Radio frequency energy harvesting

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting. A method includes obtaining, at a first device, radio frequency (RF) baseline information of an environment in which the first device is located, and detecting, based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, an energy harvesting event of a device in the environment that harvests energy from the environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to the telecommunications field, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting. Background Technology

[0002] A communication network can be used as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides communication devices with access to a data network. A mobile or wireless communication network is an example of a communication network. Communication networks can operate according to standards provided by organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Examples of standards provided by 3GPP are the so-called 3GPP standards for cellular technology generations, such as those for 4G, 5G, and 6G technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to: acquire radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first apparatus is located; and, based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, detect an energy harvesting event of a device in the environment, the device harvesting energy from the environment.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: determine radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first apparatus is located; and transmit the RF baseline information to the first apparatus.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: acquiring radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located at a first device; and detecting an energy harvesting event of a device in the environment, the device harvesting energy from the environment, based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: determining radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which a first device is located at a second device; and transmitting the RF baseline information to the first device.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: components for acquiring radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first apparatus is located; and components for detecting energy harvesting events of a device in the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, the device harvesting energy from the environment.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes: components for determining radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which a first apparatus is located; and components for transmitting the RF baseline information to the first apparatus.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to a third aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2 The signaling flow for an example procedure for RF energy harvesting detection according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example process for RF energy harvesting according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4 Signaling flows are shown for example procedures for RF energy harvesting detection based on network-refined RF baseline information, according to some example embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 5 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a first device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 6 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Throughout all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0015] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0016] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether explicitly described or not, it is believed that incorporating other embodiments to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0017] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., preceding the noun(s) may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another, and they do not restrict the order of the noun(s). For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0018] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0019] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the execution step “in response to A” does not indicate that the step is performed immediately after “A” occurs, and may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0020] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” “comprise,” and / or “containing” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0021] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of the (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors working together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions), software, and (multiple) memory), and (c) The operation of the hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or a portion thereof, requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when operation is not required.

[0022] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits used in mobile devices or servers, cellular network devices or other computing or networking devices.

[0023] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G, sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that embody the future types of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the aforementioned systems.

[0024] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a long-range radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a long-range radio headend (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femto, pico, or non-terrestrial network (NTN)) or non-terrestrial network equipment (such as satellite network equipment), low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, spacecraft network equipment, etc. In some example embodiments, the Radio Access Network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at the IAB donor node. The IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves as a UE toward the parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node behaves as a base station toward the next-hop IAB node.

[0025] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., long-distance surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal equipment may also correspond to the mobile termination (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment," "communication equipment," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, or any other combination of time, frequency, spatial, and / or code domain resources used to enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0027] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. In communication environment 100, multiple communication devices (including terminal device 110 and network device 120) can communicate with each other. Figure 1 In the example, terminal device 110 can be a UE, and network device 120 can be a base station serving the UE.

[0028] In environment 100, one or more RF sources may exist, such as RF source 111. Terminal device 110 and / or network device 120 may also be RF sources. RF sources may transmit one or more RF signals in environment 100. The transmitted RF signals may be reflected by one or more environmental objects in environment 100, such as environmental objects 130-1, 130-2, 130-3, and 130-4. For example, buildings, cars, and humans may be environmental objects in environment 100. RF signals may be reflected back to their corresponding transmitters. Figure 1 As shown, the RF signal sent from the terminal device 110 can be reflected by environmental objects and returned to the terminal device 110.

[0029] In environment 100, there may be one or more devices, such as device 115, that harvest energy from environment 100. The device harvesting energy from environment 100 may also be referred to hereinafter as an energy harvesting device. The energy harvesting device may harvest energy from one or more RF signals transmitted in environment 100 (e.g., RF signals transmitted from terminal device 110 or RF source 111).

[0030] In some embodiments, the energy harvesting device can be an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. An A-IoT device can be a very low-power device that does not have its own power supply but is powered by harvesting energy from environmental sources such as radio transmitters. Once the A-IoT device has received and stored enough energy to perform its designed (hereinafter referred to as "energized") function, it can perform that function, and in doing so, it can consume the stored energy and return to a de-energized state. This may also be referred to below as an energization event or process. During an energization event or process, the A-IoT device can harvest energy from the environment and use the harvested energy to send task-specific signals.

[0031] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, device 115 can be an A-IoT device that harvests energy from RF signals transmitted by terminal device 110. The RF signals transmitted from terminal device 110 can be partially harvested by device 115, so that the RF signals reflected back to terminal device 110 can be attenuated.

[0032] It should be understood that Figure 1The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more additional devices may be located in communication environment 100. Note that although shown as a base station, network device 120 may be another device besides a base station. Although shown as a UE, terminal device 110 may be another device besides a UE.

[0033] In the following description, for illustrative purposes, some example embodiments are depicted in which terminal device 110 operates as a UE and network device 120 operates as a base station. However, in some example embodiments, the operations described in connection with the terminal device can be implemented at the network device or other devices, and the operations described in connection with the network device can be implemented at the terminal device or other devices.

[0034] In some example embodiments, the transmission direction from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the transmission direction from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In the DL, network device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, terminal device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and network device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0035] Communication in communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0036] Currently, when using short-range power transfer technologies such as inductive coupling, energy harvesting and the A-IoT power-on process can be detected by the energy harvesting device itself or by the corresponding powered component. However, in some cases, short-range power transfer may not be used, and further research is needed on mechanisms for detecting RF energy harvesting in these situations.

[0037] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for detecting energy harvesting events is provided. In one method, a first device acquires RF baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located. The first device also detects energy harvesting events of a device in the environment that harvests energy from the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements.

[0038] Using this solution, RF baseline information can be used for RF energy harvesting detection, for example, in short-range and long-range energy harvesting scenarios. For instance, in long-range energy harvesting event detection, RF energy harvesting events (which occur, for example, when an A-IoT device harvests energy from an RF signal) can be detected by RF measurement devices such as a UE.

[0039] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 2 The signaling flow for an example procedure 200 for RF energy harvesting detection according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 2 As shown, process 200 involves a first device 201 and a second device 202. For discussion purposes, reference is made to... Figure 1 To describe process 200. The first device 201 may be an example of terminal device 110 or be included in terminal device 110. The second device 202 may be an example of network device 120 or be included in network device 120.

[0041] In process 200, the first device 201 acquires 216 RF baseline information of the environment in which the first device 201 is located. The first device 201 also detects, 218, energy harvesting events of a device in the environment that harvests energy from the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements.

[0042] In some embodiments, the device for harvesting energy from the environment can be an A-IoT device as described above. Any other suitable energy harvesting device may be used as an alternative to the A-IoT device, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0043] The environment in which the first device 201 and the energy harvesting device are located may include one or more RF sources, such as the first device 201. The energy harvesting device may harvest energy from one or more RF signals transmitted from one or more RF sources. The second device 202 may or may not be located in the same environment. (See reference) Figure 1 The environment in which the first device 201 and the energy harvesting equipment are located can be Figure 1 An example or part of the communication environment 100 in the text.

[0044] In some embodiments, RF baseline information may indicate the baseline state of one or more RF signals transmitted in an environment. The baseline state of one or more RF signals may refer to any suitable measurement of the RF signal, such as signal strength level, attenuation level, propagation path, etc. In some embodiments, RF baseline information may include the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency for a predefined location, a predefined period of RF signal attenuation, and / or a predefined level of RF signal attenuation.

[0045] In some embodiments, RF baseline information can be determined based on environmental modeling. For example, a baseline RF environment for a given UE location can be modeled, taking into account external RF signal sources in the observed frequency band and any RF signals that the UE itself can transmit and receive as reflections from the environment. A digital twin model of the environment can be built and used to determine the RF baseline information.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, RF baseline information can be determined based on one or more historical RF signal measurements. For example, the first device 201 can perform measurements on RF signals in the environment and determine RF baseline information based on these measurements. Measurements can be performed on RF signals transmitted by the first device 201 and / or other RF sources(s) in the environment.

[0047] Additionally, one or more locations corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements from the first device 201 can also be used to determine RF baseline information. For example, RF signal measurements for a given UE location can be used in modeling the RF baseline environment.

[0048] Any suitable additional information related to the environment can also be used to determine the RF baseline information. As an example, additional information known to the second device 202 (e.g., various wireless power sources in the environment and / or changes in devices in the environment) can be used to determine the RF baseline information.

[0049] As an example, baseline RF information can be simply based on historical measurements at the same or approximate locations. Alternatively or additionally, baseline RF information can contain inferences from other measurement sources to, for example, account for variable external RF energy sources. Alternatively or additionally, baseline RF information can be synthesized from a digital twin of an RF environment, for example, with known RF radiation sources.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first device 201 may acquire RF baseline information itself. As an example, the UE measuring the RF signal may utilize various levels of contextual information as RF baseline information. The range of contextual information can be, for example, from historical radio measurement sequences at the current UE location to a fully simulated RF digital twin model of the current environment and known wireless power sources. Note that this contextual information may not be mandatory for determining RF baseline information or detecting energy harvesting events, but it can reduce uncertainty in the baseline RF signal model and thus result in fewer false negatives and false positives in energy harvesting event detection. For example, the RF baseline information may include the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency at a predefined location without any contextual information.

[0051] Alternatively or additionally, the second device 202 may determine 210 RF baseline information and send 212 RF baseline information to the first device 201. The first device 201 may obtain 216 RF baseline information by receiving 214 RF baseline information from the second device 202.

[0052] As an example, a second device 202 (such as network device 120) can determine RF baseline information by first modeling the baseline RF environment for a given UE location and storing relevant information and data. Subsequently, a first device 201 (such as a UE) can receive the RF baseline information corresponding to its location from the second device 202. Alternatively or additionally, the second device 202 can determine the RF baseline information based on one or more historical RF signal measurements and one or more locations of the first device corresponding to those measurements. Furthermore, the second device 202 can also determine the RF baseline information based on information related to RF sources outside the first device 201 in the environment and / or analog information related to a digital twin of the environment.

[0053] Alternative sites, although not in Figure 2 As shown, the first device 201 can send the determined RF baseline information to the second device 202, and the second device 202 can update and refine the RF baseline information. For example, the baseline RF information or model can be updated and refined over time by RF measurements from the UE performing energy harvesting detection measurements.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first device 201 may send to the second device 202 one or more historical RF signal measurements performed by the first device 201 in an environment used to determine, update, or refine RF baseline information. Additionally, the first device 201 may send to the second device 202 one or more locations of the first device corresponding to the one or more historical RF signal measurements used to determine, update, or refine the RF baseline information.

[0055] Using RF baseline information, the first device 201 detects energy harvesting events of a device in the environment 218 that is harvesting energy from the environment, based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements. An energy harvesting event can refer to an event in which energy is harvested from RF signals in the environment. In other words, after acquiring the RF baseline information, the first device 201 can detect the presence of a device harvesting energy from the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements.

[0056] In some embodiments, RF signal measurement may include one or more measurements of one or more RF signals transmitted from the first device 201. Alternatively or additionally, RF signal measurement may include one or more measurements of one or more RF signals transmitted from one or more RF sources outside the first device 201.

[0057] In some embodiments, if an RF signal measurement indicates that an RF signal attenuation meets a condition, the first device 201 may determine that an energy harvesting event has been detected. This condition may include an attenuation period that matches a predefined time period. For example, if the first device 201 determines that the attenuation period of an RF signal in the environment matches a predefined time period in RF baseline information, the first device 201 may determine that an energy harvesting event has been detected.

[0058] Alternatively or additionally, the conditions may include an attenuation level that matches a predefined attenuation level. For example, if the first device 201 determines that the attenuation level of an RF signal in the environment matches a predefined attenuation level in the RF baseline information, the first device 201 may determine that an energy harvesting event has been detected.

[0059] The attenuation level and / or attenuation period of an RF signal can be determined based on the expected RF signal strength in the RF baseline information and the current RF signal measurement.

[0060] Alternatively or additionally, if it is determined that an RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below a baseline level indicated by RF baseline information, then the first device 201 may determine that an energy harvesting event has been detected. For example, the baseline level for the reflected RF signal at a given location may be indicated in the RF baseline information and used to detect the energy harvesting event.

[0061] As an example, once this baseline is established, any small attenuation of the measured RF signal strength over the typical duration (e.g., seconds) of an RF energy harvesting event can indicate the detection of the event. These events are likely most easily detected when the harvesting device is relatively close to the UE being measured and harvesting energy from the UE's RF signal. Partially harvested UE RF signals can be reflected back to the UE from the environment and used for measurement. In some other examples, detection based on other environmental RF sources is also possible, depending on measurement sensitivity and RF environment stability.

[0062] In some examples, long-distance energy harvesting detection can be performed at the UE by continuously measuring the RF signal environment and detecting abnormal measurements of the RF signal source. The measurements may indicate that, within a typical timeframe for energy harvesting by an A-IoT device, the measured RF signal is attenuated because the A-IoT device converts some of the RF signal energy into its own operating energy. The RF signal source can be the same UE performing the measurements. Alternatively, the signal source can be external, such as a cellular base station or other RF signal source.

[0063] In some embodiments, when detecting an energy harvesting event, the first device 201 may determine the start point and / or end point of the energy harvesting event. For example, if it is determined that RF signal measurements indicate that reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below a baseline level, the first device 201 may record the start point of the energy harvesting event. If it is also determined that RF signal measurements indicate that reflected RF energy received from the environment has returned to the baseline level, the first device 201 may record the end point of the energy harvesting event.

[0064] As mentioned above, matching the attenuation level and / or attenuation period can also be used to determine the start and / or end points of energy harvesting events.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first device 201 may also report detected energy harvesting events to the second device 202, for example. The report may include the location of the first device 201 when the energy harvesting event is detected, the start time of the detected energy harvesting event, the end time of the detected energy harvesting event, and / or RF signal measurements associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

[0066] In some embodiments, the second device 202 may receive reports of detected energy harvesting events and use them to update or refine RF baseline information. For example, the network may store reports of detected energy harvesting events, such as UE location, start / end time points, and measurement data, and update the RF baseline information based on the reports.

[0067] Referring to procedure 200, a solution for energy harvesting event detection according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described. This solution can be applied to both short-range and long-range energy harvesting detection. For example, long-range energy harvesting event detection capabilities may be important for situations where the location or identification of A-IoT devices benefits from accurate measurement of the start and end times of energy harvesting events. Furthermore, energy harvesting event detection can be used, for example, to detect unauthorized theft of A-IoT devices in a given environment.

[0068] One benefit of the solution disclosed herein for 6G environments is that, although signal multipathing is a problem to be overcome for many A-IoT-related detection technologies, the proposed solution can benefit from having multiple possible signal paths between the RF signal source, the energy harvesting device, and the measurement UE, as this increases the likelihood that some RF energy harvesting is visible to the measurement UE.

[0069] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example process for RF energy harvesting according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 Specifically, an example process 310 is shown for the energy harvesting events of the A-IoT device and the corresponding measurement signal level 320 of the collected RF signals.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, there are multiple environmental objects and A-IoT devices. The A-IoT devices can initially be inactive and can not harvest energy from the environment. RF signals transmitted from the measurement UE can be reflected back to the measurement UE without the A-IoT devices harvesting energy. Accordingly, when the A-IoT devices are inactive, the reflected RF signal can be at the baseline RF level.

[0071] Then, the A-IoT device can switch to energy harvesting mode, and it can harvest energy from the environment. In this case, the RF signal transmitted from the measurement UE can be partially harvested by the A-IoT device, so that the partially harvested reflected RF signal can have an attenuated RF signal level.

[0072] If the A-IoT device is powered on, it may no longer harvest energy from the environment. In this case, the RF signal transmitted from the measurement UE may not be captured by the A-IoT device, and the reflected RF signal may again be at the baseline RF level.

[0073] Figure 4 The signaling flow of an example process 400 for RF energy harvesting detection based on network-refined RF baseline information, according to some example embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Figure 4In the example energy harvesting scenario, process 400 involves environment 401, A-IoT device 402, UE 403, and network 404. UE 403 can be... Figure 2 An example of the first device 201 in the example, and network 404 can be Figure 2 An example of the second device 202 in the example. Network 404 can be any suitable entity on the network side that has some storage and computing capabilities and is accessible for communication within the physical detection domain.

[0074] Specifically, Figure 4 The example scenario illustrates one possibility for coordinating RF baseline construction, storage, and distribution, as well as energy harvesting event detection and reporting from measurement devices to the network.

[0075] In process 400, at point 411, UE 403 may move within environment 401 and transmit RF energy to environment 401 412. At this moment, there may be no energy harvesting event, so environment 401 may transmit reflected RF energy at the baseline level to UE 403 413. UE 403 may transmit a location and RF measurement stream 414 to network 404. This stream may include a set of UE locations and a corresponding set of RF measurements. Network 404 can use this stream to refine RF baseline information or models and transmit refined expected RF baseline information 415 to UE 403.

[0076] At position 416, UE 403 can reach the power-on range of A-IoT device 402. Within this range, A-IoT device 402 can harvest energy from the RF signals(s) transmitted by UE 403. For example... Figure 4 As shown, UE 403 can send RF energy 417 to environment 401 and RF energy 418 to A-IoT device 402. That is, A-IoT device 402 is performing RF energy harvesting 419 from UE 403, so environment 401 can send reflected RF energy 420 below the baseline level to UE 403.

[0077] Based on the reflected RF energy 420 at a level below the baseline to UE 403, UE 403 can record the start time point 421 of energy harvesting event detection. For example, once the reflected RF signal level is below the RF baseline level, UE 403 can determine that an energy harvesting event has been detected. Therefore, UE 403 can begin recording energy harvesting.

[0078] At point 422, the A-IoT device 402 is powered on and energy harvesting has stopped. Therefore, the reflected RF signal energy 423 can return to the baseline level. Based on the reflected RF energy 423 that has returned to the baseline level, the UE 403 can record the end time point 424 of the data acquisition event detection.

[0079] At 425, UE 403 can report detected energy harvesting events to network 404. This report may include one or more locations of UE 403 when the event was detected, the start and end times of environment 401, and / or measurement data. At 426, network 404 can store the event detection data. Although not shown, network 404 can use the stored data to refine RF baseline information for further detection.

[0080] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 2 Method 500 is described by the angle of the first device 201 in the middle.

[0081] At box 510, the first device 201 acquires radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located.

[0082] At box 520, the first device 201 detects energy harvesting events of a device in the environment that harvests energy from the environment, based on RF baseline information and RF signal measurements.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the device includes an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some example embodiments, the environment includes one or more RF sources and a device that harvests energy from one or more RF signals, the one or more RF signals being transmitted from one or more RF sources, and the one or more RF sources including a first device.

[0084] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes sending one or more historical RF signal measurements to a second device, the one or more historical signal measurements being performed by the first device in the environment.

[0085] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes sending to a second device one or more locations of the first device corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0086] In some example embodiments, obtaining RF baseline information includes receiving RF baseline information from a second device, wherein the RF baseline information is associated with one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the RF baseline information is also associated with additional information about the environment, which is known to the second device.

[0088] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: reporting a detected energy harvesting event. In some example embodiments, reporting a detected energy harvesting event includes reporting at least one of the following: the location of the first device when the energy harvesting event is detected, the start time of the detected energy harvesting event, the end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or an RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

[0089] In some example embodiments, detecting a device's energy harvesting event based on RF baseline information and RF signal measurements includes determining that an energy harvesting event has been detected if it is determined that the RF signal measurements indicate that the RF signal attenuation meets a condition.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the conditions include at least one of the following: a decay period that matches a predefined period, or a decay level that matches a predefined decay level.

[0091] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes determining that an energy harvesting event has been detected if it is determined that an RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below the baseline level indicated by the RF baseline information.

[0092] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: if it is determined that RF signal measurements indicate that reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below a baseline level, then recording the start point of the energy harvesting event.

[0093] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: if it is determined that another RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has returned to the baseline level, then recording the end point of the energy harvesting event.

[0094] In some example embodiments, RF signal measurement includes at least one of the following: measurement of RF signals transmitted from the first device, or measurement of RF signals transmitted from an RF source outside the first device.

[0095] In some example embodiments, RF baseline information indicates the baseline state of one or more RF signals transmitted in the environment.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the RF baseline information includes at least one of the following: the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency for a predefined location, a predefined period of RF signal attenuation, or a predefined level of RF signal attenuation.

[0097] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 2 Method 600 is described by the angle of the second device 202 in the middle.

[0098] At box 610, the second device 202 determines the radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located. At box 620, the second device 202 transmits the RF baseline information to the first device.

[0099] In some example embodiments, method 600 further includes receiving one or more historical RF signal measurements from a first device, the one or more historical RF signal measurements being performed by the first device in an environment.

[0100] In some example embodiments, method 600 further includes receiving from the first device one or more locations of the first device corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0101] In some example embodiments, determining RF baseline information includes: determining RF baseline information based on one or more historical RF signal measurements and one or more locations of the first device corresponding to the one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the determination of RF baseline information is also based on at least one of the following: information relating to an RF source outside the first device in the environment, or analog information relating to a digital twin of the environment.

[0103] In some example embodiments, method 600 further includes: receiving a report of a detected energy harvesting event from the first device. In some example embodiments, method 600 further includes: storing the report of the detected energy harvesting event; and updating RF baseline information based on the report.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the reporting of a detected energy harvesting event includes at least one of the following: the location of the first device when the energy harvesting event is detected, the start time of the detected energy harvesting event, the end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or an RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the RF baseline information includes at least one of the following: the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency for a predefined location, a predefined period of RF signal attenuation, or a predefined level of RF signal attenuation.

[0106] In some example embodiments, a first device capable of performing any method 500 (e.g., Figure 2 The first device 201 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 500. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit or software module. The first device may be implemented as or included in... Figure 2 The first device 201 in the middle.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: components for acquiring radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; and components for detecting energy harvesting events of a device in the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, the device harvesting energy from the environment.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the device includes an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some example embodiments, the environment includes one or more RF sources and a device that harvests energy from one or more RF signals, the one or more RF signals being transmitted from one or more RF sources, and the one or more RF sources including a first device.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for transmitting one or more historical RF signal measurements to the second device, the one or more historical signal measurements being performed by the first device in an environment.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for transmitting to the second device one or more locations of the first device corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the components for acquiring RF baseline information include: components for receiving RF baseline information from a second device, wherein the RF baseline information is associated with one or more historical RF signal measurements. In some example embodiments, the RF baseline information is also associated with additional information about the environment, which is known to the second device.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for reporting a detected energy harvesting event. In some example embodiments, the component for reporting a detected energy harvesting event includes a component for reporting at least one of the following: the location of the first device when the energy harvesting event is detected, the start time of the detected energy harvesting event, the end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or an RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the component for detecting a device’s energy harvesting event based on RF baseline information and RF signal measurements includes a component for determining that an energy harvesting event has been detected if it is determined that the RF signal measurements indicate that the RF signal attenuation meets a condition.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the conditions include at least one of the following: a decay period that matches a predefined period, or a decay level that matches a predefined decay level.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for determining that an energy harvesting event has been detected if it is determined that an RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below the baseline level indicated by RF baseline information.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for recording the starting point of an energy harvesting event if it is determined that an RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below a baseline level.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for recording the end point of an energy harvesting event if it is determined that another RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has returned to the baseline level.

[0118] In some example embodiments, RF signal measurement includes at least one of the following: measurement of RF signals transmitted from the first device, or measurement of RF signals transmitted from an RF source outside the first device.

[0119] In some example embodiments, RF baseline information indicates the baseline state of one or more RF signals transmitted in the environment. In some example embodiments, RF baseline information includes at least one of the following: the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency for a predefined location, a predefined period of RF signal attenuation, or a predefined level of RF signal attenuation.

[0120] In some example embodiments, a second device capable of performing any method 600 (e.g., Figure 2 The second device 202 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 600. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit or software module. The second device may be implemented as or included in... Figure 2 In the second device 202.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the second device includes: components for determining radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; and components for transmitting the RF baseline information to the first device.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes a component for receiving one or more historical RF signal measurements from the first device, the one or more historical RF signal measurements being performed by the first device in an environment.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes a component for receiving from the first device one or more locations corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements of the first device.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the component for determining RF baseline information includes: a component for determining RF baseline information based on one or more historical RF signal measurements and one or more locations of the first device corresponding to one or more historical RF signal measurements.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the components used to determine RF baseline information are also based on at least one of the following: information relating to an RF source outside the first device in the environment, or analog information relating to a digital twin of the environment.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes a component for receiving a report of a detected energy harvesting event from the first device.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes: a component for storing reports of detected energy harvesting events; and a component for updating RF baseline information based on the reports.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the reporting of a detected energy harvesting event includes at least one of the following: the location of the first device when the energy harvesting event is detected, the start time of the detected energy harvesting event, the end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or an RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the RF baseline information includes at least one of the following: the expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency for a predefined location, a predefined period of RF signal attenuation, or a predefined level of RF signal attenuation.

[0130] Figure 7 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to processor 710.

[0131] Communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0132] As a non-limiting example, processor 710 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock of a synchronous main processor.

[0133] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that will not persist for extended periods of power-off duration.

[0134] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. The instructions of program 730 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 730 may be stored in memory (e.g., ROM 724). Processor 710 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0135] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 730, enabling device 700 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 6 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0136] In some example embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (such as memory 720) or other storage devices accessible by device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0137] Figure 8 An example of a computer-readable medium 800 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. A program 730 is stored on the computer-readable medium 800.

[0138] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0139] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target physical or virtual processor, such as those included in a program module, to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and long-distance storage media.

[0140] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0141] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0142] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0143] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the discussion above, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0144] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: Obtain the radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as Based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, energy harvesting events of devices in the environment are detected, and the devices harvest energy from the environment.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device.

3. The first apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the environment includes one or more RF sources and the device, the device harvesting energy from one or more RF signals transmitted from the one or more RF sources, and the one or more RF sources include the first apparatus.

4. The first device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first device is further configured to: One or more historical RF signal measurements are sent to a second device, the one or more historical signal measurements being performed by the first device in the environment.

5. The first device according to claim 4, wherein the first device is further configured to: Send one or more locations of the first device corresponding to the one or more historical RF signal measurements to the second device.

6. The first apparatus according to claim 4, wherein acquiring the RF baseline information comprises: The RF baseline information is received from the second device, wherein the RF baseline information is associated with the one or more historical RF signal measurements.

7. The first device of claim 6, wherein the RF baseline information is further associated with additional information about the environment, the additional information being known to the second device.

8. The first device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first device is further configured to: The report describes the detected energy harvesting event.

9. The first apparatus of claim 8, wherein reporting the detected energy harvesting event includes reporting at least one of the following: When the energy harvesting event is detected, the position of the first device, The start time of the detected energy harvesting event, The end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or The RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

10. The first apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein detecting the energy harvesting event of the device based on the RF baseline information and the RF signal measurement comprises: If it is determined that the RF signal measurement indicates that the RF signal attenuation meets the condition, then it is determined that the energy harvesting event has been detected.

11. The first apparatus of claim 10, wherein the condition includes at least one of the following: The decay period that matches the predefined period, or The attenuation level that matches the predefined attenuation level.

12. The first device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first device is further configured to: If it is determined that the RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below the baseline level indicated by the RF baseline information, then it is determined that the energy harvesting event has been detected.

13. The first device according to claim 12, wherein the first device is further configured to: If it is determined that the RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has dropped below the baseline level, the starting point of the energy acquisition event is recorded.

14. The first device according to claim 13, wherein the first device is further configured to: If another RF signal measurement indicates that the reflected RF energy received from the environment has returned to the baseline level, the end point of the energy harvesting event is recorded.

15. The first apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the RF signal measurement comprises at least one of the following: Measurement of RF signals transmitted from the first device, or Measurement of RF signals transmitted from an RF source outside the first device.

16. The first apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the RF baseline information indicates the baseline state of one or more RF signals transmitted in the environment.

17. The first apparatus of claim 16, wherein the RF baseline information comprises at least one of the following: The expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency at a predefined location. Predefined time period for RF signal attenuation, or Predefined levels of RF signal attenuation.

18. A second means for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to: Determine the radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as The RF baseline information is sent to the first device.

19. The second device according to claim 18, wherein the second device is further configured to: The first device receives one or more historical RF signal measurements, which are performed by the first device in the environment.

20. The second device according to claim 19, wherein the second device is further configured to: Receive one or more locations from the first device corresponding to the one or more historical RF signal measurements.

21. The second apparatus of claim 20, wherein determining the RF baseline information comprises: The RF baseline information is determined based on the one or more historical RF signal measurements and the one or more locations of the first device corresponding to the one or more historical RF signal measurements.

22. The second apparatus of claim 21, wherein determining the RF baseline information is further based on at least one of the following: Information related to an RF source outside the first device in the environment, or Simulated information related to the digital twin of the environment.

23. The second device according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the second device is further configured to: The first device receives a report of the detected energy harvesting event.

24. The second device according to claim 23, wherein the second device is further configured to: The report storing the detected energy harvesting events; and The RF baseline information is updated based on the report.

25. The second apparatus of claim 23, wherein the report of the detected energy harvesting event comprises at least one of the following: When the energy harvesting event is detected, the position of the first device, The start time of the detected energy harvesting event, The end time of the detected energy harvesting event, or The RF signal measurement associated with the detected energy harvesting event.

26. The second device according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the RF baseline information comprises at least one of the following: The expected RF signal strength at a predefined measurement frequency at a predefined location. Predefined time period for RF signal attenuation, or Predefined levels of RF signal attenuation.

27. A method for communication, comprising: At the first device, obtain the radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as Based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, energy harvesting events of devices in the environment are detected, and the devices harvest energy from the environment.

28. A method for communication, comprising: At the second device, determine the radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as The RF baseline information is sent to the first device.

29. A first means for communication, comprising: A component for acquiring radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as A component for detecting energy harvesting events of a device in the environment based on the RF baseline information and RF signal measurements, the device harvesting energy from the environment.

30. A second means for communication, comprising: A component used to determine radio frequency (RF) baseline information of the environment in which the first device is located; as well as A component used to send the RF baseline information to the first device.

31. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method of claim 27 or the method of claim 28.

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