Control plane procedure method and apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a control plane procedure in a wireless communication system are provided. That is, a base station controlling a radio resource of an environmental Internet of Things terminal receives a service request message from an environmental Internet of Things core network node. Also, a response message for the service request message including location identification information of the environmental Internet of Things terminal is transmitted to the environmental Internet of Things core network node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This manual relates to wireless communications applicable to 5G NR, 5G-Advanced, and 6G. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, more and more communication devices require greater communication bandwidth, thus necessitating the next-generation 5G system, which represents an improvement over the existing LTE system in wireless broadband communication. In this next-generation 5G system, known as NewRAT, communication scenarios are categorized into enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC).

[0003] Among them, eMBB is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as high spectrum efficiency, high user experience data rate, and high peak data rate; URLLC is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as ultra-high reliability, ultra-low latency, and ultra-high availability (e.g., V2X, emergency services, remote control); mMTC is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as low cost, low power consumption, short data packets, and massive connectivity (e.g., IoT). Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical issues One disclosure of this specification aims to provide a control plane process method and apparatus for providing ultra-low complexity and ultra-low power consumption in a wireless communication system.

[0005] Technical solution One embodiment of this specification provides a method in a wireless communication system in which a base station controlling the wireless resources of an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal receives a service request message from an ambient IoT core network node. Furthermore, the base station sends a response message to the ambient IoT core network node in response to the service request message, wherein the response message includes location identification information of the ambient IoT terminal.

[0006] Furthermore, one embodiment of this specification provides a base station in a wireless communication system, the base station including at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions and being operatively electrically connected to the at least one processor, performing the following operations based on the instructions executed by the at least one processor: receiving a service request message from an environmental IoT core network node; and sending a response message to the environmental IoT core network node in response to the service request message, wherein the response message in response to the service request message includes location identification information of an environmental IoT terminal.

[0007] The service request message may include service type information to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

[0008] The environmental IoT terminal can be directly connected to the base station via a wireless interface. In this case, the location identification information may include at least one of the following: base station identification information, cell identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

[0009] In addition, the environmental IoT terminal can be connected to the base station via an auxiliary terminal or a regular terminal. In this case, the location identification information may include at least one of the following: terminal location information, terminal identification information, service area identification information, geographical area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

[0010] The core network node of the Ambient IoT represents the Ambient IoT Network Function (AIoTNF), and the service request message and the response message to the service request message can use the NG Application Protocol (NGAP) protocol message.

[0011] Furthermore, after receiving a service request message, the base station can send an environmental IoT paging message to the environmental IoT terminal and can receive a response message from the environmental IoT terminal in response to the environmental IoT paging message. The environmental IoT paging message may include service type information for distinguishing at least one of inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service. The response message to the environmental IoT paging message may include at least one of auxiliary information indicating the next preparation state and information indicating the existence of more data to be sent.

[0012] Beneficial effects According to the disclosure in this specification, it is possible to effectively provide services for terminals that offer ultra-low complexity and ultra-low power consumption in wireless communication systems. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communication system.

[0014] Figure 2 The structure of a radio frame used in NR is shown.

[0015] Figures 3a to 3c This is an example diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for wireless communication services.

[0016] Figure 4 The time slot structure of an NR frame is shown.

[0017] Figure 5 This shows an example of subframe types in NR.

[0018] Figure 6 The structure of the self-contained time slot is shown.

[0019] Figures 7a to 7c An example of a connectivity topology for environmental IoT networks and environmental IoT devices is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a base station operation method according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0021] Figure 9 An apparatus according to an embodiment of this specification is shown.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal configuration according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a block diagram illustrating the processor architecture that implements the contents disclosed in this specification.

[0024] Figure 12 It is shown in detail Figure 9 The transceiver of the first device shown Figure 10 Block diagram of the transceiver section of the device shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] It should be noted that the technical terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this specification. Furthermore, unless specifically defined otherwise in this specification, the technical terms should be interpreted in accordance with the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this specification pertains, and should not be interpreted as overly broad or overly narrow. Additionally, when a technical term used in this specification is incorrect and fails to accurately express the content and concept of this specification, it should be replaced with a technical term that can be correctly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, general terms used in this specification should be interpreted according to dictionary definitions or in context, and should not be interpreted as overly narrow.

[0026] Furthermore, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular expressions used in this specification include the plural expressions. In this application, terms such as “constituting” or “having” should not be construed as necessarily including all of the multiple constituent elements or operations described in the specification, but should be construed as excluding some of the constituent elements or operations, or including additional constituent elements or operations.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" used in this specification may be used to describe various constituent elements, but the constituent elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the claims, a first constituent element may be referred to as a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element may be referred to as a first constituent element.

[0028] When a constituent element is referred to as being connected to or joined to another constituent element, the constituent element may be directly connected to or joined to the other constituent element, or there may be other constituent elements between them. Conversely, when a constituent element is referred to as being directly connected to or joined to another constituent element, it should be understood that there are no other constituent elements between them.

[0029] The embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, regardless of the reference numerals, identical or similar components are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted. Furthermore, in describing the contents of this specification, detailed descriptions of relevant prior art are omitted if it is believed that such detailed descriptions might obscure the gist of this specification. Moreover, the accompanying drawings are only for facilitating understanding of the contents and concepts of this specification and should not be construed as limiting the contents and concepts of this specification. The contents and concepts of this specification should be interpreted as extending to all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions beyond the scope of the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In this specification, "A or B" can mean "A only", "B only", or "both A and B". In other words, "A or B" in this specification can be interpreted as "A and / or B". For example, "A, B or C" in this specification can mean "A only", "B only", "C only", or "any combination of A, B, and C".

[0031] The forward slash ( / ) or comma used in this specification can mean "and / or". For example, "A / B" can mean "A and / or B". Therefore, "A / B" can mean "A only", "B only", or "both A and B". For example, "A, B, C" can mean "A, B, or C".

[0032] In this specification, "at least one of A and B" may mean "only A", "only B", or "both A and B". Furthermore, "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of A and / or B" in this specification may be interpreted in the same way as "at least one of A and B".

[0033] Furthermore, the phrase "at least one of A, B and C" in this specification may mean "A only", "B only", "C only" or "any combination of A, B and C". Additionally, "at least one of A, B or C" or "at least one of A, B and / or C" may mean "at least one of A, B and C".

[0034] Furthermore, the parentheses used in this specification may indicate "for example." Specifically, when referred to as "control information (PDCCH)," it may mean that "PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel)" is presented as an example of "control information." In other words, "control information" in this specification is not limited to "PDCCH," but may mean that "PDCCH" is presented as an example of "control information." Moreover, even when referred to as "control information (i.e., PDCCH)," it may mean that "PDCCH" is presented as an example of "control information."

[0035] The technical features described in this specification in one of the accompanying drawings can be implemented individually or simultaneously.

[0036] The accompanying drawings exemplarily illustrate a UE (User Equipment), but the UE shown may also be referred to as a terminal, ME (Mobile Equipment), etc. Furthermore, the UE can be a portable device such as a laptop computer, mobile phone, PDA, smartphone, or multimedia device, or a non-portable device such as a PC or in-vehicle device.

[0037] In the following examples, the UE is used as a device capable of wireless communication, such as a wireless communication device, wireless apparatus, or wireless communication equipment. The operations performed by the UE can be performed by any device capable of wireless communication. A device capable of wireless communication may also be referred to as a wireless communication device, wireless apparatus, or wireless communication equipment, etc.

[0038] The term "base station" as used below generally refers to a fixed station that communicates with wireless communication equipment. It can be used as a broad term including eNodeB (evolved-NodeB), eNB (evolved-NodeB), BTS (Base Transceiver System), Access Point, gNB (Next generation NodeB), RRH (remote radiohead), TP (transmission point), RP (reception point), relay, etc.

[0039] This specification uses LTE, LTE-A, and NR systems to illustrate embodiments, but these embodiments can also be applied to any communication system that conforms to the above definitions.

[0040] Wireless communication system Thanks to the success of LTE (long term evolution) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) for fourth-generation mobile communication, the commercialization and subsequent research for the next generation, namely fifth-generation (so-called 5G) mobile communication, are also progressing steadily.

[0041] The fifth-generation mobile communication, as defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), refers to mobile communication that provides a data transmission rate of up to 20 Gbps and a minimum experience transmission rate of over 100 Mbps in any location. Its official name is "IMT-2020".

[0042] The ITU has proposed three use cases, namely eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), mMTC (massive Machine Type Communication), and URLLC (Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications).

[0043] URLLC addresses use cases requiring high reliability and low latency. For example, services like autonomous driving, factory automation, and augmented reality demand high reliability and low latency, such as less than 1ms. Currently, 4G (LTE) latency is statistically between 21-43ms (top 10%) and 33-75ms (median). This is insufficient to support services requiring less than 1ms latency. Next, eMBB use cases address scenarios requiring mobile ultra-wideband.

[0044] In other words, 5G mobile communication systems support higher capacity than current 4G LTE, increasing the density of mobile broadband users, and can support D2D (Device to Device), high stability, and MTC (Machine-type communication). 5G research and development also aims to achieve lower latency and lower battery consumption than 4G mobile communication systems, better enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). To achieve this 5G mobile communication, new radio access technologies (New RAT or NR) can be proposed.

[0045] The NR band can be defined as two types of frequency ranges (FR1, FR2). The numerical values ​​of the frequency range can be varied; for example, the frequency ranges of the two types (FR1, FR2) can be as shown in Table 1. For ease of explanation, FR1 in the frequency range used in the NR system can represent "sub 6GHz range", FR2 can represent "above 6GHz range", and can be referred to as millimeter wave (mmW).

[0046] Table 1

[0047] The frequency range of the NR system can be varied. For example, FR1 may include the 410MHz to 7125MHz band as shown in Table 1. That is, FR1 may include bands above 6GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.). For example, the bands above 6GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.) included in FR1 may include unlicensed bands. Unlicensed bands can be used for various purposes, such as vehicle-oriented communications, such as autonomous driving.

[0048] On the other hand, 3GPP-based communication standards define downlink physical channels corresponding to resource elements that carry information originating from the upper layers, and downlink physical signals corresponding to resource elements used by the physical layer but not carrying information originating from the upper layers. For example, the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical multicast channel (PMCH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH) are defined as downlink physical channels, while reference signals and synchronization signals are defined as downlink physical signals. The reference signal (RS), also known as the pilot, is a signal with a predefined specific waveform that is known to both the gNB and the UE. For example, cell-specific RS, UE-specific RS (UE-RS), positioning RS (PRS), and channel state information RS (CSI-RS) are defined as downlink reference signals. The 3GPP LTE / LTE-A standard defines uplink physical channels corresponding to resource elements carrying information originating from the upper layers, and uplink physical signals corresponding to resource elements used by the physical layer but not carrying information originating from the upper layers. For example, the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and physical random access channel (PRACH) are defined as uplink physical channels, and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for uplink control / data signals and a sounding reference signal (SRS) for uplink channel measurements are defined.

[0049] In this specification, PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control CHannel), PCFICH (Physical Control Format Indicator CHannel), PHICH (Physical Hybrid Automatic Retransmit Request Indicator CHannel), and PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared CHannel) refer to the time-frequency resource sets or resource element sets that carry DCI (Downlink Control Information), CFI (Control Format Indicator), downlink ACK, NACK (ACK Nowlegement), and Negative ACK, respectively, for downlink data. Furthermore, PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control CHannel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared CHannel), and PRACH (Physical Random Access CHannel) refer to the time-frequency resource sets or resource element sets that carry UCI (Uplink Control Information), uplink data, and random access signals, respectively.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a wireless communication system.

[0051] For reference Figure 1 As can be seen, the wireless communication system includes at least one base station (BS). The BS is divided into a gNodeB (or gNB) (20a) and an eNodeB (or eNB) (20b). The gNB (20a) supports fifth-generation mobile communication. The eNB (20b) supports fourth-generation mobile communication, namely LTE (long term evolution).

[0052] Each base station (20a and 20b) provides communication services for a specific geographical area (usually called a cell) (20-1, 20-2, 20-3). A cell can also be divided into multiple areas (called sectors).

[0053] A user equipment (UE) typically belongs to a cell, which is called the serving cell. The base station that provides communication services to the serving cell is called the serving base station (BS). Because wireless communication systems are cellular systems, there are other cells adjacent to the serving cell. These other cells are called neighboring cells. The base station that provides communication services to the neighboring cells is called the neighboring base station (BS). The serving cell and neighboring cells are determined relative to the UE.

[0054] Hereinafter, downlink refers to communication from base station (20) to UE (10), and uplink refers to communication from UE (10) to base station (20). In downlink, the transmitter can be part of base station (20), and the receiver can be part of UE (10). In uplink, the transmitter can be part of UE (10), and the receiver can be part of base station (20).

[0055] On the other hand, wireless communication systems can be broadly categorized into FDD (frequency division duplex) and TDD (time division duplex) methods. In FDD, uplink and downlink transmissions occur in different frequency bands. In TDD, uplink and downlink transmissions occur at different times while occupying the same frequency band. The channel response in TDD is reciprocal. This means that in a given frequency domain, the downlink channel response and uplink channel response are approximately the same. Therefore, in a TDD-based wireless communication system, the downlink channel response can be obtained from the uplink channel response. Because TDD divides uplink and downlink transmissions across the entire frequency band into time-division multiplexing, downlink transmissions performed by the base station and uplink transmissions performed by the UE cannot occur simultaneously. In TDD systems where uplink and downlink transmissions are distinguished by subframes, uplink and downlink transmissions occur in different subframes.

[0056] Figure 2 The structure of the radio frame used in NR is shown.

[0057] In NR, uplink and downlink transmissions are composed of frames. A radio frame is 10ms long and is defined as two 5ms half-frames (HF). A half-frame is defined as five 1ms subframes (SF). A subframe is divided into one or more time slots, the number of which depends on the SCS (Subcarrier Spacing). Each time slot includes 12 or 14 OFDM(A) symbols depending on the CP (cyclic prefix). When using a standard CP, each time slot includes 14 symbols. When using an extended CP, each time slot includes 12 symbols. Here, symbols can include OFDM symbols (or CP-OFDM symbols) and SC-FDMA symbols (or DFT-s-OFDM symbols).

[0058] Support for multiple numerical systems In NR systems, with the development of wireless communication technology, various numerical systems can be provided to terminals. For example, when the SCS is 15kHz, it supports wide area in traditional cellular bands; when the SCS is 30kHz / 60kHz, it supports dense-urban areas, lower latency, and wider carrier bandwidth; when the SCS is 60kHz or higher, it supports bandwidths greater than 24.25GHz to overcome phase noise.

[0059] The numerical scheme can be defined by the CP (cycle prefix) length and the subcarrier spacing (SCS). A cell can provide multiple numerical schemes to the terminal. When μ represents the index of the numerical scheme, the subcarrier spacing and the corresponding CP length can be shown in the following table.

[0060] Table 2

[0061] In the case of ordinary CP, when μ represents the index of the numerical system, the number of OFDM symbols per slot (N) slot symb ), Number of time slots per frame (N) frame,μ slot ) and the number of time slots per subframe (N) subframe,μ slot As shown in the table below.

[0062] Table 3

[0063] In the case of extended CP, when μ represents the index of the numerical system, the number of OFDM symbols per slot (N) slot symb ), Number of time slots per frame (N) frame,μ slot ) and the number of time slots per subframe (N) subframe,μ slot As shown in the table below.

[0064] Table 4

[0065] In NR systems, multiple cells aggregated to a single terminal can be configured with different OFDM(A) numerical schemes (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.). Therefore, the absolute time intervals of time resources (e.g., SF, time slots, or TTI) consisting of the same number of symbols (collectively referred to as TU (Time Unit) for convenience) can be configured differently among the aggregated cells.

[0066] Figures 3a to 3c This is an example diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for wireless communication services.

[0067] Reference Figure 3a The UE connects to LTE / LTE-A based cells and NR based cells via DC (dual connectivity).

[0068] The NR-based cell is connected to the core network used for existing fourth-generation mobile communications, namely the EPC (Evolved Packet Core).

[0069] Reference Figure 3b ,and Figure 3a Unlike LTE / LTE-A, LTE-A-based cells connect to the core network used for fifth-generation mobile communications, namely the 5G core network.

[0070] Based on such Figure 3a and Figure 3b The service model shown is called NSA (non-standalone).

[0071] Reference Figure 3c The UE only connects to NR-based cells. The service mode based on this architecture is called SA (standalone).

[0072] On the other hand, in the aforementioned NR, it is possible to use downlink subframes to receive transmissions from the base station and use uplink subframes to send transmissions to the base station. This approach can be applied to paired and unpaired spectrum. Paired spectrum refers to a spectrum comprising two carriers used for downlink and uplink operations. For example, in paired spectrum, a carrier may include a pair of downlink and uplink frequency bands.

[0073] Figure 4 The time slot structure of an NR frame is shown.

[0074] A time slot comprises multiple symbols in the time domain. For example, in the case of a normal CP, a time slot comprises 14 symbols, while in the case of an extended CP, a time slot comprises 12 symbols. A carrier comprises multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain. An RB (Resource Block) is defined as multiple (e.g., 12) consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. A BWP (Bandwidth Part) is defined as multiple consecutive (physical, P) RBs in the frequency domain and may correspond to a numerical scheme (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.). Up to N (e.g., 4) BWPs can be configured for a terminal in both the downlink and uplink. Downlink or uplink transmission is performed through active BWPs, and at a given time, only one BWP configured for the terminal can be active. Each element in a resource grid is called a resource element (RE) and can be mapped to a complex symbol.

[0075] Figure 5 An example of subframe types in NR is shown.

[0076] Figure 5 The TTI (transmission time interval) shown can be referred to as a subframe or time slot for NR (or new radio access technology). Figure 5 Subframes (or time slots) can be used in TDD systems of NR (or new radio access technologies) to minimize data transmission latency. For example... Figure 5 As shown, a subframe (or time slot) comprises 14 symbols. The first few symbols of a subframe (or time slot) are used for the downlink (DL) control channel, and the last few symbols are used for the uplink (UL) control channel. The remaining symbols are used for either DL or UL data transmission. Based on this subframe (or time slot) structure, downlink and uplink transmissions can proceed sequentially within a single subframe (or time slot). Therefore, downlink data can be received within a subframe (or time slot), and uplink acknowledgment responses (ACK / NACK) can also be sent within the same subframe (or time slot).

[0077] This subframe (or time slot) structure can be called a self-contained subframe (or time slot).

[0078] Specifically, the first N symbols within a time slot are used to transmit the DL control channel (hereinafter referred to as the DL control area), and the last M symbols within the time slot can be used to transmit the UL control channel (hereinafter referred to as the UL control area). N and M are integers greater than or equal to 0. The resource area (hereinafter referred to as the data area) located between the DL control area and the UL control area can be used for either DL data transmission or UL data transmission. For example, the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) can be transmitted in the DL control area, and the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) can be transmitted in the DL data area. The physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) can be transmitted in the UL control area, and the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) can be transmitted in the UL data area.

[0079] Using this subframe (or time slot) structure has the following advantages: it reduces the time required for erroneous data to be retransmitted during reception, thereby minimizing the final data transmission latency. In this self-contained subframe (or time slot) structure, time gaps may be required during the transition from transmit mode to receive mode or vice versa. Therefore, some OFDM symbols transitioning from DL to UL in the subframe structure can be set as a guard period (GP).

[0080] Figure 6 The structure of a self-contained time slot is shown.

[0081] Frames in the NR system have a self-contained structure, and a single time slot can include DL control channels, DL or UL data, and UL control channels. For example, the first N symbols in a time slot are used to transmit DL control channels (hereinafter referred to as the DL control area), and the last M symbols in the time slot can be used to transmit UL control channels (hereinafter referred to as the UL control area). N and M are integers greater than or equal to 0. The resource area located between the DL control area and the UL control area (hereinafter referred to as the data area) can be used for either DL data transmission or UL data transmission. As an example, consider the following configuration. The segments are listed in chronological order.

[0082] 1. DL configuration only 2. UL configuration only 3. Mixed UL-DL configuration - DL area + GP (Protective Zone) + UL Control Area - DL control area + GP + UL area DL regions: (i) DL data region, (ii) DL control region + DL data region UL Areas: (i) UL Data Area, (ii) UL Data Area + UL Control Area PDCCH can be transmitted in the DL control area, and PDSCH can be transmitted in the DL data area. PUCCH can be transmitted in the UL control area, and PUSCH can be transmitted in the UL data area. PDCCH can transmit DCI (Downlink Control Information), such as DL data scheduling information and UL data scheduling information. PUCCH can transmit UCI (Uplink Control Information), such as ACK / NACK (Positive Acknowledgement / Negative Acknowledgement) information, CSI (Channel State Information) information, and SR (Scheduling Request) information for DL ​​data. GP provides time gaps during the transition from transmit mode to receive mode or from receive mode to transmit mode between the base station and the terminal. Some symbols at the time of transition from DL to UL within a subframe can be set to GP.

[0083] Figures 7a to 7c An example of a connectivity topology for environmental IoT networks and environmental IoT devices is shown.

[0084] Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) devices are IoT devices powered by energy harvesting. They do not have batteries or limited energy storage capabilities, such as using capacitors, and are powered by harvesting energy from radio waves, light, motion, heat, or other suitable sources. Energy harvesting can be continuous or sporadic, such as caused by vibration. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that ambient IoT devices always have power for data transmission and reception. Ambient IoT devices need to be designed to have lower complexity, smaller size, more limited capabilities, and lower power consumption than predefined 3GPP IoT devices, such as NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) / eMTC (enhanced Machine-Type Communication) devices. Ambient IoT devices can be designed to have a long service life of more than 10 years without maintenance. This allows them to replace existing 3GPP IoT devices or support various use cases that existing 3GPP IoT devices cannot support, such as inventory, sensors, positioning, and commands. It is possible to define environmental IoT networks and devices such as Figures 7a to 7c The diagram illustrates a connectivity topology. In all these topologies, carrier waves can be provided to IoT devices in the environment by other nodes, either inside or outside the topology. Links within each topology can be bidirectional or unidirectional. Figure 7a In this context, environmental IoT devices communicate directly and bidirectionally with a base station (BS). A base station represents a node in a mobile communication network that provides functionally separated core network (CN) and radio access network (RAN) functions, and specifically a node that provides RAN functions such as radio resource control for environmental IoT devices, for example, RAN node functions, which include, for instance, controlling A-IoT radio resources used by A-IoT devices. This base station can also be referred to as a peer node reader for tags such as environmental IoT devices. For ease of explanation, this node is referred to as a base station below. This designation is for illustrative purposes only, and any other names such as AIoT RAN node, AIoT RAN reader, AIoT base station, or AIoT BS reader may also be used. Communication between the base station and the environmental IoT device includes environmental IoT data and / or signaling. The base station sending data to the environmental IoT device and the base station receiving data from the environmental IoT device can be the same base station or different base stations.

[0085] On the other hand, refer to Figure 7b In this topology, environmental IoT devices send data / signals to the base station and receive data / signals from an assisting node. Alternatively, environmental IoT devices receive data / signals from the base station and send data / signals to an assisting (or supporting) node. Or, environmental IoT devices receive data / signals from an assisting node connected to the base station via a radio interface (Uu) and send data / signals to that assisting node. This assisting node can be referred to as a peer node terminal reader for tags such as environmental IoT devices. For ease of explanation, the node connected to the base station via the radio interface (Uu) will be referred to as an assisting node below. This designation is for illustrative purposes only and may also be referred to by any other name such as AIoT assisting UE, UE connected / associated with an AIoT-enabled RAN, AIoT UE reader, etc. In this topology, the assisting (or supporting) node can be a relay, IAB (Integrated Access Backhaul), UE, repeater, etc., supporting environmental IoT. Figure 7c In this system, environmental IoT devices and UEs, such as ordinary terminals, engage in bidirectional communication. The communication between the UE and the environmental IoT devices includes environmental IoT data and / or signaling.

[0086] As mentioned above, although connectivity topology types for environmental IoT networks and devices have been defined, specific methods have not yet been provided for supporting control plane processes for environmental IoT terminals that have lower complexity, smaller size, more limited capabilities, and lower power consumption compared to existing 3GPP LPWA (Low-Power Wide-Area) IoT.

[0087] This application, conceived to address this problem, provides a method and apparatus for control plane processes of IoT terminals that support environments with lower complexity, smaller size, more limited capabilities, and lower power consumption compared to existing 3GPP LPWA IoT.

[0088] The following describes in detail the control plane process method based on 5GS (Fifth Generation System) / NR technology. However, this is only for illustrative purposes, and this application can also be applied to situations based on any system or wireless access technology, such as 6G. The embodiments described in this application can refer to the information elements and operation content specified in NR / 5GS specifications, such as NR MAC specification TS 38.321, NRRRC specification TS 38.331, and system architecture specification TS 23.501. Even if the terminal operation content related to the definition of such information element is not described in this specification, the corresponding content specified in the standard specifications as prior art can also be included in this application.

[0089] Any of the functions described below can be defined as individual terminal capabilities (UE radio capabilities or UE core network capabilities) and sent by the terminal to the base station / core network entity via corresponding signaling, such as AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), SMF (Session Management Function), or AIoTNF (Ambient IoT Network Function). Alternatively, any functions can be combined / integrated and defined as corresponding terminal capabilities, which are then sent by the terminal to the base station / core network entity via corresponding signaling.

[0090] Environmental IoT terminals can be categorized and defined as at least one device type / category based on at least one supported capability (or a combination thereof). As an example, based on energy storage capacity, devices can be categorized as: devices with no storage space at all, devices with a specific storage capacity (up to E1 Joules), and devices with another specific storage capacity (up to E2 Joules, E2 > E1). As another example, devices can be categorized as: devices without energy storage and without independent signal generation / amplification capabilities (e.g., backscatter transmission; hereinafter referred to as Device A for ease of illustration), devices with energy storage devices but without independent signal generation capabilities (e.g., backscatter transmission; hereinafter referred to as Device B for ease of illustration), and devices with both energy storage devices and independent signal generation capabilities (e.g., active RF components for transmission; hereinafter referred to as Device C for ease of illustration). Device B's use of the stored energy may include amplification of reflected signals.

[0091] The base station / AIoTFN can send / indicate information to the terminal via RRC / NAS messages (or MAC control elements), indicating that any function or combination of functions described below is permitted / supported / configured. For example, the information can be indicated to the terminal before or during the configuration / application of the function / combination of functions. The RRC / NAS message (or MAC control element) can be broadcast via system information. Alternatively, the information can be indicated to the terminal via a dedicated RRC message (or MAC control element).

[0092] The base station / AIoTNF can send / indicate information to the terminal via RRC / MAC / NAS messages to restrict any of the functions described below. For example, a prohibit timer for the function can be indicated. The prohibit timer can be started / restarted before or when the function is started. During the operation of the timer, the terminal can be restricted from starting / executing the function.

[0093] The functions described below can be performed independently. Alternatively, the functions described below can be combined / integrated in any way, and such implementations are clearly within the scope of this application. For example, one or more functions can be applied simultaneously.

[0094] Any information described below may be business characteristic information obtained / calculated / derived statistically / empirically by the terminal / network (e.g., expected value / mean, variance, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value, etc., any statistical value / statistic). Therefore, any information included in this specification may represent at least one of the mean (expected value), minimum value, maximum value, and standard deviation value. This description is for illustrative purposes only, and all information in this specification may be used as statistical information. Alternatively, the information may be pre-configured in the terminal / network or provided through OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) / application server / application function / UDM (Unified Data Management).

[0095] For ease of explanation, environmental IoT devices may be referred to as environmental IoT terminals, IoT devices, or terminals below.

[0096] Representative use cases for the Environmental Internet of Things (IoT) may include inventory surveys, sensor data collection, asset tracking, and actuator control. Representative use cases for the Environmental IoT can be supported via mobile communication networks. Environmental IoT use cases implemented via mobile communication networks can be defined as Environmental IoT services. For example, the primary purpose of an Environmental IoT inventory service (e.g., inventory survey) is to retrieve what goods (e.g., boxes, containers, packages, tools) are present in a specific area. When the network sends a request in a specific area, the Environmental IoT terminal attached to such goods reports an identifier associated with the goods, and may also attach other information such as status, measurement results, and / or location. Environmental IoT sensor services (e.g., sensor data collection) connect / integrate Environmental IoT terminals with sensors. Sensor data transmission can be initiated by the Environmental IoT terminal. Sensor data transmission can be initiated periodically, or when power is supplied to the Environmental IoT terminal, or can be triggered by the network. The primary purpose of an Environmental IoT tracking service (e.g., asset tracking) is to determine the location of goods. The Environmental IoT terminal attached to such goods reports an identifier associated with the goods. This identifier can then be combined with location information. Asset tracking can also be initiated by an assisting node / UE with environmental IoT capabilities, or by a base station, core network entity (e.g., AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) / SMF (Session Management Function) / AIoTNF (Ambient IoT Network Function) / NEF (Network Exposure Function)), or application server. The location of the environmental IoT terminal can be determined within a specific range of the assisting node / UE / base station. When using environmental IoT command services (e.g., actuator control), the environmental IoT terminal connects to the actuator. Actuator command transmission is typically initiated by the network. Here, AIoTNF (Ambient IoT Network Function) refers to the network function / application function / application server used to provide environmental IoT services. This name is for illustrative purposes only and can be changed to any other name. Core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) with NAS (Non-Access Stratum) interfaces to terminals can interact with external application servers (AS) by providing Network Function (NF) capabilities and event-linked / exposed NEF (Network Exposure Function).For example, a specific core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / AIoTNF) can forward data / messages received from environmental IoT terminals to AIoTNF / NEF / AS. AIoTNF can perform at least one of the following functions: authenticating environmental IoT application servers / application functions; registering environmental IoT terminals; registering base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes that provide wireless connectivity / access to environmental IoT terminals; sending environmental IoT service trigger / request messages to base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes that provide wireless connectivity / access to environmental IoT terminals according to requests from environmental IoT application servers / application functions; receiving service data / acknowledgment / response messages regarding the transmission of environmental IoT service trigger / request messages from base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes that provide wireless connectivity / access to environmental IoT terminals; and sending messages received from base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes that provide wireless connectivity / access to environmental IoT terminals to environmental IoT application servers / application functions. Here, registering environmental IoT terminals or registering base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes that provide wireless connectivity / access to environmental IoT terminals refers to the operations of AIoTNF in receiving, storing, and managing the context of environmental IoT terminals for managing information related to environmental IoT terminals.

[0097] Network registration and terminal context establishment process for environmental IoT terminals Some environmental IoT terminals operate in passive mode to support low complexity and can transmit data using backscattering. When triggered by the network, the environmental IoT terminal can initiate / start data communication / transmission. To provide services to the environmental IoT terminal through the 3GPP system, it may be necessary to register the environmental IoT terminal with the network and establish a terminal context within the network. Thus, after initiating services for the environmental IoT terminal, the network can reliably and repeatedly provide services to the terminal. For example, AIoTNF can receive and manage the environmental IoT terminal context. By managing the environmental IoT terminal context, such as the environmental IoT terminal identifier, environmental IoT terminal location, and the last serving base station / auxiliary node identification information of the environmental IoT terminal, services can be reliably provided to the environmental IoT terminal.

[0098] When an environmental IoT terminal sends data due to network triggering, the environmental IoT terminal can perform a registration procedure with the network. For example, when an environmental IoT terminal sends arbitrary data to the network due to network triggering, a registration procedure for the environmental IoT terminal can be performed.

[0099] When an environmental IoT terminal sends data due to network triggering, a terminal context establishment process for the environmental IoT terminal can be executed. For example, when an environmental IoT terminal sends arbitrary data to the network due to network triggering, a terminal context for the environmental IoT terminal can be established in the corresponding network node.

[0100] Similar to traditional mobile terminals, environmental IoT terminals can perform a registration process with core network nodes via NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling. Alternatively, unlike traditional mobile terminals, the registration process can be performed between the base station triggering data transmission and the core network node. Or, unlike traditional mobile terminals, the registration process can be performed between the core network node and the base station when an application server (AS) / AF (application function) / core network triggers an operation targeting the terminal.

[0101] As an example, the terminal may include and send environmental IoT terminal support indication information in the registration request message. The environmental IoT terminal support indication information may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal capabilities; whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via control plane / NAS PDU (protocol data unit) / container / message; whether it supports the base station sending the user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to UPF (User Plane Function) via N3 tunnel. For example, the environmental IoT terminal may send the information to AIoTNF via the base station. Alternatively, an assisting UE connected to the base station via a radio interface (Uu) may send the information to AIoTNF via the base station.

[0102] As another example, a registration accept message indicated by a core network control plane entity to a base station / terminal may include environmental IoT terminal capabilities, function support indication information in the core network (or, information for confirming / responding to function support in the core network, or, information for requesting function support in the core network). The function support indication information may include at least one of the following: whether the core network entity supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether the base station supports sending user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; and whether the base station supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to UPF via N3 tunnel.

[0103] As another example, when sending and receiving user plane data from an environmental IoT terminal via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the base station / core network control plane entity (e.g., AFM / SMF / AIoTNF) can receive the terminal's subscription information from other core network entities (e.g., UDM (Unified Data Management) / HSS (Home Subscriber Server)). This information may include NEF / AIoTNF / AF / AS information that will be used to perform signaling / data transmission with the environmental IoT terminal.

[0104] As another example, when sending and receiving user plane data from environmental IoT terminals via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the base station / core network control plane entity (e.g., AFM / SMF / AIoTF) can select NEF / AIoTNF / AF / AS based on the terminal's subscription information.

[0105] As another example, when the network triggers data communication / transmission for an environmental IoT terminal, the environmental IoT terminal subscription information can be sent to the base station / core network control plane entity.

[0106] As another example, when user plane data of an environmental IoT terminal is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) may send information (e.g., control plane only indication information) to other core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS) and / or core network user plane entities during PDU session establishment to indicate that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload.

[0107] As another example, when user plane data of an environmental IoT terminal is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) can send information indicating that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload (e.g., control plane-only indication information) to other core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS) and / or core network user plane entities without establishing a PDU session.

[0108] As another example, when user plane data of an IoT terminal in an environment is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) may send information to the base station during PDU session establishment to indicate that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload (e.g., control plane only indication information).

[0109] As another example, when user plane data of an IoT terminal in an environment is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) can send information to the base station without establishing a PDU session to indicate that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload (e.g., control plane only indication information).

[0110] As another example, when user plane data of an IoT terminal in an environment is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) may send information to the terminal during PDU session establishment to indicate that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload (e.g., control plane only indication information).

[0111] As another example, when user plane data of an IoT terminal in an environment is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF) can send information to the terminal indicating that user plane data is sent and received only through the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message / payload (e.g., control plane only indication information) without establishing a PDU session.

[0112] As another example, in order to send and receive data related to the corresponding service with the corresponding environment IoT terminal, when the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node sends a message to the corresponding terminal to trigger the service for the environment IoT terminal (e.g., user data reception, identification information reception, location / sensor information reception, management information [e.g., enable / disable, disable duration] configuration / setting, (memory) read / write) (e.g., when sending a paging message, when sending a corresponding service trigger command), and / or when the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node receives any data / message triggered by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node and sent by the corresponding environment IoT terminal, the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node may send a message to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) to request registration for the corresponding environment IoT terminal (or an initial terminal message, or a message to send information received from the corresponding terminal, or a message to send information associated with the corresponding terminal [e.g., location information, cell identification information accessed by the terminal [e.g., NR CGI]], or a message to establish a terminal context). Messages sent by base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes to core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) may include information received from the corresponding terminal and / or information associated with the corresponding terminal.

[0113] For example, for an IoT terminal connected to a base station controlling the wireless resources of the IoT terminal via a radio interface (Uu), when the base station receives a message from a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTSF) requesting service for the IoT terminal and sends a corresponding service trigger message to the corresponding IoT terminal, or when the base station receives a corresponding response message from the corresponding IoT terminal, the base station may send information related to the corresponding IoT terminal to the corresponding core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF). The information related to the corresponding IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: the corresponding IoT terminal identifier, the location information of the corresponding IoT terminal, and the base station / cell identification information serving the corresponding IoT terminal. The base station / cell identification information serving the corresponding IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information identifying the base station reader serving the corresponding IoT terminal, and information identifying the cell serving the base station reader. Here, the cell serving the base station reader of the corresponding IoT terminal may represent information used to identify the area capable of providing the corresponding service through the cell coverage area of ​​the base station reader. For example, the information may represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell Global Identifier), arbitrary service area identification information, geographic area identification information, coverage area identification information, and information used to distinguish the frequency band coverage area of ​​the corresponding base station reader.

[0114] Here, environmental IoT services may include: an inventory service for performing inventory operations from environmental IoT devices, a read service for reading information from environmental IoT devices, a write service for writing information from environmental IoT devices, and a disable service for disabling the capabilities of environmental IoT devices.

[0115] As another example, for an IoT terminal connected to a base station via an auxiliary terminal to control the wireless resources of an IoT terminal in the environment, when the base station receives a message from a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTSF) requesting service for the IoT terminal and sends a corresponding service trigger message to the corresponding IoT terminal, or when the base station receives a corresponding response message from the corresponding IoT terminal, the base station may send information related to the corresponding IoT terminal to the corresponding core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF). The information related to the corresponding IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: the corresponding IoT terminal identifier, the location information of the auxiliary node connected to the corresponding IoT terminal, and the auxiliary node identification information serving the corresponding IoT terminal. The location information of the auxiliary node connected to the corresponding IoT terminal indicates the location information of the corresponding auxiliary node terminal operating as an auxiliary node. The auxiliary terminal identification information serving the corresponding IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information identifying the auxiliary node terminal reader serving the corresponding IoT terminal, and information identifying the cell of the auxiliary node reader serving the corresponding IoT terminal. Here, the cell for the auxiliary node reader serving the corresponding IoT terminal in the environment can represent information used to identify the area that can provide the corresponding service through the cell coverage area of ​​the auxiliary node reader. For example, the information can represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell Global Identifier), arbitrary service area identification information, geographic area identification information, coverage area identification information, information used to distinguish the frequency band coverage area of ​​the corresponding base station reader, and cell / base station identification information accessed by the auxiliary node.

[0116] Messages sent by base stations / regular terminals / auxiliary nodes to core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) may include environmental IoT terminal support indication information. This information may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal capabilities; whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether it supports sending user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS by base stations / regular terminals / auxiliary nodes via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether the regular terminal / auxiliary node supports environmental IoT services; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to the UPF via the N3 tunnel.

[0117] As another example, messages (or registration acceptance messages, or messages for establishing terminal contexts) indicated by core network control plane entities (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) to base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes for acknowledging / responding to registration may include corresponding function support indication information in the core network (or information indicating acknowledgment / response / authorization of corresponding function support in the core network, or information requesting corresponding function support in the core network). The corresponding function support indication information may include at least one of the following: whether core network entities support sending and receiving user plane data of environmental IoT terminals via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether base stations / ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes support sending user plane data of environmental IoT terminals to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes support environmental IoT services; and whether they support sending and receiving user plane data of environmental IoT terminals to UPF via N3 tunnels.

[0118] As another example, a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) can receive a request message from the AF and / or AIoTNF / NEF providing the corresponding application to trigger services for the environmental IoT terminal (e.g., user data reception, identification information reception, location / sensor information reception, management information [e.g., enable / disable, disable duration] configuration / setting, (memory) read / write). Base stations / regular terminals / auxiliary nodes can receive messages via the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) requesting the triggering of services for the environmental IoT terminal. The service trigger request message may include information for requesting the base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node to set the terminal context. The service trigger request message can be sent via a terminal context setting request message. The service trigger request message may include information for requesting / instructing network registration for the environmental IoT terminal. The service trigger request message may include information for requesting / instructing registration for the base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node providing wireless connectivity / access for the environmental IoT terminal. The service trigger request message may include environmental IoT terminal support indication information. The environmental IoT terminal support indication information may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal capabilities; whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether it supports the base station sending user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes support environmental IoT services; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to UPF via the N3 tunnel.

[0119] When a base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node sends a message to the environmental IoT terminal to trigger a service for the environmental IoT terminal in order to receive data related to the service from the environmental IoT terminal, and receives arbitrary data / messages from the environmental IoT terminal, the base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node may send control plane messages (e.g., NG Application Protocol (NGAP) messages, Service Interface (SBI) operations) to the core network control plane entity, including the received data / messages (or based on the data / messages). For example, the user plane data may be included in a NAS container and sent and received via NGAP messages. If the control plane message uses NGAP messages, the NGAP message may be a response message to a service triggering request. The NGAP message may include information / messages for requesting / indicating / confirming registration for the environmental IoT terminal. The NGAP message may include information / messages for responding to terminal context settings. The NGAP message may be sent via a terminal context setting response message. The message is sent by the base station to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoNF) and may include environmental IoT terminal support indication information. The environmental IoT terminal support indication information may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal capabilities; whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether it supports the base station sending user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes support environmental IoT services; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to UPF via the N3 tunnel. The environmental IoT terminal support indication information may be set based on information received by the terminal. And / or, the environmental IoT terminal support indication information may be set based on the base station capabilities / support status. And / or, the environmental IoT terminal support indication information may be set based on the capabilities / support status of the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF).

[0120] As another example, when Figure 7b Auxiliary nodes (or support nodes) or Figure 7cWhen a regular terminal (e.g., a terminal distinct from the environmental IoT terminal) sends a message to the environmental IoT terminal to trigger a service for the environmental IoT terminal (e.g., user data reception, identification information reception, location / sensor information reception, management information [e.g., enable / disable, disable duration] configuration / setting, (memory) read / write) in order to receive data related to the service from the environmental IoT terminal, and / or when a supporting node / regular terminal receives any data / message triggered by the supporting node / regular terminal and sent by the environmental IoT terminal, the supporting node / regular terminal may send a message to the core network control plane entity ( For example, messages sent by support nodes / or ordinary terminals to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) and / or to the base station providing the cell accessed by the ordinary terminal / auxiliary node accessed by the environmental IoT terminal for requesting registration for the environmental IoT terminal (or initial terminal message, or message for sending information received from the environmental IoT terminal, or message for sending information associated with the environmental IoT terminal [e.g., location information, identification information of the ordinary terminal / auxiliary node accessed by the environmental IoT terminal, identification information of the cell accessed by the ordinary terminal / auxiliary node accessed by the environmental IoT terminal], or messages for setting the terminal context). Messages sent by support nodes / or ordinary terminals to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) may include information received from the environmental IoT terminal and / or information associated with the terminal. For example, for an environmental IoT terminal connected to a base station controlling the wireless resources of an environmental IoT terminal via an auxiliary terminal, when a regular terminal / auxiliary node / base station receives a message from a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTSF) requesting service for the environmental IoT terminal and sends the service trigger message to the environmental IoT terminal, or when a regular terminal / auxiliary node / base station receives a corresponding response message from the environmental IoT terminal, the regular terminal / auxiliary node / base station may send information related to the environmental IoT terminal to the corresponding core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF). The information related to the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: the environmental IoT terminal identifier, the location information of the auxiliary node connected to the environmental IoT terminal, and the auxiliary node identification information serving the environmental IoT terminal. The location information of the auxiliary node connected to the environmental IoT terminal indicates the location information of the corresponding auxiliary node terminal operating as an auxiliary node. The auxiliary terminal identification information serving the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information for identifying the auxiliary node terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal, and information for identifying the cell of the auxiliary node reader serving the environmental IoT terminal.Here, the cell of the auxiliary node reader serving the IoT terminal in the environment can represent information used to identify the area that can provide the service through the cell coverage area of ​​the auxiliary node reader. For example, the information can represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell Global Identifier), arbitrary service area identification information, geographic area identification information, coverage area identification information, information used to distinguish the frequency band coverage area of ​​the corresponding base station reader, and cell / base station identification information accessed by the auxiliary node.

[0121] The messages sent by support nodes / ordinary terminals to the core network control plane entity may include environmental IoT terminal support indication information. This environmental IoT terminal support indication information may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal capabilities; whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether it supports base stations sending user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether ordinary terminals / auxiliary nodes support environmental IoT services; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of the environmental IoT terminal to UPF via the N3 tunnel.

[0122] As another example, messages (or registration acceptance messages, or messages for setting terminal context) indicated by core network control plane entities to supporting nodes / ordinary terminals / base stations for acknowledging / responding to registration may include corresponding function support indication information in the core network (or information for indicating acknowledgment / response / authorization of corresponding function support in the core network, or information for requesting corresponding function support in the core network). The function support indication information may include at least one of the following: whether the core network entity supports sending and receiving user plane data of environmental IoT terminals via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether the base station supports sending user plane data of environmental IoT terminals to AMF / SMF / AIoTNF / AF / AS via the control plane / NAS PDU / container / message; whether the ordinary terminal / auxiliary node supports environmental IoT services; and whether it supports sending and receiving user plane data of environmental IoT terminals to UPF via the N3 tunnel.

[0123] As another example, environmental IoT terminals / tags can perform a registration (attach) process in a 5G / 6G core network / system. The terminal can send a registration request message / information to the base station via an RRC message (or MAC CE). This message / information may include at least one of the following: an environmental IoT terminal identifier, a terminal capability index / identity, and environmental IoT service support indication information. This message / information can be included in the RRC message (or MAC CE) and sent via a control plane / NAS container / field. The environmental IoT service support indication information can be provided as information indicating the environmental IoT service transmission capabilities of the terminal / tag, and can be provided as information distinguishable from the terminal capability index / identity. Alternatively, the environmental IoT service support indication information can be provided as sub-information associated with the terminal capability index / identity.

[0124] Core network control plane entities with NAS interfaces (e.g., AMF, AIoTNF) can obtain environmental IoT service subscription data and terminal context from the Environmental IoT Network Function (AIoTNF) and / or UDM / HSS.

[0125] If the registration request message / information includes environmental IoT service support indication information, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF) with a NAS interface to the terminal can check whether environmental IoT data delivery via NAS is permitted for the corresponding terminal / tag by receiving data from AIoTNF / UDM. If the service is permitted, the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF, AIoTNF) with a NAS interface to the terminal can invoke a service operation to AIoTNF to activate the service. The invocation information may include at least one of the following: application identifier, terminal / tag identifier, group identifier, and terminal / tag serial number / device permanent ID. UDM / HSS / AIoTNF can respond to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF, AIoTNF) with a NAS interface to the terminal. The core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF, AIoTNF) with a NAS interface to the terminal may include information in the registration response message / information indicating that the service has been permitted / authorized. For example, it may include information indicating whether the corresponding ordinary terminal / auxiliary node is authorized to support environmental IoT services.

[0126] As another example, according to any embodiment included in this application, network registration and terminal context establishment can be performed periodically according to values ​​set by network policies / instructions and / or subscription information.

[0127] As another example, according to any embodiment included in this application, network registration and terminal context establishment can be triggered and executed by a base station / network / core network entity.

[0128] As another example, when a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) receives a corresponding request message from the AF and / or AIoTNF / NEF providing the corresponding application in order to trigger a service for an environmental IoT terminal, and / or when a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node receives a message via a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) requesting the triggering of a service for an environmental IoT terminal, the service triggering request message may include periodic information related to the service triggering.

[0129] As another example, when a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) receives a corresponding request message from the AF and / or AIoTNF / NEF providing the corresponding application to trigger a service for an environmental IoT terminal, and / or when a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node receives a message requesting to trigger a service for an environmental IoT terminal via a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF), the service trigger request message may include information indicating that the service trigger is a one-time request (or information distinguishing between one-time and periodic requests). If periodic information is included, corresponding / related information can be set / stored.

[0130] As another example, an environmental IoT terminal can perform user plane data transmission with the AIoTNF (or via NEF and the corresponding AS) and receive control commands for the corresponding terminal. The terminal's data transmission destination and / or AIoTNF address can be pre-configured. Alternatively, when the terminal sends data, the core network control plane entity receiving the data can obtain the destination (or AS / NEF / AIoTNF) and / or AIoTNF address via UDM / HSS.

[0131] As another example, the environmental IoT can be further defined in the RAT type used to distinguish the access network or the transport technology used in the access network. During registration and / or terminal context establishment, messages sent by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node to the core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) may include environmental IoT RAT type indication information. The core network control plane entity may store this indication information in the terminal context. The core network control plane entity may consider the corresponding RAT type as environmental IoT. The AMF / AIoTNF may notify the AIoTNF / NEF of relevant signaling during registration. The AMF may notify the SMF of relevant signaling during PDU session establishment / modification.

[0132] The following description is based on another embodiment of this application.

[0133] It cannot be assumed that environmental IoT devices / equipment / terminals always have power for transmitting and receiving data. An environmental IoT terminal can only perform a given function when it obtains / acquires / supplies the effective power required to perform any operation. For environmental IoT devices A / B that transmit data via backscattering, they can only perform the corresponding function when the terminal obtains / acquires / supplies the effective power required for operation through radio waves received from the network and / or energy harvesting. Similarly, for environmental IoT device C with an energy storage device, it can only perform the corresponding function when it obtains / acquires / supplies the effective power required for a specific operation through energy harvesting. For example, a terminal can transmit data when an electromagnetic field is formed at the terminal by incident signals from a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node, thereby obtaining / acquires / supplying power suitable / sufficient to drive the terminal. This situation can be considered in the transmission and reception of environmental IoT service data.

[0134] In one embodiment, when an environmental IoT terminal sends data to a base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node, the terminal may send data including auxiliary information indicating the next readiness state. This auxiliary information includes at least one of the following: expected energy harvesting time / duration, a code value for the expected time, the minimum number of paging requests required for energy harvesting, the minimum time period, relevant terminal capabilities, the duration of the unavailable period, information indicating the existence of more data to be sent, and the size of the data to be sent. For example, when the terminal sends corresponding data in response to a message received by the base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node, the terminal may send data including the aforementioned information.

[0135] As another example, signaling notifications regarding the reachability category of the corresponding environmental IoT terminal can be negotiated / performed between the environmental IoT terminal and the core network control plane node, and / or between the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node accessed by the environmental IoT terminal and the core network control plane node. Categories indicating situations where the corresponding environmental IoT terminal has not obtained / acquired / supplied effective power can be defined. For example, an Unavailability Period duration category can be defined for obtaining / acquired / supplied effective power. This Unavailability Period duration category can be distinguished by 1 bit of information representing the state where the environmental IoT terminal has not obtained / acquired / supplied effective power for data transmission and the state where it has obtained / acquired / supplied effective power. Alternatively, the Unavailability Period Duration category can be distinguished by multiple bits of information representing the level at which the environmental IoT terminal has obtained / acquired / supplied effective power for data transmission. When the environmental IoT terminal receives a message triggered by a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane node and sends data in response to the message, the environmental IoT terminal can send the information to the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane node. Mobile initiation data and / or mobile termination data may not be transmitted during the duration of the unavailable period. Alternatively, the IoT service triggering process may not be initiated / applied during the duration of the unavailable period. Alternatively, signal transmission to support terminal energy harvesting may be performed during the duration of the unavailable period.

[0136] As another example, when a base station / regular terminal / auxiliary node and core network control plane node receive arbitrary service data from a corresponding environmental IoT terminal, the corresponding environmental IoT terminal can be considered unreachable. After the corresponding unavailability period has elapsed / expired, the service for the corresponding environmental IoT terminal can be considered available.

[0137] As another example, when a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane node receives an environmental IoT service trigger request from AIoTNF / AF / AS / NEF, if the corresponding environmental IoT terminal is in an unreachable state, the terminal can store the corresponding service trigger request.

[0138] As another example, the application layer may include at least one of the following information in the application layer header and / or payload: application identifier, protocol identifier, terminal / tag identifier, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / device permanent ID, protocol description, physical layer protocol control information, MAC layer protocol control information, message type, validity period, information indicating whether there is more data to be sent, and the size of the data to be sent. The protocol control information may represent physical layer attribute information (e.g., information encoding the backscatter length range, information encoding the communication distance / range, etc.) and / or MAC layer attribute information used to distinguish / identify the environmental IoT terminal / tag when performing backscattering. The validity period may represent the time period / range during which the corresponding environmental IoT service request / instruction / data is valid, based on the corresponding environmental IoT service request / instruction. Information indicating the existence of more data to be transmitted can represent information indicating that one or more data items to be transmitted, sent by the environmental IoT terminal / tag (or base station / AMF / AIoTNF / AS to the base station / AMF / AIoTNF / AS (or terminal / tag), or sent by the base station / AMF / AIoTNF / AS (or terminal / tag), are in a pending state (remaining). For example, environmental IoT terminals such as read-only tags do not require additional communication. The terminal can send data including information indicating that no data to be transmitted exists. Information indicating the existence of more data to be transmitted can be indicated by 1 bit. Information indicating the existence of more data to be transmitted can be indicated by multiple bits to indicate the size of the data to be transmitted.

[0139] As another example, a base station can send environmental IoT terminal user plane data (or application PDUs including user data, or NAS PDUs including environmental IoT terminal user plane data) received from a terminal to a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) that has a NAS interface with the terminal. The core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) with a NAS interface with the terminal can forward the corresponding data to the AIoTNF / AF / AS providing the corresponding application. The core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) with a NAS interface with the terminal can send and receive corresponding data with an external application server (AS) via AIoTNF or NEF.

[0140] As an example, when an environmental IoT terminal is triggered by the network, it can initiate data communication / transmission. The core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) can receive corresponding request messages from the AF / AS and / or AIoTNF / NEF providing the corresponding application to trigger services for the environmental IoT terminal (e.g., user data reception, identification information reception, location / sensor information reception, management information [e.g., enable / disable, disable time duration] configuration / setting, and (memory) read / write). The request message may include at least one of the following information: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / unique item identifier (device permanent ID), subscription information of the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, distinguishing / indicating information of the request information, corresponding request base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area identifier / distinguishing information, maximum request / trigger / repetition count / cycle, and validity period. The application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, request type, or distinguishing / indicating information of the request information may include information for distinguishing services for the environmental IoT terminal, such as user data reception, identification information reception, location / sensor information reception, management information (e.g., enable / disable, disable time duration) configuration / setting, and (memory) read / write. (Memory) writing may include information used to distinguish at least one of data changes, data deletion / removal.

[0141] Here, for an environmental IoT terminal connected to a base station via a wireless interface (Uu) to control the wireless resources of the environmental IoT terminal, the corresponding request for base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area identifier / differentiation information may include base station / cell identifier information of the base station reader serving the environmental IoT terminal. The base station / cell identifier information serving the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information for identifying the base station reader serving the environmental IoT terminal, and information for identifying the cell serving the base station reader. The cell serving the base station reader of the environmental IoT terminal may represent information for identifying the area capable of providing corresponding services through the cell coverage area of ​​the base station reader. For example, the information may represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell Global Identifier), any service area identifier, geographic area identifier, coverage area identifier, and information for differentiating the frequency band coverage area of ​​the base station reader.

[0142] Alternatively, for an environmental IoT terminal connected to a base station via an auxiliary terminal / ordinary terminal to the wireless resources of the control environment IoT terminal, the corresponding request for base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area identifier / differentiation information may include the identification information of the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal. The identification information of the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information for identifying the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal, and information for identifying the cell of the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal. Here, the cell of the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal may represent information for identifying the area capable of providing corresponding services through the wireless / cell coverage area of ​​the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader. For example, the information may represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell GlobalIdentifier), any service area identifier, geographic area identifier, coverage area identifier, and information for differentiating the frequency band coverage area of ​​the base station reader.

[0143] The base station can receive corresponding request messages via a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF) to trigger services for environmental IoT terminals. The request message may include at least one of the following information: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / device permanent ID, subscription information of the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, distinction / indication information of the request information, corresponding request base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area identifier / distinction information, maximum request / trigger / repetition count / cycle, and validity period.

[0144] Here, the service type / identifier represents information used to identify the type of environmental IoT service. For example, the environmental IoT service may include at least one of the following: an inventory service for performing inventory operations from environmental IoT devices, a read service for reading information from environmental IoT devices, a write service for writing information from environmental IoT devices, and a disable service for disabling the capabilities of environmental IoT devices.

[0145] To receive data related to a service from a corresponding environmental IoT terminal, a base station can send a message to the corresponding terminal to trigger a service for that environmental IoT terminal. For ease of explanation, this message will be referred to as a paging message. This terminology is for illustrative purposes only, and the message can be replaced with any other name, such as an environmental IoT paging message, notification message, command message, or service trigger message. The paging message may include at least one of the following information: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / device permanent identifier (device permanent ID), subscription information of the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, distinction / indication information of the request information, identification / distinction information of the corresponding requesting base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area, maximum request / trigger / repetition count / cycle, validity period, access timing information, and backoff information.

[0146] Here, the service type / identifier represents information used to identify the type of environmental IoT service. For example, the environmental IoT service may include at least one of the following: an inventory service for performing inventory operations from environmental IoT devices, a read service for reading information from environmental IoT devices, a write service for writing information from environmental IoT devices, and a disable service for disabling the capabilities of environmental IoT devices. Access timing information represents the time-domain radio resource information used by the environmental IoT terminal to send a response message in response to a received paging message. Validity period may represent the valid time period / range of the time-domain radio resource information used by the environmental IoT terminal to send a corresponding response message based on the paging message.

[0147] The paging message may include information indicating that all environmental IoT terminals receivable within the corresponding base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area send an access / response / acknowledgment message including corresponding service information to the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node. For example, this indication can be made by specifying a specific value for any field included in the paging message (e.g., a single / group terminal identifier field). Alternatively, this indication can be made by information indicating that the paging message does not include a specific field (e.g., a single / group terminal identifier field). The paging message may include information (e.g., a group identifier) ​​indicating that environmental IoT terminals receivable within the corresponding base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area and belonging to a specific group / service send a message including corresponding service information to the base station.

[0148] When the information included in a message received by an environmental IoT terminal matches the service / information / rule / procedure configured / set / assigned / pre-configured / built-in / instruction / assigned to the terminal, the environmental IoT terminal can send a message to the base station including service / service response information for the environmental IoT terminal. For example, when a received environmental IoT terminal / device identifier matches a stored environmental IoT terminal / device identifier, the environmental IoT terminal can send a message to the base station including response information for the requested environmental IoT terminal service.

[0149] The information included in the message received by the environmental IoT terminal may be at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier mapped to multiple environmental IoT terminals, terminal / tag serial number / device permanent identifier (device permanent ID), subscription information of the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, distinction / indication information of the request information, identification / distinction information of the corresponding requesting base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area, access timing information, and backoff information.

[0150] The service response information for the environmental IoT terminal can include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / device permanent ID, subscription information of the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, distinction / indication information of the request information, identification / distinction information of the corresponding requesting base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area, information indicating whether there is more data to be sent, validity period, and user plane data. Here, user plane data can include at least one of the following: the identifier of the environmental IoT terminal, serial number / device permanent ID, application identifier, location / sensor / measurement data, and product-related identifiers. Information indicating whether there is more data to be sent can be indicated using 1 bit of information. Information indicating whether there is more data to be sent can be indicated using multiple bits of information to indicate the size of the data to be sent.

[0151] A base station receiving a message containing service response information for an environmental IoT terminal may send a message including one or more pieces of information included in the message to a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF). Alternatively, a base station receiving a message containing service response information for an environmental IoT terminal may send a message including one or more pieces of information included in the message to the AF / AIoTNF / NEF. Alternatively, a base station receiving a message containing service response information for an environmental IoT terminal may send a message including one or more pieces of information included in the message to the AF / AIoTNF / NEF via a core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF).

[0152] When a base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node that receives a message including service response information for an environmental IoT terminal sends the service response information to the core network control plane entity or AF / AIoTNF / NEF, the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node can map and include information associated with the environmental IoT terminal / service in the received data. The message sent by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node may include at least one of the following: environmental IoT terminal / tag identifier, application identifier, service type / identifier, protocol identifier / description, group identifier, terminal / tag serial number / unique item identifier (device permanent ID), subscription information for the environmental IoT terminal, identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the core network control plane entity (CN allocated temporary ID), identification information allocated to the environmental IoT terminal by the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node (RAN / Reader allocated temporary ID), request type, differentiation / indication information for the request information, and identification / differentiation information for the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / cell / region / service area / geographic area / coverage area.

[0153] For example, for an environmental IoT terminal connected to a base station controlling the wireless resources of the environmental IoT terminal via a wireless interface (Uu), the base station can send information related to the environmental IoT terminal to the corresponding core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF). The information related to the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: the environmental IoT terminal identifier, the location information of the environmental IoT terminal, and base station / cell identification information serving the environmental IoT terminal. The base station / cell identification information serving the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information for identifying the base station reader serving the environmental IoT terminal and information for identifying the cell serving the base station reader. Here, the cell serving the base station reader of the environmental IoT terminal may represent information for identifying the area capable of providing the service through the cell coverage area of ​​the base station reader. For example, it may represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell GlobalIdentifier), any service area identification information, geographic area identification information, coverage area identification information, and information for distinguishing the frequency band coverage area of ​​the base station reader.

[0154] Alternatively, for an environmental IoT terminal connected to a base station controlling the environmental IoT terminal's radio resources via an auxiliary terminal / regular terminal, the base station may send information related to the environmental IoT terminal to the corresponding core network control plane entity (e.g., AMF / SMF / AIoTNF). The information related to the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: the environmental IoT terminal identifier, the location information of the auxiliary node connected to the environmental IoT terminal, and the identification information of the auxiliary node serving the environmental IoT terminal. The location information of the auxiliary node connected to the environmental IoT terminal indicates the location information of the auxiliary node terminal operating as an auxiliary node. The identification information of the auxiliary terminal serving the environmental IoT terminal may include one or more of the following: information for identifying the auxiliary node terminal reader serving the environmental IoT terminal and information for identifying the cell of the auxiliary node reader serving the environmental IoT terminal. Here, the cell of the auxiliary node reader serving the environmental IoT terminal may represent information for identifying the area that can provide the service through the cell coverage area of ​​the auxiliary node reader. For example, it can represent one or more of the following: NR CGI (Cell Global Identifier), arbitrary service area identification information, geographic area identification information, coverage area identification information, information used to distinguish the frequency band coverage area of ​​the auxiliary node / ordinary terminal reader, and cell / base station identification information accessed by the auxiliary node.

[0155] In another example, when the base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane entity / AF / AIoTNF / NEF fails to receive a message containing one or more service information for the environmental IoT terminal within the corresponding validity period, the service triggering for the environmental IoT terminal can be considered a failure. The base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane entity can forward this situation to the core network control plane entity / AF / AIoTNF / NEF / application server. The base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane entity / AF / AIoTNF / NEF can release / remove / fail the previous service triggering. The base station / ordinary terminal / auxiliary node / core network control plane entity / AF / AIoTNF / NEF can retry the service triggering. For example, when the valid time period / range of the time-domain radio resource information used to send the response message indicated by the base station expires, the base station can consider the service triggering for the environmental IoT terminal to have failed.

[0156] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a base station according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0157] Reference Figure 8The base station controlling the wireless resources of the ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal receives a service request message from the ambient IoT core network node (S801). Furthermore, the base station sends a response message to the ambient IoT core network node in response to the service request message (S802). Here, the response message to the service request message may include the location identification information of the ambient IoT terminal.

[0158] The service request message may include service type information to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

[0159] On the other hand, the environmental IoT terminal can be directly connected to the base station via a wireless interface. In this case, the location identification information may include at least one of base station identification information, cell identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

[0160] Furthermore, the environmental IoT terminal can connect to the base station via an auxiliary terminal or a regular terminal. In this case, the location identification information may include at least one of terminal location information, terminal identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

[0161] The core network node of the Ambient IoT represents the Ambient IoT Network Function (AIoTNF), and the service request message and the response message to the service request message can use the NG Application Protocol (NGAP) protocol message.

[0162] Furthermore, after receiving the service request message, the base station can send an environmental IoT paging message to the environmental IoT terminal and receive a response message from the environmental IoT terminal in response to the environmental IoT paging message. Here, the environmental IoT paging message may include service type information for distinguishing at least one of inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service, and the response message to the environmental IoT paging message may include at least one of auxiliary information indicating the next preparation state and information indicating the existence of more data to be sent.

[0163] The disclosures herein can be implemented in various ways. For example, they can be implemented using hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings.

[0164] Figure 9 An apparatus according to one embodiment of this specification is shown.

[0165] Reference Figure 9 The wireless communication system may include a first device 100a and a second device 100b.

[0166] The first device 100a may be a base station, network node, transmitting terminal, receiving terminal, wireless device, wireless communication equipment, vehicle, vehicle equipped with autonomous driving function, connected car, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), artificial intelligence (AI) module, robot, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, mixed reality (MR) device, holographic device, public safety device, machine communication device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, medical device, fintech device (or financial device), security device, climate / environment device, device related to 5G services, or other device related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

[0167] The second device 100b may be a base station, network node, transmitting terminal, receiving terminal, wireless device, wireless communication equipment, vehicle, vehicle equipped with autonomous driving function, connected car, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), artificial intelligence (AI) module, robot, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, mixed reality (MR) device, holographic device, public safety device, machine communication device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, medical device, fintech device (or financial device), security device, climate / environment device, device related to 5G services, or other device related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

[0168] The first device 100a may include at least one processor, such as processor 1020a, at least one memory, such as memory 1010a, and at least one transceiver, such as transceiver 1031a. The processor 1020a may perform the functions, processes, and / or methods described above. The processor 1020a may execute one or more protocols. For example, the processor 1020a may execute one or more layers of a wireless interface protocol. The memory 1010a is connected to the processor 1020a and may store information and / or instructions of various forms. The transceiver 1031a is connected to the processor 1020a and may be controlled to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0169] The second device 100b may include at least one processor, such as processor 1020b, at least one memory device, such as memory 1010b, and at least one transceiver, such as transceiver 1031b. The processor 1020b may perform the functions, processes, and / or methods described above. The processor 1020b may implement one or more protocols. For example, the processor 1020b may implement one or more layers of a wireless interface protocol. The memory 1010b is connected to the processor 1020b and may store information and / or instructions of various forms. The transceiver 1031b is connected to the processor 1020b and may be controlled to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0170] The memory 1010a and / or the memory 1010b can be connected internally or externally to the processor 1020a and / or the processor 1020b, respectively, and can also be connected to other processors via various technologies such as wired or wireless connections.

[0171] The first device 100a and / or the second device 100b may have one or more antennas. For example, antenna 1036a and / or antenna 1036b may be used to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0172] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal configuration according to one embodiment of this specification.

[0173] In particular, Figure 10 To show the foregoing in more detail Figure 9 The attached diagram shows the apparatus.

[0174] The device includes a memory 1010, a processor 1020, a transceiver unit 1031, a power management module 1091, a battery 1092, a display 1041, an input unit 1053, a speaker 1042, a microphone 1052, a SIM (subscriber identification module) card, and one or more antennas.

[0175] The processor 1020 can be used to implement the functions, processes, and / or methods described in this specification. The various layers of the radio interface protocol can be implemented in the processor 1020. The processor 1020 may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. The processor 1020 may be an application processor (AP). The processor 1020 may include at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a modem (modulator and demodulator). Examples of the processor 1020 may be the SNAPDRAGON™ series processor manufactured by Qualcomm®, the EXYNOS™ series processor manufactured by Samsung®, the A-series processor manufactured by Apple®, the HELIO™ series processor manufactured by MediaTek®, the ATOM™ series processor manufactured by Intel®, the KIRINT™ series processor manufactured by HiSilicon®, or a corresponding next-generation processor.

[0176] The power management module 1091 manages the power supplied to the processor 1020 and / or the transceiver unit 1031. The battery 1092 supplies power to the power management module 1091. The display 1041 outputs the results processed by the processor 1020. The input unit 1053 receives inputs for use by the processor 1020. The input unit 1053 can be displayed on the display 1041. A SIM card is an integrated circuit used to securely store the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and its associated keys for identifying and authenticating users in mobile devices such as mobile phones and computers. Many SIM cards can also store contact information.

[0177] The memory 1010 is operatively coupled to the processor 1020 and stores various information for operating the processor 1020. The memory 1010 may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, memory cards, storage media, and / or other storage devices. When the embodiment is implemented in software, the techniques described herein can be implemented as modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) performing the functions described herein. These modules may be stored in the memory 1010 and executed by the processor 1020. The memory 1010 may be implemented internally to the processor 1020. Alternatively, the memory 1010 may be implemented externally to the processor 1020 and may be communicatively connected to the processor 1020 in various ways known in the art.

[0178] The transceiver unit 1031 is operatively coupled to the processor 1020 and transmits and / or receives wireless signals. The transceiver unit 1031 includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver unit 1031 may include baseband circuitry for processing radio frequency signals. The transceiver unit controls one or more antennas to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. For example, to initiate communication, the processor 1020 transmits instruction information to the transceiver unit 1031 to transmit wireless signals constituting voice communication data. The antennas have the function of transmitting and receiving wireless signals. When receiving wireless signals, the transceiver unit 1031 can transmit the signals to the processor 1020 for processing and can convert the signals to baseband. The processed signals can be converted into audible or readable information output via the speaker 1042.

[0179] The speaker 1042 outputs sound-related results processed by the processor 1020. The microphone 1052 receives sound-related inputs for use by the processor 1020.

[0180] Users can input instructions, such as phone numbers, by pressing (or touching) a button on the input unit 1053 or by using voice activation of the microphone 1052. The processor 1020 receives the instructions and processes them to perform appropriate functions, such as making a call to the phone number. Operational data can be retrieved from the SIM card or the memory 1010. Furthermore, the processor 1020 can display the instructions or operational information on the display 1041 for user recognition and convenience.

[0181] Figure 11A block diagram of the processor that implements the contents disclosed in this specification is shown.

[0182] For reference Figure 11 As can be seen, the processor 1020 implementing the disclosure of this specification may include multiple circuits to implement the functions, processes, and / or methods described herein. For example, the processor 1020 may include a first circuit 1020-1, a second circuit 1020-2, and a third circuit 1020-3. Furthermore, although not shown, the processor 1020 may include more circuits. Each circuit may include multiple transistors.

[0183] The processor 1020 may be referred to as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or an application processor (AP), and may include at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0184] Figure 12 It is shown in detail Figure 9 The transceiver of the first device shown Figure 10 Block diagram of the transceiver section of the device shown.

[0185] Reference Figure 12The transceiver unit 1031 includes a transmitter 1031-1 and a receiver 1031-2. The transmitter 1031-1 includes a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) unit 1031-11, a subcarrier mapper 1031-12, an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) unit 1031-13, a Cyclic Prefix (CP) insertion unit 1031-14, and a wireless transmission unit 1031-15. The transmitter 1031-1 may also include a modulator. Furthermore, the transmitter 1031-1 may also include a scramble unit (not shown), a modulation mapper (not shown), a layer mapper (not shown), and a layer permutator (not shown), and the scramble unit, the modulation mapper, the layer mapper, and the layer permutator may be arranged before the DFT unit 1031-11. That is, in order to prevent the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) from increasing, the transmitter 1031-1 causes the information to first pass through DFT 1031-11 before being mapped to subcarriers. The signal spread (or precoded with the same meaning) by the DFT section 1031-11 is then subcarrier mapped by the subcarrier mapper 1031-12, and then passed through the IFFT section 1031-13 to form a time-domain signal.

[0186] The DFT unit 1031-11 performs a DFT on the input symbols and outputs a complex-valued symbol. For example, when Ntx symbols are input (where Ntx is a natural number), the DFT size is Ntx. The DFT unit 1031-11 can be called a transform precoder. The subcarrier mapper 1031-12 maps the complex-valued symbol to each subcarrier in the frequency domain. The complex-valued symbol can be mapped to a resource element corresponding to a resource block allocated for data transmission. The subcarrier mapper 1031-12 can be called a resource element mapper. The IFFT unit 1031-13 performs an IFFT on the input symbols and outputs a baseband signal for data as a time-domain signal. The CP insertion unit 1031-14 copies a portion of the latter part of the baseband signal for data and inserts the copied portion into the former part of the baseband signal for data. By inserting CP, inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI) can be prevented, thus maintaining orthogonality even in multipath channels.

[0187] On the other hand, the receiver 1031-2 includes a wireless receiving unit 1031-21, a CP removal unit 1031-22, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) unit 1031-23, and an equalization unit 1031-24. The wireless receiving unit 1031-21, CP removal unit 1031-22, and FFT unit 1031-23 of the receiver 1031-2 perform the inverse functions of the wireless transmitting unit 1031-15, CP insertion unit 1031-14, and IFF unit 1031-13 of the transmitting end 1031-1. The receiver 1031-2 may also include a demodulator.

[0188] While preferred embodiments have been illustrated above by way of example, the disclosure of this specification is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications, alterations or improvements can be made within the scope of the concept of this specification and the claims.

[0189] In the exemplary system described above, although the method is illustrated as a series of operations or blocks based on a flowchart, it is not limited to the illustrated order of operations. Some operations may occur in a different order than described above, or they may occur simultaneously. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the operations shown in the flowchart are not exclusive and may include other operations, or one or more operations in the flowchart may be deleted without affecting the scope of the claims.

[0190] The claims described in this specification can be combined in various ways. For example, the technical features of the method claims in this specification can be combined and implemented as an apparatus, and the technical features of the apparatus claims in this specification can be combined and implemented as a method. Furthermore, the technical features of the method claims and the apparatus claims in this specification can be combined and implemented as an apparatus, and the technical features of the method claims and the apparatus claims in this specification can be combined and implemented as a method.

Claims

1. A method for operating a base station to control the wireless resources of an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) terminal in a wireless communication system, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Receive service request messages from the core network nodes of the environmental IoT; Send a response message to the service request message to the core network node of the Internet of Things in the environment; The response message to the service request message includes the location identification information of the environmental IoT terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service request message includes service type information to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The environmental IoT terminal is directly connected to the base station via a wireless interface. The location identification information includes at least one of the following: base station identification information, cell identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The environmental IoT terminal is connected to the base station via an auxiliary terminal or a regular terminal. The location identification information includes at least one of the following: terminal location information, terminal identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The core network node of the environmental Internet of Things (IoT) represents the functions of the environmental IoT network. The service request message and the response message to the service request message use NG application protocol messages.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: After receiving the service request message, a paging message is sent to the environmental IoT terminal; and Receive a response message for the paging message from the IoT terminal in the environment.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The paging message includes service type information used to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The response message to the paging message includes at least one of auxiliary information indicating the next preparation state and information indicating that there is more data to be sent.

9. A base station in a wireless communication system, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, which stores instructions and is operatively electrically connected to the at least one processor. Wherein, based on the execution of the instruction by the at least one processor, the following operations are performed: Receive service request messages from the core network nodes of the environmental IoT; Send a response message to the service request message to the core network node of the Internet of Things in the environment; The response message to the service request message includes the location identification information of the environmental IoT terminal.

10. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The service request message includes service type information to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

11. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The environmental IoT terminal is directly connected to the base station via a wireless interface. The location identification information includes at least one of the following: base station identification information, cell identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

12. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The environmental IoT terminal is connected to the base station via an auxiliary terminal or a regular terminal. The location identification information includes at least one of the following: terminal location information, terminal identification information, service area identification information, geographic area identification information, and coverage area identification information.

13. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The core network node of the environmental Internet of Things (IoT) represents the functions of the environmental IoT network. The service request message and the response message to the service request message use NG application protocol messages.

14. The base station according to claim 9, characterized in that, In addition to the instructions being executed by the at least one processor, the following operations are also performed: After receiving the service request message, a paging message is sent to the environmental IoT terminal; and Receive a response message for the paging message from the IoT terminal in the environment.

15. The base station according to claim 14, characterized in that, The paging message includes service type information used to distinguish at least one of the following: inventory service, read service, write service, and disable service.

16. The base station according to claim 14, characterized in that, The response message to the paging message includes at least one of auxiliary information indicating the next preparation state and information indicating that there is more data to be sent.

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