Data transmission format and procedure for environmental internet of things communication

Abstract

The Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) refers to an ecosystem of numerous objects, each connected to a wireless sensor network using low-cost, self-powered sensor nodes. The described embodiments enable the configuration of data transmission formats and processes for communication within an AIoT system. One example wireless communication method includes: receiving a message from a network entity by a wireless device, the message including an indication for a selection, paging, or inventory process, and performing the corresponding process based on the indication. In this example, the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure is generally directed to digital wireless communications. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile telecommunications technologies are driving the world toward an increasingly interconnected and networked society. Compared to existing wireless networks, next-generation systems and wireless communication technologies will need to support a wider range of use case characteristics and provide more complex and granular access requirements and flexibility.

[0003] LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a wireless communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is a wireless communication standard that enhances the LTE standard. The fifth-generation wireless system, known as 5G, advances the LTE and LTE-A wireless standards and aims to support higher data rates, massive connectivity, ultra-low latency, high reliability, and other emerging service requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Techniques for configuring data transmission formats and procedures for communication in an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) system are disclosed. The described embodiments provide, for example, random access procedures, packet formats for Media Access Control (MAC) Control Elements (CEs), and MAC Software Data Unit (SDU) segmentation procedures, which advantageously improve networking communication for low-power, low-complexity devices prevalent in AIoT systems.

[0005] In one example, a wireless communication method includes: receiving a message from a network entity by a wireless device, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory process, and performing a corresponding process based on the indication. In this example, the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0006] In another example, a method of wireless communication includes sending a message from a network entity to a wireless device, the message including an instruction for a selection, paging, or inventory process. In this example, the wireless device is configured to perform the corresponding process based on the instruction, and the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0007] In yet another example, a method of wireless communication includes receiving a message from a core network by a network entity, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory procedure. In this example, a wireless device is configured to perform a corresponding procedure based on the indication, and the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node. Furthermore, the message includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the wireless device, a maximum number of groups for a random access procedure, a time interval for triggering the random access procedure, the type of the wireless device, the reason for triggering the selection, paging, or inventory procedure, the capabilities of the wireless device, or information related to the area in which the network entity sends the indication.

[0008] In yet another example, the methods described above are embodied in processor-executable code and stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When executed by a processor, the code included in the computer-readable storage medium causes the processor to implement the methods described in this patent document.

[0009] In yet another example, a device configured or operable to perform the methods described above is disclosed.

[0010] The foregoing and other aspects, and their embodiments, are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, specification, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 An example of an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) radio network is shown.

[0012] Figures 2A-2D An example of a random access procedure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An example of the structure and / or format of the Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) is shown.

[0014] Figure 3C and Figure 3D An example of the MAC subheader format is shown.

[0015] Figures 3E-3I An example of the MAC control element (CE) format is shown.

[0016] Figures 4A-4D An example of a MAC Service Data Unit (SDU) segment is shown.

[0017] Figures 5A-5C A flowchart illustrating an example method of wireless communication is shown.

[0018] Figure 6A block diagram of an example hardware platform that can be used as part of a network or communication device is shown.

[0019] Figure 7 Examples of wireless communication including a base station (BS) and a user equipment (UE) based on some implementations of the disclosed technology are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted widespread attention in the field of wireless communication. More "things" are expected to be interconnected to improve productivity and enhance the comfort of life. Further reductions in the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices could enable the deployment of hundreds or even trillions of IoT devices for a wide range of applications, providing added value throughout the value chain. Powering all IoT devices with batteries that need to be manually replaced or recharged is impractical, as this would lead to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even security risks for some use cases, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries.

[0021] Most existing wireless communication devices are powered by batteries that need to be manually replaced or recharged. Automation and digitalization across industries have opened up numerous new markets that require new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or energy storage devices that do not require manual replacement or recharging. Such devices must be small enough to effectively communicate the target use case.

[0022] Considering the limited size and complexity required for practical applications of battery-less devices without energy storage capacity or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging, the output power of energy harvesters is typically between 1µW and several hundred µW. Due to their peak power consumption exceeding 10mW, existing cellular devices may not be able to utilize energy harvesting effectively. Existing barcode and RFID readers consume low power, but their limited reading range of a few meters often requires handheld scanning, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming operations. Alternatively, RFID entry points and / or doors result in expensive deployments. Furthermore, the lack of interference management schemes leads to severe interference and capacity issues between RFID readers, especially in dense deployments. Supporting large-scale networks with seamless RFID coverage is difficult. Therefore, IoT systems that support ambient power are well-suited to provide solutions that overcome these shortcomings. Figure 1 An example of an AIoT radio network is shown, and as illustrated, AIoT devices can send AIoT information to a base station and receive AIoT information from the base station.

[0023] The example headings in the following sections are intended to facilitate understanding of the disclosed subject matter and do not limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way. Therefore, one or more features of one example section may be combined with one or more features of another example section. Furthermore, specific terminology (e.g., 5G or AIoT terms) is used for clarity, but the technologies disclosed in this document are not limited to 5G or AIoT technologies and can be used in wireless systems implementing other protocols.

[0024] 1. Example of AIoT communication process

[0025] 1.1 Examples of selection, paging, or inventory processes

[0026] In some embodiments, the selection, paging, or inventory process is used to trigger an AIoT device to perform a random access (RA) procedure and / or acquire device-specific communication resources. In these embodiments, the selection, paging, or inventory message includes at least one of the following:

[0027] - Device identifier, device group identifier, or device identifier with a mask indicating the device group identifier; one or more of these parameters are used to indicate one or more devices to be selected, paged, or inventoried.

[0028] – The maximum number of groups in the random access procedure is used to determine the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups. Here, devices in a group simultaneously trigger the random access procedure and randomly select frequency resources (or access channels). In some examples, the number of randomized groups is determined by (a) floor (total number of devices to be paged / number of frequency resources (or access channels)) or (b) ceil (total number of devices to be paged / number of frequency resources (or access channels)). That is, devices are divided into multiple groups, and each group includes a number of devices equal to the number of frequency resources (or access channels).

[0029] – The time interval for triggering the RA procedure is used to indicate the time interval after which another randomized group can trigger the random access procedure. In some examples, the time interval for triggering the RA procedure is equal to the duration of completing the random access procedure and / or related service procedures. In some other examples, the time interval is determined by the base station or AIoT intermediate node (e.g., UE) and the end of the time interval is indicated. The base station or AIoT intermediate node sends an indication that the time interval has elapsed and the next device group can trigger the RA procedure.

[0030] - Frequency resource (or access channel) information.

[0031] – Select type, paging type, or inventory type. For example, the inventory type can correspond to new device, all devices (e.g., all devices with a common device (group) identifier), incremental device (e.g., a device among all devices that has not yet responded to the inventory process command), or mobile device (e.g., a device that had a selection area, paging area, or inventory area that was different from or did not overlap with the corresponding area included in the selection, paging, or inventory message during the last selection, paging, or inventory process).

[0032] – Select the reason, paging reason, or inventory reason, which indicates the reason for triggering the process, such as required inventory, acquired device status, read command, uplink command, write command, downlink command, device-initiated-device-termination trigger (DO-DTT), device-termination (DT), uplink-only (UL) data transmission, downlink-only (DL) data transmission, bidirectional data transmission, application data transfer, etc.

[0033] In some examples, selection, paging, or inventory messages are sent from the core network to the base station, which then forwards them to the intermediate node (UE) or AIoT device. In this example, the selection, paging, or inventory messages received by the base station and / or the intermediate node (UE) may also include at least one of the following:

[0034] – AIoT device paging area (e.g., AIoT device selection area, AIoT device paging area, AIoT device inventory area, or AIoT device reachable area). This parameter indicates the area through which / in which selection, paging, or inventory commands are sent. In some examples, this area may include one or more AIoT cells, one or more beams within an AIoT cell, one or more UEs (e.g., the coverage area of ​​a UE), one or more NR cells on which or located a UE resides, one or more beams on which or located a UE resides, an AIoT paging area identifier, or a physical area determined by location and described using a polygon or pie chart.

[0035] In some embodiments, when the area includes one or more AIoT cells, or one or more beams within an AIoT cell, the base station sends a select, paging, or inventory command to the AIoT cell or AIoT device within the AIoT cell or AIoT cell beam. Alternatively, when the area includes one or more UEs, the base station sends a select, paging, or inventory command message to the UE (e.g., via Uu signaling as an RRC container, bit string, or NAS PDU), and then the UE sends a select, paging, or inventory command to the AIoT device. Alternatively, when the area includes one or more NR cells on which the UE is camped or located, or one or more beams within one of the NR cells on which the UE is camped or located, the base station pagees the NR cell or NR cell beam containing the UE, and then sends a select, paging, or inventory command message to the UE (e.g., via Uu signaling as an RRC container, bit string, or NAS PDU). The UE then sends a select, paging, or inventory command to the AIoT device. Alternatively, when the area includes an AIoT paging area identifier or a physical area, the base station and / or intermediate node (e.g., UE) sends a selection, paging, or inventory command to the AIoT devices in the AIoT paging area or the indicated physical area. In some embodiments, if the AIoT device determines that the received area information is different from the stored area information, it stores the newly received area information and sends area update information (e.g., the relationship between the device identifier and the newly received area information) to the CN or AF to update the area information stored in the AF or CN.

[0036] – AIoT device radio capabilities include at least the device power level, device power consumption (e.g., approximately 1µW peak power consumption or ≤ several hundredµW peak power consumption), device UL transmission generation capability, downlink (DL) amplification capability, uplink (UL) amplification capability, backscatter capability, etc. In some examples, these parameters can be used by the network to determine whether an intermediate node (e.g., UE) is necessary for communication, to determine downlink transmit power (e.g., transmit power of the drive signal), to determine whether DL and / or UL amplification should be used, or to determine physical scheduling strategies (e.g., MCS selection), etc.

[0037] Method 1.In some embodiments, AIoT devices are configured to receive selection, paging, or inventory indications. In these embodiments, each device (or each device indicated by a common device (group) identifier) ​​selects a group number based on the maximum number of groups in the RA process (e.g., a value ranging from 0 to (maximum group number - 1)) as a randomized group number or a group number using the ALOHA method, and starts a timer. When the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the product of the group number and the time interval, the AIoT device selects a frequency resource or access channel and triggers the RA process. In one example, the frequency resource or access channel may be selected randomly. In another example, it is selected based on the device ID and the resource quantity; for example, the index of the frequency resource or access channel is equal to (device ID mod resource quantity).

[0038] When a base station detects a RA conflict, it sends an RA response to allocate a fallback timer, which triggers the device to perform the RA process at a time determined by the fallback timer. When the AIoT device completes the RA process (or more generally, the service process), this flag is set to 1.

[0039] Method 2. In some embodiments, AIoT devices are configured to receive selection, paging, or inventory indications. In these embodiments, each device (or each device indicated by a common device (group) identifier) ​​selects a group number based on the maximum number of groups in the RA process (e.g., a value ranging from zero to (maximum number of groups - 1)) as a randomized group number or a group number using the ALOHA method. The AIoT device then selects a frequency resource or access channel and triggers the RA process. In one example, the frequency resource or access channel may be selected randomly. In another example, it is selected based on the device ID and the resource quantity, for example, the index of the frequency resource or access channel is equal to (device ID mod resource quantity).

[0040] When a base station detects an RA conflict, it sends an RA response to allocate a back-off timer, which triggers the device to perform the RA process at a time determined by the back-off timer.

[0041] Method 3.In some embodiments, AIoT devices are configured to receive selection, paging, or inventory indications. Here, each device (or each device indicated by a common device (group) identifier) ​​selects a group number based on the maximum number of groups in the RA process (e.g., a value ranging from 0 to (maximum group number - 1)) as a randomized group number or a group number using the ALOHA method. When the base station indicates that the device group is capable of triggering the RA process, the devices in the device group select a frequency resource or access channel and trigger the RA process. In one example, the frequency resource or access channel may be randomly selected. In another example, it is selected based on the device ID and the resource quantity, for example, the index of the frequency resource or access channel is equal to (device ID mod resource quantity). In some embodiments, the base station indicating that the device group is capable of triggering the RA process can be implemented by: sending a group number update indication; upon receiving this indication, the device may update its group number, for example, group number = group number - 1; when the group number is updated to 0, the device triggers the RA process.

[0042] In some embodiments, the AIoT device is configured to receive a selection, paging, or inventory indication and determine that its device type is new inventory. Each device (or each device indicated by a common device (group) identifier) ​​sets a flag to zero and triggers the RA procedure using one of the methods described above. When the AIoT device completes the RA procedure (or more generally, the service procedure), the flag is set to 1. When the AIoT device receives a selection, paging, or inventory indication and determines that it is an incremental device, it will only perform the random access procedure if the flag is equal to zero.

[0043] 1.2 Example of inventory or equipment status acquisition process

[0044] In some embodiments, the inventory process or paging process is used to trigger the AIoT device to perform a random access procedure and / or obtain device-specific communication resources. In these embodiments, the inventory or device status acquisition command includes at least one of the following:

[0045] – Commands included in a paging message (e.g., included in a paging MAC CE). Here, an inventory command can be defined as a MAC CE (e.g., a zero-size inventory MAC CE) and sent to the AIoT device associated with the paging MAC CE (e.g., the inventory MAC CE and the paging MAC CE are included in the same MAC PDU), and the AIoT device status information can be sent to the base station in Msg1 or Msg3 of the random access procedure or in subsequent uplink messages.

[0046] – A command defined as a MAC CE and sent to the AIoT device in Msg2 or Msg4 of the random access procedure, and the device status information can be sent to the base station in Msg3 of the random access procedure or in subsequent uplink messages.

[0047] – A command defined as a MAC CE and sent to the device after the random access procedure is completed.

[0048] 1.3 Examples of Command or NAS Information Exchange

[0049] In some embodiments, command or non-access stratum (NAS) information exchange processes are used to trigger AIoT devices to perform actions, such as software downloads, location tracking, online modification of medical instrument status, device activation and / or deactivation, elderly healthcare processes, permanent device deactivation, controller commands in smart agriculture, authentication and authorization processes, etc.

[0050] In these embodiments, commands or NAS information can be defined as dedicated messages (e.g., paging messages, read messages, read response messages, write messages, write confirmation messages, deactivation messages, disable messages, and / or related confirmation messages, etc.) that at least include the AIoT device NAS identifier and NAS PDU, sent from the core network to the base station, from the base station to the core network, from the base station or intermediate node (e.g., UE) to the AIoT device, or from the AIoT device to the base station or intermediate node (e.g., UE), etc. In some examples, commands can be defined as abstract messages including data indications, such as downlink messages including indications of whether expected feedback and / or uplink data will be sent, downlink data volume, read indications, or write indications, etc., and uplink messages including indications of whether expected feedback and / or downlink data will be sent, uplink data volume, data buffer size information, read end indications, or write end indications, etc. In this case, the base station and / or intermediate node (e.g., the UE as a reader) know the AIoT device NAS identifier, message type, AIoT service type, and / or command purpose, and the NAS PDU can be encrypted and transparent to the base station and / or intermediate node. NAS Protocol Data Units (PDUs) can be sent to AIoT devices via MAC Service Data Units (SDUs), a dedicated MAC CE including the AIoT device NAS identifier and NAS PDU, or a predefined message format or data structure including the AIoT device NAS identifier and NAS PDU. Here, the predefined message format or data structure can be included in the MAC CE or MAC PDU.

[0051] 1.4 Example of disabling or deactivating the process

[0052] In some embodiments, the disable or deactivate process is used to permanently disable or deactivate the device, i.e., to remove the device from use and reclaim one or more resources (e.g., device identifier). In these examples, and similar to the embodiments described in Section 1.2, the disable or deactivate command may be included in a paging message (e.g., a paging MAC CE). The disable or deactivate command may be defined as a MAC CE (e.g., a zero-size MAC CE) and sent to the AIoT device associated with the paging MAC CE (e.g., an inventory MAC CE and a paging MAC CE are included in the same MAC PDU), and may also be defined as a MAC CE and sent to the device after the random access procedure is completed.

[0053] In some embodiments, there may be no NAS data other than the device identifier and command name used for certain signaling procedures (such as inventory, device disabling, etc.). In this case, NAS encryption or application-layer encryption may be performed using some spare bits or a sequence of security check bits defined for security purposes in this signaling procedure (as NAS data).

[0054] 1.5 Example of a random access procedure

[0055] Since the device NAS identifier includes many bits, if Msg1 includes the device NAS identifier, but Msg1 conflicts (e.g., more than one device simultaneously uses the same radio resources to transmit Msg1) and the random access procedure fails, then transmitting the device NAS identifier in Msg1 will waste radio resources and device power.

[0056] In some embodiments, to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, Msg1 may include only the Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), and the device NAS identifier may be sent in Msg3 (e.g., using a four-step random access procedure). If Msg1 includes the device NAS identifier, and Msg1 is non-conflicting (e.g., only one device uses radio resources to send Msg1), and the random access procedure is successful, then it can complete the random access procedure with two messages (e.g., using a two-step random access procedure).

[0057] Given that both four-step and two-step random access procedures have their advantages, the base station can include an indication in the paging message to indicate whether a four-step or two-step random access procedure is triggered. In another implementation, the network may support either a four-step or two-step random access procedure, or which procedure is used may depend on the device implementation.

[0058] In some embodiments, the device NAS identifier is included in the paging message. If only one UE is paged, the device NAS identifier does not need to be included in Msg1, Msg3, or other UL messages. Alternatively, it can be indicated in the DL message (e.g., in the paging message) whether the device NAS identifier is included in Msg1, Msg3, or other UL messages.

[0059] Method 1. Figure 2A An example of a successful two-step random access procedure is shown. As illustrated, after receiving a paging message, the (AIoT) device sends Msg1 of the two-step random access procedure to the base station. Here, Msg1 may include at least one of the following: RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identifier), first device NAS identification information, buffer size report (BSR) MAC CE, uplink data presence indication, and / or uplink data volume information. If the paging message includes an AIoT DL payload, inventory indication, or device status acquisition command, Msg1 may also include an AIoT UL payload, device status information, and / or device radio capabilities.

[0060] In some examples, the RNTI is a random or pseudo-random number generated by the device with a predefined size (e.g., 8 bits or 16 bits), or simply a signal randomly selected by the device from a predefined set of preambles (e.g., a preamble), and the first device NAS identification information is the device NAS identifier or a subset of the bits of the device NAS identifier (e.g., the rightmost predefined number of bits of the device NAS identifier, the least significant predefined number of bits of the device NAS identifier, etc.). In some examples, the RNTI and the first device NAS identification information may be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they may be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU. In some examples, the device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: device power level, device power consumption level (e.g., approximately 1µW peak power consumption or ≤ several hundred µW peak power consumption), device UL transmission generation capability, DL amplification capability, UL amplification capability, backscatter capability, etc. These parameters can be used by the network to determine whether an intermediate node (e.g., UE) is necessary for communication, to determine downlink transmit power (e.g., transmit power of drive signals), to determine whether DL and / or UL amplification is used, or to determine physical scheduling strategies (e.g., MCS selection), etc.

[0061] continue Figure 2AThe description states that when a base station receives Msg1 and no Msg1 collision is detected (e.g., only one device is transmitting Msg1 using the same radio resources), the base station sends Msg2 of a two-step random access procedure to the device, which includes the RNTI and the second device NAS identification information. Here, the second device NAS identification information is the same as the first device NAS identification information, or includes some bits or portions of the first device NAS identification information. If the random access procedure includes executing an application command, that application command can also be included in Msg2 of the two-step random access procedure. In some examples, the RNTI and the second device NAS identification information can be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they can be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU.

[0062] Figure 2B An example of a failed two-step random access procedure is shown. In this example, Msg1 and... Figure 2A The Msg1 described in the context is the same. For example... Figure 2B As shown, when the base station receives Msg1 and detects a Msg1 collision (e.g., more than one device simultaneously transmitting Msg1 using the same radio resources), the base station sends Msg2 to the device. Msg2 includes a backoff timer and / or a failure indication, as well as zero or more RNTIs. When the backoff timer is received, the device starts the backoff timer and re-triggers the random access procedure when the backoff timer expires. If a failure indication is included, the device can re-trigger random access.

[0063] exist Figure 2B In the example, if no RNTI is received in Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator, then Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator applies to all devices sending the associated Msg1. Alternatively, if one or more RNTIs are received in Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator, then Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator applies only to devices sending the associated Msg1 with the RNTI. In some examples, the RNTI and the fallback timer and / or failure indicator can be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they can be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU.

[0064] Method 2. Figure 2C An example of a successful four-step random access procedure is shown. The procedure is similar to... Figure 2A The two-step random access process described in the document. Specifically, Figure 2C Msg3 and Msg4 in the text correspond to respectively Figure 2A Msg1 and Msg2 in the text. Figure 2CIn the example shown, Msg1 and Msg2 are used to detect Msg1 collisions and prevent any unnecessary device NAS identifier transmissions in the event of a random access failure.

[0065] like Figure 2C As shown, the (AIoT) device receives a paging message and then sends Msg1, a four-step random access procedure, to the base station. Here, Msg1 may include an RNTI or only a signal (e.g., a preamble), where the RNTI is a random or pseudo-random number generated by the device with a predefined size (e.g., 8 bits or 16 bits), and the preamble is randomly selected by the device from a predefined set of preambles.

[0066] When the base station receives Msg1 and no Msg1 collision is detected (e.g., only one device is transmitting Msg1 using the same radio resources), the base station sends Msg2, a four-step random access procedure, to the device, which includes an RNTI for acknowledging Msg1. After receiving Msg2, the device sends Msg3, a four-step random access procedure, to the base station. Here, Msg3 may include an RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identifier) ​​and first device NAS identification information. If the paging message includes a DL AioT payload, inventory indication, or device status acquisition command, Msg3 may also include a UL AioT payload, device status information, and / or device radio capabilities.

[0067] In some examples, the RNTI is a random number generated by the device with a predefined size (e.g., 8 bits or 16 bits), and the first device NAS identification information is the device NAS identifier or a subset of the bits of the device NAS identifier (e.g., the rightmost predefined number of bits of the device NAS identifier, the least significant predefined number of bits of the device NAS identifier, etc.). In some examples, the RNTI and the first device NAS identification information may be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they may be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU. In some examples, device radio capabilities include at least one of the following: device power level, device power consumption level (e.g., approximately 1µW peak power consumption or ≤ several hundred µW peak power consumption), device UL transmission generation capability, DL amplification capability, UL amplification capability, backscatter capability, etc. These parameters may be used by the network to determine whether an intermediate node (e.g., UE) is necessary for communication, to determine downlink transmit power (e.g., transmit power of drive signals), to determine whether DL and / or UL amplification is used, or to determine physical scheduling policies (e.g., MCS selection), etc.

[0068] continue Figure 2CThe description states that when a base station receives Msg3 and no Msg3 collision is detected (e.g., only one device is transmitting Msg3 using the same radio resources), the base station sends Msg4 of a four-step random access procedure to the device, which includes the RNTI and the second device NAS identification information. Here, the second device NAS identification information is the same as the first device NAS identification information, or includes some bits or bits of the first device NAS identification information. If the random access procedure includes executing an application command, that application command can also be included in the Msg4 of the four-step random access procedure. In some examples, the RNTI and the second device NAS identification information can be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they can be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU.

[0069] Figure 2D An example of a failed four-step random access procedure is shown. In this example, Msg1 and... Figure 2C Msg1 is the same as described in the context, and Msg2 is the same as in the context. Figure 2B The Msg2 described in the context is the same.

[0070] like Figure 2D As shown, the device receives a paging message and then sends Msg1, a four-step random access procedure, to the base station. Here, Msg1 may include an RNTI or only a signal (e.g., a preamble), where the RNTI is a random number generated by the device with a predefined size (e.g., 8 bits or 16 bits), and the preamble is randomly selected by the device from a predefined set of preambles.

[0071] When a base station receives Msg1 and detects a Msg1 collision (e.g., more than one device simultaneously transmitting Msg1 using the same radio resources), the base station sends Msg2 to that device. Msg2 includes a backoff timer and / or a failure indication, along with zero or more RNTIs. Upon receiving the backoff timer, the device starts the backoff timer and re-triggers the random access procedure when the backoff timer expires. If a failure indication is included, the device can re-trigger random access.

[0072] exist Figure 2DIn the example, if no RNTI is received in Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator, then Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator applies to all devices sending the associated Msg1. Alternatively, if one or more RNTIs are received in Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator, then Msg2 with a fallback timer or failure indicator applies only to devices sending the associated Msg1 with the RNTI. In some examples, the RNTI and the fallback timer and / or failure indicator can be included in a single MAC CE. Alternatively, they can be included in different MAC CEs of a single MAC PDU.

[0073] 2. Examples of MAC CE format

[0074] The described embodiments enable base stations and AIoT devices to exchange information using Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Units (PDUs).

[0075] Figure 3A An example of a MAC PDU structure is shown. As illustrated, a MAC PDU consists of one or more MAC sub-PDUs, each of which includes at least one of the following:

[0076] – MAC subheader only;

[0077] –MAC subheader and MAC SDU;

[0078] – MAC subheader and MAC CE and / or

[0079] – Padding bits.

[0080] In some examples, the size of the MAC SDU is variable. In some examples, the MAC CE is fixed or variable in size and includes extension fields, a predefined message format, or a data structure (e.g., an ASN.1 code) with extension fields. In some examples, a MAC PDU header consists of one or more MAC PDU subheaders, each corresponding to a MACSDU, MAC control element, or padding. In some examples, for a fixed-size MAC CE, the MAC subheader is a fixed size of one byte (without an L field), while for a variable-size MAC CE or MAC SDU, the MAC subheader is a fixed size of two bytes (without an L field). In some examples, padding bits consist of 0 to 7 bits used to align the MAC PDU bytes in length (i.e., multiples of 8 bits) and do not have a corresponding MAC subheader.

[0081] Figure 3BAnother example of a MAC PDU structure is shown. As illustrated, a MAC PDU includes a MAC header, zero or more MAC control elements, zero or more MAC Service Data Units (MAC SDUs), and optional padding. Here, a MAC PDU header includes one or more MAC PDU subheaders, each corresponding to a MAC SDU, MAC control element, or padding. In some examples, the size of the MAC SDU is variable. In some examples, the MAC CE is fixed or variable in size and includes an extension field, a predefined message format, or a data structure (e.g., an ASN.1 code) with the extension field. In some examples, for a fixed-size MAC CE, the MAC subheader is a fixed size of one byte (without an L field), while for a variable-size MAC CE or MAC SDU, the MAC subheader is a fixed size of two bytes (without an L field). In some examples, the padding bits consist of 0 to 7 bits used to align the MAC PDU bytes in length (i.e., multiples of 8 bits) and do not have a corresponding MAC subheader.

[0082] Figure 3C An example of a MAC subheader with a fixed-size MAC CE is shown. As illustrated, the MAC subheader includes the following information:

[0083] – SubPDU type or MAC CE type, which is used to indicate the presence of a command or message (e.g., a MAC subPDU consisting only of a MAC subheader, a MAC CE with a fixed size of zero bits, etc.), MAC CE type, and / or MAC CE length (which can be implicitly indicated).

[0084] – One or more R fields that are reserved for future use; the default value is 0.

[0085] Figure 3D An example of a MAC subheader with a variable-size MAC CE or MAC SDU is shown. As illustrated, the MAC subheader includes the following information:

[0086] – Sub-PDU type or MAC CE type, which is used to indicate the MAC CE type or MACSDU corresponding to the MAC sub-header.

[0087] The –L field is used to indicate the length of a MAC CE or MAC SDU with a variable size.

[0088] – One or more R fields that are reserved for future use; the default value is 0.

[0089] Figure 3EAn example of a MAC CE with extended fields is shown. As shown, the last bit is used as an extension flag, and its default value is 0, and it can be used for future extensions of the MAC CE (e.g., adding new fields).

[0090] Figure 3F Another example of a MAC CE with an extended field is shown, which is derived from... Figure 3E This is derived from the MAC CE extension shown. As illustrated, the extension indicator bit (e.g., in the Ext Ind field) is set to 1 to indicate that another byte has been extended. Furthermore, the last bit of the extended byte is again used as the extension flag, with a default value of 0, and it can be used for future extensions of MAC CE (e.g., adding new fields).

[0091] Expanding the MAC CE size (e.g., from) Figure 3E Expand to Figure 3F After that, the MAC CE was reconfigured from a fixed size to a variable size (e.g., Figure 3E or Figure 3F The format shown can be used with the same sub-PDU type or MAC CE type, and the MAC subheader with the L field is used to indicate the MAC CE size.

[0092] Figure 3G Another example of a MAC CE with variable size and byte alignment is shown. As illustrated, it includes optional fields (e.g., field 1 and field 2) and extended fields (e.g., Ext Ind). Here, the presence of optional fields (e.g., field 1 and / or field 2) depends on a field presence flag; for example, if the field 1 presence flag is set to 0, field 1 does not exist in the MAC CE or MAC format, while if the field 1 presence flag is set to 1, field 1 exists in the MAC CE or MAC format. Furthermore, the last bit of the MAC CE or MAC format can be used as an extended flag with a default value of 0, and it is used for future extensions of the MAC CE (e.g., adding new fields). For an example of a paging MAC CE, the format could be as follows: Figure 3H As shown in the figure.

[0093] In some embodiments, for inventory or disable / deactivate commands, it can be defined as a zero-bit MAC CE of fixed size, for example, only the MAC subheader is used to indicate inventory or disable / deactivate commands.

[0094] Figure 3IAnother example of a MAC CE with a predefined message format or data structure featuring extended fields is shown. In some examples, this data structure is a semi-static message structure encoded in Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) format.

[0095] In some embodiments, a predefined message format or data structure with extended fields may include a set of predefined messages with extended fields. An example is shown below:

[0096]

[0097] In this example, the spare field and the messageTypeExtension field can be used for new message type definitions, and the messageFieldExtension field can be used for new field definitions in the message.

[0098] 3. Example of SDU segmentation in MAC

[0099] In some applications of the disclosed technology, the size of one or more data packets may be large, and service data unit (SDU) segmentation may be required during transmission. The described embodiments provide a MAC SDU structure for SDU segmentation in a MAC.

[0100] Figure 4A An example of an SDU segment is shown. As illustrated, a single bit of the SDU end indication (e.g., included in the MAC subheader, MAC SDU, or MAC CE) or zero bits of the MAC CE are used to indicate whether the MAC SDU includes the last SDU segment. If the SDU segment included in the MAC SDU is not the last SDU segment, the receiver will send an ACK indication to the transmitter when it receives that segment, and the transmitter will send the next segment upon receiving the ACK indication. Alternatively, the transmitter may retransmit the current segment if it does not receive an ACK indication within a predefined duration, or if it receives a NACK indication.

[0101] Figure 4B Another example of SDU segmentation is shown. As illustrated, two bits of the Segmentation Information (SI) are used to indicate SDU segmentation information within the MAC SDU. Here, the SI is also included in the MAC subheader, MAC SDU, or MAC CE. In some embodiments, the SI may indicate the following information:

[0102]

[0103] Here, if SI is neither "00" (e.g., the SDU segment field does not contain all bytes of the SDU) nor "10" (e.g., the SDU segment included in the MAC SDU is not the last SDU segment), the receiver is configured to send an ACK indication to the transmitter when it receives the segment. The transmitter is configured to send the next segment when it receives the ACK indication. Alternatively, if the transmitter does not receive an ACK indication or receives a NACK indication within a predefined duration, it will retransmit the current segment.

[0104] Figure 4C Another example of SDU segmentation is shown. As illustrated, in addition to the segmentation information (SI), the segmentation SN (Sequence Number) is also included in the MAC subheader, MAC SDU segment, or MAC CE. Here, the segmentation SN can be used for segmentation acknowledgment and retransmission. In some examples, when the receiver sends an ACK or NACK, it can also indicate the segmentation SN, allowing the transmitter to determine which segment the ACK or NACK corresponds to, and when the transmitter retransmits a segment, the segmentation SN can be used to indicate which segment has been retransmitted. This allows the receiver to identify a segment when it receives more than one copy of the segment, or allows the transmitter to retransmit a segment that has already been successfully received by the receiver.

[0105] Figure 4D Another example of SDU segmentation is shown. As illustrated, a Buffer Status Report (BSR) is included in the MACSDU or MAC CE to indicate the amount of data remaining in the transmitter buffer to be transmitted, and a buffer size of 0 can be used to indicate the end of the SDU. The BSR information can be used by the receiver to perform resource scheduling and / or determine subsequent procedures.

[0106] 4. Examples of methods and implementations of the disclosed technology

[0107] Figure 5A A flowchart of an example method 510 for wireless communication is shown. Method 510 includes, at operation 512, a message received by a wireless device from a network entity, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory process.

[0108] Method 510 includes, at operation 514, performing a corresponding procedure based on the instruction. In this example, the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0109] Figure 5BA flowchart of an example method 520 for wireless communication is shown. Method 520 includes, at operation 522, a message sent by a network entity to a wireless device, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory process. In this example, the wireless device is configured to perform the corresponding process based on the indication. Furthermore, the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0110] Figure 5C A flowchart of an example method 530 for wireless communication is shown. Method 530 includes, at operation 532, a network entity receiving a message from the core network, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory procedure. In this example, a wireless device is configured to perform the corresponding procedure based on the indication, and the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node. Furthermore, the message includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the wireless device, a maximum number of groups for a random access procedure, a time interval for triggering a random access procedure, the type of the wireless device, the reason for triggering the selection, paging, or inventory procedure, the capabilities of the wireless device, or information related to the area in which the network entity sends the indication.

[0111] The described features can be implemented to further provide one or more of the following technical solutions:

[0112] 1. A wireless communication method comprising: receiving a message from a network entity by a wireless device, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory process; and performing a corresponding process based on the indication, wherein the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0113] 2. A wireless communication method comprising: sending a message from a network entity to a wireless device, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory process, wherein the wireless device is configured to perform a corresponding process based on the indication, and wherein the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

[0114] 3. The method according to solution 1 or 2, wherein the message further includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the wireless device, a maximum number of groups for the random access procedure, a time interval for triggering the random access procedure, the type of the wireless device, and a reason for triggering the selection, paging, or inventory procedure.

[0115] 4. A wireless communication method comprising: receiving a message from a core network by a network entity, the message including an indication of a selection, paging, or inventory procedure, wherein a wireless device is configured to perform a corresponding procedure based on the indication, wherein the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node, and wherein the message further includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the wireless device, a maximum number of groups for a random access procedure, a time interval for triggering a random access procedure, a type of the wireless device, a reason for triggering the selection, paging, or inventory procedure, the capabilities of the wireless device, or information related to the area in which the network entity sends the indication.

[0116] 5. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the identifier of the wireless device includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the wireless device, the group identifier of the wireless device, or a mask indicating the group identifier of the wireless device.

[0117] 6. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the maximum number of groups is used to determine the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups for each device to perform the random access procedure, wherein each wireless device in a group of wireless devices associated with the same number of ALOHA groups or the same number of randomized groups is configured to perform the random access procedure simultaneously, and wherein performing the random access procedure includes simultaneously and randomly selecting transmission resources.

[0118] 7. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the corresponding process includes the random access process, and wherein, when the type of the wireless device is an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device or a passive IoT device, the wireless device is configured to determine the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups based on the maximum number of groups; and to select transmission resources based on the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups.

[0119] 8. The method according to Solution 7, wherein, as part of selecting a transmission resource, the wireless device is configured to attempt to select a transmission resource; in response to the attempt to select a transmission resource, it receives a random access response including a backoff timer from a network entity; and selects a transmission resource when the backoff timer expires.

[0120] 9. The method according to Solution 8, wherein the wireless device is further configured to set a flag of the wireless device to a zero value before determining the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups; and to set the flag to a 1 value after selecting transmission resources.

[0121] 10. The method according to Solution 9, wherein the wireless device is configured to perform the random access procedure when the type of inventory is incremental inventory and the flag is set to zero.

[0122] 11. The method according to any one of solutions 7 to 10, wherein the wireless device is further configured to start a timer and, when the timer exceeds a threshold, perform the random access procedure.

[0123] 12. The method according to solution 11, wherein the threshold is equal to the product of the time interval and the number of ALOHA groups, or the product of the time interval and the number of randomized groups.

[0124] 13. The method according to solution 12, wherein the time interval is based on the duration of completing the random access procedure.

[0125] 14. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the corresponding process includes a random access procedure, and wherein the indication triggers a two-step random access procedure or a four-step random access procedure.

[0126] 15. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the corresponding process includes a status acquisition process, and wherein the wireless device is further configured to send status information of the wireless device to the network entity, wherein when the indication is included in a paging message or a paging media access control (MAC) control element (CE), the status information is included in Msg1 or Msg3 of the random access (RA) procedure, or in a message transmitted after the random access procedure, wherein when the indication is included in Msg2 or Msg4 of the random access procedure, the status information is included in Msg3 of the random access procedure, or in a message transmitted after the random access procedure, and wherein when the indication is included in a paging MACCE, the status information is included in a message transmitted after the random access procedure.

[0127] 16. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the corresponding process is an information exchange process, and wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive a data unit including a command or non-access stratum (NAS) message; and based on the command or NAS message, perform at least one of the following: read command, write command, device activation, device deactivation, authentication or authorization or control process, wherein the data unit is a NAS protocol data unit (PDU), a media access control (MAC) control element (CE), a MAC service data unit (SDU), a predefined message format or a predefined data structure.

[0128] 17. The method according to solution 3 or 4, wherein the corresponding process includes a device deactivation process, and wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive a deactivation command from the network entity, wherein the deactivation command is included in a paging message, a paging media access control (MAC) control element (CE), or a message transmitted after the random access process.

[0129] 18. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE includes at least one of the following: an extended field, a predefined message format, or a data structure having the extended field, and wherein the MAC CE is included in a MAC protocol data unit (PDU).

[0130] 19. The method according to solution 18, wherein the MAC CE is a fixed-size or variable-size field.

[0131] 20. The method according to solution 18, wherein the data structure includes an Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) code.

[0132] 21. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE is included in a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) having a corresponding MAC subheader, the corresponding MAC subheader including (a) a subPDU type or MAC CE type field indicating command or format information, and (b) at least one reserved field having a default value of zero.

[0133] 22. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE is included in a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) having a corresponding MAC subheader, the corresponding MAC subheader including (a) a subPDU type or MAC CE type field indicating the MAC service data unit (SDU) of the MAC CE or the corresponding MAC subheader, (b) a length field indicating the length of the MAC CE type field or the length of the MAC SDU having a variable size, and (c) at least one reserved field having a default value of zero.

[0134] 23. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE includes an extension field, the last bit of which indicates an extension flag, the default value of which is 0, and the value of which is 1 indicates the presence of a new field in the MAC CE.

[0135] 24. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE includes an extended field indicating the presence of an extended byte field, wherein the extended byte field indicates an extended flag having a default value of zero, and wherein a value of 1 for the extended flag indicates the presence of a new field in the MAC CE.

[0136] 25. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE includes at least one optional field and an extended field, wherein the existence of the at least one optional field is based on the value of a field existence flag, and wherein the value of the extended flag is 1 to indicate the existence of a new field in the MAC CE.

[0137] 26. The method according to any one of solutions 15 to 17, wherein the MAC CE includes a predefined message format or a predefined data structure having extended fields.

[0138] 27. The method according to solution 26, wherein the predefined data structure includes a semi-static message structure encoded in Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) format.

[0139] 28. The method according to solution 26, wherein the predefined message format or predefined data structure with extended fields comprises a set of predefined messages with extended fields.

[0140] 29. The method according to any one of solutions 1 to 4, wherein the corresponding process includes an SDU segment associated with a plurality of Service Data Unit (SDU) segments, and wherein the Media Access Control (MAC) SDU associated with the corresponding process includes one of the plurality of SDU segments.

[0141] 30. The method according to solution 29, wherein the bits of the SDU segment or MAC SDU sub-header indicate whether the MAC SDU includes the last SDU segment among the plurality of SDU segments.

[0142] 31. The method according to solution 30, wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive the SDU segment; determine that bits in the SDU segment or the MAC SDU sub-header indicate that the SDU segment is not the last SDU segment among the plurality of SDU segments; and based on the determination, send an acknowledgment of receipt of the SDU segment to a network entity.

[0143] 32. The method according to solution 31, wherein the network entity is configured to receive the acknowledgment; and based on receiving the acknowledgment, to send a different SDU segment, wherein the sequence number of the different SDU segment is 1 greater than the sequence number of the SDU segment corresponding to the acknowledgment.

[0144] 33. The method according to solution 29, wherein the MAC SDU or MAC SDU sub-header includes two bits of segmentation information for the SDU segment, and wherein the wireless device is configured to send an acknowledgment of receipt of the SDU segment when the segmentation information indicates that the MAC SDU does not include the last SDU segment or all bytes of the entire SDU segment.

[0145] 34. The method according to solution 29, wherein the SDU segment or MAC SDU subheader includes a sequence number (SN).

[0146] 35. The method according to solution 34, wherein the sequence number is used for segment identification, segment confirmation and segment retransmission.

[0147] 36. The method according to solution 29, wherein the MAC SDU includes Buffer Status Report (BSR) information indicating the remaining data size in the transmission data buffer.

[0148] 37. The method according to solution 36, wherein the remaining data size being zero indicates the end of the MAC SDU.

[0149] 38. The method according to solution 36, wherein the BSR information is used for resource scheduling and / or determining the corresponding process.

[0150] 39. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising one or more processors configured to implement one or more of the methods described in solutions 1 to 38.

[0151] 40. A non-transient computer-readable program storage medium having code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement one or more of the methods described in solutions 1 to 38.

[0152] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example hardware platform 600 is shown, which may be part of a network device (e.g., a base station) or a communication device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)). The hardware platform 600 includes at least one processor 610 and a memory 605 storing instructions thereon. The instructions executed by the processor 610 configure the hardware platform 600 to perform... Figure 5A and Figure 5BAnd the operations described in the various embodiments described in this patent document. Transmitter 615 transmits or sends information or data to another device. For example, a network device transmitter can send a message to a user equipment. Receiver 620 receives information or data transmitted or sent by another device. For example, a user equipment can receive a message from a network device.

[0153] The implementation methods discussed above will be applied to wireless communication. Figure 7 An example of a wireless communication system (e.g., a 5G or NR cellular network) including a base station 720 and one or more user equipments (UEs) 711, 712, and 713 is shown. In some embodiments, the UE accesses the BS (e.g., the network) using a communication link to the network (sometimes referred to as the uplink direction, as depicted by dashed arrows 731, 732, and 733), which then enables subsequent communication from the BS to the UE (e.g., shown in the direction from the network to the UE, sometimes referred to as the downlink direction, as depicted by arrows 741, 742, and 743). In some embodiments, the BS sends information to the UE (sometimes referred to as the downlink direction, as depicted by arrows 741, 742, and 743), which then enables subsequent communication from the UE to the BS (e.g., shown in the direction from the UE to the BS, sometimes referred to as the uplink direction, indicated by dashed arrows 731, 732, and 733). The UE can be, for example, a smartphone, tablet, mobile computer, machine-to-machine (M2M) device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.

[0154] Some of the embodiments described herein are described in the general context of methods or processes. In one embodiment, these methods or processes can be implemented by a computer program product embodied in a computer-readable medium, including computer-executable instructions such as program code that are executed by a computer in a networked environment. The computer-readable medium can include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical disc (CD), digital versatile optical disc (DVD), etc. Therefore, the computer-readable medium can include non-transient storage media. Typically, program modules can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. Computer or processor-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for performing steps of the methods disclosed herein. A particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding actions for implementing the functionality described in such steps or processes.

[0155] Some of the disclosed embodiments may be implemented as devices or modules using hardware circuitry, software, or a combination thereof. For example, hardware circuitry implementations may include discrete analog and / or digital components, which may be integrated, for example, as part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules may be implemented as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) devices. Some implementations may additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a special-purpose microprocessor having an architecture optimized for the operational requirements of digital signal processing associated with the disclosed functions of this application. Similarly, various components or sub-components within each module may be implemented using software, hardware, or firmware. Interconnectivity between modules and / or components within modules may be provided using any connection methods and media known in the art, including but not limited to communication over the Internet, wired, or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0156] While this document contains numerous details, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention or any potentially claimed content, but rather as descriptions of specific features of particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations, and even initially claimed in this way, one or more features from a claimed combination may be removed from that combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may be for sub-combinations or variations thereof. Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order or sequential order shown, or requiring all illustrated operations to be performed to obtain the desired result.

[0157] Only a few implementations and examples have been described, and other implementations, enhancements and variations may be made based on what is described and shown in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: The wireless device receives messages from the network entity, the messages including instructions for selection, paging, or inventory procedures; as well as Based on the instructions, execute the corresponding process. The network entities include network nodes, relay nodes, or alternative wireless devices configured to operate as intermediate nodes.

2. A wireless communication method, comprising: A network entity sends a message to a wireless device, the message including instructions for a selection, paging, or inventory process. The wireless device is configured to perform a corresponding process based on the instruction, and the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The message also includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the wireless device Maximum number of groups used in the random access procedure The time interval at which the random access procedure is triggered. The type of wireless device, The reason that triggers the selection, paging, or inventory process.

4. A wireless communication method, comprising: Messages received by network entities from the core network, including instructions for selection, paging, or inventory procedures, are provided. The wireless device is configured to perform a corresponding process based on the instructions, wherein the network entity includes a network node, a relay node, or an alternative wireless device configured to operate as an intermediate node. The message also includes at least one of the following: The identifier of the wireless device Maximum number of groups used in the random access procedure The time interval at which the random access procedure is triggered. The type of wireless device, The reason for triggering the selection, paging, or inventory process is The capabilities of the wireless device, or Information related to the area in which the network entity sends the instruction.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The identifier of the wireless device includes at least one of the following: the identifier of the wireless device, the group identifier of the wireless device, or a mask indicating the group identifier of the wireless device.

6. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The maximum number of groups is used to determine the number of ALOHA groups or randomized groups for each device to perform the random access procedure, wherein each wireless device in a group of wireless devices associated with the same number of ALOHA groups or the same number of randomized groups is configured to perform the random access procedure simultaneously, and wherein performing the random access procedure includes simultaneously and randomly selecting transmission resources.

7. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The corresponding process includes the random access process, and wherein, when the type of the wireless device is an environmental Internet of Things (IoT) device or a passive IoT device, the wireless device is configured to: Based on the maximum number of groups, determine the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups; and The transmission resources are selected based on the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, As part of selecting the transmission resources, the wireless device is configured to: Try selecting the aforementioned transmission resource; In response to an attempt to select the transmission resource, a random access response, including a backoff timer, is received from the network entity; and When the rollback timer expires, the transmission resource is selected.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The wireless device is also configured to: Before determining the number of ALOHA groups or the number of randomized groups, the flag of the wireless device is set to zero; and After selecting the transmission resource, the flag is set to a value of 1.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, When the inventory count type is incremental and the flag is set to zero, the wireless device is configured as follows: Perform the random access procedure.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein, The wireless device is also configured to start a timer and execute the random access procedure when the timer exceeds a threshold.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The threshold is equal to the product of the time interval and the number of ALOHA groups, or the product of the time interval and the number of randomized groups.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The time interval is based on the duration of the random access procedure.

14. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The corresponding process includes the random access procedure, wherein the indication triggers a two-step random access procedure or a four-step random access procedure.

15. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The corresponding process includes a status acquisition process, and the wireless device is further configured to: Send the status information of the wireless device to the network entity. When the indication is included in a paging message or a paging medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), the status information is included in Msg1 or Msg3 of the random access (RA) procedure, or in a message transmitted after the random access procedure. Wherein, when the indication is included in Msg2 or Msg4 of the random access procedure, the status information is included in Msg3 of the random access procedure, or is included in a message transmitted after the random access procedure, and When the indication is included in the paging MAC CE, the status information is included in a message transmitted after the random access procedure.

16. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The corresponding process is an information exchange process, and the wireless device is further configured to: A data unit that receives commands or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages; and Based on the command or NAS message, perform at least one of the following: read command, write command, device activation, device deactivation, authentication or authorization or control process. The data unit is a NAS Protocol Data Unit (PDU), a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE), a MAC Service Data Unit (SDU), a predefined message format, or a predefined data structure.

17. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The corresponding process includes a device deactivation process, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: Receive deactivation command from the network entity. The deactivation command is included in a paging message, a paging media access control (MAC) control element (CE), or a message transmitted after the random access procedure.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE includes at least one of the following: an extended field, a predefined message format, or a data structure having the extended field, and wherein the MAC CE is included in a MAC Protocol Data Unit (PDU).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The MAC CE is a fixed-size or variable-size field.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The data structure includes Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) code.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE is included in a MAC protocol data unit (PDU) having a corresponding MAC subheader, the corresponding MAC subheader including (a) a subPDU type or MAC CE type field indicating command or format information, and (b) at least one reserved field with a default value of zero.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE is included in a MAC Protocol Data Unit (PDU) with a corresponding MAC subheader, the corresponding MAC subheader including (a) a subPDU type or MAC CE type field indicating the MAC CE or the MAC Service Data Unit (SDU) of the corresponding MAC subheader, (b) a length field indicating the length of the MAC CE type field or the length of the MAC SDU with a variable size, and (c) at least one reserved field with a default value of zero.

23. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE includes an extension field, the last bit of which indicates an extension flag, the default value of which is zero, and wherein a value of 1 in the extension flag indicates the presence of a new field in the MAC CE.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE includes an extension field that indicates the presence of an extended byte field, wherein the extended byte field indicates an extension flag with a default value of zero, and wherein a value of 1 for the extension flag indicates the presence of a new field in the MAC CE.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE includes at least one optional field and an extended field, wherein the existence of the at least one optional field is based on the value of a field existence flag, and wherein a value of 1 for the extended flag indicates the existence of a new field in the MAC CE.

26. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The MAC CE includes a predefined message format or a predefined data structure with extended fields.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The predefined data structure includes a semi-static message structure encoded in Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1) format.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, The predefined message format or the predefined data structure having the extended fields includes a set of predefined messages with extended fields.

29. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The corresponding process includes SDU segments associated with a plurality of Service Data Units (SDUs), wherein the Media Access Control (MAC) SDU associated with the corresponding process includes one of the plurality of SDU segments.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The bits in the SDU segment or MAC SDU subheader indicate whether the MAC SDU includes the last SDU segment among the plurality of SDU segments.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein, The wireless device is also configured to: Receive the SDU segment; The bits in the SDU segment or the MAC SDU sub-header indicate that the SDU segment is not the last SDU segment among the plurality of SDU segments; as well as Based on the determination, an acknowledgment of receipt of the SDU segment is sent to the network entity.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The network entity is configured as follows: Receive the confirmation; and Based on the receipt of the acknowledgment, different SDU segments are sent, wherein the sequence number of the different SDU segments is 1 greater than the sequence number of the SDU segment corresponding to the acknowledgment.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The MAC SDU or MAC SDU sub-header includes two bits of segmentation information for the SDU segment, and wherein, when the segmentation information indicates that the MAC SDU does not include the last SDU segment or any bytes in the entire SDU segment, the wireless device is configured to: Send an acknowledgment of receipt of the SDU segment.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The SDU segment or MAC SDU subheader includes a sequence number (SN).

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein, The sequence number is used for segment identification, segment confirmation, and segment retransmission.

36. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The MAC SDU includes Cache Status Report (BSR) information that indicates the amount of data remaining in the transmission data buffer.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein, The remaining data size being zero indicates the end of the MAC SDU.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein, The BSR information is used for resource scheduling and / or to determine the corresponding process.

39. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising one or more processors configured to implement the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 38.

40. A non-transient computer-readable program storage medium having code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 38.

Images