, some implementations may include IoT device type A, IoT device type B, and IoT device type C. IoT device type A may not include energy storage, harvest energy from environmental sources, and does not have independent signal generation, but only backscatter transmission. IoT device type B may have energy storage and may harvest energy from environmental sources, but does not perform independent signal generation (i.e., only backscatter transmission). The use of stored energy by IoT device type B may include amplification of the backscatter signal. IoT device type C may have energy storage from harvested environmental sources and has independent signal generation (e.g., active RF components for transmission). A common aspect of all these device categories is that they can have very low complexity and can rely on the harvested energy for both transmission and reception. From the perspective of a wireless communication system, RF energy harvesting can be considered. For example, a device may utilize energy from incoming signals from other nodes in the system.

[0022] Figure 1 Other aspects of design goal 102 (e.g., IoT device) are illustrated below. For example, there may be specific goals for power consumption, coverage, message size, device density, device complexity, data rate, location accuracy, and device mobility. These exemplify sample design goals 102. Design goal 102 may vary based on actual implementation.

[0023] For example, in some implementations, environmental IoT devices can be classified into different groups: lower-category IoT devices and higher-category IoT devices. The lower category can include devices from types A and B of the previously described classifications. For example, a lower-category device may have a peak power consumption of approximately 1 μW, energy storage, but no downlink or uplink amplification, and an initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) that can be as high as several thousand ppm. Furthermore, the device's uplink transmission can be backscattered on an externally provided carrier.

[0024] In some implementations, higher-category devices may include devices from types B and C of the previously described classifications. For example, higher-category devices may have peak power consumption of less than or equal to several hundred μW. Furthermore, higher-category devices may have energy storage and both downlink amplification and / or uplink amplification. For higher-category devices, the initial SFO can be as high as several thousand ppm. The uplink transmission of higher-category devices may be generated internally by the device or backscattered on an externally provided carrier.

[0025] Both lower and higher categories of IoT devices can have very low complexity. Furthermore, IoT devices in both categories can rely on harvested energy for transmitting and receiving. These qualities can facilitate large-scale deployment and improved scalability. Because environmental IoT devices can be densely deployed, transmissions from these devices may be more susceptible to collisions and competition.

[0026] In some implementation schemes, it is expected that every 100m² indoors 2 The area can serve up to 100 devices. This means a large number of devices can be densely concentrated and served by a single base station. Therefore, one potential issue with using environmental IoT devices (especially with passive and semi-passive devices) is how to handle conflicts between these devices when accessing the network. Since environmental IoT devices may be passive, it is expected that they cannot maintain close synchronization with the network when not connected / communicating with it. For example, environmental IoT devices may communicate with the base station via separate communication rounds. After each round of communication, the environmental IoT device may not have sufficient capabilities (e.g., small memory, oscillatorless clock, etc.) to maintain synchronization with the base station. Therefore, a new access procedure can be used for new rounds of communication.

[0027] Therefore, environmental IoT devices may not know whether they wish to access the network, and thus, all devices may attempt to access the network. For example, devices may use the same RACH timing, potentially causing conflicts with each other. Implementations of this paper include methods for reducing conflicts between devices, especially when accessing the network in a contention-based manner. Some implementations of this paper introduce implicit or explicit methods for environmental IoT devices to determine when they may or may not need to access a base station.

[0028] In some implementations, environmental IoT devices can communicate with a reader. The reader can be a base station, a UE, or other device. While some implementations and examples are specifically discussed with regard to a base station as the reader, other devices can be used instead.

[0029] Figure 2 A signal flow diagram 202 illustrates the use of counter-based access to an environmental IoT device 204 to a reader 206 according to some implementation schemes. The reader 206 can be a base station, a UE, or other device configured to communicate with the environmental IoT device 204. The environmental IoT device 204 can use counter-based access to reduce conflicts with other devices communicating with the reader 206.

[0030] To determine whether environmental IoT device 204 should initiate access to reader 206 (e.g., a base station), a default counter value can be pre-configured for the environmental IoT device. For example, the default counter value can be set to zero. Environmental IoT device 204 can maintain the counter value, and access to reader 206 is allowed whenever the counter value is the same as the default value. The default value can be pre-configured for environmental IoT device 204.

[0031] For example, in some implementations, if environmental IoT device 204 receives a synchronization signal block (SSB) 212 from a network (e.g., reader 206), environmental IoT device 204 checks 208 its current counter value. Environmental IoT device 204 can compare the current counter value with a default value to determine whether it should access reader 206. If the current counter value is the same as the default value, environmental IoT device 204 can respond on the random access channel (RACH) timing (RO) corresponding to the received SSB 212 (e.g., RO transmission 214). For example, environmental IoT device 204 can transmit RO transmission 214 and perform the remainder of the access procedure 216. If the counter value is different from the default value, environmental IoT device 204 is not expected to respond to the received SSB 212. In some implementations, the counter can be initialized with a value equal to or greater than the default value.

[0032] Upon successful access to reader 206 (e.g., a base station), reader 206 can set a counter to a value different from the default value of the counter pre-configured to the environmental IoT device. Reader 206 can provide the environmental IoT device 204 with a counter value 218. Counter value 218 can be used to determine when the environmental IoT device 204 can transmit the next RO transmission 222. For example, the counter value 218 can be decremented for each SSB received by the environmental IoT device 204. The environmental IoT device 204 can check the current counter value 210 after each SSB 220. In some implementations, once the counter reaches zero or the default value, the environmental IoT device 204 can transmit the RO transmission 222 on the next RO.

[0033] In some implementations, the environmental IoT device 204 can be configured with multiple counters and corresponding values. Different transmission types (e.g., PRACH transmission, PUCCH transmission, PUSCH transmission, etc.) can have different counters. For example, each counter can be associated with a different transmission type corresponding to a specific reader identifier (ID) (e.g., the physical cell ID in the case of a base station acting as a reader).

[0034] In some implementations, the environmental IoT device 204 can be configured with multiple counters and corresponding values, where each counter is associated with a specific reader ID. For example, in the case of a base station acting as reader 206, multiple counters can be associated with physical cell IDs. The counter values ​​can be updated independently based on the corresponding access to the associated reader ID. If the counter value is a default value for a reader ID (e.g., zero), the environmental IoT device 204 can access that reader; however, if the counter value differs from the default value for another reader ID, the environmental IoT device 204 may not access that other reader.

[0035] For counter-based access, the environmental IoT device 204 can update the counter value based on network conditions. For example, after the reader 206 (e.g., a base station) sets a counter value for the device upon successful access, the environmental IoT device 204 can decrement the counter value by one whenever it receives a transmission from the reader 206. Once the counter value reaches a default value (e.g., zero), the environmental IoT device 204 is allowed to access the reader again.

[0036] The counter decrement can be based on the received SSB and the associated RO. In some implementations, whenever the ambient IoT device 204 receives an SSB, the ambient IoT device 204 decrements the counter value by one, but the ambient IoT device 204 does not utilize the PRACH transmission access on the RO unless the counter reaches a default value (e.g., zero). In some implementations, only one SSB reception within a cycle is considered for counter value decrement.

[0037] Therefore, reader 206 can set counter value 218 to control the number of times ambient IoT device 204 attempts to access reader 206. For example, the network can set counter value 218 to a high value so that ambient IoT device 204 only transmits RO transmission after multiple rounds of SSB. Counter value 218 can be configured based on the desired implementation. In some implementations, reader 206 can select counter value 218 based on device type of ambient IoT device 204, information provided by ambient IoT device 204, device type of reader 206, density of ambient IoT devices, or other factors.

[0038] Figure 3An illustrated transmission timeline 302 of an environmental IoT device communicating with a reader using a counter-based access method according to some embodiments is given. In the illustrated embodiment, the environmental IoT device is referred to as a UE, and the reader is a base station (BS). As shown, the environmental IoT device receives a first SSB 304. The environmental IoT device can check the counter value, and since the counter value is equal to zero (e.g., a pre-configured default value), the environmental IoT device transmits in the first RO 306. The base station receives the RO transmission and performs the remainder of the access procedure.

[0039] Upon completion of the access process, the base station can set the counter value to a target value. In the illustrated implementation, the base station sets the counter value to one. The environmental IoT device receives a second SSB 308. The second SSB 308 triggers the environmental IoT device to check the counter value. When the counter value is set to one, the environmental IoT device does not transmit in the second RO 310 and decrements the counter value by one, resulting in a counter value of zero.

[0040] The environmental IoT device receives a third SSB 312. The SSB causes the environmental IoT device to check a counter value. Since the counter value is now equal to zero, the environmental IoT device transmits on the next transmission opportunity (e.g., the third RO 314). The base station receives the RO transmission and performs the remainder of the access procedure. Upon completion of the access procedure, the base station can set the counter value to a second target value. In the illustrated embodiment, the base station sets the counter value to two. Therefore, the environmental IoT device skips the next two transmission opportunities until the counter decreases to zero again.

[0041] In some implementations, after the counter decreases to a default value (e.g., zero) and a transmission occurs, the counter may remain at that value until a new counter value is received from the reader. In some implementations, after the counter decreases to a default value (e.g., zero) and a transmission occurs, if no new counter value is received, the counter value is reset to the last value received from the reader.

[0042] Figure 4 A signal flow diagram 402 illustrates the use of timer-based access to an ambient IoT device 404 via a reader 406 according to some implementation schemes. The reader 406 can be a base station, a UE, or other device configured to communicate with the ambient IoT device 404. The ambient IoT device 404 can use timer-based access to reduce conflicts with other devices communicating with the reader 406. The timer's time value can be in milliseconds, seconds, frames, time slots, symbols, or other time-based units.

[0043] In some implementations, to determine whether an environmental IoT device 404 should initiate access to a reader 406 (e.g., a base station), the environmental IoT device may be configured with a time value by the reader (e.g., the base station), and access to the channel is not expected as long as the time value is greater than zero. In one specific implementation, if the environmental IoT device receives an SSB from the network, it checks its time value, and if the time value is zero, the environmental IoT device can respond on the RO corresponding to the received SSB. Upon successful access to the reader, the reader can initialize a timer value / configure a timer value for the environmental IoT device.

[0044] For example, in some implementations, if environmental IoT device 404 receives SSB 412 from the network (e.g., reader 406), environmental IoT device 404 checks 408 its current timer value. If the timer value is zero, environmental IoT device 404 can respond on the Random Access Channel (RACH) timing (RO) corresponding to the received SSB 412 (e.g., RO transmission 414). For example, environmental IoT device 404 can transmit RO transmission 414 and perform the remainder of access procedure 416. If the timer value is not zero, environmental IoT device 404 is not expected to respond to the received SSB 412. In some implementations, the timer can be initialized with a number greater than zero. In some implementations, the timer can be initialized to zero.

[0045] Upon successful access to reader 406 (e.g., base station), reader 406 can set a timer value. Reader 406 can provide timer value 418 to environmental IoT device 404. Timer value 418 can be used to determine when environmental IoT device 404 can transmit the next RO transmission 422. Environmental IoT device 404 can check the timer value 410 after each SSB (e.g., SSB 420). Once the timer reaches zero, environmental IoT device 404 can transmit RO transmission 422 on the next RO.

[0046] In some implementations, reader 406 can select a timer value to prioritize or de-prioritize different devices. For example, reader 406 can provide a timer value based on the device type of environmental IoT device 404, information provided by environmental IoT device 404, the device type of reader 406, the density of environmental IoT devices, or other factors. Timer-based access can reduce conflicts between devices.

[0047] Figure 5An illustrated transmission timeline 502 of an environmental IoT device communicating with a reader using timer-based access is provided according to some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the environmental IoT device is referred to as a UE, and the reader is a base station. As shown, the environmental IoT device receives a first SSB 504. The environmental IoT device can check the timer value, and since the tuner value is equal to zero, the environmental IoT device transmits in the first RO 506. The base station receives the RO transmission and performs the remainder of the access procedure. The timer value can be a pre-configured default value. In the illustrated embodiment, the timer value is set to zero before a different value is received from the base station. In other embodiments, the pre-configured timer value can be greater than zero.

[0048] Upon completion of the access process, the base station can set a timer value to a target value. In the illustrated implementation, the base station sets the timer value to a number greater than zero. The ambient IoT device sets its timer to the timer value and, while the timer value is greater than zero, does not attempt to access the base station for a duration of 516. For example, in the illustrated implementation, the ambient IoT device receives a second SSB 508. The second SSB 508 triggers the ambient IoT device to check the current value of its timer. Since the current timer value is greater than zero, the ambient IoT device does not transmit in the second RO 510.

[0049] The environmental IoT device receives the third SSB 512. The third SSB 512 causes the environmental IoT device to check the timer value. Since the current timer value is still greater than zero, the environmental IoT device does not transmit in the third RO 514. After the timer becomes zero, the environmental IoT device can respond on the next RO corresponding to the next received SSB.

[0050] Figure 6 A method 600 for an environmental IoT device is illustrated according to some embodiments. The illustrated method 600 includes: maintaining an event meter 602, wherein the event meter indicates when an environmental IoT device is allowed to respond to a reader. Method 600 further includes: receiving the value of the event meter from the reader 604. Method 600 further includes: receiving a downlink signal from the reader 606. Method 600 further includes: checking the value of the event meter 608 when a downlink signal is received. Method 600 further includes: transmitting a response to the received downlink signal 610 at a corresponding transmission timing associated with the downlink signal when the event meter is depleted. Method 600 further includes: delaying the response 612 until a future downlink signal is received when the event meter is not depleted when the event meter is not depleted.

[0051] In some embodiments of method 600, the event meter includes a counter, and allows environmental IoT devices to access the reader whenever the counter reaches a default pre-configured value. In some embodiments, the default pre-configured value is zero.

[0052] In some implementations, method 600 further includes decrementing the counter by one after each downlink signal is received from the reader.

[0053] In some implementations, method 600 further includes monitoring multiple counters associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

[0054] In some implementations, method 600 further includes: monitoring a plurality of counters, wherein each of the plurality of counters is associated with a specific reader identifier, and wherein the counter values ​​of the plurality of counters are updated independently.

[0055] In some implementations of method 600, the event meter includes a timer, and whenever the timer reaches zero, it allows environmental IoT devices to access the reader.

[0056] In some implementations, method 600 further includes monitoring multiple timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

[0057] In some implementations, method 600 further includes monitoring multiple timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

[0058] In some embodiments of method 600, the downlink signal is an SSB, and the response is transmitted to the reader via the RO corresponding to the SSB.

[0059] In some implementations of method 600, the value of the event meter is set by the network based on the energy harvesting or device type category at the environmental IoT device.

[0060] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising components for performing one or more elements of method 600. This apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as a wireless device 802 as described herein, acting as a UE).

[0061] The embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of method 600. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, the memory of a UE (such as memory 806 of a wireless device 802 as a UE, as described herein).

[0062] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of method 600. This apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as wireless device 802 as a UE, as described herein).

[0063] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of method 600. The apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as a wireless device 802 as a UE, as described herein).

[0064] The implementation scheme envisioned herein includes a signal as described in or related to one or more elements of method 600.

[0065] The embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions, wherein execution by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more elements of method 600. The processor may be a processor of the UE (such as processor 804 as a wireless device 802 of the UE, as described herein). These instructions may, for example, reside in the processor and / or in the memory of the UE (such as memory 806 as a wireless device 802 of the UE, as described herein).

[0066] Figure 7 An example architecture of a wireless communication system 700 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. The following description is provided for an example wireless communication system 700 operating in conjunction with LTE system standards and / or 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications.

[0067] like Figure 7 As shown, the wireless communication system 700 includes UE 702 and UE 704 (but any number of UEs may be used). In this example, UE 702 and UE 704 are exemplified as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device configured for wireless communication.

[0068] UE 702 and UE 704 can be configured to communicatively couple with RAN 706. In implementations, RAN 706 can be NG-RAN, E-UTRAN, etc. UE 702 and UE 704 utilize connections (or channels) with RAN 706 (shown as connection 708 and connection 710, respectively), each of these connections including a physical communication interface. RAN 706 may include one or more base stations (such as base station 712 and base station 714) implementing connection 708 and connection 710.

[0069] In this example, Connection 708 and Connection 710 are air interfaces that enable this type of communication coupling and can conform to the RAT used by RAN 706, such as LTE and / or NR, for example.

[0070] In some implementations, UE 702 and UE 704 can also exchange communication data directly via sidelink interface 716. UE 704 is shown configured to access an access point (shown as AP 718) via connection 720. For example, connection 720 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection conforming to any IEEE 802.11 protocol, while AP 718 may include Wi-Fi. ® Router. In this example, AP 718 can connect to another network (e.g., the Internet) without going through CN724.

[0071] In the implementation, UE 702 and UE 704 may be configured to communicate with each other or with base station 712 and / or base station 714 on a multi-carrier communication channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals according to various communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), although the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0072] In some implementations, all or some of the base stations in base station 712 or base station 714 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network. Furthermore, or in other implementations, base station 712 or base station 714 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 722. In implementations where the wireless communication system 700 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 724 is an EPC), interface 722 may be an X2 interface. This X2 interface may be defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In implementations where the wireless communication system 700 is an NR system (e.g., when CN 724 is a 5GC), interface 722 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to the 5GC, between a base station 712 (e.g., a gNB) connected to the 5GC and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN 724).

[0073] RAN 706 is shown communicatively coupled to CN 724. CN 724 may include one or more network elements 726 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 702 and UE 704) connected to CN 724 via RAN 706. Components of CN 724 may be implemented in a single physical device or a separate physical device including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media).

[0074] In the implementation scheme, CN 724 can be an EPC, and RAN 706 can be connected to CN 724 via S1 interface 728. In the implementation scheme, S1 interface 728 can be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface, which carries service data between base station 712 or base station 714 and the service gateway (S-GW); and an S1-MME interface, which is the signaling interface between base station 712 or base station 714 and the mobility management entity (MME).

[0075] In the implementation scheme, CN 724 can be a 5GC, and RAN 706 can be connected to CN 724 via NG interface 728. In the implementation scheme, NG interface 728 can be divided into two parts: NG user plane (NG-U) interface, which carries service data between base station 712 or base station 714 and user plane function (UPF); and S1 control plane (NG-C) interface, which is the signaling interface between base station 712 or base station 714 and access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0076] Generally, application server 730 can be a component that provides Internet Protocol (IP) carried resources (e.g., packet-switched data services) for use with CN 724. Application server 730 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, group communication sessions, etc.) for UE 702 and UE 704 via CN 724. Application server 730 can communicate with CN 724 through IP communication interface 732.

[0077] Figure 8 A system 800 for performing signaling transfer 834 between a wireless device 802 and a network device 818 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. System 800 may be part of a wireless communication system as described herein. Wireless device 802 may, for example, be a UE (User Equipment) of a wireless communication system. Network device 818 may, for example, be a base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB) of a wireless communication system.

[0078] Wireless device 802 may include one or more processors 804. Processor 804 may execute instructions that cause various operations of wireless device 802 to be performed as described herein. Processor 804 may include one or more baseband processors, which may be implemented using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0079] Wireless device 802 may include memory 806. Memory 806 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 808, which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 804. Instructions 808 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. Memory 806 may also store data used by processor 804 and results calculated by the processor.

[0080] Wireless device 802 may include one or more transceivers 810, which may include radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuitry and / or receiver circuitry that use antenna 812 of wireless device 802 to facilitate signaling transmission to and / or from wireless device 802 and other devices (e.g., network device 818) according to a corresponding RAT (e.g., signaling transmission 834).

[0081] Wireless device 802 may include one or more antennas 812 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments with multiple antennas 812, wireless device 802 can utilize the spatial diversity of such multiple antennas 812 to transmit and / or receive multiple different data streams on the same time and frequency resources. This behavior can be referred to, for example, as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) behavior (referring to multiple antennas used at each of the transmitting and receiving devices to implement this aspect). MIMO transmission by wireless device 802 can be implemented according to pre-decoding (or digital beamforming) applied to wireless device 802, which multiplexes the data streams among antennas 812 based on known or assumed channel characteristics, such that each data stream is received with appropriate signal strength relative to the other streams at a desired location in the spatial domain (e.g., the location of the receiver associated with that data stream). Some embodiments may use a single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) method (where all data streams are directed to a single receiver) and / or a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) method (where individual data streams may be directed to individual (different) receivers at different locations in the spatial domain).

[0082] In some implementations with multiple antennas, wireless device 802 can implement analog beamforming technology, whereby the phase of the signal transmitted by antenna 812 is relatively adjusted so that the (joint) transmission of antenna 812 can be directed (this is sometimes referred to as beam control).

[0083] Wireless device 802 may include one or more interfaces 814. Interface 814 may be used to provide input to or output to wireless device 802. For example, wireless device 802 as a UE may include interface 814, such as a microphone, speaker, touchscreen, button, etc., to allow input and / or output by a user of the UE to the UE. Other interfaces of such UEs may consist of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry that allow the UE to communicate with other devices (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 810 / antenna 812 described), and may be based on known protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi). ® and Bluetooth ® (etc.) to perform the operation.

[0084] Wireless device 802 may include a counter / timer module 816. The counter / timer module 816 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the counter / timer module 816 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 808 stored in memory 806 and executed by processor 804. In some examples, the counter / timer module 816 may be integrated within processor 804 and / or transceiver 810. For example, the counter / timer module 816 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 804 or transceiver 810.

[0085] The counter / timer module 816 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, such as Figures 1 to 7 All aspects. The counter / timer module 816 is configured to maintain and monitor the counters or timers used for accessing the network device 818.

[0086] Network device 818 may include one or more processors 820. Processor 820 may execute instructions to perform various operations of network device 818 as described herein. Processor 820 may include one or more baseband processors, which may be implemented using, for example, a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0087] Network device 818 may include memory 822. Memory 822 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 824, which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 820. Instructions 824 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. Memory 822 may also store data used by processor 820 and results calculated by the processor.

[0088] Network device 818 may include one or more transceivers 826, which may include RF transmitter circuitry and / or receiver circuitry that use the antenna 828 of network device 818 to facilitate signaling transmission to and / or from network device 818 and other devices (e.g., wireless device 802) according to a corresponding RAT (e.g., signaling transmission 834).

[0089] Network device 818 may include one or more antennas 828 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments having multiple antennas 828, network device 818 may perform MIMO, digital beamforming, analog beamforming, beam control, etc., as described.

[0090] Network device 818 may include one or more interfaces 830. Interface 830 may be used to provide input to or output to network device 818. For example, network device 818 as a base station may include interfaces 830 consisting of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 826 / antenna 828 already described), which enable the base station to communicate with other equipment in the core network and / or enable the base station to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the purpose of performing operations, management, and maintenance of the base station or other equipment operatively connected to the base station.

[0091] Network device 818 may include a counter / timer value module 832. The counter / timer value module 832 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the counter / timer value module 832 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 824 stored in memory 822 and executed by processor 820. In some examples, the counter / timer value module 832 may be integrated within processor 820 and / or transceiver 826. For example, the counter / timer value module 832 may be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 820 or transceiver 826.

[0092] The counter / timer value module 832 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, such as... Figures 1 to 7 All aspects. The counter / timer value module 832 is configured to set the counter or timer value of the wireless device 802.

[0093] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components illustrated in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods as described herein. For example, a baseband processor as described herein in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples illustrated herein. Similarly, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc., as described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples illustrated herein.

[0094] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the embodiments described above may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustrative and descriptive information, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. In light of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice with various embodiments.

[0095] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations, which may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. A computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). A computer system may include hardware components, including specific logical units for performing the operations; or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0096] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation in one implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that, unless expressly stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0097] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and users should be clearly informed of the nature of authorized use.

[0098] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the method comprising: Maintain an event meter, wherein the event meter indicates when the environmental IoT device is allowed to respond to the reader; Receive the value of the event meter from the reader; Receive downlink signals from the reader; When the downlink signal is received, the value of the event meter is checked; When the event meter is depleted, a response to the received downlink signal is transmitted at the corresponding transmission timing associated with the downlink signal; as well as When the event meter is not depleted, the response is delayed until a future downlink signal is received when the event meter is depleted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event meter includes a counter, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the counter reaches a default pre-configured value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the default pre-configured value is zero.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The counter is decremented by one after each downlink signal is received from the reader.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Monitor multiple counters associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Multiple counters are monitored, each of which is associated with a specific reader identifier, and the counter values ​​of the multiple counters are updated independently.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event meter includes a timer, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the timer reaches zero.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Monitor multiple timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Monitor multiple timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink signal is a synchronization signal block (SSB), and wherein the response is a RO transmission sent to the reader on a random access channel (RACH) timing (RO) corresponding to the SSB.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of the event meter is set by the network based on the category of energy harvesting or device type at the IoT device in the environment.

12. An apparatus for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the apparatus comprising: processor; and The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the device to: Maintain an event meter, wherein the event meter indicates when the environmental IoT device is allowed to respond to the reader; Receive the value of the event meter from the reader; Receive downlink signals from the reader; When the downlink signal is received, the value of the event meter is checked; When the event meter is depleted, a response to the received downlink signal is transmitted at the corresponding transmission timing associated with the downlink signal; as well as When the event meter is not depleted, the response is delayed until a future downlink signal is received when the event meter is depleted.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the event meter includes a counter, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the counter reaches zero.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to decrement the counter by one after receiving each downlink signal from the reader.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to monitor a plurality of counters associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to: monitor a plurality of counters, wherein each of the plurality of counters is associated with a specific reader identifier, and wherein the counter values ​​of the plurality of counters are updated independently.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the event meter includes a timer, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the timer reaches zero.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to monitor a plurality of timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further configure the apparatus to monitor a plurality of timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, cause the environmental IoT device to: Maintain an event meter, wherein the event meter indicates when the environmental IoT device is allowed to respond to the reader; Receive the value of the event meter from the reader; Receive downlink signals from the reader; When the downlink signal is received, the value of the event meter is checked; When the event meter is depleted, a response to the received downlink signal is transmitted at the corresponding transmission timing associated with the downlink signal; as well as When the event meter is not depleted, the response is delayed until a future downlink signal is received when the event meter is depleted.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the event meter includes a counter, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the counter reaches a default pre-configured value.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further configure the environmental IoT device to decrement the counter by one after receiving each downlink signal from the reader.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further configure the environmental IoT device to: monitor a plurality of counters associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further configure the environmental IoT device to: monitor a plurality of counters, wherein each of the plurality of counters is associated with a specific reader identifier, and wherein the counter values ​​of the plurality of counters are updated independently.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the event meter includes a timer, and allows the environmental IoT device to respond to the reader whenever the timer reaches zero.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions further configure the environmental IoT device to: monitor a plurality of timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions further configure the environmental IoT device to: monitor a plurality of timers associated with different transmission types corresponding to reader identifiers.

28. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

29. A baseband processor for an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device, the baseband processor being configured to cause the environmental IoT device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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