Frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to frequency shifting associated with backscatter transmissions. In one aspect, a first device receives an indication to perform a frequency shift associated with a backscatter transmission of the first device. Based on the indication, the first device performs a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target sub-band. Based on the frequency shifted activation signal on the target sub-band, the first device performs the backscatter transmission. In this way, the original activation signal can be isolated from the backscatter signal by frequency division multiplexing. Thus, interference between the activation signal and the backscatter transmission can be minimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and in particular to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for frequency shifting associated with backscatter transmission. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been introduced into ultra-low-cost and ultra-low-power devices. IoT is a network of interconnected devices that connect to and exchange data with other IoT devices and the cloud. IoT devices are typically embedded with technologies such as sensors and software and can include mechanical and digital machines as well as consumer objects.

[0003] The Internet of Things (IoT) enables access to information anytime, anywhere on any device, and allows for the collection of vast amounts of data from multiple devices. Furthermore, communication between connected electronic devices has been improved. However, some issues related to backscatter transmission still need to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution to frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission.

[0005] In a first aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to at least: receive an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with backscattering transmission of the first apparatus, perform a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband based on the instruction, and perform backscattering transmission based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0006] In a second aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to at least: receive from a third apparatus an instruction for receiving backscattered transmissions from a first apparatus, and, based on the instruction, receive backscattered transmissions on a target subband from the first apparatus. The instruction specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmissions.

[0007] In a third aspect, a third apparatus is provided. The third apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third apparatus to at least: determine a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of a first apparatus, and send an indication to a second apparatus for receiving the backscatter transmission. The indication specifies the target subband.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a fourth device is provided. The fourth device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the fourth device to at least: store capability information of the first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device, and transmit the capability information of the first device to a third device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a method is provided. A first device receives an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first device. Based on the instruction, the first device performs a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband. Based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband, the first device performs backscatter transmission.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method is provided. A second device receives from a third device an instruction for receiving backscattered transmission from a first device, the instruction specifying a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission. Based on the instruction, the second device receives the backscattered transmission on the target subband from the first device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a method is provided. A third device determines a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission from a first device. The third device then sends an instruction to a second device for receiving the backscatter transmission. This instruction specifies the target subband.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a method is provided. A fourth device stores capability information of a first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device. The fourth device then transmits the capability information of the first device to a third device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes components for receiving an indication of performing a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first apparatus, components for performing a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband based on the indication, and components for performing backscatter transmission based on a frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes components for receiving from a third apparatus an indication for receiving backscattered transmission from a first apparatus, the indication specifying a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission; and components for receiving backscattered transmission on the target subband from the first apparatus based on the indication.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, a third apparatus is provided. The third apparatus includes components for determining a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of a first apparatus, and components for transmitting an indication to a second apparatus for receiving backscatter transmission, the indication indicating the target subband.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a fourth device is provided. The fourth device includes components for storing capability information of the first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device, and components for transmitting the capability information of the first device to a third device.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of the fifth to eighth aspects described above.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of a first device, perform a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband based on the instruction; and perform backscatter transmission based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: receive from a third device an instruction for receiving backscattered transmissions from a first device, and, based on the instruction, receive backscattered transmissions on a target subband from the first device. The instruction specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmissions.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: determine a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of a first device, and send an instruction to a second device for receiving backscatter transmission. The instruction specifies the target subband.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least: store capability information of a first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device, and transmit the capability information of the first device to a third device.

[0022] In an eighteenth aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes a receiving circuit system configured to receive an indication of performing a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first apparatus; a first execution circuit system configured to perform a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband based on the indication; and a second execution circuit system configured to perform backscatter transmission based on a frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0023] In a nineteenth aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes a first receiving circuit system configured to receive from a third apparatus an indication for receiving backscattered transmissions from the first apparatus, the indication specifying a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmissions; and a second receiving circuit system configured to receive backscattered transmissions on the target subbands from the first apparatus based on the indication.

[0024] In a twentieth aspect, a third apparatus is provided. The third apparatus includes a determining circuit system configured to determine a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of a first apparatus; and a transmitting circuit system configured to transmit an indication to a second apparatus for receiving backscatter transmission, the indication indicating the target subband.

[0025] In a twenty-first aspect, a fourth device is provided. The fourth device includes a storage circuit system configured to store capability information of a first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; and a transmission circuit system configured to transmit the capability information of the first device to a third device.

[0026] 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 exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1A The illustration shows an example network environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0029] Figure 1B A first topological example associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0030] Figure 1C A second topological example associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0031] Figure 1D A third topology example associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0032] Figure 1E An example dual-site scenario related to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated;

[0033] Figure 2 An example signaling diagram is illustrated, which illustrates an example process according to some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 3Examples of frequency shifting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated;

[0035] Figure 4 Examples of transmitter structures based on filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated;

[0036] Figure 5 The illustration shows a simulation of interference suppression for general filtered OFDM (UF-OFDM) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 The illustration shows an example process of a solution proposed according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 7 The illustration shows another example process of the proposed solution according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 8 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 9 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a second device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 10 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a third device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 11 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a fourth device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 12 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated; and

[0044] Figure 13 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0045] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0046] 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 exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways besides those described below.

[0047] 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.

[0048] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," and "example embodiment," etc., 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, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, combining it with other embodiments to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0049] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., 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. 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.

[0050] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further understanding, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “<at least one of a list of two or more elements>” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0051] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware; and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to function, but may be absent when operation does not require the software.

[0052] The definition of "circuit system" 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 system" also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors in general) and a portion thereof, along with their accompanying software and / or firmware. For instance, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0053] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiplexing (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, future fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0054] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), New Radio (NR) NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), Remote Radio Header (RRH), relay, low-power nodes (such as femtoseconds, picoseconds), etc., depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0055] 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 (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), 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 industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment", "communication equipment", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0056] The term "A-IoT device" refers to an environmental IoT device without a battery or with limited energy storage capacity. For A-IoT devices, energy is provided by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable source. A-IoT devices can also be called zero-power terminals, near-zero-power terminals, passive IoT devices, ambient backscatter communication (AmBC) devices, tags, etc. Compared to low-power and wide-coverage services such as narrowband (NB) IoT and enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), A-IoT offers lower complexity and lower power consumption, and is suitable for a wider range of applications.

[0057] A-IoT in 3GPP enables ultra-low-cost and ultra-low-power A-IoT devices. The density of A-IoT device deployments is expected to be orders of magnitude higher compared to any known 3GPP deployment. Therefore, a key element of such deployment is the localization of A-IoT devices. It's not only necessary to know the identity of the A-IoT device and communicate with it, but equally important to know its location.

[0058] Figure 1A The illustration depicts an example network environment 100A in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Environment 100A (which may be part of a communication network) includes terminal devices and network devices. Figure 1A As shown, network environment 100A may include a first device 110, a second device 120, a third device 130, and a fourth device 140. The first device 110 may be a device with backscatter transmission and frequency shift capabilities, such as an A-IoT device. The second device 120 may be a terminal device. The third device 130 may be a base station. The fourth device 140 may be a core network node. The first device 110, the second device 120, and the third device 130 can communicate with each other.

[0059] It should be understood that the number of devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent any limitation. System 100A may include any suitable number of devices appropriate for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices or second network devices may be located in environment 100A.

[0060] Communication in the communication system 100A can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocols 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 Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technologies currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0061] A-IoT research relies on ultra-low-power, ultra-low-complexity devices for very low-end IoT applications. Three different device types are defined below based on whether they have energy storage and whether they have backscatter transmission or active radio frequency (RF) transmission. The first device type can be device A, which has no energy storage and no independent signal generation or amplification; that is, device A can perform backscatter transmission. The second device type can be device B, which has no independent signal generation but has energy storage; that is, device B can perform backscatter transmission. The stored energy can be used to amplify the reflected signal. The third device type can be device C, which has energy storage and independent signal generation; that is, device C has active radio frequency (RF) components for transmission.

[0062] For research purposes, topologies for the A-IoT network and devices are defined. In all these topologies, carriers from multiple other nodes inside or outside the topology can be provided to the A-IoT devices. Links in each topology can be bidirectional or unidirectional. BS, UE, auxiliary nodes, or intermediate nodes can be multiple BSs or UEs accordingly.

[0063] Figure 1B A first topological example associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. For example... Figure 1B As shown, the environmental IoT device 131 communicates bidirectionally with an intermediate node 132 between the environmental IoT device 131 and the BS 133. In the first topology example, the intermediate node 132 can be a relay, IAB node, UE, repeater, etc., with environmental IoT capabilities. The intermediate node 131 transmits environmental IoT data and / or signaling between the BS 133 and the environmental IoT device 131.

[0064] Figure 1C A second topological example associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. For example... Figure 1C As shown, the environmental IoT device 141 receives data and / or signaling from the auxiliary node 142 and sends data and / or signaling to the BS 143. Figure 1D An example of a third topology associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. An environmental IoT device 141 receives data and / or signaling from a BS 143 and transmits data / signaling to an auxiliary node 142. In both the second and third topologies, the auxiliary node 142 may be a relay node, IAB node, UE, repeater, etc., with environmental IoT capabilities.

[0065] Backscatter transmission can be implemented in both single-site and dual-site scenarios. In other words, backscatter transmission can include single-site backscatter and / or dual-site backscatter. In a single-site scenario, a configuration consisting of two components may exist: an activator and a backscattering device, such as a tag. The activator, acting as a carrier transmitter, first releases an RF signal to activate the backscattering device. After activation, the backscattering device performs modulation using the same RF signal from the interrogator. The reflected, modulated backscattered signal is then captured by the activator, which also acts as a reader. Because the carrier transmitter and the backscattering reader are co-located, the backscattered signal is subject to round-trip path loss. Single-site configurations are primarily used for short-range radio frequency identification (RFID) applications.

[0066] In bistation backscatter, compared to monostation backscatter, a single activator is replaced by a separate carrier transmitter and a separate reader. The configuration of bistation backscatter allows for more flexible network topologies. For example, the carrier transmitter can be positioned optimally for the backscatter device, and the reader can be placed in the best possible location. Figure 1E An example dual-site scenario related to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. For example... Figure 1E As shown, base stations 151 and 154 can be carrier transmitters, base station 153 and UE 156 can be readers, and devices 152 and 155 can be backscattering devices.

[0067] The dual-site scenario introduces flexibility to the device-to-reader distance by allowing adjustment of the activator location, and can provide longer device-to-reader distances (e.g., the distance between device 152 and base station 153, or the distance between device 155 and UE 156). The activator-to-device distance is limited by the received power at the device, which should be sufficient to wake the device and decode command messages. On the other hand, the device-to-reader distance is not limited by this requirement. The activator-to-device distance and the device-to-reader distance are interdependent. The main advantage of the dual-site scenario is that it provides a longer distance compared to a single-site setup, thus allowing operation in commercial cellular deployments.

[0068] for Figure 1B The first topology example shown depicts a typical single-site scenario where communication between intermediate node 132 and environmental IoT device 131 is a typical single-site scenario, and the activator is intermediate node 132. Figure 1C or Figure 1D The second and third topologies shown are typical dual-station scenarios, where environmental IoT data is activated by BS 143 or auxiliary node 142, and the backscatter signal is received by another node in BS 143 or auxiliary node 142.

[0069] Frequency shifting is a popular technique in wireless communication, such as Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) and Frequency Shift Modulation (FSM). Frequency shifting has been introduced into A-IoT to address the interference problem of incident signals on reflected signals.

[0070] It has been proposed that device B may include a low-power oscillator (e.g., a resistor-capacitor RC ring oscillator) to enable reverse-spreading frequency shifting and timing for time shifting. Frequency shifting is beneficial at the reader because the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) can be frequency-separated to match FDD duplex distances or reduce direct path interference to the activator, thereby maximizing dynamic range.

[0071] It is also proposed that a key aspect is to address carrier interference to the uplink receiver by applying, for example, an FDD frequency shifter for backscatter modulation or an RF local oscillator for internal carrier generation. Accordingly, A-IoT devices with several 100µW peak power consumptions are expected to include one or more of the following additional basic blocks: a power amplifier in an analog demodulator; a power amplifier in an analog modulator; an FDD frequency shifter, optionally located in the backscatter modulator; an RF local oscillator; and a mixer, used only for the heterodyne transmitter or receiver. Furthermore, the frequency shifting capability of the A-IoT device should also be considered.

[0072] Because backscattered IoT devices coexist with other devices in the 3GPP network, A-IoT and 5G NR share 5G time and frequency resources. Even if an A-IoT device is far from the gNB (which can be much greater than the maximum operating range in RFID, e.g., 10m), the A-IoT device can still be activated by the base station, meaning the gNB can still use [the data]. Figure 1E The topology shown requires the base station to perform downlink transmission, which means that in a dual-site scenario, downlink resources will be shared with limited capacity.

[0073] To coexist with 3GPP technologies, the activation signal can be an OFDM signal transmitted from a gNB or UE. The activation signal will naturally generate interference at the receiver node. For example, interference may occur at the receiver node when a secondary UE in the serving cell is receiving a backscattered signal, or when another gNB in ​​another cell is receiving a backscattered signal because the radio activator signal propagates directly into the secondary UE's space.

[0074] In interference cancellation methods, data in the activation signal is detected, and the generated interference is subtracted from the total received signal in the reader. If the OFMD signal has already been used to modulate the original data, canceling this interference from the activator to the reader (e.g., gNB to UE) is complex because the data is unknown.

[0075] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for frequency shifting associated with backscatter transmission is provided. In one aspect of this solution, a first device receives an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first device. Based on the instruction, the first device performs a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband. Based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband, the first device performs backscatter transmission. In this way, the original activation signal and the backscatter signal can be isolated by frequency division multiplexing. Therefore, interference between the activation signal and the backscatter transmission can be minimized. Reference will be made below. Figures 2 to 13 The principles and implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail.

[0076] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which shows an example process 200 according to some embodiments of this disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1A Process 200 is described. Process 200 may involve a first device 110, a second device 120, a third device 130, and a fourth device 140. It should be understood that, although in Figure 1A The process 200 is described in the communication environment 100A, but the same process can be applied to other communication scenarios with similar problems.

[0077] In process 200, the fourth device 140 stores capability information of the first device 110 regarding the frequency shift distance. The frequency shift distance is associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device 110. In some embodiments, the fourth device may include a core network (CN) node. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may include an A-IoT device. The A-IoT device has the capability to process signals of a specific frequency, thereby frequency shifting the activation signal and the backscatter.

[0078] Furthermore, capability information can be stored during the registration process of the first device 110. In one example, when an A-IoT device registers in the network, the frequency shift distance can be notified to the network and stored in a CN node (e.g., a Network Open Function (NEF)). In some embodiments, the first device 110 can send capability information to a fourth device 140, allowing the fourth device 140 to store the capability information of the first device 110. For example, capability information regarding the frequency shift distance can be sent during the registration process for the first device 110.

[0079] Continue to refer to Figure 2The fourth device 140 sends capability information 202 203 to the third device 130. In some embodiments, the third device 130 may include a base station (e.g., a gNB). Furthermore, capability information 203 may be sent in a service request for the first device 110, and the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request. For example, when an A-IoT service is initiated, the frequency shift distance may be carried in the signaling of the service request as a parameter and sent to the gNB, i.e., the third device 130. Accordingly, the third device 130 can receive capability information 204 203 from the fourth device 140. For example, capability information may be received in a service request for the first device 110, and the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request. Furthermore, when the second device 120 is in an inactive state, the capability information may be stored in the third device 130. If the activator / reader UE (i.e., the second device 120) does not enter an idle state and is woken up again, the capability information can be used the next time.

[0080] The third device 130 determines a target subband of the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device 110. In some embodiments, the target subband may include a guard band, a reserved in-band, or both. In some embodiments, the frequency shift may include a single-sideband conversion. However, in other embodiments, the frequency shift may be any other frequency transformation suitable for performing the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission. Reference Figure 3 An illustrative example describing frequency shift is provided.

[0081] Figure 3 Examples of frequency shifting according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Figure 3 As shown, the backscattered signal is a frequency-shifted active signal located on the guard band. The guard band is embedded in the OFDM subcarrier (tone).

[0082] In some cases, backscatter communication overload can cause the guard band to be unable to accommodate the entire reflected signal. For example, performance degrades drastically due to reflected signal interference. Some in-band subcarriers of OFDM can be reserved for backscatter transmission. These reserved in-band subcarriers can be considered as the target frequency band and can be regarded as a nominal "guard band". The gNB can determine the appropriate OFDM subband as the activation signal to illuminate the A-IoT device based on the frequency shift distance. The A-IoT device frequency-shifts the activation signal to the reserved in-band subcarriers of the aforementioned OFDM and additionally applies OOK / ASK modulation. For example, this can be called "Frequency Shift (FS) + OOK / ASK".

[0083] Furthermore, the target subband can be determined based on the first device 110's capability information regarding the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0084] In some embodiments, the frequency shift distance can be fixed and limited in number. For example, for cost reasons, the frequency shift distance capability can be fixed during manufacturing and stored as a fixed feature in the A-IoT device. If an A-IoT device has several different frequency shift distance capabilities, the network should be able to configure the actual frequency shift distance for the device as needed.

[0085] In some embodiments, based on capability information, the third device 130 can also determine the source subband of the activation signal of the first device 110. In one example, based on a frequency shift distance parameter, gNB determines the source subband for activation and the target subband for backscattering.

[0086] In the case of A-IoT backscatter transmission coexisting with 3GPP systems, A-IoT devices are activated by a signal that is a subband of the OFDM signal. The gNB can determine which subband is used as the activation signal. In addition, the gNB can also determine which subband is the target subband to which the frequency shift is performed, such as the guard band or the in-band subcarrier reserved for A-IoT devices.

[0087] Refer again Figure 2 The third device 130 sends an indication 215 (210) to the second device 120 for receiving backscatter transmission, and the indication 215 indicates a target subband. For example, the gNB sends a backscatter reception indication to a selected reader UE. For example, scheduling information for the selected reader UE is applied. On the other side of the communication, the second device 120 receives the indication 215 (220) from the third device 130. Furthermore, the second device 120 may include a user equipment.

[0088] In some embodiments, indication 215 may include first scheduling information for the second device 120 to receive backscattered transmissions. Furthermore, the first scheduling information may also indicate: the timing for receiving backscattered transmissions, the duration for receiving backscattered transmissions, or a combination of both. In other words, indication 215 includes backscatter detection information, such as the timing of reception, the duration of reception, and on which subband the backscattered transmissions are received.

[0089] In some embodiments, indication 215 may include second scheduling information for sending an activation signal to the first device and receiving backscatter transmissions. Furthermore, the second scheduling information may also indicate: the timing for sending the activation signal, the duration for sending the activation signal, the timing for receiving the backscatter transmission, the duration for receiving the backscatter transmission, the source subband for sending the activation signal, or any combination of two or more of the above.

[0090] Continue to refer to Figure 2The first device 110 receives an indication 230 of performing a frequency shift associated with a backscatter transmission of the first device 110. In some embodiments, the indication 230 and the activation signal can be received from the second device 120, and the backscatter transmission is received by the second device 120. For example, if the UE (i.e., the second device 120) is the activator, the gNB can schedule the UE to transmit appropriate OFDM subbands to activate the A-IoT device. The activator selects some subcarriers (i.e., subbands) of the OFDM symbols to transmit the activation signal. These subcarriers are also used to transmit UL / DL data for a normal UE.

[0091] Accordingly, indication 215 is a first indication, and the second device 120 can send 225 to the first device 110 a second indication (i.e., indication 230) to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission. Furthermore, the second indication (i.e., indication 230) can also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-converted or down-converted.

[0092] Alternatively or additionally, the second device 120 may send an activation signal to the first device 110, and the second device 120 may also perform filtering on at least one subband adjacent to the target subband. To reduce interference from the sidelobes of the OFDM signal, filter-based OFDM can be considered to suppress leakage power in the OFDM subband.

[0093] In some embodiments, an instruction 245 and an activation signal can be received from the third device 130, and the backscatter transmission is received by the second device 120. In one example, if the gNB is the activator, the gNB can schedule and send appropriate OFDM subbands to activate the A-IoT device and instruct the A-IoT device to shift the signal to a specified target subband.

[0094] Accordingly, indication 215 is the first indication, and the third device 130 can send a second indication 240 (i.e., indication 230) to the first device 110. In addition, the second indication (i.e., indication 230) can also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-conversion or down-conversion.

[0095] Alternatively or additionally, the third device 130 may send an activation signal to the first device 110, and the third device 130 may also perform filtering on at least one sub-band adjacent to the target sub-band.

[0096] The backscattered signal is a frequency shift of the in-band OFDM subband signal. In filtered OFDM, the activator filters the subcarriers (or subbands) adjacent to the guard band to suppress leakage power in the OFDM sidelobes. The guard band supports embedding the waveform of the shifted activation and modulation signal from the A-IoT device. Furthermore, this does not preclude the A-IoT device from embedding this signal within a band reserved for A-IoT communication. The subcarriers (or subbands) adjacent to these reserved in-band subcarriers also need to be filtered by the activator to suppress leakage power. It should be understood that the activator is also the transmitter for UL / DL data transmission.

[0097] Figure 4 Examples of filtered OFDM-based transmitter structures according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. In a filtered OFDM-based transmitter structure, each subband is filtered when converted to an OFDM signal. Unlike this transmitter structure, in some embodiments of the filtered OFDM-based transmitter disclosed herein, not all subbands need to be filtered; only subbands adjacent to the target frequency band of the frequency shift are filtered, such as guard bands or in-band subcarriers reserved for backscattered signals from A-IoT devices. Figure 4 As shown, the signal S 1k S 2k S 3k Correspondingly, the signal is input to IDFT spreaders 410, 420, and 430. 1k S 2k S 3k It is converted into an OFDM signal. OFDM signal x 1k In the target frequency band of backscatter propagation, where signal S 1k Setting these carriers to zero allows them to be reserved for the target frequency band of backscatter transmission, and for OFDM signals x in the sub-band adjacent to the guard band. 2k Filtering is performed using a filter 440 of length L. For example, Figure 3 The left and right subbands (with three subcarriers) of the guard band in OFDM can be filtered to express the leakage power in the sidelobes.

[0098] Figure 5 The illustration shows a simulation of interference suppression using UF-OFDM according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example... Figure 5 As shown, simulation curve 510 represents the simulation of cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) (i.e., unfiltered OFDM signal), and simulation curve 520 represents the simulation of UF-OFDM (i.e., filtered OFDM signal). UF-OFDM filtering is performed on a sub-band basis. It can be seen that the interference on the sub-band adjacent to the guard band is reduced by 20dB.

[0099] Refer again Figure 2 Based on instruction 230, the first device 110 performs a frequency shift 250 of the activation signal to the target subband. In one example, the A-IoT device receives and filters a specified in-band OFDM symbol as the activation signal, and then the A-IoT device can shift the activation signal to the OFDM guard band.

[0100] Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 may modulate data on a frequency-shifted activation signal based on OOK, ASK, or OOK and ASK. For example, the frequency shift is a single-sideband frequency shift, and OOK / ASK on the shifted signal is used to modulate data from the A-IoT device. In other words, single-sideband frequency shift and OOK / ASK are used to modulate data from the A-IoT device.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In one example, different types of A-IoT devices may be activated by different OFDM sub-bands, which may be a fixed characteristic of A-IoT devices.

[0102] In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities regarding frequency shift distance. In one example, different types of devices have different frequency shift distance capabilities, which may also be a fixed feature of the devices.

[0103] In some embodiments, multiple first devices can shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands. If a guard band and multiple reserved inbands exist for A-IoT transmission, multiple A-IoT devices can rely on (be scheduled) the activation signal on the same subband, and then the multiple A-IoT devices can shift the activation signal to different locations. In another use case, multiple A-IoT devices can rely on (be scheduled) the activation signal on different subbands, and then the multiple A-IoT devices can shift the activation signal to the same location.

[0104] Based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband, the first device 110 performs backscatter transmission 255. Based on this instruction, the second device 120 receives backscatter transmission 265 on the target subband 270 from the first device 110.

[0105] Usually, through Figure 2The illustrated example embodiment provides a solution for A / B type A-IoT backscatter transmission, for example, coexisting with 3GPP systems, avoiding interference from the direct path of the activation signal to the backscatter path. The framework of this solution utilizes NR OFDM signals to activate the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device frequency-shifts the backscatter signal into the guard band or reserved band of the NR to avoid interference. The main considerations are the signaling aspects related to the implementation of frequency division multiplexing and its detailed implementation in the gNB. This solution can be applied from the UE to the A-IoT device and then to the gNB (corresponding to...). Figure 1C The dual-site topology of NR UL transmission in the middle, and from gNB to A-IoT device and then to UE (corresponding to Figure 1D This solution is applicable to bi-station topologies (NR DL transmission in NR DL). It can also be applied to mono-station topologies to suppress interference in backscatter transmission.

[0106] The key aspect of this solution is that A-IoT devices have the ability to frequency-shift the active signal and backscatter the reflected signal in the OFDM guard band. This A-IoT deployment can be viewed as being active in the in-band of NR, but backscattering in the NR guard band. This is a hybrid in-band / out-of-band solution. The design of this hybrid in-band / out-of-band solution, coexisting with 3GPP technologies, can improve radio resource efficiency and avoid the effects of interference from the active signal.

[0107] Figure 6 The illustration depicts an example process of a proposed solution according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Process 600 may involve device 601, UE reader 602, gNB activator 603, and CN node 604. It should be understood that process 600 can be considered as... Figure 2 A more specific example of process 200. Therefore, Figure 6 Device 601 in the middle can be Figure 2 Example of the first device 110 in the middle, Figure 6 The UE reader 602 in the middle can be Figure 2 An example of the second device 120 in, and Figure 6 The gNB activator 603 in the middle can be Figure 2 Example of the third device 130 in the example.

[0108] like Figure 6 As shown, at 610, when device 601 registers in the network, CN node 604 stores some characteristics of device 601 during the registration period. For example, if device 601 has frequency shift capability, the frequency shift distance is stored in CN node 604.

[0109] At point 615, after a service request for device 601 is initiated, CN node 604 sends signaling, such as a query request for device services, to gNB activator 603. The frequency shift distance is carried in the query request as a parameter of the service request. The ID of device 601 can also be carried in the query request.

[0110] At 620, gNB activator 603 identifies one or more UEs as reader UEs(s) for the backscatter transmission. The network is aware of the association between the reader UEs and the devices. The association information indicates that the UE is aware of the devices around it through a pre-established process.

[0111] At 625, gNB activator 603 determines the active subband (i.e., the source subband) and the target subband of the frequency shift signal. At 630, gNB activator 603 sends scheduling information for backscatter detection to UE reader 602. The scheduling information includes the reception timing, reception duration, and target subband.

[0112] At 635, in addition to the activation signal on the activated sub-band, gNB activator 603 also sends a query instruction to device 601. gNB activator 603 can instruct device 601 to perform frequency shifting in the query instruction. Furthermore, unless the frequency shifting capability of device 601 is fixed, whether to perform up-conversion or down-conversion can also be included in the query instruction.

[0113] At 640, device 601 applies single-sideband frequency conversion and frequency shift to the target subband (e.g., a guard band or in-band subcarrier reserved for device 601). Furthermore, OOK or ASK is used on the shifted signal to modulate the device's data. In other words, frequency shift and OOK / ASK are used to modulate the device's data.

[0114] At 645, device 601 backscatters the shifted and modulated signal to UE reader 602 on the target subband. At 650, UE reader 602 detects data from device 601 based on the detection information. At 655, UE reader 602 sends data to gNB activator 603. At 660, gNB activator 603 sends data to CN node 604.

[0115] Figure 7 An example process of a proposed solution according to some embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated. Process 700 may involve device 701, UE activator / reader 702, gNB 703, and CN node 704. It should be understood that process 700 can be considered as Figure 2 A more specific example of process 200. Therefore, Figure 7 The device 701 in the middle can be Figure 2 Example of the first device 110 in the middle, Figure 7 The UE activator / reader 702 in the middle can be Figure 2 An example of the second device 120 in, and Figure 7 gNB703 in the text can be Figure 2 Example of the third device 130 in the example.

[0116] like Figure 7 As shown, at 710, when device 701 registers in the network, CN node 704 stores some characteristics of device 701 (e.g., frequency shift capability) during the registration of device 701.

[0117] At point 715, after a service request for device 701 is initiated, CN node 704 sends signaling, such as a query request for device services, to gNB 703. The frequency shift distance is carried in the query request as a parameter of the service request. The ID of device 701 can also be carried in the query request.

[0118] At 720, gNB 703 identifies one or more UEs as activator and reader UEs(s) used for this backscatter transmission. The network is aware of the association between the activator / reader UE and the devices. Association information indicates that the UE knows about the devices around it through a pre-established process.

[0119] At 725, gNB 703 determines the active subband (i.e., the source subband) and the target subband of the frequency shift signal. At 730, gNB 703 sends scheduling information for backscatter detection to UE activator / reader 702. The scheduling information includes the reception timing, reception duration, source subband, and target subband.

[0120] At 735, in addition to the activation signal on the active subband, the UE activator / reader 702 also sends a query instruction to the device 701. The UE activator / reader 702 can instruct the device 701 to perform frequency shifting in the query instruction. Furthermore, unless the frequency shifting capability of the device 701 is fixed, whether to perform up-conversion or down-conversion can also be included in the query instruction.

[0121] At 740, device 701 applies single-sideband frequency conversion and frequency shift to the target subband (e.g., a guard band or in-band subcarrier reserved for device 701). Furthermore, OOK or ASK is used on the shifted signal to modulate the device's data. In other words, frequency shift and OOK / ASK are used to modulate the device's data.

[0122] At 745, device 701 backscatters the shifted and modulated signal to UE reader 702 on the target subband. At 750, UE activator / reader 702 detects data from device 701 based on the detection information. At 755, UE activator / reader 702 sends data to gNB 703. At 760, gNB 703 sends data to CN node 704.

[0123] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 800 is described from the perspective of the first device 110.

[0124] At block 810, the first device receives an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first device. At block 820, the first device 110 performs a frequency shift of the activation signal to the target subband based on the instruction. At block 830, the first device 110 performs backscatter transmission based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0125] In some embodiments, the indication and activation signal may be received from a second or third device, and the backscatter transmission may be received by the second device.

[0126] In some embodiments, the frequency shift may include single-sideband conversion. In some embodiments, the indication may also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-conversion or down-conversion.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first device may also modulate data on a frequency-shifted activation signal based on at least one of On-Off Keying (OOK) or Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK). In some embodiments, the target subband may include at least one of: a guard band; or a reserved band.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first device may also send capability information about the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission to the fourth device. In some embodiments, the capability information about the frequency shift distance may be sent during the registration process for the first device. In some embodiments, the frequency shift distance may be fixed and limited in number.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some embodiments, the second device may include a user equipment. In some embodiments, the third device may include a base station.

[0131] Figure 9 A flowchart of an example method 900 implemented at a second device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 900 is described from the perspective of the second device 120.

[0132] At block 910, the second device receives from the third device an instruction for receiving backscattered transmission from the first device, wherein the instruction specifies a target subband for the frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission. At block 920, the second device receives backscattered transmission on the target subband from the first device based on the instruction.

[0133] In some embodiments, the indication may include first scheduling information for receiving backscatter transmissions. In some embodiments, the first scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for receiving backscatter transmissions, or the duration for receiving backscatter transmissions.

[0134] In some embodiments, the indication may include second scheduling information for sending an activation signal to the first device and receiving backscatter transmission.

[0135] In some embodiments, the second scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for sending an activation signal, the duration for sending an activation signal, the timing for receiving backscatter transmission, the duration for receiving backscatter transmission, or the source subband for sending the activation signal.

[0136] In some embodiments, the instruction is a first instruction, and the second device may also send a second instruction to the first device to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission.

[0137] In some embodiments, the second indication may also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-converted or down-converted. In some embodiments, the target subband may include at least one of the following: a guard band; or a reserved band.

[0138] In some embodiments, the second device may send an activation signal to the first device, and the second device may also perform filtering on at least one sub-band adjacent to the target sub-band.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some embodiments, the second device may include a user equipment. In some embodiments, the third device may include a base station.

[0141] Figure 10 A flowchart of an example method 1000 implemented at a third device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 1000 is described from the perspective of the third device 130.

[0142] At block 1010, the third device determines a target subband for the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device. At block 1020, the third device sends an instruction to the second device for receiving the backscatter transmission, wherein the instruction specifies the target subband.

[0143] In some embodiments, the indication may include first scheduling information for the second device to receive backscatter transmissions. In some embodiments, the first scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for receiving backscatter transmissions, or the duration for receiving backscatter transmissions.

[0144] In some embodiments, the indication may be a first indication, and the third device may send a second indication to the first device to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission. In some embodiments, the second indication may also indicate whether the frequency shift is an up-conversion or a down-conversion.

[0145] In some embodiments, the indication may include second scheduling information for the second device to transmit an activation signal and receive backscatter transmissions. In some embodiments, the second scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for transmitting the activation signal, the duration for transmitting the activation signal, the timing for receiving the backscatter transmission, the duration for receiving the backscatter transmission, or the source subband for transmitting the activation signal.

[0146] In some embodiments, the third device may also receive from the fourth device information about the first device’s ability to shift the frequency distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0147] In some embodiments, capability information may be received in a service request for the first device. In some embodiments, the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request.

[0148] In some embodiments, the target subband may be determined based on information about the first device’s ability to determine the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0149] In some embodiments, the third device may also determine the source subband of the activation signal for the first device based on the first device’s capability information regarding the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0150] In some embodiments, the target sub-band may include at least one of the following: a guard band or a reserved band. In some embodiments, the third device may send an activation signal to the first device, and the third device may also perform filtering on at least one sub-band adjacent to the target sub-band.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance, and the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, the second device may include a user equipment, the third device may include a base station, or the fourth device may include a core network node.

[0153] Figure 11 A flowchart of an example method 1100 implemented at a fourth device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 1100 is described from the perspective of the fourth device 140.

[0154] At box 1110, the fourth device stores capability information of the first device regarding the frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device. At box 1120, the fourth device transmits the capability information of the first device to the third device.

[0155] In some embodiments, capability information may be stored during the registration process for the first device. In some embodiments, capability information may be sent in a service request for the first device, and the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some embodiments, the third device may include a base station. In some embodiments, the fourth device may include a core network node.

[0157] In some embodiments, a first means (e.g., first means 110) is provided capable of performing any of the methods 800. The first means may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first device includes components for receiving an indication of performing a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first device, components for performing a frequency shift of an activation signal to a target subband based on the indication, and components for performing backscatter transmission based on a frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

[0159] In some embodiments, the indication and activation signal may be received from a second or third device, and the backscatter transmission may be received by the second device.

[0160] In some embodiments, the frequency shift may include single-sideband conversion; or the indication may also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-conversion or down-conversion.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first device may further include components for modulating data on a frequency-shifted activation signal based on at least one of on / off keying (OOK) or amplitude shift keying (ASK). In some embodiments, the target subband may include at least one of: a guard band; or a reserved band.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first device may further include a component for transmitting capability information about the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission to the fourth device.

[0163] In some embodiments, capability information regarding the frequency shift distance may be sent during the registration process for the first device. In some embodiments, the frequency shift distance may be fixed and limited in number.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first device may further include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some embodiments, the second device may include a user equipment. In some embodiments, the third device may include a base station.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first device further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 800. In some embodiments, the device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause the execution of the device.

[0167] In some embodiments, a second means (e.g., second means 120) is provided capable of performing any of the methods 900. This means may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0168] In some embodiments, the second means includes components for receiving from the third means an indication for receiving backscattered transmission from the first means, wherein the indication specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission; and components for receiving backscattered transmission on the target subband from the first means based on the indication.

[0169] In some embodiments, the indication may include first scheduling information for receiving backscatter transmissions. In some embodiments, the first scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for receiving backscatter transmissions, or the duration for receiving backscatter transmissions.

[0170] In some embodiments, the indication may include second scheduling information for sending an activation signal to the first device and receiving backscatter transmission.

[0171] In some embodiments, the second scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for sending an activation signal, the duration for sending an activation signal, the timing for receiving backscatter transmission, the duration for receiving backscatter transmission, or the source subband for sending the activation signal.

[0172] In some embodiments, the indication is a first indication, and the apparatus may further include a component for sending a second indication to the first apparatus to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission.

[0173] In some embodiments, the second indication may also indicate whether the frequency shift is up-converted or down-converted. In some embodiments, the target subband may include at least one of the following: a guard band; or a reserved band.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second device sends an activation signal to the first device, and the second device may further include a component for performing filtering on at least one subband adjacent to the target subband.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, the second device may include a user device, or the third device may include a base station.

[0177] In some embodiments, the second apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 900. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to execute.

[0178] In some embodiments, a third means (e.g., third means 130) is provided capable of performing any of the methods 900. This means may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 1000. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0179] In some embodiments, the third means includes components for determining a target subband for a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission of the first means, and components for sending an indication to the second means for receiving backscatter transmission, wherein the indication specifies the target subband.

[0180] In some embodiments, the indication may include first scheduling information for the second device to receive backscatter transmissions. In some embodiments, the first scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for receiving backscatter transmissions, or the duration for receiving backscatter transmissions.

[0181] In some embodiments, the indication may be a first indication, and the apparatus may further include a component for sending a second indication to the first apparatus to perform a frequency shift associated with backscatter transmission.

[0182] In some embodiments, the second indication may further indicate whether the frequency shift is up-conversion or down-conversion. In some embodiments, the indication may include second scheduling information used by the second device to send an activation signal and receive backscatter transmission.

[0183] In some embodiments, the second scheduling information may also indicate at least one of the following: the timing for sending an activation signal, the duration for sending an activation signal, the timing for receiving backscatter transmission, the duration for receiving backscatter transmission, or the source subband for sending the activation signal.

[0184] In some embodiments, the third device may further include a component for receiving information from the fourth device regarding the first device’s ability to handle frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0185] In some embodiments, capability information may be received in a service request for the first device, and the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request.

[0186] In some embodiments, the target subband may be determined based on information about the first device’s ability to determine the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission.

[0187] In some embodiments, the third device may further include components for determining a source subband for the activation signal of the first device based on the first device's capability information regarding the frequency shift distance associated with backscatter transmission. In some embodiments, the target subband may include at least one of the following: a guard band or a reserved band.

[0188] In some embodiments, the third device may send an activation signal to the first device, and the third device may further include components for performing filtering on at least one sub-band adjacent to the target sub-band.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first device may be one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance. In some embodiments, the plurality of first devices may shift the activation signal to the same subband or different target subbands.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first device may include an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. In some embodiments, the second device may include a user equipment. In some embodiments, the third device may include a base station, or the fourth device may include a core network node.

[0191] In some embodiments, the third apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 1000. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to execute.

[0192] In some embodiments, a fourth means (e.g., fourth means 140) is provided capable of performing any of the methods 1100. This means may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 1100. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0193] In some embodiments, the fourth device includes components for storing capability information of the first device regarding a frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device, and components for transmitting the capability information of the first device to the third device.

[0194] In some embodiments, capability information may be stored during the registration process for the first device. In some embodiments, capability information may be sent in a service request for the first device, and the frequency shift distance may be a parameter of the service request.

[0195] In some embodiments, the first device may include an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, the third device may include a base station, or the fourth device may include a core network node.

[0196] In some embodiments, the fourth device further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 1100. In some embodiments, the device includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured together with the at least one processor to cause the device to execute.

[0197] Figure 12 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 1200 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1A The first device 110, the second device 120, the third device 130, or the fourth device 140 are shown. As shown, the device 1200 includes one or more processors 1210, one or more memories 1220 coupled to the processors 1210, and one or more communication modules 1240 coupled to the processors 1210.

[0198] The communication module 1240 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1240 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0199] Processor 1210 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, 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 1200 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0200] Memory 1220 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) 1224, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1222 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0201] Computer program 1230 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 1210. Program 1230 may be stored in ROM 1224. Processor 1210 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 1230 into RAM 1222.

[0202] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by program 1230, enabling device 1200 to execute reference... Figures 2 to 11 Any process of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure discussed. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0203] In some embodiments, program 1230 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 1200 (such as memory 1220) or other storage device accessible to device 1200. Device 1200 may load program 1230 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1222 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 13 An example of a computer-readable medium 1300 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. A program 1230 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0204] 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.

[0205] Example embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor, such as instructions included in a program module, to perform the above-referenced... Figures 8-11 The methods described are 800, 900, 1000, and 1100. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0206] Program code for performing the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This 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 standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0207] 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.

[0208] 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 of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0209] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0210] Although exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in language specific to structural features and / or method actions, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure as defined in the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features or actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, 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 at least: Receive an instruction to perform a frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; The frequency shift of the activation signal to the target subband is performed based on the instruction; as well as The backscattering transmission is performed based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein one of the following: The instruction and the activation signal are received from the second or third device, and the backscatter transmission is received by the second device.

3. The first device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein capability information regarding frequency shift distance is transmitted during the registration process for the first device.

4. The first device according to claim 3, wherein the frequency shift distance is fixed and limited in number.

5. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first device is one of a plurality of first devices activated by the activation signal; The plurality of first devices have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance; and The plurality of first devices shift the activation signal to the same subband or a different target subband.

6. A second device, 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 means to at least: Receive an instruction from a third device for receiving backscattered transmission from a first device, wherein the instruction specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission; as well as Based on the instruction, the backscatter transmission on the target subband is received from the first device.

7. The second apparatus of claim 6, wherein the indication includes first scheduling information for receiving the backscatter transmission.

8. The second apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: The timing for receiving the backscattered transmission; or The duration for receiving the backscatter transmission.

9. The second apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the indication includes second scheduling information, the second scheduling information being used to send an activation signal to the first apparatus and receive the backscatter transmission.

10. The second apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: The timing for sending the activation signal; The duration for sending the activation signal; The timing for receiving the backscattered transmission; The duration for receiving the backscatter transmission; or The source subband used to send the activation signal.

11. The second device according to claim 6, 9 or 10, wherein the indication is a first indication, and the second device is further configured to: A second instruction is sent to the first device to perform the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission.

12. The second device according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the second device sends an activation signal to the first device, and the second device is further caused to: Filtering is performed on at least one subband adjacent to the target subband.

13. The second device according to any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein: The first device is one of a plurality of first devices activated by an activation signal; The plurality of first devices have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance; and The plurality of first devices shift the activation signal to the same subband or a different target subband.

14. A third device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to at least: Determine the target subband for the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; as well as Send an instruction to the second device for receiving the backscattered transmission, wherein the instruction specifies the target subband.

15. The third apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indication includes first scheduling information for the second apparatus to receive the backscatter transmission.

16. The third apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: The timing for receiving the backscattered transmission; or The duration for receiving the backscatter transmission.

17. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the instruction is a first instruction, and the third device is further configured to: A second instruction is sent to the first device to perform the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission.

18. The third apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indication includes second scheduling information for the second apparatus to send an activation signal and receive the backscatter transmission.

19. The third apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second scheduling information further indicates at least one of the following: The timing for sending the activation signal; The duration for sending the activation signal; The timing for receiving the backscattered transmission; The duration for receiving the backscatter transmission; or The source subband used to send the activation signal.

20. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the third device is further configured to: The fourth device receives information from the first device regarding its ability to handle the frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission.

21. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the target subband is determined based on the first device's capability information regarding the frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission.

22. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the third device is further configured to: Based on the capability information of the first device regarding the frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission, the source subband for the activation signal of the first device is determined.

23. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the third device sends an activation signal to the first device, and the third device is further caused to: Filtering is performed on at least one subband adjacent to the target subband.

24. The third device according to any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein: The first device is one of a plurality of first devices activated by the activation signal; The plurality of first devices have different capabilities with respect to frequency shift distance; and The plurality of first devices shift the activation signal to the same subband or a different target subband.

25. A fourth device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the fourth device to at least: The ability of the first device to store information about the frequency shift distance associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; as well as The capability information of the first device is sent to the third device.

26. The fourth device according to claim 25, wherein: The capability information is sent in the service request for the first device, and The frequency shift distance is a parameter of the service request.

27. A method comprising: At the first device, an instruction is received to perform a frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; The frequency shift of the activation signal to the target subband is performed based on the instruction; as well as The backscattering transmission is performed based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

28. A method comprising: At the second device, an instruction for receiving backscattered transmission from the first device is received from the third device, wherein the instruction specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission; as well as Based on the instruction, the backscatter transmission on the target subband is received from the first device.

29. A method comprising: At the third device, a target subband for the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device is determined; as well as Send an instruction to the second device for receiving the backscattered transmission, wherein the instruction specifies the target subband.

30. A first device, comprising: A component for receiving an indication of performing a frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; Components for performing the frequency shift of the activation signal to the target subband based on the instruction; as well as Components for performing the backscatter transmission based on the frequency-shifted activation signal on the target subband.

31. A second device, comprising: A component for receiving from a third device an indication for receiving backscattered transmission from a first device, wherein the indication specifies a target subband for a frequency shift associated with the backscattered transmission; as well as A component for receiving the backscattered transmission on the target subband from the first device based on the instruction.

32. A third device, comprising: Components for determining the target subband of the frequency shift associated with the backscatter transmission of the first device; as well as A component for sending an instruction to a second device for receiving the backscattered transmission, wherein the instruction specifies the target subband.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 27 to 29.

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