A-IoT device positioning

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device positioning. A method includes obtaining, at an entity, at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponding to at least one period of at least one powered event of an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; and determining a location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the telecommunications field, and more specifically to methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer-readable storage media for locating Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices. 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, an entity is provided. The entity includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the entity to: acquire at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; and determine the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: acquiring at a physical location at least one set of locations and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of locations and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; and determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, an entity is provided. The entity includes: components for acquiring at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; and components for determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

[0006] In a fourth 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 second aspect.

[0007] 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

[0008] 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 A-IoT device positioning according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrates an example process for locating A-IoT devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 4 The signaling flow for an example process of A-IoT device location by a database is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at an entity according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Throughout all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0010] 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.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header (RH), a Remote Radio Header End (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 facing the parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node behaves as a base station facing the next-hop IAB node.

[0021] 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 can 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., remote 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 people 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.

[0025] In environment 100, one or more environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices, such as A-IoT device 115, may be present. 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 a radio transmitter). 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.

[0026] For example, such as Figure 1As shown, A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from RF signals transmitted by terminal device 110. The RF signals transmitted from terminal device 110 can be partially harvested by A-IoT device 115, so that the reflected RF signals returning to terminal device 110 can be attenuated.

[0027] It should be understood that Figure 1 The 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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).

[0030] 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.

[0031] A-IoT devices may be difficult to locate accurately in their environment because they may be mostly powered off and, even when powered on, can only communicate over short ranges. Furthermore, it may be difficult to detect A-IoT devices using traditional methods such as radio signal triangulation.

[0032] Currently, various mechanisms have been proposed for A-IoT device localization. As an example, a custom radio receiver and extremely accurate 5G signal time-of-flight measurement have been proposed for A-IoT device self-localization. However, this mechanism may require custom hardware and additional capabilities from A-IoT sensors. As another example, an extended algorithm for signal path delay measurement has been proposed. However, this mechanism depends on the complex characteristics of signal path time-of-flight.

[0033] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for locating A-IoT devices is provided. In this solution, an entity acquires at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, and the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponds to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of the A-IoT device in the environment. The entity also determines the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

[0034] Using this solution, the location and orientation of the terminal device corresponding to the power-on event of the A-IoT device can be used for A-IoT device localization. This solution provides an efficient way to determine the location of A-IoT devices without requiring additional capabilities or custom hardware from the A-IoT devices.

[0035] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 2 Signaling flows for an example process 200 for A-IoT device positioning according to some example embodiments of this disclosure are shown. For discussion purposes, reference is made to... Figure 1 To describe process 200. For example... Figure 2 As shown, process 200 involves entity 201 and A-IoT device 115. Although not shown, process 200 also involves a terminal device from which A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy during a power-on event. This terminal device may be... Figure 1 Examples of terminal devices 110 or those included in Figure 1 In terminal device 110.

[0037] Entity 201 can be any suitable entity or element with computing and communication capabilities. In some embodiments, entity 201 can be located at a terminal device from which A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy. For example, at 205, A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from the terminal device hosting entity 201.

[0038] In some other embodiments, entity 201 may be an example of network device 120, or may be included in or located at network device 120. In some other embodiments, entity 201 may be an entity communicating with a terminal device from which A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy.

[0039] In some embodiments, entity 201 may be a database or a database that can be hosted. The database may store spatiotemporal information. The database may also have computing capabilities. For example, entity 201 may be a storage-computing database located at a terminal device, network device, or any other communication entity.

[0040] In process 200, A-IoT device 115 performs at least one power-on event 210 in the environment. As described above, a power-on event can refer to an operation or process in which an initially unpowered A-IoT device begins harvesting energy from the environment, continues harvesting energy until its internal energy storage is fully charged for device operation, and consumes that energy by performing its designated task and transmitting RF signals as task output. For example, a power-on event may include an energy harvesting phase and / or a task execution phase.

[0041] The environment in which the A-IoT device 115 performs multiple power-on events may include one or more RF sources, such as terminal devices. The A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from one or more RF signals emitted from one or more RF sources in the environment. (Reference) Figure 1 The environment in which the A-IoT device 115 executes (multiple) power-on events can be Figure 1 An example or part of the communication environment 100 in the text.

[0042] Entity 201 acquires at least one set of locations and orientations of terminal device 216, and this at least one set of locations and orientations corresponds to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of A-IoT device 115. A set of locations and orientations may include one or more locations and one or more orientations. A set of locations and orientations may correspond to one or more power-on events of A-IoT device 115. In other words, when A-IoT device 115 is performing one or more power-on events, the terminal device's (multiple) locations and (multiple) orientations are acquired by entity 201. In some examples, the UE's physical location data may later be combined with possible contextual data (such as known physical elements in space) to refine the possibilities of radio propagation paths (and therefore, power delivery).

[0043] In some embodiments, entity 201 may be located at a terminal device from which A-IoT device 115 harvests energy, and entity 201 may locally acquire at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device 216.

[0044] In some other embodiments, entity 201 may not be located at the terminal device from which A-IoT device 115 harvests energy. For example, entity 201 may be located at a network device communicating with the terminal device. In this case, entity 201 can obtain at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device 216 by receiving the position and orientation of the terminal device from the terminal device. For example, entity 201 may receive a stream of position and orientation from the terminal device, and this stream may include the position and orientation of the terminal device corresponding to various time instances in multiple power-on events of A-IoT device 115.

[0045] In the example scenario, A-IoT device 115 may be located somewhere in the environment, such as a storage warehouse or factory floor. A UE that transmits signals in the energy harvesting frequency of A-IoT device 115 (e.g., normal 6G communication) can move within the energy harvesting range of A-IoT device 115. Within this range, A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from the signals transmitted by the UE.

[0046] In some examples, the UE can cache its location and orientation data locally; that is, entity 201 can be located at the UE. In other examples, the UE can stream this information to a centralized network location; for example, entity 201 can be located at a centralized network location.

[0047] In some embodiments, entity 201 may cache the location and orientation information of the terminal device, and in response to a trigger, store one or more sets of location and orientation information of the terminal device corresponding to one or more power-on events of the A-IoT device. For example, entity 201 may maintain the cached location and orientation information of the terminal device, but only store the specific location and orientation information related to the power-on(s) of the A-IoT device(s) in the database. In some embodiments, in response to a trigger, entity 201 may store a first set of location and orientation information of the terminal device in the cached location and orientation information, and the first set of location and orientation information of the terminal device corresponds to a first power-on event of the A-IoT device.

[0048] In some embodiments, the trigger may be associated with a task-specific signal transmitted from the A-IoT device 115. As described above, after an energy harvesting period specific to the A-IoT device type (which is assumed to be known in a coarse time range), the A-IoT device 115 may have stored enough energy to perform its functions. The performed functions are observable to the UE and / or other central network elements in the form of signal transmissions from the A-IoT device 115. For example, during a power-on event, the A-IoT device 115 may transmit a task-specific signal, for example, carrying task-specific data. The post-power-on signal transmission from the A-IoT device 115 can be used as a trigger to store cached or streamed UE position and orientation data for a period of time related to the duration of the energy harvesting event.

[0049] In some embodiments, triggering may be associated with receiving a task-specific signal sent from A-IoT device 115. Detection of the task-specific signal can be used as a trigger to store location and orientation information associated with the power-on event(s). For example, a predefined number of data points of location and orientation information before or after the trigger can be stored as location and orientation information associated with the power-on event(s). As another example, data points of location and orientation information during a predefined time period before or after the trigger can be stored as location and orientation information associated with the power-on event(s).

[0050] In some embodiments, a task-specific signal may be received by a network device. If entity 201 is located at a network device, entity 201 may determine, based on the received task-specific signal, a set of locations and orientations corresponding to the power-on events(s). If entity 201 is located at a terminal device, entity 201 may determine, based on an indication (e.g., a trigger) received from the network device receiving the task-specific signal, a set of locations and orientations corresponding to the power-on events(s).

[0051] In some embodiments, indication information of a power-on event can be used as a trigger to store corresponding location and orientation information of the terminal device. For example, indication of energy harvesting for (multiple) power-on events can be used as a trigger. If entity 201, hosted at the terminal device, determines that the attenuation of the transmitted RF signal matches a specific attenuation level for a particular power-on event, entity 201 can decide to store at least one set of corresponding locations and orientations of the terminal device.

[0052] Entity 201 also determines the location of A-IoT device 115 based on at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device. In some embodiments, entity 201 may decide to determine the location of the A-IoT device if the number of at least one power-on event is determined to be higher than a threshold. For example, once a sufficient number (e.g., higher than a threshold) of power-on events have occurred, the location of A-IoT device 115 can be solved from the power-on events, taking into account the UE's position and orientation during the event.

[0053] The location of the A-IoT device 115 can be determined based on the UE's location and orientation, as these can provide information about the gain of the powered signal (which also depends on the UE's antenna radiation pattern).

[0054] In some embodiments, entity 201 may determine a first candidate location region of A-IoT device 115 based on a first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a first time period of a first power-on event of the A-IoT device, and determine the location of the A-IoT device based on the first candidate location region.

[0055] A first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a first time period of the first power-on event of the A-IoT device 115 can indicate a first area where the A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from the terminal device. In some embodiments, entity 201 can determine a first area based on the first set of positions and orientations, in which the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy for the first power-on event of the A-IoT device, and determine a first candidate location area based on the first area. In some examples, the first area where the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy can be an area where the terminal device provides energy above a threshold. In some examples, the first area where the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy can be an area where the terminal device provides enough energy to transition the A-IoT device 115 to a powered-on state.

[0056] Additionally, entity 201 can determine a first sub-region and a second sub-region within the first region based on the duration of the first time period of the first power-on event, where the terminal device is approaching the A-IoT device 115 in the first sub-region and the terminal device is moving away from the A-IoT device 115 in the second sub-region, and determine a first candidate location region based on the first region, the first sub-region, and the second sub-region. For example, in a first region where the terminal device provides sufficient RF power to the A-IoT device 115, the end portion of the first region can correspond to the first sub-region where the terminal device is approaching the A-IoT device 115 and the second sub-region where the terminal device is moving away from the A-IoT device 115.

[0057] In some embodiments, entity 201 may further determine a second candidate location region for the A-IoT device based on a second set of positions and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a second time period of a second power-on event of the A-IoT device, and determine the location of the A-IoT device based on the overlap between the first and second candidate location regions. The second candidate location region can be determined similarly to the first candidate location region of the A-IoT device 115. Considering that the A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy in both the first and second candidate location regions, the overlap between the first and second candidate location regions can indicate the actual location of the A-IoT device 115.

[0058] It should be understood that more than two candidate location areas can be identified, and the overlap of these candidate location areas can accurately pinpoint the exact area where the A-IoT device 115 is located. Note that any other suitable information can be used to determine the location of the A-IoT device 115. For example, UE speed, UE movement vector, and / or UE antenna pattern can be used to determine the location of (multiple) candidate location areas and the location of the A-IoT device 115.

[0059] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an example process 300 for A-IoT device positioning according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 A series of example power-on events and the resulting position calculations are illustrated. For clarity, a 2D antenna pattern can be considered.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, when the UE approaches the A-IoT device, the A-IoT device can begin harvesting the UE's RF energy and transmit an output signal once powered on. Since the UE's position, movement vector, and velocity can be obtained, the range within which the UE's RF energy is strong enough to enable A-IoT energy harvesting can be determined (also affected by the UE's antenna pattern and device orientation), and the duration of the A-IoT device's power-on can be estimated.

[0061] The duration of the power-on event (which can be measured, for example, by the output rate of the A-IoT device) can be used to estimate the signal strength at the A-IoT device, and thus can provide information about when the UE is approaching the A-IoT device and when the UE is moving away from the A-IoT device. The UE's exit from the power-on range (which can be observed, for example, by the output signal from the A-IoT device ceasing) can provide an additional potential A-IoT location area along the trailing edge of the UE's power-on signal strength region. Therefore, a rough range of the space (also called area or region) in which the A-IoT device 115 can be located and perform the power-on event can be calculated.

[0062] exist Figure 3 In the example, for the first power-on event (referred to as event 1 / 3), a first candidate location region 310 can be calculated. The first candidate location region 310 can include possible A-IoT device locations where the A-IoT device performs the first power-on event.

[0063] The UE can move within the environment and approach the A-IoT device again. The A-IoT device can then perform a second power-on event (referred to as event 2 / 3) within the environment. Similarly, for the second power-on event, a second candidate location region can be calculated. The second candidate location region and the first candidate location region 310 can have overlapping regions 320-1 and 320-2. The overlapping regions 320-1 and 320-2 can include possible A-IoT device locations where the A-IoT device performs the first and second power-on events. Compared to the first candidate location region 310, the overlapping regions 320-1 and 320-2 are narrowed down from the first candidate location region 310.

[0064] The UE can then move within the environment and approach the A-IoT device again. The A-IoT device can then perform a third power-on event (denoted as event 3 / 3) within the environment. Similarly, for the third power-on event, a third candidate location region can be calculated. The third candidate location region and overlapping regions 320-1 and 320-2 can have an overlapping region 330. The overlapping region 330 can include possible A-IoT device locations where the A-IoT device performs the first, second, and third power-on events.

[0065] like Figure 3As shown, the overlapping region 330 can accurately pinpoint the location of the A-IoT device. While a single power-on event may leave uncertainty about the location of the A-IoT device, subsequent positioning events with different UE positions and proximity orientations can narrow down the possible locations of the A-IoT device until the accurate location is determined. In real-world scenarios, it may be necessary to consider the 3D antenna radiation pattern, as the distance from the A-IoT device to the UE varies depending on the UE orientation, at which sufficient RF energy reaches the A-IoT device.

[0066] Referring to procedures 200 and 300, a solution for A-IoT device localization according to embodiments of the present disclosure is described. The proposed solution can utilize the power-on events of each A-IoT device by combining relevant UE antenna characteristics, UE location data, UE orientation data, and a spatiotemporal information database to construct sufficient data points to solve for the location of each A-IoT device.

[0067] The proposed solution may not require the scalability of A-IoT devices or extremely fine-grained time for signal time-of-flight measurement. Furthermore, entity 201 can be located at any suitable communication entity, allowing data storage and computation to be offloaded to a centralized location. Therefore, the storage or computation requirements for the UE or A-IoT device can be reduced.

[0068] Figure 4 Signaling flow for an example process 400 for A-IoT device location by a database, according to some example embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Process 400 can be considered an example of process 200.

[0069] For the purpose of discussion, references will be included. Figure 1 and Figure 2 To describe process 400. Figure 4 In the example location-finding scenario, process 400 involves A-IoT device 115, UE 402, network entity 403, and storage-computing database 404. Database 404 can be... Figure 2 Example of entity 201 in the database. Database 404 can be located on the network side or terminal side with some storage and computing capabilities and can be accessed for communication within the physical detection domain. A-IoT device 115 can harvest energy from the RF signals transmitted by UE 402.

[0070] In process 400, at point 411, UE 402 may send a location and orientation stream to database 404. The location and orientation stream may include the location and orientation information of UE 402. At point 412, database 404 may cache the location and orientation information of UE 402.

[0071] At 413, UE 402 may move near A-IoT device 115. A-IoT device 115 may harvest energy from one or more RF signals transmitted by UE 402. At 414, power delivery from UE 402 to A-IoT device 115 will be present in the RF signals. At 415, A-IoT device 115 may be powered on, and there may be a power-on delay before A-IoT device 115 is powered on.

[0072] At 416, the powered A-IoT device 115 can send a task-specific signal to network entity 403. Network entity 403 can determine the presence of a power-on event based on the reception, and use the reception of the task-specific signal as a trigger for storing the UE's position and orientation corresponding to the power-on event.

[0073] At 417, network entity 403 can send an indication of a power-on event of A-IoT device 115 to database 404. At 418, based on the indication that serves as a trigger, database 404 can store cached UE location and orientation information corresponding to the power-on event of A-IoT device 115.

[0074] At point 419, when multiple power-on events are available, database 404 can determine the location of A-IoT device 115 based on the UE location and orientation corresponding to the multiple power-on events. For example, when a power-on event occurs, relevant information indicating the potential location of A-IoT device 115 can be sent to and stored by database 404. As the number of power-on events increases, more information can be used to determine the accurate location of A-IoT device 115.

[0075] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method 500 implemented at an entity according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 2 Method 500 is described from the perspective of entity 201 in the middle.

[0076] At box 510, entity 201 acquires at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device in the environment, the at least one set of locations and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment.

[0077] At box 520, entity 201 determines the location of the A-IoT device based on at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the environment includes one or more RF sources and A-IoT devices, the A-IoT devices harvesting 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 terminal devices.

[0079] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: caching the location and orientation information of the terminal device; and in response to a trigger, storing a first set of location and orientation information of the terminal device in the cached location and orientation information, the first set of location and orientation information of the terminal device corresponding to a first power-on event of the A-IoT device.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the trigger is associated with the reception of a task-specific signal sent from an A-IoT device. In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes receiving a trigger from a network device, the network device receiving the task-specific signal. In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes receiving location and orientation information of a terminal device from a terminal device.

[0081] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: if it is determined that the number of at least one power-on event is higher than a threshold, then determining the location of the A-IoT device.

[0082] In some example embodiments, at least one set of locations and orientations includes a first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a first time period of a first power-on event of the A-IoT device, and determining the location of the A-IoT device based on at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device includes: determining a first candidate location region of the A-IoT device based on the first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device; and determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the first candidate location region.

[0083] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: determining a second candidate location region for the A-IoT device based on a second set of locations and orientations of the terminal device, wherein determining the location of the A-IoT device includes: determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the overlap between the first candidate location region and the second candidate location region.

[0084] In some example embodiments, determining a first candidate location region for an A-IoT device based on a first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device includes: determining a first region based on the first set of locations and orientations, in which the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy for a first power-on event of the A-IoT device; and determining a first candidate location region based on the first region.

[0085] In some example embodiments, determining a first candidate location region based on a first region includes: determining a first sub-region and a second sub-region within the first region based on the duration of a first time period of a first power-on event, wherein the terminal device is approaching the A-IoT device in the first sub-region and the terminal device is moving away from the A-IoT device in the second sub-region; and determining a first candidate location region based on the first region, the first sub-region, and the second sub-region.

[0086] In some example embodiments, determining the location of an A-IoT device is also based on the antenna radiation pattern of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, an entity-hosted database stores at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal devices.

[0087] In some example embodiments, entities capable of performing any method 500 (e.g., Figure 2 Entity 201 in the document 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. An entity may be implemented as or included in... Figure 2 In entity 201.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the entity includes: a component for acquiring at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; and a component for determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the environment includes one or more RF sources and an A-IoT device, the A-IoT device harvesting 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 terminal device.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the entity further includes: a component for caching the location and orientation information of the terminal device; and a component for storing a first set of location and orientation of the terminal device in the cached location and orientation information in response to a trigger, the first set of location and orientation of the terminal device corresponding to a first power-on event of the A-IoT device.

[0091] In some example implementations, the trigger is associated with the reception of a task-specific signal sent from an A-IoT device.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the entity further includes a component for receiving a trigger from a network device, the network device receiving a task-specific signal.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the entity further includes a component for receiving location and orientation information of the terminal device from the terminal device.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the entity further includes a component for determining the location of the A-IoT device if it is determined that the number of at least one power-on event is higher than a threshold.

[0095] In some example embodiments, at least one set of positions and orientations includes a first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a first time period of a first power-on event of the A-IoT device, and the components for determining the position of the A-IoT device based on at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device include: components for determining a first candidate position region of the A-IoT device based on the first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device; and components for determining the position of the A-IoT device based on the first candidate position region.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the entity further includes: components for determining a second candidate location region of the A-IoT device based on a second set of locations and orientations of the terminal device, and wherein determining the location of the A-IoT device includes: components for determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the overlap of the first candidate location region and the second candidate location region.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the components for determining a first candidate location region of an A-IoT device based on a first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device include: components for determining a first region based on the first set of locations and orientations, wherein the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy in response to a first power-on event of the A-IoT device in the first region; and components for determining a first candidate location region based on the first region.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the components for determining a first candidate location region based on a first region include: components for determining a first sub-region and a second sub-region within the first region based on the duration of a first time period of a first power-on event, wherein the terminal device is approaching the A-IoT device in the first sub-region and the terminal device is moving away from the A-IoT device in the second sub-region; and components for determining the first candidate location region based on the first region, the first sub-region, and the second sub-region.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the components used to determine the location of an A-IoT device are also based on the antenna radiation pattern of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, an entity-hosted database stores at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal devices.

[0100] Figure 6This is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, as... Figure 1 The terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown. As shown, device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to processor 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to processor 610.

[0101] Communication module 640 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 640 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 640 may include at least one antenna.

[0102] As a non-limiting example, processor 610 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 600 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock of a synchronous main processor.

[0103] Memory 620 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) 624, 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) 622 and other volatile memories that will not persist for the duration of a power outage.

[0104] Computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 610. The instructions of program 630 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 630 may be stored in memory (e.g., ROM 624). Processor 610 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 622.

[0105] Example embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 630, enabling device 600 to perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 5 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.

[0106] In some example embodiments, program 630 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 600 (such as memory 620) or other storage devices accessible by device 600. Device 600 may load program 630 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 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).

[0107] Figure 7 An example of a computer-readable medium 700 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. A program 630 is stored on the computer-readable medium 700.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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 particular task or implement a particular 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 remote storage media.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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. An entity 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 entity to: Acquire at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device in the environment, wherein the at least one set of locations and orientations corresponds to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; as well as The location of the A-IoT device is determined based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

2. The entity of claim 1, wherein the environment comprises one or more RF sources and the A-IoT device, the A-IoT device harvesting energy from one or more RF signals transmitted from the one or more RF sources, and the one or more RF sources comprising the terminal device.

3. The entity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the entity is further configured such that: Cache the location and orientation information of the terminal device; and In response to a trigger, the first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device is stored in the cached position and orientation information, and the first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device corresponds to the first power-on event of the A-IoT device.

4. The entity of claim 3, wherein the triggering is associated with the reception of a task-specific signal sent from the A-IoT device.

5. The entity of claim 3, wherein the entity is located at the terminal device, and the entity is further configured such that: The trigger is received from a network device, which in turn receives the task-specific signal.

6. The entity of claim 3, wherein the entity is located at a network device receiving the task-specific signal, and the entity is further configured such that: Receive the location and orientation information of the terminal device from the terminal device.

7. The entity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the entity is further configured such that: If it is determined that the number of at least one power-on event is higher than a threshold, then the location of the A-IoT device is determined.

8. The entity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one set of positions and orientations includes a first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device corresponding to a first time period of a first power-on event of the A-IoT device, and determining the position of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device includes: Based on the first set of positions and orientations of the terminal device, a first candidate location area for the A-IoT device is determined; as well as The location of the A-IoT device is determined based on the first candidate location region.

9. The entity of claim 8, wherein the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device further includes a second set of positions and orientations of the terminal device, and the entity is further configured such that: Based on the second set of positions and orientations of the terminal device, a second candidate location region for the A-IoT device is determined, and Determining the location of the A-IoT device includes: The location of the A-IoT device is determined based on the overlap between the first candidate location region and the second candidate location region.

10. The entity of claim 8, wherein determining the first candidate location region of the A-IoT device based on the first set of locations and orientations of the terminal device comprises: Based on the first set of locations and orientations, a first region is determined, in which the terminal device provides sufficient RF energy for the first power-on event of the A-IoT device; as well as Based on the first region, the first candidate location region is determined.

11. The entity of claim 10, wherein determining the first candidate location region based on the first region comprises: Based on the duration of the first time period of the first power-on event, a first sub-region and a second sub-region are determined in the first region, in which the terminal device is approaching the A-IoT device and in the second sub-region, the terminal device is moving away from the A-IoT device; as well as Based on the first region, the first sub-region, and the second sub-region, the first candidate location region is determined.

12. The entity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the location of the A-IoT device is further based on the antenna radiation pattern of the terminal device.

13. The entity according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the entity hosts a database that stores the at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device.

14. A method for communication, comprising: At a physical location, acquire at least one set of locations and orientations of the terminal device in the environment, the at least one set of locations and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; as well as The location of the A-IoT device is determined based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

15. An entity for communication, comprising: A component for acquiring at least one set of positions and orientations of a terminal device in an environment, the at least one set of positions and orientations corresponding to at least one time period of at least one power-on event of an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device in the environment; as well as Components for determining the location of the A-IoT device based on the at least one set of positions and orientations of the terminal device.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to claim 14.

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