Communication method, apparatus, computer readable storage medium and program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. In this communication method, a first apparatus receives at least one first message, where the at least one first message is located in the Y-th time slot among X time slots for transmitting the first message. Then, the first apparatus determines a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Y-th time slot, and sends a second message in response to the at least one first message within the first window, where the second message is configured to respond to the first messages in i time slots among the X time slots, and 1≤i<X. In addition, a second apparatus determines a second window corresponding to the first message in the Y-th time slot, and monitors for the second message in response to the first message within the second window. In this way, unnecessary monitoring overhead of AIoT devices is reduced. At the same time, by accurately matching the sending time window of the receiver, the energy consumption of the devices is reduced, thereby improving the system energy efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the field of communications, and more specifically to a communication method, apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless communication scenarios, such as the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) scenario, to improve the access efficiency of terminal devices (e.g., AIoT devices), frequency division multiple access (FDMA) or time division multiple access (TDMA) resource allocation methods can be adopted to enable devices to send access requests (msg1) in parallel or time-division multiplexing, thereby improving access speed and reducing latency. However, the random access process in wireless communication scenarios, such as AIoT communication scenarios, still needs further optimization and improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. By explicitly defining the msg 2 transmission mechanism of the receiver (reader) during random access and the monitoring behavior of AIoT devices on msg 2, unnecessary monitoring overhead of AIoT devices is effectively reduced. Simultaneously, by precisely matching the receiver's transmission time window, the energy consumption of the device is reduced, thereby improving system energy efficiency.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The execution subject of the method provided in the first aspect may be a first apparatus, the first apparatus may include one of a terminal device (such as a User Equipment, UE) or a network device (such as a base station), and a second apparatus interacting with the first apparatus may include an Ambient IoT (AIoT) device. Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device in the embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device itself, or may refer to a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device, or may also be a logical module, software, or the like that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device. Here, the case where the first apparatus includes the terminal device or the network device itself is taken as an example. In some implementations, the first apparatus receives at least one first message (for example, the first message may be msg 1 in a random access process), and the at least one first message is located in the Yth time slot among X time slots for transmitting the first message. Then, the first apparatus determines a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Yth time slot. Within the first window, the first apparatus sends a second message in response to the at least one first message (for example, the second message may be msg 2 in the random access process). In this implementation, the second message is configured to respond to the first messages in i time slots among the X time slots, where 1≤i<X. Alternatively, in other implementations, the first apparatus determines a first window corresponding to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. Within the first window, the first apparatus sends a second message in response to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. In this implementation, the first messages in the i time slots include the at least one first message. In the foregoing implementations, the first window may be referred to as a feedback window, for example. In this way, the first apparatus can accurately determine the corresponding feedback window for the first message received in the Yth time slot, so as to achieve efficient time sequence alignment and avoid resource waste caused by continuous monitoring of all time slots. In addition, by using a selective response mechanism, the second message only needs to respond to the first messages in the i time slots (1≤i<X), thereby reducing the feedback transmission amount, and saving system overhead while ensuring reliability.

[0005] In some implementations, the first device may begin transmitting the second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot. In these implementations, the start time of the first window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot. In some implementations, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may be determined based on at least one of the values ​​of X, Y, i, and the time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages. For example, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may satisfy the following formula:

[0006] or

[0007]

[0008] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This indicates the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device, and This indicates that the result of modulo operation on Y with respect to i is rounded up. It should be noted that in this document, phrases such as "satisfying the following formula" imply that the values ​​of the relevant variables are consistent with the derivation of a specific formula, but do not strictly limit numerical calculations to directly based on that formula. All reasonable equivalent forms, variations, or extensions derived based on the principle of that formula should be considered within the scope of protection covered by this disclosure. In this way, by utilizing the time offset control mechanism of ΔT1 and ΔT2, the first device can send the second message within a suitable time window, avoiding signal conflicts caused by premature responses and transmission delays caused by late responses. Furthermore, by constructing a mathematical model (e.g., using modular operations to ensure accurate synchronization of the response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; by adjusting the dual delays (e.g., T...)... D2R_min and T D2R_max The system incorporates considerations to adapt to transmission requirements under different channel conditions; and by considering the time slot interval T between two adjacent first messages, the system can flexibly adapt to frame configurations of various lengths. This multi-dimensional design improves system reliability and enhances the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0009] Alternatively, in some implementations, the first device may begin transmitting the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the first window may be determined at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In some implementations, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 may be based on the value of Y, the value of i, and the transmission duration T of the second message, respectively. msg2 and the time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages. R2D-R2D At least one of them must be determined. For example, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 can satisfy the following formula:

[0010] or

[0011]

[0012] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This indicates the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device, and This indicates that the result of modulo operation on Y with respect to i is rounded up. In this implementation, a global reference time base is used (i.e., the end time of all msg 1 messages is used as the reference point, rather than the end time of a single msg 1 message). This allows the first device to flexibly set the time window for sending the second message, avoiding signal collisions caused by premature responses and transmission delays caused by late responses. Furthermore, a mathematical model is constructed (e.g., using modulo operations to ensure accurate synchronization of the response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; and using dual delays (e.g., T...). D2R_min and T D2R_max This takes into account factors such as the transmission duration T of the second message to adapt to different channel conditions and to meet the transmission requirements under different channel conditions. msg2 and the time interval T between two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D This consideration enables the system to flexibly adapt the length of feedback messages according to different business types and avoid the superposition and conflict of multiple feedback signals, thereby improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0013] In some implementations, the first device may send a third message to the second device (e.g., the third message may be msg 0 during a random access procedure). This third message may be used to indicate whether the value of i is greater than 1 or equal to 1. In some implementations, the third message may include a first index value (e.g., Index = 0) to indicate that the value of i is equal to 1. Alternatively, in other implementations, the third message may include a second index value (e.g., Index = 1) to indicate that the value of i is greater than 1, and the value of i. In this way, flexible switching of the feedback window (or monitoring window) determination mode is achieved, while optimizing signaling overhead through this lightweight indication method. In some embodiments of this disclosure, msg 0 may also be referred to as a paging message.

[0014] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The execution subject of the method provided in the second aspect may be a second apparatus, the second apparatus may include an AIoT device, and a first apparatus interacting with the second apparatus may include one of a terminal device (such as a UE) or a network device (such as a base station). Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device in the embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device itself, or may refer to a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device, or may also be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device, the network device, or the AIoT device. Here, the case where the second apparatus includes the AIoT device itself is taken as an example. In some implementations, the second apparatus sends a first message (for example, the first message may be msg 1 in a random access procedure), and the first message is located in the Y-th time slot among X time slots for transmitting the first message. Then, the second apparatus determines a second window corresponding to the first message in the Y-th time slot. Within the second window, the second apparatus monitors a second message in response to the first message (for example, the second message may be msg 2 in the random access procedure). In this implementation, the second message is configured to respond to the first message in i time slots among the X time slots, where 1 ≤ i < X. Alternatively, in other implementations, the second apparatus determines a second window corresponding to the first message in i time slots among the X time slots. Within the second window, the second apparatus monitors a second message in response to the first message in the i time slots among the X time slots. In this implementation, the first message in the i time slots includes the aforementioned first message. In the above implementations, the second window may be referred to as a monitoring window, for example. In some implementations, the second window may correspond in time to the aforementioned first window. In this way, the second apparatus can accurately determine the monitoring window for the second message corresponding to the first message transmitted in the Y-th time slot, thereby avoiding resource waste caused by continuous monitoring of all time slots. In addition, by using the selective response mechanism, the second message only needs to respond to the first message in the i time slots (1 ≤ i < X), which reduces the monitoring time of the second apparatus and saves system overhead.

[0015] In some implementations, the second device may begin monitoring the second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of sending the first message within the Y-th time slot. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of sending the first message within the Y-th time slot, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of sending the first message within the Y-th time slot. In some implementations, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may be determined based on at least one of the values ​​of X, Y, i, and the time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages. The first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may satisfy the calculation formula of the following formula:

[0016] or

[0017]

[0018] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This indicates the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device, and This means rounding up the result of modulo operation on Y with respect to i. In this way, utilizing the time offset control mechanism of ΔT1 and ΔT2, the second device can flexibly and accurately monitor the second message. Specifically, if the first message is sent earlier, the second device does not need to monitor until all second messages have been identified before reading its own second message, thus reducing energy consumption; if the first message is sent later, the second device does not need to open the monitoring window in advance, thus avoiding additional energy consumption. Furthermore, by constructing a mathematical model (e.g., using modulo operation to ensure accurate synchronization of response timing with periodic transmission patterns; by adjusting for dual delays (e.g., T...),... D2R_min and T D2R_max The system takes into account the transmission requirements under different channel conditions; and by considering the time slot interval T between two adjacent first messages, the system can flexibly adapt to frame configurations of various lengths, thereby improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0019] Alternatively, in some implementations, the second device may begin monitoring the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at the third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In some implementations, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 may be based on the value of Y, the value of i, and the transmission duration T of the second message, respectively. msg2 and the time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages. R2D-R2D At least one of the following must be determined. For example, the third time offset ΔT3 can satisfy the following formula:

[0020]

[0021] And / or the fourth time offset ΔT4 can satisfy the following formula:

[0022] or

[0023]

[0024] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This indicates the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device, and This indicates that the result of modulo operation on Y with respect to i is rounded up. In this implementation, a global reference time base is used (i.e., the end time of all msg 1 messages is used as the reference point, rather than the end time of a single msg 1 message). This allows the second device to flexibly set the monitoring window for the second message, avoiding the additional energy consumption caused by monitoring too early or too late. Furthermore, a mathematical model is constructed (e.g., using modulo operation to ensure accurate synchronization of response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; using dual delays (e.g., T...). D2R_min and T D2R_max This takes into account factors such as the transmission duration T of the second message to adapt to different channel conditions and to meet the transmission requirements under different channel conditions. msg2 and the time interval T between two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D This consideration enables the system to flexibly adapt the length of the monitoring window according to different business types, improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0025] In some implementations, the second device may receive a third message from the first device (e.g., the third message may be msg 0 during a random access procedure). This third message may be used to indicate whether the value of i is greater than 1 or equal to 1. In some implementations, the third message may include a first index value (e.g., Index = 0) indicating that the value of i is equal to 1. Alternatively, in other implementations, the third message may include a second index value (e.g., Index = 1) indicating that the value of i is greater than 1, and the value of i. In this way, flexible switching of the feedback window (or monitoring window) determination mode is achieved, while optimizing signaling overhead through this lightweight indication method. In some embodiments of this disclosure, msg 0 may also be referred to as a paging message.

[0026] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the third aspect can be executed by a first device, which may include a terminal device (such as user equipment (UE)) or a network device (such as a base station), and a second device interacting with the first device may include an ambient IoT (AIoT) device. Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device in the embodiments of this disclosure can refer to the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device itself, or to components within the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device (e.g., processor, chip, or chip system), or to logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device. Here, we take the case where the first device includes the terminal device or network device itself as an example. In some implementations, the first device receives at least one first message (e.g., the first message may be msg 1 in a random access procedure), the at least one first message being located in the Yth time slot out of X time slots used to transmit the first message. Then, the first device determines a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Yth time slot. Within the first window, the first device sends a second message in response to the at least one first message (e.g., the second message could be msg 2 during a random access procedure). In this implementation, the second message is used in response to the first message in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots. In the above implementation, the first window can be referred to, for example, as a feedback window. In this way, the first device can accurately determine the corresponding feedback window for the first message received in the Yth time slot, achieving efficient timing alignment and avoiding the waste of resources from continuously monitoring all time slots. Furthermore, by utilizing a selective response mechanism, the second message only needs to respond to the first message in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots, thereby reducing the amount of feedback transmission and saving system overhead while ensuring reliability.

[0027] In some implementations, the first device may begin transmitting the second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot. In these implementations, the start time of the first window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Y-th time slot. In some implementations, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may be determined based on at least one of the values ​​of X, Y, and the time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages. For example, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may satisfy the following formula:

[0028] ΔT1=T D2R_min +(XY)*T, or

[0029] ΔT2=T D2R_max +(XY)*T,

[0030] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This represents the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device. In this way, by utilizing the time offset control mechanism of ΔT1 and ΔT2, the first device can send the second message within a suitable time window, avoiding signal collisions caused by premature responses and transmission delays caused by late responses. Furthermore, a mathematical model is constructed (e.g., modular arithmetic is used to ensure accurate synchronization of the response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; and a dual delay (e.g., T...) is applied... D2R_min and T D2R_max The system incorporates considerations to adapt to transmission requirements under different channel conditions; and by considering the time slot interval T between two adjacent first messages, the system can flexibly adapt to frame configurations of various lengths. This multi-dimensional design improves system reliability and enhances the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0031] Alternatively, in some implementations, the first device may begin transmitting the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the first window may be determined at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In some implementations, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 may be based on the value of Y and the transmission duration T of the second message, respectively. msg2and the time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages. R2D-R2D At least one of them must be determined. For example, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 can satisfy the following formula:

[0032] ΔT3=T D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),or

[0033] ΔT4=T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),

[0034] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This represents the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device. In this implementation, a global reference time base is used (i.e., the end time of all msg 1 messages is used as the reference point, rather than the end time of a single msg 1 message). This allows the first device to flexibly set the time window for sending the second message, avoiding signal conflicts caused by premature responses and transmission delays caused by late responses. Furthermore, a mathematical model is constructed (e.g., modular arithmetic is used to ensure accurate synchronization of the response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; and a dual delay (e.g., T...) is applied... D2R_min and T D2R_max This takes into account factors such as the transmission duration T of the second message to adapt to different channel conditions and to meet the transmission requirements under different channel conditions. msg2 and the time interval T between two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D This consideration enables the system to flexibly adapt the length of feedback messages according to different business types and avoid the superposition and conflict of multiple feedback signals, thereby improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0035] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the fourth aspect can be executed by a second device, which may include an AIoT device, and the first device interacting with the second device may include either a terminal device (such as a UE) or a network device (such as a base station). Unless otherwise specified, the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device in the embodiments of this disclosure can refer to the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device itself, or to components (e.g., processors, chips, or chip systems) within the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device, or to logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device, network device, or AIoT device. Here, we take the case where the second device includes the AIoT device itself as an example. In some implementations, the second device sends a first message (e.g., the first message may be msg 1 in a random access procedure), which is located in the Yth time slot out of X time slots used to transmit the first message. Then, the second device determines a second window corresponding to the first message in the Yth time slot. Within this second window, the second device monitors a second message in response to the first message (e.g., the second message could be msg 2 during a random access procedure). In this implementation, the second message is used in response to the first message in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots. In the above implementation, the second window can be referred to, for example, as a monitoring window. In some implementations, the second window and the first window described above may correspond in time. In this way, the second device can accurately determine the monitoring window for the second message corresponding to the first message received in the Yth time slot, thereby avoiding the waste of resources from continuously monitoring all time slots. Furthermore, by utilizing a selective response mechanism, the second message only needs to respond to the first message in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots, thereby reducing the monitoring time of the second device and saving system overhead.

[0036] In some implementations, the second device may begin monitoring the second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of sending the first message within the Yth time slot. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of sending the first message within the Yth time slot, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of sending the first message within the Yth time slot. In some implementations, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may be determined based on at least one of the values ​​of X, Y, and the time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages. The first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 may satisfy the calculation formula as follows:

[0037] ΔT1=T D2R_min +(XY)*T,

[0038] ΔT2=T D2R_max +(XY)*T,

[0039] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This represents the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device. In this way, utilizing the time offset control mechanism of ΔT1 and ΔT2, the second device can flexibly and accurately monitor the second message. Specifically, if the first message is sent earlier, the second device does not need to monitor until all second messages have been identified before it can read its own second message, thus reducing energy consumption; if the first message is sent later, the second device does not need to open the monitoring window in advance, thus avoiding additional energy consumption. Furthermore, by constructing a mathematical model (e.g., using modular arithmetic to ensure accurate synchronization of response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; by adjusting for dual delays (e.g., T...),... D2R_min and T D2R_max The system takes into account the transmission requirements under different channel conditions; and by considering the time slot interval T between two adjacent first messages, the system can flexibly adapt to frame configurations of various lengths, thereby improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0040] Alternatively, in some implementations, the second device may begin monitoring the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In some implementations, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 may be based on the value of Y and the transmission duration T of the second message, respectively. msg2 and the time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages. R2D-R2D At least one of the following must be determined. For example, the third time offset ΔT3 can satisfy the following formula:

[0041] ΔT3=T D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),

[0042] And / or the fourth time offset ΔT4 can satisfy the following formula:

[0043] ΔT4=T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),or

[0044] ΔT4=T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D )+T msg2 ,

[0045] In the above formula, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device to the first device. D2R_max This represents the maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device. In this implementation, a global reference time base is used (i.e., the end time of all msg 1 messages is used as the reference point, rather than the end time of a single msg 1 message). This allows the second device to flexibly set the monitoring window for the second message, avoiding the additional energy consumption caused by monitoring too early or too late. Furthermore, a mathematical model is constructed (e.g., modular arithmetic is used to ensure accurate synchronization of the response timing with the periodic transmission pattern; and a dual delay (e.g., T...) is applied... D2R_min and T D2R_max This takes into account factors such as the transmission duration T of the second message to adapt to different channel conditions and to meet the transmission requirements under different channel conditions. msg2 and the time interval T between two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D This consideration enables the system to flexibly adapt the length of the monitoring window according to different business types, improving system reliability and enhancing the applicability and flexibility of the solution.

[0046] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. This communication device has the functionality to implement the behaviors described in the method examples of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects described above. The functionality can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the described functions. The descriptions of the first device in the first or third aspect, or the second device in the second or fourth aspect, also apply to the communication device of the fifth aspect; that is, the communication device of the fifth aspect can refer to the communication device itself, or to components within the communication device (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system), or to logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. In one possible design, the communication device includes a unit that executes the methods of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects, or their implementations. The beneficial effects of implementing the communication device of the fifth aspect can be found in the descriptions of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0047] A sixth aspect provides an apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing a computer program or instructions. When executed by the processor, the computer program or instructions cause the apparatus to perform any method according to the first, second, third, or fourth aspect and its implementations.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods performed by the apparatus in the above aspects.

[0049] Eighthly, a computer program or computer program product is provided, the computer program or computer program product including computer program instructions, which, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods performed by the apparatus in the above aspects.

[0050] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip system including a processor for implementing the functions of the means in the methods of the above aspects. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The chip system may include a chip, and may further include other discrete devices.

[0051] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system including a first means for performing the first or third aspect, or a second means for performing the second or fourth aspect, wherein the first means may include a terminal device (such as a UE) or a network device (such as a base station), and the second means may include an AIoT device. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0053] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a topology for the Internet of Things (IoT) in the environment is shown.

[0054] Figure 1C A schematic operating mode for random access response is shown.

[0055] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a portion of the multicast response mechanism of some embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0056] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the communication flow of some embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0057] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a first window and a second window, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0058] Figure 5 Schematic diagrams of methods for determining a first window and a second window according to other embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0059] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a first window and a second window, according to further embodiments of this disclosure, is shown.

[0060] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a method for determining a first window and a second window, according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0061] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart illustrating some embodiments of the present disclosure implemented at a first device is shown.

[0062] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart illustrating some embodiments of this disclosure implemented at a second device is shown.

[0063] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of a device that can be used to implement some embodiments of this application.

[0064] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus according to some embodiments of this application.

[0065] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an apparatus according to some other embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0066] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0067] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0068] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and future communication protocols (e.g., future cellular communication protocols, wireless LAN communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future). The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0069] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The communication system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes a first device and a second device. In some embodiments, the first device may include, for example: Figure 1A The middle node 120 (i.e., the lower) Figure 1B The first device may include an intermediate node of topology 2, and the second device may include an Ambient IoT (AIoT) device 130. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the first device may include, for example, an intermediate node of topology 2. Figure 1A Network device 110, or as follows Figure 1B Base stations in other topology types (e.g., topology 1). In Figure 1A In this embodiment, network device 110 may be, for example, a base station 110 (such as an eNB, gNB, etc.), and intermediate node 120 may be, for example, a terminal device 120 (such as user equipment (UE)). Network device 110 and terminal device 120 can communicate with each other; for example, network device 110 can provide network access services to terminal device 120. Terminal device 120 may have wireless transceiver capabilities, enabling it to communicate (e.g., wirelessly) with one or more network devices of one or more communication systems and receive network services provided by the network devices. Terminal device 120 and network device 110 may have high-frequency and low-frequency communication capabilities. In embodiments of this disclosure, the transmission link from network device 110 to terminal device 120 may be referred to as a downlink (DL), and the transmission link from terminal device 120 to network device 110 may be referred to as an uplink (UL). It should be understood that... Figure 1AThe communication system 100 shown is merely illustrative, and the embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to other scenarios. For example, the terminal device 120 and the network device 110 can communicate directly or perform multi-hop transmission via other relays. It should also be understood that... Figure 1A The number of intermediate nodes, network devices, and AIoT devices shown is merely an example. There may be more or fewer intermediate nodes, network devices, and AIoT devices, and this disclosure makes no limitation thereto.

[0070] Furthermore, it should be understood that the communication system 100 in this disclosure embodiment can be applied to various scenarios. For example, the communication system 100 may include, but is not limited to, the three major application scenarios of narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), long term evolution (LTE), long term evolution advanced (LTE-A), and 5G mobile communication systems: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC).

[0071] In Long Term Evolution (LTE) / Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication systems and New Radio (NR) systems, duplex modes can be mainly divided into Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD). For wireless communication systems operating in TDD mode, the downlink and uplink carriers share the same carrier frequency. Multiple access methods typically employ Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDMA). The main characteristic of OFDMA is that it divides transmission resources into mutually orthogonal time-frequency resource elements (REs). Signals transmitted by the transmitter are carried on REs and transmitted to the receiver. Because different REs are orthogonal, the receiver can receive the signal transmitted on each RE individually. The time-frequency resource unit is the smallest resource granularity in an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) system. In the time domain, it is an OFDM symbol (the smallest time unit in the OFDM system), and in the frequency domain, it is a subcarrier.

[0072] The solutions disclosed herein are applicable to Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, 5th Generation (5G) communication systems, and future communication systems. Of course, the solutions disclosed herein can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks, wireless local area network systems supporting the 802.11 series protocols, wireless personal area network systems based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB), sensing systems, vehicle-to-X (V2X), machine-type communication (MTC), long term evolution-machine (LTE-M), machine-to-machine (M2M), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), long term evolution-vehicle (LTE-V), and satellite communication systems. The communication systems described above that are applicable to the embodiments of this disclosure are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0073] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can communicate with one or more core network (CN) devices (or core equipment) via access network devices (or access equipment) in a radio access network (RAN). Terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and they can be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). In this disclosure, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), which may be a mobile phone, mobile station (MS), tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, wireless terminal device in smart home, subscriber unit, cellular phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, machine type communication (MTC) terminal device, drone, etc. Terminal devices may include various handheld devices, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities. Optionally, terminal devices may be handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, terminal devices in the Internet of Things or the Internet of Vehicles, or any form of terminal device in 5G and subsequent communication systems; this disclosure does not limit this. In this disclosure, the means for implementing the functions of the terminal device may be the terminal device itself, or it may be a means that enables the terminal device to implement the functions, such as a chip system or a chip, which may be installed in the terminal device. In this application, the chip system may consist of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0074] A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices may also be referred to as radio access network (RAN) entities, access nodes, network nodes, or communication devices, etc.

[0075] Specifically, network equipment can be access network equipment for cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems or 5G mobile communication systems. Network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B (HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) systems, macro base stations, micro base stations, wireless relay nodes, donor nodes, radio controllers in CRAN scenarios, wireless backhaul nodes, transmission points (TP), or transmission and receiving points (TRP). Network equipment can also be access network equipment in 5G mobile communication systems. For example, a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, a TRP, a TP, or one or more antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system. Alternatively, network equipment can also be network nodes that constitute a gNB or transmission point. Examples include a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate or included in the same network element. For example, a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units. For example, in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). Alternatively, network equipment can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment.For example, in V2X technology, network devices can be roadside units (RSUs).

[0076] Furthermore, network devices can also be access network devices in open radio access networks (O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access networks (CRAN). O-RAN aims to achieve intelligent and open access networks. The main feature of the O-RAN architecture is the separation of software and hardware, realizing the virtualization of network functions and the standardization of hardware. In addition, O-RAN also introduces artificial intelligence (AI). In the O-RAN system, CU can also be called open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called open CU-CP (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called open CU-UP (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called open RU (O-RU). In different systems, CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0077] Access network equipment can be connected to core network (CN) equipment, which provides core network services to access network equipment and terminal equipment. Core network equipment can correspond to different devices in different systems. For example, in 3G, core network equipment can correspond to the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and / or the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) for General Packet Radio System (GPRS). In 4G, core network equipment can correspond to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and / or the Serving Gateway (S-GW). In 5G, core network equipment can correspond to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), the Session Management Function (SMF), or the User Plane Function (UPF).

[0078] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the means for implementing the functions of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a means that enables the network device to implement the functions, such as a chip system or a chip, which can be installed in the network device. In this embodiment of the application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0079] With advancements in wireless communication technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has entered a phase of rapid development, giving rise to typical application scenarios such as smart homes, the Industrial Internet, and smart cities. During this process, the emergence of low-power wide-area network technologies such as Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and Long Range Radio (LoRa) has improved the connectivity and energy efficiency of IoT devices. However, traditional IoT technologies still face challenges such as battery dependence, high maintenance costs, and limited deployment scale. These limitations have spurred the exploration of more advanced IoT solutions, giving rise to Ambient IoT (AIoT).

[0080] Environmental IoT refers to a technological concept that uses energy from the environment (such as light, heat, vibration, or radio waves) to power IoT devices. Unlike traditional IoT devices that rely on batteries or wired power, environmental IoT devices operate by harvesting energy from their surroundings, enabling more sustainable, maintenance-free, and scalable IoT solutions. Currently, the integration of environmental IoT with traditional cellular IoT technology is actively progressing.

[0081] Based on their energy storage and signal processing capabilities, environmental IoT devices (hereinafter referred to as AIoT devices or IoT devices) can be divided into three types. The first type (Device A) is also known as a passive IoT device. These devices may have energy storage capabilities, but rely entirely on backscatter transmission technology for communication. They lack both independent signal generation and signal amplification capabilities. The second type (Device B) is also known as a semi-passive IoT device. While it also uses backscatter transmission technology for communication, it can amplify the power of reflected signals through its built-in energy storage unit, but still lacks the ability to generate signals autonomously. The third type (Device C) is also known as an active IoT device. It not only has complete energy storage capabilities but also integrates an active radio frequency (RF) module, thus enabling it to autonomously generate and transmit communication signals. In practical applications, these IoT devices can all use a receiver (reader) to receive and detect signals. Considering the power limitations of passive and semi-active IoT devices, dedicated activators are needed to provide carrier support. These activators can be integrated into the receiver or deployed as independent nodes anywhere in the network. Their main function is to provide the necessary carrier signal support for AIoT device communication. This layered design can meet the power consumption requirements of different application scenarios while ensuring the flexibility and reliability of the communication system.

[0082] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of a topology for the Internet of Things (IoT) in the environment is shown. Figure 1B In the scenarios shown in topologies 1 to 4, AIoT devices can obtain carrier signals from nodes within the topology or from other nodes outside the topology. Furthermore, in Figure 1B In this context, the terms "base station (BS)," "user equipment (UE)," "auxiliary node," or "intermediate node" can correspond to one or more "base stations (BS)," "user equipment (UE)," "auxiliary nodes," or "intermediate nodes." It is important to note that the communication links in topologies 1 through 4 can be either bidirectional or unidirectional, and multi-hop auxiliary or intermediate nodes are not necessarily present in the defined connection topologies.

[0083] exist Figure 1BIn Topology 1, AIoT devices can directly communicate bidirectionally with the base station. Communication between the base station and the AIoT device can include AIoT data and / or signaling. It should be noted that in Topology 1, the base station sending signals to the AIoT device and the base station receiving signals from the device may not be the same base station.

[0084] exist Figure 1B In Topology 2, AIoT devices can communicate bidirectionally with an intermediate node located between the device and the base station. In Topology 2, this intermediate node can be a relay node supporting environmental IoT, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a UE, a signal amplifier, etc. This intermediate node is responsible for transmitting AIoT data and / or signaling between the base station and the environmental IoT devices.

[0085] exist Figure 1B In Topology 3, there are two options. In the first option, the AIoT device can send data / signaling to the base station and receive data / signaling from the auxiliary node. In the second option, the AIoT device can receive data / signaling from the base station and send data / signaling to the auxiliary node. In Topology 3, the auxiliary node can be a relay node supporting environmental IoT, an IAB node, a UE, a signal amplifier, etc.

[0086] exist Figure 1B In Topology 4, AIoT devices can communicate bidirectionally with the UE. Communication between the UE and environmental IoT devices includes AIoT data and / or signaling.

[0087] In the above topology, there are two deployment methods: co-located excitation source and receiver (refer to the schemes of topologies 1, 2, and 4), or non-co-located excitation source and receiver (refer to the scheme of topology 3). Alternatively, these topologies can be omitted. In this case, the excitation source can be deployed adjacent to the AIoT device or deployed at a certain distance from the AIoT device.

[0088] To improve access efficiency during the random access process of AIoT devices, various optimization schemes can be adopted. Firstly, regarding msg 1 resource configuration, both Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) can be supported. When using FDMA, independent frequency band resources can be allocated to different devices, effectively improving the access speed between the reader and the device and reducing random access latency. When using TDMA, resource allocation can be achieved through time slot division, thus avoiding frequency conflicts. Secondly, regarding the msg 2 response mechanism… Figure 1C Two illustrative operating modes for random access response are shown. For example... Figure 1CAs shown, one mode is unicast response (or individual ACK), where the reader responds one-to-one to each detected msg 1; the other is multicast response (or group ACK), where the reader can aggregate responses to multiple detected msg 1s. This response method can improve system response efficiency. However, because the AIoT device receiver uses an RF-ED structure, its bandpass filtering capability is limited, and it may not be able to simultaneously receive multiple frequency-division multiplexed msg 2 signals. Therefore, in system design, it is preferable to use a single msg 2 to respond to multiple FDMA-based msg 1s, which better suits the actual receiving capabilities of AIoT devices.

[0089] However, the multicast response mechanism has several drawbacks. First, it suffers from poor energy efficiency. Devices that send msg 1 earlier need to continuously monitor the complete group ACK to read their own response message; while devices that send msg 1 later need to open the monitoring window in advance, both of which consume additional energy. Second, the response mechanism is not flexible enough; the group ACK response mode is difficult to adapt to msg 1 sent in different time slots. Third, resource utilization is low; the system cannot dynamically adjust the response based on the characteristics of msg 1, resulting in wasted time-domain resources and energy. Finally, it has high implementation complexity; devices need to have complete group ACK parsing capabilities, increasing the difficulty of system design.

[0090] Based on the foregoing analysis and discussion, this disclosure proposes a method for monitoring and determining parameters in an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) system. In some embodiments, a solution based on partial group ACK is proposed. Partial group ACK can be understood as responding to a portion of msg1 by sending msg2; then responding to another portion of msg1 by sending another msg2; and so on, if there is yet another portion of msg1. Based on this, by explicitly defining the receiver's msg2 sending mechanism and the AIoT device's monitoring behavior of msg2 during random access, unnecessary monitoring overhead of the AIoT device is effectively reduced. Simultaneously, by accurately matching the receiver's sending time window, the device's energy consumption is reduced, thereby improving system energy efficiency.

[0091] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a partial multicast response mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2As shown, compared to conventional multicast response, in partial multicast response, each msg 2 can respond to multiple msg 1s on different frequency domain resources. These msg 1s can be located in the same time slot or in multiple time slots. Based on this, two options for partial multicast response are proposed. In option 1, each msg 2 can respond to at least one msg 1 on the same or different frequency domain resources within the same time slot. This design can minimize device monitoring time, thereby reducing energy consumption. Alternatively, in option 2, each msg 2 can respond to multiple msg 1s spanning multiple time slots. This is advantageous for handling idle resources (e.g., no device sends msg 1 on a certain time slot) and mitigating resource conflicts, and can also reduce the reader's feedback overhead (e.g., in asynchronous systems, it can avoid sending a preamble every time).

[0092] To ensure the efficiency of random access in partial multicast responses, two key behaviors need to be clearly defined: First, the monitoring window for msg2 after the AIoT device sends msg1. This avoids unnecessary monitoring operations, thereby optimizing the device's energy consumption. Second, in the topology 2 scenario (UE as Reader), a feedback window for corresponding msg2 feedback needs to be clearly defined for the detected msg1, ensuring that the feedback latency meets system requirements. This partial multicast response mechanism achieves dual optimization of device energy consumption and signaling overhead while ensuring system performance. Especially in the topology 2 scenario, by standardizing the feedback timing of the UE as Reader, it further improves the overall system efficiency.

[0093] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the communication flow of some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 3 As shown, process 300 involves a first device 301 and a second device 303. The first device 301 may include, for example: Figure 1A The network device 110 or intermediate node 120 shown, and the second device 303 may include, for example, Figure 1A The AIoT device 130 is shown in the diagram. In some examples, the first device 301 executing process 300 may be a chip or module of network device 110 or intermediate node 120, and the second device 303 executing process 300 may be a chip or module of AIoT device 130. In embodiments of this disclosure, when the executing entity is a chip or module, receiving / transmitting can be understood as input / output. Furthermore, the process executed by a single executing entity can also be divided into multiple executing entities, which may be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the process executed by network device 110 may be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, RU, etc.

[0094] In process 300, at 312, a first apparatus 301 receives first information 314 from a second apparatus 303 (for example, the first message 314 may be msg 1 in a random access procedure), and the first message 314 is located in the Yth time slot among X time slots for transmitting the first message. Then, at 320, the first apparatus 301 determines a first window corresponding to at least one first message in the Yth time slot. In the context of the present disclosure, "window" generally refers to a "time window". Unless otherwise specified, "window" and "time window" are used interchangeably herein. At 330, within the first window, the first apparatus 301 sends a second message in response to the at least one first message (for example, the second message may be msg 2 in the random access procedure). In this implementation, the second message may be configured to respond to first messages in i time slots among the X time slots, where 1≤i<X. Alternatively, in other implementations, the first apparatus 301 determines the first window corresponding to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. Within the first window, the first apparatus 301 sends the second message in response to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. In this implementation, the first messages in the i time slots include the at least one first message. In the above implementations, the first window may be referred to as a feedback window, for example.

[0095] Furthermore, at 340, the second apparatus 303 determines a second window corresponding to the first message in the Yth time slot. Within the second window, the second apparatus 303 monitors for the second message in response to the first message (for example, the second message may be msg 2 in the random access procedure). In this implementation, the second message may be configured to respond to first messages in i time slots among the X time slots, where 1≤i<X. Alternatively, in other implementations, the second apparatus 303 determines the second window corresponding to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. Then, at 350, within the second window, the second apparatus 303 monitors for the second message in response to the first messages in the i time slots among the X time slots. In this implementation, the first messages in the i time slots include the first message. In the above implementations, the second window may be referred to as a monitoring window, for example. In some implementations, the second window may correspond in time to the aforementioned first window.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first device 301 may begin transmitting a second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Yth time slot. In these embodiments, the start time of the first window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Yth time slot, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Yth time slot. Similarly, the second device 303 may begin monitoring the second message at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of transmitting the first message within the Yth time slot. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of transmitting the first message within the Yth time slot, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of transmitting the first message within the Yth time slot. In some implementations, the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 can be determined based on at least one of the values ​​of X, Y, i, and the time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages. Specifically, in these embodiments, the first window and the second window can be based on, for example, the following Figure 4 and Figure 5 The method described in [the document] is used to determine this. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the middle, for example Figure 3 The feedback behavior of the first device 301 (i.e., the reader, such as an intermediate node in topology 2, such as a UE) and the monitoring behavior of the second device 303 (i.e., the AIoT device) shown are defined.

[0097] Figure 4 Schematic diagrams illustrating methods for determining a first window and a second window according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 4 In this context, msg 1 uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and there are X time slots for transmitting msg 1. Each msg 2 can respond to at least one msg 1 in one of the X time slots. The at least one msg 1 can be transmitted using the same or different frequency domain resources.

[0098] For the first device 301, after a valid first message (i.e., msg 1) signal is detected in the Yth feedback time slot, the start time of its second message (i.e., msg 2) feedback transmission is delayed by T from the end time of msg 1 reception. D2R_min The duration is +(XY)*T, and the corresponding feedback time window (i.e., the first window mentioned above) ranges from {T}. D2R_min +(XY)*T,T D2R_max+(X-Y)*T}.

[0099] For the second apparatus 303, the corresponding random access response (RAR) monitoring mechanism is designed as follows: after completing the transmission of msg 1, the second apparatus 303 waits for T D2R_min +(X-Y)*T duration before starting the monitoring window (i.e., the second window described above), and the duration of the monitoring window is {T D2R_min +(X-Y)*T, T D2R_max +(X-Y)*T}. The parameter T represents the time interval between two adjacent first messages, T D2R_min represents the minimum time interval for the first message to be transmitted from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, T D2R_max represents the maximum time interval for the first message to be transmitted from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, Y represents the Y-th slot for transmitting msg 1, and 1≤Y<X.

[0100] In Figure 4 the embodiment, each msg 2 responds to one or more msg 1s in a specific slot, and accurately defines the device monitoring time window. This method enables the device to accurately know the reception timing of msg 2 without continuously monitoring the entire Group ACK period, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of device monitoring.

[0101] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining the first window and the second window according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to Figure 4 , in Figure 5 , msg 1 adopts time division multiple access (TDMA), and there are X slots for transmitting msg 1. The difference is that each msg 2 can respond to at least one msg 1 in i slots (1≤i<X) among the X slots, and the at least one msg 1 can be transmitted using the same or different frequency domain resources. Note that for the sake of simplicity, in Figure 5 , each msg 2 responds to 2 msg 1s. However, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited thereto, and each msg 2 can respond to any suitable number of msg 1s.

[0102] For the first apparatus 301, after detecting a valid first message (i.e., msg 1) signal in the Y-th feedback slot, when , the start time of its second message (i.e., msg 2) feedback transmission is a delay of from the end time of msg 1 reception, and the range of the corresponding feedback time window (i.e., the first window described above) is

[0103] For the second device 303, the corresponding Random Access Response (RAR) monitoring mechanism is designed as follows: After the second device 303 completes the transmission of msg1, when When, wait The monitoring window (i.e., the second window mentioned above) will be activated after a certain duration. The duration of the monitoring window is [duration to be specified]. Where, parameter T represents the time interval between receiving two adjacent first messages, T D2R_min T represents the minimum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device 303 to the first device 301. D2R_max This indicates the maximum time interval between the transmission of the first message from the second device 303 to the first device 301. This means that the result of modulo operation of Y with respect to i is rounded up, where Y represents the Y-th time slot of sending msg 1, and 1 ≤ Y. <X。

[0104] exist Figure 5 In this embodiment, each msg 2 can respond to one or more msg 1 messages across multiple time slots, and the device monitoring time window is precisely defined. This method enables the device to accurately determine when msg 2 is received without continuously monitoring the entire Group ACK cycle, thereby effectively reducing device monitoring power consumption. Furthermore, this method reduces the number of msg 2 messages that the reader needs to send, thus reducing transmission overhead.

[0105] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the first device 301 may begin transmitting the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the first window may be determined at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the first window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. Similarly, the second device 303 may begin monitoring the second message at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In these implementations, the start time of the second window may be determined at a third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, and / or the end time of the second window may be determined at a fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots. In some implementations, the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 can be based on the values ​​of Y, i, and the transmission duration T of the second message, respectively. msg2 and the time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages. R2D-R2DAt least one of the following is determined. Specifically, in these embodiments, the first window and the second window may be based on, for example, the following Figure 6 and Figure 7 The method described in [the document] is used to determine [this]. [Compared to] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Similarly, in Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the middle, for example Figure 3 The feedback behavior of the first device 301 (i.e., the reader, such as an intermediate node in topology 2, like a UE) and the monitoring behavior of the second device 303 (i.e., the AIoT device) shown are defined. Furthermore, distinguished from... Figure 4 and Figure 5 ,exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this study, it was considered that the starting reference point for the monitoring time point may be different time points.

[0106] Figure 6 Schematic diagrams illustrating methods for determining a first window and a second window according to further embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Figure 4 Similarly, in Figure 6 In this context, msg 1 uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and there are X time slots for transmitting msg 1. Each msg 2 can respond to at least one msg 1 in one of the X time slots. The at least one msg 1 can be transmitted using the same or different frequency domain resources.

[0107] For the first device 301, after a valid first message (i.e., msg 1) signal is detected in the Yth feedback time slot, the start time of its second message (i.e., msg 2) feedback transmission is delayed by T from the end time of msg 1 reception in all X time slots. D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D The duration of the response time window (i.e., the first window mentioned above) is {T}. D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D )}.

[0108] For the second device 303, the corresponding Random Access Response (RAR) monitoring mechanism is designed as follows: After completing the transmission of msg1, the second device 303 waits for T... D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D The monitoring window (i.e., the second window mentioned above) will be activated after the specified duration. The monitoring window is {T}.D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D )}. Herein, T D2R_min represents the minimum time interval for the first message to be sent from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, T D2R_max represents the maximum time interval for the first message to be sent from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, T R2D-R2D represents the time interval between two adjacent second messages, Y represents the Y-th slot for transmitting msg 1, and 1≤Y<X. In addition, the parameter T msg2 may represent the transmission duration of msg 2 in response to msg 1 on n frequency domain resources, or may represent the length of at least one msg 1 received within one slot in response.

[0109] It should be understood that, in Figure 6 the embodiment, when the reader does not detect msg 1 in a certain slot and / or there is a conflict in the detected msg 1, the reader may not send the corresponding msg 2. However, it should be understood that the time length that should have been occupied for sending the msg 2 (i.e., T msg2 ), as well as the time interval between different msg 2s, should still be considered. That is, when transmitting a subsequent msg 2, it is still necessary to reserve the time occupied by the previous unsent msg 2. Therefore, during the monitoring process, even if the AIoT device does not monitor the transmission of the corresponding msg 2, it will not affect the detection of the corresponding moment of the transmission of other subsequent msg 2s (for example, other AIoT devices monitor the subsequent msg 2). Therefore, in this case, for the second apparatus 303, its window for monitoring the second message may be specified as {T D2R_min +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D ),T D2R_max +(Y-1)*(T msg2 +T R2D-R2D )+T msg2}.

[0110] In Figure 6In the embodiment, different reference time benchmarks are set, that is, the reference time point is not the end moment of a single message msg1, but the end moment of all msg1. On this basis, for msg2 that responds to msg1 in a specific time slot, the monitoring window range is clearly defined, so that the device can accurately know the reception timing of msg2 without continuously monitoring the entire Group ACK period, thereby effectively reducing the device's monitoring power consumption.

[0111] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining a first window and a second window according to still some embodiments of the present disclosure. With Figure 5 similarly, in Figure 7 , msg1 adopts Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and there are X time slots for transmitting msg1, each msg2 can respond to at least one msg1 in i time slots (1≤i<X) among the X time slots, and the at least one msg1 may be transmitted using the same or different frequency domain resources. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, in Figure 7 , each msg2 responds to 2 msg1. However, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited thereto, and each msg2 may respond to any suitable number of msg1.

[0112] For the first apparatus 301, after detecting a valid first message (i.e., msg1) signal in the Y-th feedback time slot, when , the starting moment of its second message (i.e., msg2) feedback transmission is a delay starting from the end moment of msg1 reception on all X time slots , and the range of the corresponding feedback time window (i.e., the first window described above) is

[0113] For the second apparatus 303, the corresponding Random Access Response (RAR) monitoring mechanism is designed as follows: after completing msg1 transmission, when , wait and then start the monitoring window (i.e., the second window described above), the monitoring window is wherein, T D2R_min represents the minimum time interval for the first message to be transmitted from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, T D2R_max represents the maximum time interval for the first message to be transmitted from the second apparatus 303 to the first apparatus 301, T R2D-R2D represents the time interval between two adjacent second messages, represents rounding up the result of performing a modulo operation on Y and i, Y represents the Y-th time slot in which msg1 is transmitted, and 1≤Y<X. In addition, the parameter Tmsg2 It can represent the transmission duration of msg 2 in response to msg 1 of n frequency domain resources, or it can represent the length of at least one msg 1 within a received timeslot.

[0114] It should be understood that, Figure 7 In the embodiment, when the reader does not detect msg 1 in a certain i-th time slot and / or there is a conflict in the detected msg 1, the reader may not send the corresponding msg 2. However, compared with Figure 6 Similar to the embodiments, it should be understood that the time required to send msg 2 is longer (i.e., T). msg2 The time interval between different msg 2 messages should still be considered. That is, when sending a subsequent msg 2 message, time allocated for the time occupied by the previously unsent msg 2 messages still needs to be reserved. This ensures that even if the AIoT device does not detect the transmission of the corresponding msg 2 message during monitoring, it will not affect the detection of subsequent msg 2 messages (e.g., other AIoT devices monitoring subsequent msg 2 messages). Therefore, in this case, the window for monitoring the second message by the second device 303 can be defined as follows:

[0115] exist Figure 7 In this embodiment, different reference time bases are set; that is, the reference time point is not the end time of a single message msg1, but the end time of all msg1 messages. Based on this, for msg2 responding to msg1 in multiple time slots, the monitoring window range is explicitly defined, enabling the device to accurately know the reception timing of msg2 without continuously monitoring the entire Group ACK cycle, thereby effectively reducing device monitoring power consumption. Furthermore, this method reduces the number of msg2 messages the reader needs to send, thus reducing transmission overhead.

[0116] In some implementations, Figure 3the first apparatus 301 in may send a third message to the second apparatus 303 (for example, the third message may be msg 0 in a random access procedure). The third message may be used to indicate whether the value of i is greater than 1 or equal to 1. In some implementations, the third message may include a first index value (e.g., Index=0) for indicating that the value of i is equal to 1. Alternatively, in other implementations, the third message may include a second index value (e.g., Index=1) for indicating that the value of i is greater than 1, as well as the value of i. In this way, flexible switching of the feedback window (or monitoring window) determination mode is achieved, and signaling overhead is optimized by means of this lightweight indication method. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, msg 0 may also be referred to as a paging message.

[0117] Figure 8 shows a schematic flowchart implemented at a first apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 8 shown, the process 800 may be executed by the first apparatus, and the first apparatus executing the process 800 may include, for example, as Figure 1A the network device 110 or the intermediate node 120 shown in, or a chip, a module, or a sub-module in the network device 110 or the intermediate node 120, etc. At block 810, the first apparatus receives at least one first message, where the at least one first message is located in the Y-th slot among X slots for transmitting the first message. At block 820, the first apparatus determines a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Y-th slot. At block 830, within the first window, the first apparatus sends a second message in response to the at least one first message, where the second message is configured to respond to the first message in i slots among the X slots, where 1≤i<X. In some embodiments, the process 800 may further include other operations performed at the first apparatus described in combination with the embodiments of the present disclosure Figures 3 to 7 .

[0118] Figure 9 shows a schematic flowchart implemented at a second apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 9 shown, the process 900 may be executed by the second apparatus, and the second apparatus executing the process 900 may be, for example, as Figure 1Athe AIoT device 130 shown in, or a chip, module, or sub-module in the AIoT device 130, etc. At block 910, the second apparatus sends a first message, where the first message is located in the Y-th time slot among X time slots for transmitting the first message. At block 920, the second apparatus determines a second window corresponding to at least one first message in the Y-th time slot. At block 930, within the second window, the second apparatus monitors for a second message in response to the at least one first message, where the second message is configured to respond to the first message in i time slots among the X time slots, where 1≤i<X. In some embodiments, the process 900 may further include the embodiments of the present disclosure combined with Figures 3 to 7 other operations performed at the first apparatus as described.

[0119] Figure 10This is a block diagram of a device 1000 that can be used to implement some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, device 1000 may be a component of a communication network infrastructure, such as a base station (e.g., NodeB, evolved NodeB, eNodeB, or eNB), next-generation NodeB (sometimes called next-generation NodeB, gNodeB, or gNB), home subscriber server (HSS), gateway (GW), such as packet gateway (PGW) or serving gateway (SGW), or various other nodes or functions within a core network (CN) or Public Land Mobility Network (PLMN). In other embodiments, device 1000 may be a device connected to the network infrastructure via a wireless interface, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or other such device that can be classified as user equipment (UE). In some embodiments, device 1000 may be machine-type communication (M2C). Communications (MTC) devices (also known as machine-to-machine (M2M) devices), or other devices that, although not providing direct service to users, can be classified as UEs. In some embodiments, device 1000 may be a roadside unit (RSU), a vehicle UE (V-UE), a pedestrian UE (P-UE), or an infrastructure UE (I-UE). In some scenarios, device 1000 may also be referred to as a mobile device, a term intended to reflect a device connected to a mobile network, regardless of whether the device itself is designed for or capable of being mobile. A particular device may utilize all or only a subset of the components shown, and the level of integration may vary depending on the device. Furthermore, device 1000 may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0120] Device 1000 typically includes a processor 1002, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and may further include processors for AI, such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), Data Processing Unit (DPU), or other such processors, memory 1004, a network interface 1006, and a bus 1008 for connecting the components of device 1000. Optionally, device 1000 may also include components such as a mass storage device 1010, a video adapter 1012, and an I / O interface 1016 (shown in dashed lines).

[0121] Memory 1004 may include any type of non-transitory system memory readable by processor 1002, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, memory 1004 may include more than one type of memory, such as ROM used at startup and DRAM used for program and data storage during program execution. Bus 1008 may be one or more of a plurality of bus architectures of any type, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus.

[0122] Device 1000 may also include one or more network interfaces 1006, which may include at least one of wired network interfaces and wireless network interfaces. For example... Figure 10 As shown, network interface 1006 may include a wired network interface for connecting to network 1022, and may also include a wireless access network interface 1020 for connecting to other devices via a wireless link. When device 1000 is a network infrastructure element, the wireless access network interface 1020 may be omitted for nodes or functions that are elements of a PLMN rather than elements at the wireless edge. When device 1000 is infrastructure at the wireless edge of the network, both wired and wireless network interfaces may be included. When device 1000 is a wirelessly connected device, such as a user equipment, the wireless access network interface 1020 may be present and may be supplemented by other wireless interfaces such as a WiFi network interface. Network interface 1006 allows device 1000 to communicate with remote entities such as those connected to network 1022.

[0123] Mass storage 1010 may include any type of non-transitory storage device configured to store data, programs, and other information and make the data, programs, and other information accessible via bus 1008. Mass storage 1010 may include, for example, one or more of a solid-state drive, hard disk drive, disk drive, or optical disk drive. In some embodiments, mass storage 1010 may be located remotely from device 1000 and may be accessed using a network interface such as interface 1006. In the illustrated embodiment, mass storage 1010 is distinct from the memory 1004 that includes it, and mass storage 1010 typically performs storage tasks compatible with higher latency but typically provides low or no fluctuation. In some embodiments, mass storage 1010 may be integrated with heterogeneous memory 1004.

[0124] Optional video adapter 1012 and I / O interface 1016 (shown in dashed lines) provide interfaces for coupling device 1000 to external input and output devices. Examples of input and output devices include a display 66 coupled to video adapter 1012 and an I / O device 1018, such as a touchscreen, coupled to I / O interface 1016. Other devices may be coupled to device 1000 and may utilize additional or fewer interfaces. For example, a serial interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown) may be used to provide interfaces for external devices. Those skilled in the art will understand that in embodiments where device 1000 is part of a data center, I / O interface 1016 and video adapter 1012 may be virtualized and provided via network interface 1006.

[0125] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device 1100 according to some embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the device 1100 includes a receiving unit 1102, a determining unit 1104, and a transmitting unit 1106. The device 1100 can be applied to applications such as... Figure 1AThe communication system shown can implement any of the methods provided in the preceding embodiments (e.g., method 800). Optionally, the physical manifestation of device 1100 can be a communication device, such as a terminal device (e.g., UE) or a network device (e.g., base station). Alternatively, device 1100 can be other devices capable of implementing the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip inside the communication device. Specifically, device 1100 can be a programmable chip, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a system on a chip (SOC).

[0126] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 1102 may be configured to receive at least one first message, the at least one first message being located in the Yth time slot of the X time slots used for transmitting the first message. The determining unit 1104 may be configured to determine a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Yth time slot. The sending unit 1106 may be configured to send a second message in response to the at least one first message within the first window, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in the i-th time slot of the X time slots, where 1 ≤ i <X。

[0127] In some other embodiments, apparatus 1100 may include various other units or modules that can be configured to perform the various operations or functions described with respect to the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0128] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the apparatus 1200 according to other embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the device 1200 includes a transmitting unit 1202, a determining unit 1204, and a monitoring unit 1206. The device 1200 can be applied to applications such as... Figure 1AThe communication system shown can implement any of the methods provided in the preceding embodiments (e.g., method 900). Optionally, the physical manifestation of device 1200 can be a communication device, such as an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device. Alternatively, device 1200 can be other devices capable of implementing the functions of a communication device, such as a processor or chip within the communication device. Specifically, device 1200 can be a programmable chip, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0129] In some embodiments, the sending unit 1202 may be configured to send a first message located in the Yth time slot of the X time slots used for transmitting the first message. The determining unit 1204 may be configured to determine a second window corresponding to the first message in the Yth time slot. The monitoring unit 1206 may be configured to monitor a second message responding to the first message within the second window, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in the i-th time slot of the X time slots, where 1 ≤ i <X。

[0130] In some embodiments, the apparatus 1200 may include various other units or modules that can be configured to perform the various operations or functions described with respect to the foregoing method embodiments. Specific details can be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0131] It should be noted that the module division in the above embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into one unit by two or more units. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0132] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, or all or part of it, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0133] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0134] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it causes the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the above embodiments. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code having the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0135] Based on the above embodiments, this application also provides a chip for reading a computer program stored in a memory and implementing any of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0136] Based on the above embodiments, this application provides a chip system including a processor for supporting a computer device in implementing the functions involved in the communication devices in the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing necessary programs and data of the computer device. This chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0138] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0139] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0140] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0141] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising: Receive at least one first message, wherein the at least one first message is located in the Yth time slot of the X time slots used for transmitting the first message; Determine a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Yth time slot; and Within the first window, a second message is sent in response to the at least one first message, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in i of the X time slots, where 1 ≤ i <X。 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The start time of the first window is determined as: at a first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of receiving at least one first message within the Yth time slot, or The end time of the first window is determined to be at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of receiving the at least one first message in the Yth time slot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 are determined based on at least one of the following: The value of X; The value of Y; The value of i; and The time interval T between receiving two adjacent first messages.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first time offset ΔT1 satisfies: in, T D2R_min The minimum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second time offset ΔT2 satisfies: in, T D2R_max The maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The start time of the first window is determined as: at the third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, or The end time of the first window is determined to be at the fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 are determined based on at least one of the following: The value of Y; The value of i; The transmission duration T of the second message msg2 ;as well as The time interval T between sending two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D .

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the third time offset ΔT3 satisfies: in, T D2R_min The minimum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the fourth time offset ΔT4 satisfies: in, T D2R_max The maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: Send a third message, which indicates whether the value of i is greater than 1 or equal to 1.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third message comprises: A first index value used to indicate that the value of i is equal to 1; or The second index value used to indicate that the value of i is greater than 1, and the value of i.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first message is received by a first device from a second device, the first device comprising at least one of a user equipment (UE) or a base station (BS), and the second device comprising an ambient IoT device.

13. A method of communication for a first device, comprising: Send a first message, which is located in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots used to transmit the first message; Determine the second window corresponding to the first message in the Yth time slot; and Within the second window, a second message responding to the first message is monitored, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in i of the X time slots, where 1 ≤ i <X。 14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The start time of the second window is determined as: at the first time offset ΔT1 after the end time of sending the first message within the Yth time slot, or The end time of the second window is determined to be at a second time offset ΔT2 after the end time of sending the first message in the Yth time slot.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first time offset ΔT1 and the second time offset ΔT2 are determined based on at least one of the following: The value of X; The value of Y; The value of i; and The time interval T between sending two adjacent first messages.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the first time offset ΔT1 satisfies: in, T D2R_min The minimum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the second time offset ΔT2 satisfies: in, T D2R_max The maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The start time of the second window is determined as: the third time offset ΔT3 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots, or The end time of the second window is determined to be the fourth time offset ΔT4 after the end time of the Xth time slot in the X time slots.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the third time offset ΔT3 and the fourth time offset ΔT4 are determined based on at least one of the following: The value of Y; The value of i; The transmission duration T of the second message msg2 ;as well as The time interval T between receiving two adjacent second messages R2D-R2D .

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the third time offset ΔT3 satisfies: in, T D2R_min The minimum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the fourth time offset ΔT4 satisfies: or in, T D2R_max The maximum time interval between the first message being sent from the second device to the first device.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, further comprising: Receive a third message, which indicates whether the value of i is greater than 1 or equal to 1.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the third message comprises: A first index value used to indicate that the value of i is equal to 1; or The second index value used to indicate that the value of i is greater than 1, and the value of i.

24. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 23, wherein the first message is sent from a second device to a first device, the first device comprising at least one of a user equipment (UE) or a base station (BS), and the second device comprising an ambient IoT device.

25. A method of communication, comprising: Receive at least one first message, wherein the at least one first message is located in the Yth time slot of the X time slots used for transmitting the first message; Determine a first window corresponding to the at least one first message in the Yth time slot; and Within the first window, a second message is sent in response to the at least one first message, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in the Yth time slot of the X time slots.

26. A method of communication for a first device, comprising: Send a first message, which is located in the Yth time slot out of the X time slots used to transmit the first message; Determine the second window corresponding to the first message in the Yth time slot; and Within the second window, a second message in response to the first message is monitored, wherein the second message is used in response to the first message in the Yth time slot of the X time slots.

27. A communication device, comprising: A processor for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, 13 to 24, 25, or 26.

28. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, 13 to 24, 25, or 26 to be performed.

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