Group processing techniques for internet of things devices

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for group processing of devices such as environmental Internet of Things devices. An example process includes receiving, by a first network node from a second network node, a downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices to be processed by the first network node. The group of one or more devices is associated with first group context information stored at the second network node. Based on the downlink message, the first network node sends a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This document primarily focuses on wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication technology is driving the world toward an increasingly interconnected and networked society. The rapid growth and technological advancements in wireless communication have led to greater demands for capacity and connectivity. Other factors, such as energy consumption, equipment cost, spectrum efficiency, and latency, are also important for meeting the needs of various communication scenarios. Compared to existing wireless networks, next-generation systems and wireless communication technologies need to support a growing number of users and devices, and support an increasingly mobile society. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This document provides technologies for processing device groups, such as environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a wireless communication method comprising: receiving a downlink message from a second network node by a first network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices to be processed by the first network node, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node; and sending a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices based on the downlink message.

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a wireless communication method comprising: sending a downlink message from a second network node to a first network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices to be processed by the first network node, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node, and wherein the downlink message is configured to be used by the first network node to send a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices.

[0006] In another exemplary aspect, the above-described method is embodied in the form of processor-executable code and stored in a computer-readable program medium.

[0007] In another exemplary aspect, an apparatus configured or operable to perform the methods described above is disclosed.

[0008] The above and other aspects and their implementations are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, description and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 Examples of wireless communication systems based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology are shown.

[0010] Figure 2 This is an example process for processing a group of devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The section headings used in this document are for ease of understanding only and do not limit the scope of the embodiments to the sections describing them. Furthermore, while embodiments are described with reference to 5G examples, the disclosed techniques can be applied to wireless systems using protocols other than 5G or 3GPP protocols.

[0015] In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted widespread attention in the field of wireless communication. As more and more "things" are expected to be interconnected, further reductions in the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices could enable the deployment of hundreds of billions or even trillions of IoT devices across a wide range of applications. However, most existing wireless communication devices are battery-powered, requiring manual replacement or charging. Powering all battery-powered IoT devices is impractical, as these devices require manual replacement or charging, leading to high maintenance costs, environmental issues, and safety hazards in certain use cases, such as the power or oil industries.

[0016] Automation and digitalization across industries necessitate new IoT technologies to support energy storage devices that lack energy storage capabilities or do not require manual replacement or recharging. For example, these devices may be battery-free or have limited energy storage capacity (e.g., using capacitors) and can be powered by collecting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or other sources of energy. Such devices must be reasonably small enough to validate the target use case. These devices can be termed environmental IoT devices.

[0017] Considering the limited size and complexity required for battery-free devices without energy storage capacity or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging in practical applications, the output power of energy harvesters is typically between 1µW and several hundredµW. Due to peak power consumption exceeding 10mW, existing cellular devices may not be well-suited for energy harvesting.

[0018] During the 3GPP RAN #102 meeting, the new SID RP-234058 "NR Environment IoT (Internet of Things) Solution Study" was approved. In addition, Technical Report (TR) 22.840 is being developed to capture use cases, traffic scenarios, and device limitations for environment IoT, and to identify new potential service requirements and new key performance indicators (KPIs).

[0019] One example application in TR 22.840 is asset identification, currently involving barcodes or radio frequency identification (RFID) in most industries. The main advantages of these two technologies are the low complexity and small form factor of the tags. However, limited reading range (e.g., a few meters) often requires handheld scanning, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming operations, or the need for RFID portals / gates, resulting in high deployment costs. Furthermore, the lack of interference management schemes can lead to severe interference between RFID readers, as well as capacity issues, especially in dense deployments. Therefore, it is difficult to support large-scale networks with seamless RFID coverage.

[0020] The Technical Specification Group (TSG) RAN has completed the Rel-18 RAN-level study project on IoT in the Environment, providing terminology and scope for future discussions on IoT in the Environment. The TSG defined representative use cases, deployment scenarios, connectivity topologies, IoT devices in the Environment, design goals, and required functionalities. The TSG also conducted a preliminary feasibility assessment and made recommendations for screening further working group-level study scopes.

[0021] Because existing technologies cannot meet all the requirements of the target use case, new IoT technologies are needed, which may have several orders of magnitude greater connection numbers or device density than existing technologies. To address the target use case, complexity and power consumption must be reduced by several orders of magnitude compared to existing implementations such as 3GPP Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies (such as NB-IoT and eMTC).

[0022] For example, tags are attached to or embedded in goods or assets for management. In some cases, readers (such as scanners or similar devices) are used to scan or interact with these tags. Network resource consumption can be high due to the extensive communication between readers, tags, and other network devices. Simultaneously, enterprises may need to deploy additional networks, such as 3GPP networks, which incurs additional operating and maintenance costs. Therefore, technologies are needed to reduce the network resource consumption associated with environmental IoT devices.

[0023] To address some of these issues, techniques have been introduced that use a group-based approach to manage IoT devices in an environment. In some embodiments, group context information stored at network nodes facilitates the management of device groups. By storing this group context information at network nodes, the amount of information required to process devices can be reduced, improving network efficiency compared to existing methods.

[0024] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 (e.g., a 3GPP network, including Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, or NR cellular networks) is shown, which includes a BS (base station) 120 and one or more devices (e.g., IoT devices) 111, 112, 114, and 115. Devices 111 and 112 communicate directly and bidirectionally with the BS 120. The wireless communication system 100 may also include one or more UEs (user equipment) 113 or other intermediate nodes communicating with one or more devices 114 and 115. Devices 111, 112, 114, and 115 may be IoT devices, such as environmental IoT devices. UE 113 may be, for example, a smartphone, tablet, mobile computer, machine-to-machine (M2M) device, terminal, mobile device, reader, etc.

[0025] The uplink (UL) transmissions 131-135 and downlink (DL) transmissions 141-145 between BS 120, UE 113, and devices 111, 112, 114, and 115 may include environment-specific IoT data or signaling. In some embodiments, the BS 120 that sends signaling to devices 111, 112, 114, and 115 is different from the BS that receives signaling from devices 111, 112, 114, and 115 (other BSs are not shown). In some embodiments, UL transmissions 131-135 may include uplink control information (UCI), higher-layer signaling (e.g., UE assistance information or UE capabilities), or uplink information. In some embodiments, DL transmission 143 may include downlink control information (DCI), higher-layer signaling, or downlink information.

[0026] Group processing Figure 2 This is an example process 200 for processing a group of devices according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this document, "processing" refers to the management or operation of one or more devices, such as environmental IoT devices. Processing operations may include requesting information from device 202 or requesting device 202 to execute instructions. For example, processing operations may include paging or commands such as inventory, operating sensors, determining or changing location, or reading / writing.

[0027] Process 200 includes communication between device 202, radio access network (RAN) node 204, core network (CN) node 206, and server 208. The RAN node may include a base station (BS). Although only one device is shown, the disclosed techniques can be applied to a greater number of devices or groups of devices. Similarly, additional network nodes or servers may be included. For example, intermediate nodes may be used between nodes or devices, such as a UE or other core network nodes.

[0028] In step 210, group context information 212a is stored at core network node 206. Group context information 212a is associated with a device group including device 202. Group context information 212a can be established at CN node 206 via a registration procedure, where CN node 206 acquires and stores information associated with the device group. In some embodiments, group context information 212a is established based on a previous processing procedure (e.g., a previous instance of process 200).

[0029] Through the registration procedure of each device, or through the processing method prior to each device, the CN obtains the information of each device and stores it as a group context at the CN. The RAN can also obtain the information of each device and store it as a group context at the RAN. Group context information 212a can be associated with a device group, for example, by using a group identifier (e.g., group ID).

[0030] CN node 206 can store multiple group contexts, each associated with a different device group. Note that devices are not necessarily limited to a single group, and different groups may overlap. As further described in this document, there are different ways to group devices, providing flexibility for different use cases, device types, processing types, etc.

[0031] For each group, the associated group context 212a stored at CN node 206 may include at least one of the following: • Group device types, such as environmental IoT devices, UEs, etc.

[0032] • Power supply type, such as energy storage, non-energy storage, energy storage without independent signal generation, energy storage with independent signal generation, or no battery, etc.

[0033] • Group ID. For example, a numerical value. In some embodiments, a device identity identifier can be used for this group, such as a 3GPP device identity identifier, such as IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI.

[0034] • A device list, such as a device ID list. In some embodiments, devices in a group can be identified by 3GPP device identity identifiers, such as IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI. Devices in the group can also be identified by non-3GPP device identity identifiers (such as RFID identifiers). In some embodiments, devices can be identified by both 3GPP and non-3GPP device identity identifiers. For example, group context information may include a mapping between 3GPP and non-3GPP device identity identifiers.

[0035] • The number of devices in the group (e.g., the size of the group, the number of devices in the group).

[0036] • Processing methods supported by devices in the group (e.g., paging, inventory, sensor, location, command, or read / write). • Processing area information. For example, devices in a group may be associated with the same cell, beam, node, etc., each of which can be referred to as a "processing area". Therefore, group context information 212a may include, for example, a beam ID list, a cell ID list, a gNB ID list, a RAN node ID list, a TAI list, etc., which enables CN node 206 to send downlink messages to the correct RAN node 204. In some embodiments, the processing area information is stored at CN node 206 based on the results of previous group processing procedures.

[0037] • Processing auxiliary information. For example, group context information 212a may include resources for paging device 202, such as paging DRX resources or radio resources. Processing auxiliary information may be stored at CN node 206 based on previous group processing procedures. For example, processing auxiliary information may include resources for previous paging messages.

[0038] • Group processing priority information. For example, the priority of processing groups can include numerical ranking, "high", "low", etc.

[0039] In some embodiments, RAN node 204 also stores group context information, as shown in group context information 212b. Group context information 212b may include the same information as group context information 212a, or it may include different information. For each group, the associated group context 212b stored at RAN node 204 may include at least one of the following: • Group device types, such as environmental IoT devices, UEs, etc.

[0040] • Power supply type, such as energy storage, non-energy storage, energy storage without independent signal generation, energy storage with independent signal generation, or no battery, etc.

[0041] • Group ID. For example, a numerical value. In some embodiments, a device identity identifier can be used for this group, such as a 3GPP device identity identifier, such as IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI.

[0042] • A device list, such as a device ID list. In some embodiments, devices in a group can be identified by 3GPP device identity identifiers, such as IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI. Devices in the group can also be identified by non-3GPP device identity identifiers (such as RFID identifiers). In some embodiments, devices can be identified by both 3GPP and non-3GPP device identity identifiers. For example, group context information may include a mapping between 3GPP and non-3GPP device identity identifiers.

[0043] • The number of devices in the group (e.g., the size of the group, the number of devices in the group).

[0044] • Processing methods supported by devices in the group (e.g., paging, inventory, sensor, location, command, or read / write). • Processing area information. For example, beam ID lists, cell ID lists, gNB ID lists, RAN node ID lists, TAI lists, etc. In some embodiments, the processed area information is stored at RAN node 204 based on the results of previous group processing procedures.

[0045] • Processing auxiliary information. For example, group context information 212b may include resources for paging device 202, such as paging DRX resources or radio resources. Processing auxiliary information may be stored at RAN node 204 based on previous group processing procedures. For example, processing auxiliary information may include resources for previous paging messages.

[0046] • Group processing priority information. For example, the priority of processing groups can include numerical ranking, "high", "low", etc.

[0047] Step 220: A group processing decision is formed at CN node 206. In some embodiments, CN node 206 initiates a group processing decision. In some embodiments, the group processing decision is formed at step 220 based on a DL message received from another node (such as server 208) requesting CN node 206 to process one or more devices or groups of devices. Groups can be formed at CN node 206 or an upstream node (such as server 208). These groups are formed based on at least one of the following: • Grouping based on the group context previously stored at CN node 206.

[0048] • Has the same requested processing method.

[0049] • Associated with the same processing area, such as the same cell, beam, RAN node, etc.

[0050] • They have the same processing support information, such as the same resources.

[0051] • They have the same device type.

[0052] • Have the same group processing priority.

[0053] In step 230, the DL message is sent from CN node 206 to RAN node 204 (in Figure 2 (This is denoted as "NG DL message", but is not limited to next-generation implementations). In some embodiments, the DL message in step 230 is a Next-Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) message. The DL message can also be a paging message, such as an NGAP paging message.

[0054] CN node 206 sends DL messages to instruct RAN node 204 to process one or more device groups, including device 202. Multiple DL messages can be transmitted, with each NG DL message indicating one or more groups. CN node 206 can send DL messages to individual RAN nodes, for example, to process different device groups, or to process the same group as needed.

[0055] The DL message in step 230 may include a message type, such as indicating whether the message is for processing or paging. Note that in this document, "paging" refers to a subset of "processing".

[0056] In some embodiments, the DL message of step 230 includes group information, which can be derived from group context information 212a. The information in the DL message enables the RAN node 204 to perform processing with the device group. For example, the DL message may include at least one of the following: • The group ID of the group being processed.

[0057] • Processing request methods for devices in the group (e.g., paging, inventory, sensor, location, command, or read / write). • NAS data packets, which may include the requested processing method.

[0058] • A device list, such as a device ID list. In some embodiments, devices in a group can be identified by 3GPP device identification identifiers, such as IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI. Devices in the group can also be identified by non-3GPP device identification identifiers, such as RFID identifiers.

[0059] • The number of devices in the group (e.g., the size of the group, the number of devices in the group).

[0060] • Group type, which can refer to device type (such as environmental IoT devices, tags, trackers, etc.) or commodity or asset type (such as clothing, food, electronic products, etc.).

[0061] • Power supply type, such as energy storage, non-energy storage, energy storage without independent signal generation, energy storage with independent signal generation, or no battery, etc.

[0062] • Processing area information. For example, beam ID lists, cell ID lists, gNB ID lists, RAN node ID lists, TAI lists, etc. In some embodiments, the processed area information is stored at RAN node 204 based on the results of previous group processing procedures.

[0063] • Processing auxiliary information. For example, resources used for paging device 202, such as paging DRX resources or radio resources. Processing auxiliary information may include resources used for previous paging messages.

[0064] • Group processing priority. For example, numerical ranking, "high", "low", etc.

[0065] Group ID forwarding In some embodiments, both the group context information 212a at CN node 206 and the group context information 212b at RAN node 204 include a group ID associated with the same device group. Then, for a group to be processed by RAN node 204, CN node 206 may send the group ID of that group in a DL message at step 230. CN node 206 may send multiple group IDs associated with multiple device groups simultaneously in this manner.

[0066] Because RAN node 204 includes group context information 212b, RAN node 204 can use the received group ID without needing to receive additional information typically used in the processing. Instead, RAN node 204 can use the stored group context information 212b associated with the identified group. For example, the group context information 212b can be stored based on previous processing. Therefore, network load is reduced. For example, when the group ID is stored in both RAN node 204 and CN node 206, the DL message in step 230 can exclude at least one of the following: • Device ID List • Group type • Power supply type • Processing area information •City ID • Processing auxiliary information • Group processing priority information In step 230, if any of the above information is included in the DL message, the RAN node 204 can replace the corresponding information in the previously stored group context information 212b with the information in the received DL message.

[0067] Device ID list forwarding When the group context information 212b stored at RAN node 204 includes a mapping between a first type of device identity (e.g., a 3GPP device identity) and a second type of device identity (e.g., a non-3GPP device identity), in step 230, CN node 206 can send only one type of identity in the DL message, and then RAN node 204 can use this mapping to process devices configured with the other type of identity. For example, CN node 206 can send a 3GPP device identity to RAN node 204, and then RAN node 204 can process devices communicating via a non-3GPP identity.

[0068] In another example, server 208 requests CN node 206 to process one or more devices identified by external 3GPP device identities. Using the mapping stored in group context information 212a, CN node 206 can send the 3GPP device identities of these devices to RAN node 204.

[0069] In step 240, RAN node 204 processes one or more device groups (at least one of which includes device 202) in response to receiving the DL message in step 230. These devices are processed based on the information in the DL message and the group context information 212b at RAN node 204 (if stored).

[0070] For example, if the DL message in step 230 includes a group ID, RAN node 204 can process the corresponding group. Furthermore, if group context information 212b is stored at RAN node 204, it can be used. For example, group context information 212b can indicate a specific resource to be processed, even if it is not indicated in the DL message of step 230. Similarly, as described above, group context information 212b can include a mapping between a first type of device ID and a second type of device ID. Then, if the DL message includes a device identified by a first type of device ID, RAN node 206 can use this mapping to communicate with the device, even if they identify themselves by a second type of device ID. If the DL message does include group-specific processing information, RAN node 204 can replace the corresponding information in group context information 212a (if stored) with the information from the DL message.

[0071] Furthermore, if stored, RAN node 204 can update its group context information 212b based on the results of processing one or more device groups. For example, device 202 may be offline or in a processing area different from what was previously indicated. Therefore, the group context information 212 can be updated in step 240 based on the processing results (e.g., updating the device list, processing area, etc.).

[0072] In step 250, RAN node 204 sends a UL message (e.g., an NG UL message) to CN node 206. The UL message at step 240 includes the group processing results (e.g., paging results) of the processing steps at 240. If RAN node 204 is requested to process multiple device groups, it can send multiple UL messages to CN node 206 (e.g., one message per group). Alternatively, the processing results of multiple groups can be sent in a single UL message.

[0073] For a group comprising multiple devices, RAN node 204 can send a UL message that includes a subset of device processing results, where the subset is less than or equal to the entire device group. For example, RAN node 204 can send a single UL message in step 250 that includes the processing results of all devices in the group. In some embodiments, RAN node 204 stores device processing results until all device processing results for the group are obtained, and then sends these results in a single UL message at step 250. Therefore, the number of UL messages can be reduced compared to sending device processing results individually.

[0074] The processing results for each group may include at least one of the following: •Group ID • Device ID List • Processing results of at least one device • One or more NAS packets, each packet including the processing results of at least one device. • Processing area information • Processing auxiliary information • Group processing priority information After receiving the UL message in step 250, CN node 206 can replace the information in group context information 212a with the information in the UL message. For example, if the NG UL message includes processing area information or processing assistance information, CN node 206 can store the information and replace the previous content in group context information 212a (if it has been stored) and use it for the next processing request.

[0075] As previously described, the DL message in step 230 can be used to request RAN node 204 to perform paging on device 202. In some embodiments, RAN node 204 is requested to page device 202 without any further processing. For example, the DL message may include a list of group IDs or device IDs, but not a processing request method, meaning that RAN node 204 wants to perform paging on a group or device. Alternatively, the DL message may explicitly indicate paging as the processing method. When the DL message in step 230 is a paging message in this manner, the UL message in step 250 includes the paging result.

[0076] If the DL message in step 230 is a paging message, a second DL message can be sent from CN node 206 in step 260. Group context information 212a or 212b can be updated after the paging process, allowing for more efficient execution of subsequent processing operations. In step 260, the second DL message requests RAN node 104 to perform processing. In step 270, processing is performed using device 202. In step 280, the second UL message is sent from RAN node 204 to CN node 206. As described above, steps 260, 270, and 280 can be substantially corresponding to steps 230, 240, and 250, respectively. In step 290, the third UL message is sent from CN node 206 to server 208.

[0077] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process 300 for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, process 400 may be performed by a first network node (e.g., Figure 1 BS 120 or Figure 2 Execute on RAN node 204.

[0078] In step 310, a downlink message is received from the second network node at the first network node. The downlink message indicates a group of one or more devices for processing, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node. The downlink message may include at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

[0079] In some embodiments, the device includes an environmental IoT device. In some embodiments, a group of one or more devices is grouped based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, processing assistance information, or the device type.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first network node stores a second set of context information. The second set of context information can be updated based on downlink messages. The first or second set of context information may include at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or group priority. In some embodiments, the list of devices in the group is associated with a device identity of a first type and a device identity of a second type different from the first type.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first set of context information or the second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

[0082] The first or second set of context information may include processing area information, which indicates the beam, cell, gNB, RAN node, or Tracking Area Identity (TAI) associated with a group of one or more devices. The first or second set of context information may also include processing support information, which indicates the resources used to process the group of one or more devices. For example, based on the resources used compared to the previous processing message, the processing support information may be stored at a first or second network node.

[0083] In some embodiments, a first set of context information or a second set of context information indicates a mapping between a first type of device identifier and a second type of device identifier, wherein downlink messages use the first type of device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and wherein processing messages are sent to at least one device based on the second type of device identifier. For example, the first type of device identifier may be IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI, and the second type of device identifier may be RFID.

[0084] In step 320, a processing message is sent to at least one device in a group of one or more devices based on the downlink message. For example, the processing message may be a paging message or a command message.

[0085] In some embodiments, process 300 further includes a first network node receiving one or more processing results from a subset of at least one device, and the first network node sending an uplink message to a second network node, the uplink message including a group processing result based on one or more processing results. A first group of context information or a second group of context information can be updated based on the group processing result.

[0086] In some embodiments, the group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing assistance information, or group processing priority.

[0087] In some embodiments, processing messages are sent to multiple devices. Process 300 may also include storing processing results at a first network node until processing results are received from each of the multiple devices, wherein the uplink message includes processing results from each of the multiple devices.

[0088] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example process 400 for wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, process 400 may be performed by a second network node (e.g., Figure 2 Execute on CN node 206.

[0089] In step 410, a downlink message is sent from the second network node to the first network node. The downlink message indicates a group of one or more devices for processing, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node. The downlink message is configured to be used by the first network node to send a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices. For example, the processing message may be a paging message or a command message.

[0090] Downlink messages may include at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

[0091] In some embodiments, the device includes an IoT device. In some embodiments, a group of one or more devices is grouped based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, processing assistance information, or the device type.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first network node stores a second set of context information. The second set of context information can be updated based on downlink messages. The first or second set of context information may include at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or group priority. In some embodiments, the list of devices in the group is associated with a device identity of a first type and a device identity of a second type different from the first type.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first set of context information or the second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

[0094] The first or second set of context information may include processing area information, which indicates the beam, cell, gNB, RAN node, or Tracking Area Identity (TAI) associated with a group of one or more devices. The first or second set of context information may also include processing support information, which indicates the resources used to process the group of one or more devices. For example, based on the resources used compared to the previous processing message corresponding to this processing message, the processing support information may be stored at a first or second network node.

[0095] In some embodiments, a first set of context information or a second set of context information indicates a mapping between a first type of device identifier and a second type of device identifier, wherein downlink messages use the first type of device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and wherein processing messages are sent to at least one device based on the second type of device identifier. For example, the first type of device identifier may be IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI, and the second type of device identifier may be RFID.

[0096] In some embodiments, process 400 further includes receiving an uplink message from the first network node by the second network node, the uplink message including a group processing result based on one or more processing results received at the first network node from a subset of at least one device. The first group context information or the second group context information can be updated based on the group processing result.

[0097] In some embodiments, the group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing assistance information, or group processing priority.

[0098] In some embodiments, processing messages are sent to multiple devices. Uplink messages may include processing results from each of the multiple devices.

[0099] Figure 5This is a block diagram representation of a portion of an apparatus based on an embodiment of the disclosed technology. Apparatus 505 may be implemented in a network node (e.g., BS 120, RAN node 204, or CN node 206) or UE and may include processor electronics 510, such as a microprocessor implementing one or more technologies proposed in this document. Apparatus 505 may include transceiver electronics 515 for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals via one or more communication interfaces (e.g., antenna 520). Apparatus 505 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. Apparatus 505 may include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and / or instructions. In some implementations, processor electronics 510 may include at least a portion of transceiver electronics 515. In some embodiments, apparatus 505 is used to implement at least some of the disclosed technologies, modules, or functions.

[0100] Some embodiments described herein are set within the general context of methods or processes. In one embodiment, these methods or processes can be implemented by a computer program product contained in a computer-readable medium, including computer-executable instructions, such as program code, that are executed by a computer in a networked environment. The computer-readable medium can include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical disc (CD), digital versatile optical disc (DVD), etc. Therefore, the computer-readable medium can include non-transitory storage media. Typically, program modules can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. Computer or processor-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for performing steps of the methods disclosed herein. A particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding actions for implementing the functionality described in these steps or processes.

[0101] Some disclosed embodiments may be implemented as devices or modules using hardware circuitry, software, or a combination thereof. For example, hardware circuitry implementations may include discrete analog and / or digital components, such as those integrated as part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules may be implemented as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) devices. Some implementations may additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a special-purpose microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the operational requirements of digital signal processing related to the disclosed functions of this application. Similarly, various components or sub-components within each module may be implemented using software, hardware, or firmware. Connectivity between modules and / or components within modules may be provided using any of the connection methods and media known in the art, including but not limited to communication over the Internet, wired, or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0102] Solution Terms Some embodiments may preferably combine the following solutions described herein.

[0103] For example, the terms listed below can be implemented by the first network node described herein (e.g., Figure 1 BS 120 or Figure 2 RAN node 204) is used. Clause 1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving a downlink message from a second network node by a first network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices to be processed by the first network node, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with the first set of context information stored at the second network node; and sending a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices based on the downlink message.

[0104] Clause 2, according to the method of Clause 1, wherein the first network node stores the second set of context information.

[0105] Clause 3, the method according to Clause 2 further includes: updating the second set of context information based on the downlink message.

[0106] Clause 4. The method according to Clause 2 or 3, wherein the second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of the one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

[0107] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 2 to 4, wherein the second set of context information indicates a mapping between a first type device identifier and a second type device identifier, wherein the downlink message uses the first type device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and wherein the processing message is sent to the at least one device based on the second type device identifier.

[0108] Clause 6, the method according to Clause 5, wherein the first type of device identifier is IMSI, TMSI, IMEI or PEI, and wherein the second type of device identifier is RFID.

[0109] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6 further includes: receiving one or more processing results from a subset of the at least one device by the first network node; and sending an uplink message from the first network node to the second network node, the uplink message including a group processing result based on the one or more processing results, wherein the first group context information is updated at the second network node based on the group processing result.

[0110] Clause 8. The method according to Clause 7, wherein the group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing auxiliary information, or group processing priority.

[0111] Clause 9, the method according to Clause 7 or 8, further includes: updating a second set of context information at the first network node based on the result of one or more of the processing.

[0112] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 7 to 9, wherein the at least one device is a plurality of devices, the method further comprising: storing a processing result at the first network node until a processing result is received from each of the plurality of devices, wherein the uplink message includes a processing result from each of the plurality of devices.

[0113] Clause 11. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or priority of the group.

[0114] Clause 12, according to the method of Clause 11, wherein the list of devices in the group is associated with a first type of device identity and a second type of device identity, the second type being different from the first type.

[0115] Clause 13. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing area information, the processing area information indicating a beam, cell, gNB, RAN node or tracking area identity (TAI) associated with the group of the one or more devices.

[0116] Clause 14. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing assistance information, the processing assistance information indicating resources for processing the group of one or more devices.

[0117] Clause 15, the method according to Clause 14, wherein the processing assistance information is stored at the second network node based on the resources used relative to the previous processing message of the processing message.

[0118] Clause 16. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 15, wherein the downlink message includes at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

[0119] Clause 17. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 16, wherein the processing message is a paging message or a command message.

[0120] Clause 18. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 17, wherein the group of the one or more devices is grouped based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, the processing support information, or the device type.

[0121] Clause 19. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 18, wherein the group of one or more devices includes a group of environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0122] For example, the terms listed below can be implemented by the second network node described herein (e.g., Figure 2 (CN node 206) is used.

[0123] Clause 20. A method of wireless communication, comprising: sending a downlink message from a second network node to a first network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices to be processed by the first network node, wherein the group of one or more devices is associated with the first set of context information stored at the second network node, and wherein the downlink message is configured to be used by the first network node to send a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices.

[0124] Clause 21, the method according to Clause 20, wherein the first network node stores the second set of context information.

[0125] Clause 22, the method according to Clause 21, wherein the first network node uses the downlink message to update the second set of context information.

[0126] Clause 23. The method according to Clause 21 or 22, wherein the second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of the one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

[0127] Clause 24. The method according to any one of Clauses 21 to 23, wherein the second set of context information indicates a mapping between a first type device identifier and a second type device identifier, wherein the downlink message uses the first type device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and wherein the processing message is sent to the at least one device based on the second type device identifier.

[0128] Clause 25, the method according to Clause 24, wherein the first type of device identifier is IMSI, TMSI, IMEI or PEI, and wherein the second type of device identifier is RFID.

[0129] Clause 26. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 25 further includes: receiving an uplink message from the first network node by the second network node, the uplink message including a group processing result based on one or more processing results received at the first network node from a subset of the at least one device, wherein the first group context information is updated at the second network node based on the group processing result.

[0130] Clause 27. The method according to Clause 26, wherein the group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing auxiliary information, or group processing priority.

[0131] Clause 28. The method according to Clause 26 or 27, wherein, based on the results of one or more of the processing, the second set of context information is updated at the first network node.

[0132] Clause 29. The method according to any one of Clauses 26 to 28, wherein the at least one device is a plurality of devices, and wherein the uplink message includes processing results from each of the plurality of devices.

[0133] Clause 30. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 29, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or priority of the group.

[0134] Clause 31, the method according to Clause 30, wherein the list of devices in the group is associated with a first type of device identity and a second type of device identity, the second type being different from the first type.

[0135] Clause 32. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 31, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing area information, the processing area information indicating a beam, cell, gNB, RAN node or tracking area identity (TAI) associated with the group of the one or more devices.

[0136] Clause 33. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 32, wherein the first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing assistance information, the processing assistance information indicating resources for processing the group of one or more devices.

[0137] Clause 34, the method according to Clause 33, wherein the processing assistance information is stored at the second network node based on the resources used relative to the previous processing message of the processing message.

[0138] Clause 35. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 34, wherein the downlink message includes at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

[0139] Clause 36. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 35, wherein the processing message is a paging message or a command message.

[0140] Clause 37. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 36, wherein the group of the one or more devices is grouped based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, the processing support information, or the device type.

[0141] Clause 38. The method according to any one of Clauses 20 to 37, wherein the group of one or more devices includes a group of environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0142] For example, the solutions listed below can be provided by devices (e.g., Figure 5 The device 505) or a computer-readable medium as described herein may be used.

[0143] Clause 39. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of Clauses 1 to 38.

[0144] Clause 40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which a processor of a computing system executes to cause the computing system to perform any one of Clauses 1 to 38.

[0145] While this document contains numerous details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention or any potentially claimed content, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in this document within the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described within the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although the foregoing features may be described as functioning in certain combinations, or even originally claimed in this way, in some cases one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed, and the claimed combination may refer to a sub-combination or a variation of the sub-combination. Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order or sequence shown, or requiring all of the shown operations to achieve the desired result.

[0146] Unless the context explicitly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the words “comprising,” “including,” and “including” should be interpreted as inclusive, not exclusive or exhaustive, meaning “including but not limited to.” The terms “connection,” “link,” or any variation thereof, as used herein, refer to any direct or indirect connection or link between two or more elements; the connection or link between elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the terms “this article,” “above,” “below,” and similar meanings used in this application refer to the entire application, and not any specific part of it. Where the context permits, singular or plural words may also include the plural or singular, respectively. When referring to a list of two or more items, the word “or” covers all of the following interpretations: any one item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list. Similarly, when referring to a list of two or more items, the term “and / or” covers all of the following interpretations: any one item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list. Unless otherwise specified, connective phrases such as "at least one of X, Y, and Z" are generally interpreted as an item, term, etc., which can be any one of X, Y, and Z, or any combination thereof. Therefore, such connective phrases do not generally imply that some embodiments require the presence of at least one X, at least one Y, and at least one Z. Furthermore, the commonly used phrase "at least one of X, Y, or Z" is interpreted as an item, term, etc., which can be X, Y, Z, or any combination thereof.

[0147] Only a few implementations and examples are described, and other implementations, enhancements and variations may be made based on what is described and shown in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A first network node receives a downlink message from a second network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices processed by the first network node. Wherein, the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node; and Based on the downlink message, a processing message is sent to at least one device in the group of one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first network node stores the second set of context information.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: The second set of context information is updated based on the downlink message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, The second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of the one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, The second set of context information indicates the mapping between the first type of device identifier and the second type of device identifier. The downlink message uses the first type of device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and The processing message is sent to the at least one device based on the second type of device identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The first type of device identifier is IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI, and the second type of device identifier is RFID.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first network node receives one or more processing results from a subset of the at least one device; as well as The first network node sends an uplink message to the second network node, the uplink message including a group processing result based on the one or more processing results. Specifically, based on the group processing results, the first group context information is updated at the second network node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing auxiliary information, or group processing priority.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Based on the one or more processing results, the second set of context information is updated at the first network node.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein, The at least one device may be multiple devices, and the method further includes: The processing result is stored at the first network node until a processing result is received from each of the plurality of devices. The uplink message includes the processing result from each of the plurality of devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or group priority.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The list of devices in the group is associated with a first type of device identity and a second type of device identity, the second type being different from the first type.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing area information, which indicates a beam, cell, gNB, RAN node or tracking area identity (TAI) associated with the group of the one or more devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing assistance information, which indicates a group of resources for processing the one or more devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, Based on the resources used compared to the previous processed message, the processing assistance information is stored at the second network node.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein, The downlink message includes at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, The processing message is a paging message or a command message.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein, The grouping of the one or more devices is based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, the processing support information, or the device type.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein, The group of one or more devices includes a group of environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

20. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A downlink message is sent from the second network node to the first network node, the downlink message indicating a group of one or more devices processed by the first network node. Wherein, the group of one or more devices is associated with a first set of context information stored at the second network node, and The downlink message is configured to be used by the first network node to send a processing message to at least one device in the group of one or more devices.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The first network node stores the second set of context information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The first network node uses the downlink message to update the second set of context information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein, The second set of context information includes a group identifier associated with a group of the one or more devices, wherein the downlink message includes the group identifier, and wherein the processing message is sent based on the group identifier.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The second set of context information indicates the mapping between the first type of device identifier and the second type of device identifier. The downlink message uses the first type of device identifier to indicate a group of one or more devices, and The processing message is sent to the at least one device based on the second type of device identifier.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The first type of device identifier is IMSI, TMSI, IMEI, or PEI, and the second type of device identifier is RFID.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising: The second network node receives uplink messages from the first network node, the uplink messages including group processing results based on one or more processing results received at the first network node from a subset of the at least one device. Specifically, based on the group processing results, the first group context information is updated at the second network node.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The group processing result includes at least one of the following: group identifier, device identifier list, one or more processing result lists, NAS data packets, processing area, processing auxiliary information, or group processing priority.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, Based on the one or more processing results, the second set of context information is updated at the first network node.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The at least one device is a plurality of devices, and the uplink message includes processing results from each of the plurality of devices.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes at least one of the following: device type, power supply type, group identifier, number of devices in the group, list of devices in the group, supported processing type, or group priority.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The list of devices in the group is associated with a first type of device identity and a second type of device identity, the second type being different from the first type.

32. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing area information, which indicates a beam, cell, gNB, RAN node or tracking area identity (TAI) associated with the group of the one or more devices.

33. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The first set of context information or the second set of context information stored at the first network node includes processing assistance information, which indicates a group of resources for processing the one or more devices.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein, Based on the resources used compared to the previous processed message, the processing assistance information is stored at the second network node.

35. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The downlink message includes at least one of the following: processing request type, group identifier, NAS packet, list of devices in the group, number of devices in the group, group type, power supply type, processing area information, processing auxiliary information, or group priority.

36. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The processing message is a paging message or a command message.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein, The grouping of the one or more devices is based on at least one of the following: the requested processing method, the processing area, the processing support information, or the device type.

38. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The group of one or more devices includes a group of environmental Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

39. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, the processor executing the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 38.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that a processor of a computing system executes, causing the computing system to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 38.

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