Apparatus and method for frequency hopping for environmental internet of things channel configuration

Abstract

Various aspects of this disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses, and devices for wireless communication. A base station may determine (902) to have one or more of the following configurations: a frequency hopping configuration associated with different frequency modulations of an external node, wherein the frequency hopping indicated by the frequency hopping configuration is associated with the frequency response of an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device; and a frequency hopping operation associated with the AIoT device, wherein the frequency hopping operation includes applying a frequency shift to an uplink (UL) signal. The base station may also transmit (904) the configuration described above.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to configuring frequency hopping for Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) channels. Background Technology

[0002] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices, such as base stations, that support wireless communication for one or more user communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UE) or other suitable terms. The wireless communication system can support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by utilizing the resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers, etc.)). Furthermore, the wireless communication system can support wireless communication across a variety of radio access technologies, including third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and other suitable radio access technologies other than 5G (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)). Summary of the Invention

[0003] The article “a” preceding an element is not limited and should be understood to refer to “at least one” or “one or more” of those elements. The terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” are interchangeable. As used herein, the word “or,” as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with phrases such as “at least one,” “one or more,” or “one or two”) indicates an inclusive list, such that a list of at least one of, for example, A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should not be construed as referring to a closed set of conditions. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, an example step described as “based on condition A” may be based on both condition A and condition B. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase “at least partially based on.” Additionally, as used herein, the word “group” may comprise one or more elements.

[0004] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to wireless communication, including improved methods and apparatus for supporting communication of AIoT devices in wireless communication systems. A base station may determine a configuration including one or more of the following: a frequency hopping configuration associated with a different frequency modulation of an external node (e.g., a UE), wherein the frequency hopping indicated by the frequency hopping configuration is associated with the frequency response of the AIoT device; and a frequency hopping operation associated with the AIoT device, wherein the frequency hopping operation includes applying a frequency shift to an uplink (UL) signal. The base station may also transmit the configuration. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 Examples of wireless communication systems according to aspects of this disclosure are described.

[0006] Figure 2 Examples of wireless networks according to aspects of this disclosure are described.

[0007] Figure 3 This describes an example of carrier (CW) frequency modulation switching according to aspects of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 4 Examples of frequency shift signaling information applied to the uplink (UL) payload according to aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0009] Figure 5 Examples of frequency-shift signaling information applied to different segments of the UL payload according to aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0010] Figure 6 Examples of UEs based on aspects of this disclosure are described.

[0011] Figure 7 Examples of processors according to aspects of this disclosure are described.

[0012] Figure 8 Examples of network equipment (NE) according to aspects of this disclosure are described.

[0013] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by a base station according to aspects of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method performed by an AIoT device according to aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to AIoT devices in wireless communication systems. Due to having very little or no energy storage, AIoT devices may have limited transmission capabilities. In some embodiments, AIoT devices can be configured to use backscatter transmission to transmit using different CW frequency moduli, thereby overcoming some of the challenges of having very little or no energy storage.

[0016] Configuring AIoT devices with information to enable them to backscatter transmission at different modulations (or frequencies) can reduce power consumption, processor usage, and data usage, while improving overall system performance.

[0017] Aspects of this disclosure are described in the context of wireless communication systems.

[0018] Figure 1 This section describes an example of a wireless communication system 100 according to aspects of this disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more NEs 102, one or more UEs 104, and a core network (CN) 106. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network, such as an LTE network or an LTE-A network. In some other embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a new radio (NR) network, such as a 5G network, a 5G-A network, or a 5G ultra-wideband (5G-UWB) network. In other embodiments, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of 4G and 5G networks, or other suitable radio access technologies, including IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20. The wireless communication system 100 may support radio access technologies other than 5G, such as 6G. In addition, the wireless communication system 100 can support technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

[0019] One or more NEs 102 may be distributed across a geographical area to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more of the NEs 102 described herein may be, include, or be referred to as a network node, base station, network element, network function, network entity, radio access network (RAN), NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable terms. NEs 102 and UEs 104 may communicate via a communication link, which may be a wireless or wired connection. For example, NEs 102 and UEs 104 may perform wireless communication (e.g., receive signaling, transmit signaling) via a Uu interface.

[0020] NE 102 can provide a geographic coverage area within which it can support services for one or more UEs 104. For example, NE 102 and UE 104 can support wireless communication of signals associated with services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) based on one or more radio access technologies. In some embodiments, NE 102 can be mobile, for example, a satellite associated with an NTN. In some embodiments, different geographic coverage areas associated with the same or different radio access technologies can overlap, but different geographic coverage areas can be associated with different NEs 102.

[0021] One or more UEs 104 may be distributed across a geographical area of ​​the wireless communication system 100. UE 104 may include or be referred to as a remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, remote device, subscriber device, transmitter device, receiver device, or some other suitable term. In some implementations, UE 104 may be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, and other instances thereof. Additionally or alternatively, UE 104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device, and other instances thereof.

[0022] UE 104 may be able to support direct wireless communication with other UE 104 via a communication link. For example, UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployments, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments, or cellular-V2X deployments, the communication link may be referred to as a side link. For example, UE 104 may support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a UE-to-UE interface (PC5 interface).

[0023] NE 102 may support communication with CN 106 or with another NE 102, or both. For example, NE 102 may interface with other NE 102 or CN 106 via one or more backhaul links (e.g., S1, N2, N2, or network interfaces). In some embodiments, NE 102 may communicate directly with each other. In some other embodiments, NE 102 may communicate with each other or indirectly (e.g., via CN 106). In some embodiments, one or more NE 102 may include sub-components, such as access network entities, which may be instances of access node controllers (ANCs). The ANC may communicate with one or more UEs 104 via one or more other access network transmitting entities, which may be referred to as wireless heads, smart wireless heads, or transmit-receive points (TRPs).

[0024] CN 106 can support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. CN 106 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include control plane entities (e.g., Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)) that manage access and mobility, and user plane entities (e.g., Serving Gateway (S-GW), Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW), or User Plane Function (UPF)) that route packets or interconnect to external networks. In some implementations, the control plane entities may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions of one or more UEs 104 served by one or more NEs 102 associated with CN 106, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management (e.g., data bearers, signaling bearers, etc.).

[0025] CN 106 can communicate with the packet data network via one or more backhaul links (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). The packet data network may contain an application server. In some implementations, one or more UEs 104 can communicate with the application server. UE 104 can establish a session (e.g., a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, etc.) with CN 106 via NE 102. CN 106 can use the established session (e.g., an established PDU session) to route services (e.g., control information, data, etc.) between UE 104 and the application server. A PDU session may be an instance of a logical connection between UE 104 and CN 106 (e.g., one or more network functions of CN 106).

[0026] In the wireless communication system 100, NE 102 and UE 104 can use the resources of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)) to perform various operations (e.g., wireless communication). In some embodiments, NE 102 and UE 104 may support different resource structures. For example, NE 102 and UE 104 may support different frame structures. In some embodiments, such as in 4G, NE 102 and UE 104 may support a single frame structure. In some other embodiments, such as in 5G and other suitable radio access technologies, NE 102 and UE 104 may support various frame structures (i.e., multiple frame structures). NE 102 and UE 104 may support various frame structures based on one or more parameter sets.

[0027] The wireless communication system 100 may support one or more parameter sets, and the parameter sets may include subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefixes. A first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) may be associated with a first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. In some embodiments, the first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) may utilize one time slot per subframe. A second parameter set (e.g., μ=1) may be associated with a second subcarrier spacing (e.g., 30 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. A third parameter set (e.g., μ=2) may be associated with a third subcarrier spacing (e.g., 60 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix or an extended cyclic prefix. A fourth parameter set (e.g., μ=3) may be associated with a fourth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 120 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix. A fifth parameter set (e.g., μ=4) may be associated with a fifth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 240 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix.

[0028] Time intervals for resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to frames (also known as radio frames). Each frame may have a duration, for example, 10 milliseconds (ms). In some embodiments, each frame may contain multiple subframes. For example, each frame may contain 10 subframes, and each subframe may have a duration, for example, 1 ms. In some embodiments, each frame may have the same duration. In some embodiments, each subframe of a frame may have the same duration.

[0029] Alternatively, the time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to time slots. For example, a subframe may contain a certain number (e.g., quantity) of time slots. The number of time slots in each subframe may also depend on one or more parameter sets supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth parameter sets (i.e., μ=0, μ=1, μ=2, μ=3, μ=4) associated with corresponding subcarrier intervals of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz may utilize one time slot per subframe, two time slots per subframe, four time slots per subframe, eight time slots per subframe, and 16 time slots per subframe, respectively. Each time slot may contain a certain number (e.g., quantity) of symbols (e.g., Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols). In some embodiments, the number (e.g., quantity) of time slots in a subframe may depend on the parameter set. For a conventional cyclic prefix, a time slot may contain 14 symbols. For an extended cyclic prefix (e.g., applicable to a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing), a time slot may contain 12 symbols. The relationship between the number of symbols per time slot, the number of time slots per subframe, and the number of time slots per frame for the regular and extended cyclic prefixes may depend on the parameter set. It should be understood that references to the first parameter set (e.g., μ=0) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) can be used interchangeably between subframes and time slots.

[0030] In the wireless communication system 100, the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum can be divided into various categories, frequency bands, channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may support one or more operating frequency bands, such as frequency range names FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz), FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). In some embodiments, NE 102 and UE 104 may perform wireless communication on one or more of the operating frequency bands. In some embodiments, FR1 may be used by NE 102 and UE 104, as well as other equipment or devices, for cellular communication services (e.g., control information, data). In some implementations, FR2 can be used by NE 102 and UE 104, as well as other equipment or devices, for short-range, high data rate capabilities.

[0031] FR1 may be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least three parameter sets). For example, FR1 may be associated with a first parameter set containing a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=0); a second parameter set containing a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=1); and a third parameter set containing a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=2). FR2 may be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least two parameter sets). For example, FR2 may be associated with a third parameter set containing a 60 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=2); and a fourth parameter set containing a 120 kHz subcarrier spacing (e.g., μ=3).

[0032] Some IoT devices may consume very low power and may rely on harvested energy. Furthermore, IoT devices can be considered environmental IoT devices, such as one or more of the following: device 1, which does not have energy storage and independent signal generation (e.g., it uses backscatter emission); device 2, which has energy storage but does not have independent signal generation (e.g., it uses backscatter emission) – the stored energy may be used to amplify reflected signals; and / or device 3, which has energy storage and independent signal generation (e.g., it includes active RF components for transmission).

[0033] The range and / or coverage of the communication link between a base station (BS) and an AIoT device can decrease with distance, channel selectivity, mobility, and / or interference levels at the BS. Channel selectivity can be a major problem in UL (Ultra-Low Frequency) because the channel between the AIoT device and the BS cannot be estimated, especially when a single frequency modulation is used for the carrier. In some instances found in this paper, there may be methods to address frequency selectivity by configuring frequency hopping for the UL channel between the AIoT device and the BS.

[0034] Figure 2 An example of a wireless network 200 according to aspects of this disclosure is described. The wireless network 200 includes an NE 102-a, a UE 104-a, and an AIoT device 202. The NE 102-a can transmit configuration information and / or control the TX power of a carrier by communicating with the UE 104-a (e.g., operating as a transmitter). The UE 104-a can transmit a carrier to the AIoT device 202. Furthermore, the NE 102-a can transmit AIoT downlink information to the AIoT device 202, and the AIoT device 202 can transmit a backscattered response to the NE 102-a.

[0035] In some systems, IoT can be used for a wide variety of applications. More IoT devices can be interconnected to improve productivity and increase comfort. Further reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices enables the deployment of hundreds of billions or even trillions of IoT devices for a wide range of applications, delivering added value across the entire value chain. Powering all IoT devices with batteries that require manual replacement or recharging may not be feasible. Using such batteries could lead to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and security risks for some configurations, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries.

[0036] Most existing wireless communication devices are powered by batteries that require manual replacement or recharging. Automation and digitalization across industries may lead to new markets using IoT technologies that support battery-free devices without energy storage or devices with energy storage that do not require manual replacement or recharging. Such devices may have a small form factor to meet application requirements.

[0037] Some devices have no batteries or have limited energy storage capacity (e.g., using capacitors) and are powered by collecting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source.

[0038] Due to the limited size and complexity required for practical applications of battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or recharging, the output power of energy harvesters can range from 1 µW to several hundred µW. Existing cellular devices, due to their peak power consumption exceeding 10 mW, may not be well suited for energy harvesting.

[0039] One application of AIoT devices could be in systems currently using barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID). As is understood, barcodes and RFID offer extremely low complexity and small form factor. However, the limited reading range of a few meters often necessitates handheld scanning, which requires significant labor and time, or RFID portals and / or gates, resulting in high deployment costs. Furthermore, the lack of interference management solutions can lead to severe interference and capacity issues between RFID readers, especially in dense deployments. It is difficult to support large-scale networks with seamless coverage using RFID.

[0040] AIoT technology offers several orders of magnitude lower complexity and power consumption than existing technologies and can handle systems that were previously impossible with existing technologies. Furthermore, AIoT technology can rely on ultra-low-complexity devices with ultra-low power consumption to enable extremely low-end IoT applications.

[0041] In addition, AIoT technology can enable devices to have one or more of the following characteristics:

[0042] A) Peak power consumption of ~1 µW with energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, and no DL or UL amplification in the device. The device's UL emission is backscattered on an externally provided carrier.

[0043] B) Peak power consumption ≤ several hundred µW, with energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, and DL and / or UL amplification in the device. The UL emission of the device can be generated internally or backscattered on an externally provided carrier.

[0044] C) The maximum coverage distance of the indoor unit is 10 to 50 m.

[0045] D) When the UE acts as an intermediate node under NW control, it may not have RRC status, mobility (e.g., at least no cell selection / reselection function), HARQ, ARQ, etc.

[0046] The deployment scenarios for AIoT devices can have the following characteristics:

[0047] A) Base station and coexistence characteristics: microcell, co-location

[0048] B) When the UE acts as an intermediate node under network control - Base station and coexistence characteristics: macro cell, co-location. The intermediate node is located indoors.

[0049] C) FR1 licensed spectrum in FDD.

[0050] D) Spectrum deployment within the frequency band of NR, spectrum deployment within the guard band of LTE / NR, and / or spectrum deployment within the independent frequency band.

[0051] E) Service type (DO) for devices - DTT, DT, with a focus on rUC1 (indoor inventory) and rUC4 (indoor command).

[0052] Emissions from AIoT devices (including backscattering during use) may occur at least in the UL spectrum.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the BS is configured with carrier nodes for frequency hopping from the physical device to the reader channel (PDRCH).

[0054] Figure 3Example 300 of CW frequency modulation switching according to aspects of this disclosure is described. Example 300 includes a transmitted CW 302 and a generated UL frame 304 to be transmitted based on the transmitted CW 302 at time t and frequency f. The transmitted CW 302 includes a first frequency 306, a second frequency 308, and a third frequency 310. As discussed herein, the second frequency 308 (or another frequency) may be transmitted until CW frequency modulation switching 312, followed by the transmission of the first frequency 306 (or another frequency) until CW frequency modulation switching 314, after which the third frequency 310 (or another frequency) may be transmitted. Different portions of the generated UL frame 304 correspond to one of each of the first frequency 306, the second frequency 308, and the third frequency 310, as described.

[0055] According to the first embodiment, the BS can send a configuration to an external carrier node to implement frequency hopping of the carrier frequency modulation (e.g., carrier frequency, first frequency modulation 306, second frequency modulation 308, third frequency modulation 310) transmitted to the AIoT device, thereby indirectly hopping the backscattering of UL data (e.g., PDRCH). To improve the performance of the PDRCH and avoid frequency selectivity of the channel between the device and the BS (especially when using a single frequency modulation carrier), the BS sends an instruction to the carrier node to switch between different frequency modulations within the AIoT frequency response of different time resources (e.g., CW frequency modulation switching 312, CW frequency modulation switching 314), causing the UL signal to backscatter at different frequency hopping, such as... Figure 3 As shown in the diagram. Frequency modulation can be indicated and / or semi-statically transmitted to external carrier nodes using the DL control channel. If a dedicated oscillator is used to generate the CW, the configuration indicates some carrier frequencies and corresponding time resources and / or lengths; or if an OFDM transmitter is used to generate the carriers, the configuration indicates some subcarrier indices of the OFDM waveform and corresponding time resources and / or time slots. The BS can transmit repeated frequency modulation switching and / or frequency hopping patterns until the node receives an indication from the BS to stop switching or change the mode.

[0056] In one implementation, the control information carries a switching mode (e.g., [2, 1, 3]) that instructs the node to use the second frequency modulation 308 for the first time resource, the first frequency modulation 306 for the second time resource, the third frequency modulation 310 for the third time resource, and so on. If the BS knows the UL frame size, the time resource can be aligned with the UL frame; otherwise, it is aligned with the UL time slot boundary. In another implementation, the external carrier node is indicated by an index indicating a row in a predefined table as shown in Table 1. Each index may correspond to a specific mode and a specific time resource length.

[0057] Table 1: Example of a pre-configuration table for carrier frequency hopping

[0058]

[0059] In one instance, the timing resources used for the transition can be aligned with the UL frame boundary (e.g., each UL frame containing the preamble, control portion, and payload is backscattered at a specific CW frequency modulus, such as...). Figure 3 (As shown in the image).

[0060] In another example, the frequency modulation is switched based on different segments of the UL frame (e.g., the preamble and control are backscattered on the first frequency modulation 306 and the payload is backscattered on the second frequency modulation 308). In another example, the CW frequency modulation is switched within the payload backscatter, causing different segments of the payload to backscatter on different carrier frequency modulations, thereby generating segment-by-segment frequency hopping. In yet another example, if the AIoT device is configured to apply repetition to the UL data, the CW frequency modulation can be switched so that each repetition is backscattered on a different frequency modulation to achieve both time diversity and frequency diversity.

[0061] In an alternative example, the BS can be configured with multiple CW nodes to transmit CW to the device at different time resources, with each CW node transmitting a different frequency modulus. Depending on channel conditions and the distance between the CW node and the device, different carrier frequencies exhibit different fading. In other words, the optimal frequency modulus for CW transmitted from a particular node to the device may not be optimal for transmitting CW from another node to the device. The BS can configure frequency hopping and / or switching of CW frequency modulus by selecting the optimal CW node to transmit a specific frequency modulus.

[0062] In the second embodiment, the BS configures the AIoT device to implement frequency hopping for the PDRCH. According to the second embodiment, the BS can send configuration to the AIoT device to apply frequency hopping for the PDRCH, applicable to both passive and active AIoT devices. To improve PDRCH performance and avoid frequency selectivity of the channel between the device and the BS, the BS can send instructions to the AIoT device to apply different frequency shifts and / or frequency hopping to the UL signal within the AIoT frequency response for different time resources, causing the UL signal to backscatter and / or transmit with hopping at different frequencies. Based on the device's known frequency shift capabilities, the BS can instruct the device to apply a specific frequency shift for a specific time resource. Different devices, including passive and active devices, may have different capabilities in terms of the amount of frequency shifts supported and the size of the gaps between frequency shifts. For example, a first device type with a power consumption of ~1 uW may support a small single frequency shift, or may not support frequency shifts at all. A second device type with a power consumption of several hundred uW may support multiple frequency shifts with a large range. This capability can be indicated to the BS during the initial access of the device. DL channels (e.g., PRDCH) can be used to configure frequency hopping and / or frequency shifts for different time resources, wherein the configuration indicates some frequency shift and / or frequency hopping range (e.g., small or large and corresponding time resources and / or lengths).

[0063] The BS can transmit repeated frequency shift patterns until the device receives an instruction from the BS to stop frequency hopping or change the pattern. In one embodiment, the control portion of the PRDCH carries a hopping pattern (e.g., [1, 2]) that instructs the device to apply frequency shift 1 to a first time resource, frequency shift 2 to a second time resource, and so on (e.g., a repeating pattern). In one instance, the time resource may be aligned with the UL frame boundary. In another instance, the frequency shift is switched according to different portions of the UL frame (e.g., the preamble and control are backscattered at frequency shift 1 and the payload is backscattered and / or transmitted at frequency shift 2). In another instance, the frequency shift is changed within the payload backscatter and / or transmission, such that different frequency shifts are applied to different segments of the payload. In yet another instance, if the AIoT device is configured to apply repeating to UL data, then different frequency shifts are applied to different repeats.

[0064] In the third embodiment, autonomous frequency hopping may be present on the PDRCH. According to the third embodiment, the AIoT device autonomously applies frequency hopping to the PDRCH. The AIoT device is configured to enable autonomous frequency hopping based on some predefined rules. For example, if the quality and / or strength of the PDRCH is below a certain threshold or if the PDRCH frame experiences multiple Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) failures, then a device capable of frequency shifting can apply frequency hopping to the PDRCH. If the BS indicates to stop autonomous frequency hopping, if frequency hopping and / or carrier frequency modulation switching has been enabled for the corresponding PDRCH frame, or if the BS sends an explicit frequency hopping configuration, then autonomous hopping can be disabled. In such configurations, the BS configuration for frequency hopping overrides the device's prepared autonomous frequency hopping. The AIoT device selects an appropriate frequency shift to apply to the UL frame and indicates the selected frequency hopping and / or frequency shift, along with the corresponding time resources, to the BS. In one implementation, a UL frame containing a preamble, control portion, and payload is divided into two or more parts (e.g., the preamble and control portion of the UL frame are transmitted and / or backscattered without frequency shift, allowing the BS to synchronize to the UL boundary and decode the information, while the payload is transmitted and / or backscattered with applied frequency shift). The control portion of each frame carries the applied frequency shift corresponding to the payload, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0065] Figure 4 Example 400 illustrates signaling information involving frequency shifts applied to a UL payload according to aspects of this disclosure. Example 400 includes a transmitted UL frame 402 and a generated UL frame 404 to be transmitted based on the transmitted UL frame 402 at time t and frequency f. A first frequency shift 406, a second frequency shift 408, and a third frequency shift 410 are illustrated to demonstrate the frequency shifts during different portions of the generated UL frame 404.

[0066] In one instance, such as Figure 4 As shown, the payload of the UL frame is transmitted and / or backscattered with different frequency shifts, while the preamble and control section are transmitted and / or backscattered without frequency shifts, allowing the BS to synchronize with the UL boundary and decode information. Dividing the payload into multiple parts and applying different frequency shifts and / or frequency hopping to different segments of the payload, such as... Figure 5 As shown in the figure. The control portion of the frame carries the applied frequency shift. In one instance, the control portion of the PDRCH carries the number of segments and the frequency shift for each segment. In another instance, the control portion of the PDRCH carries the hopping pattern applied to the segments (e.g., [1, 2]), indicating that frequency shift 1 and frequency shift 2 are applied alternately starting from offset 1 directly after the control portion of the PDRCH.

[0067] Figure 5Example 500 illustrates signaling information involving frequency shifts applied on different segments of a UL payload according to aspects of this disclosure. Example 500 includes a frequency shift and / or hopping pattern 502 and a payload 504 to be transmitted based on the frequency shift and / or hopping pattern 502 at time t and frequency f. seg#1, seg#2, seg#3, and seg#4 are illustrated as being transmitted at different frequencies. In one embodiment, if an AIoT device is configured to apply repetition to UL data, then different frequency shifts are applied on different repetitions.

[0068] Figure 6 An example of a UE 600 according to aspects of this disclosure is described. UE 600 may include a processor 602, a memory 604, a controller 606, and a transceiver 608. The processor 602, memory 604, controller 606, or transceiver 608, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be examples of components for performing the various aspects of this disclosure as described herein. These components may be coupled via one or more interfaces (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically).

[0069] Processor 602, memory 604, controller 606, or transceiver 608, or various combinations or components thereof, may be implemented in hardware (e.g., a circuit system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof configured to or otherwise support components for performing the functions described in this disclosure.

[0070] Processor 602 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., a general-purpose processor, DSP, CPU, ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any combination thereof). In some embodiments, processor 602 may be configured to operate memory 604. In some other embodiments, memory 604 may be integrated into processor 602. Processor 602 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 604 to cause UE 600 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0071] Memory 604 may comprise volatile or non-volatile memory. Memory 604 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 602, cause UE 600 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 604 or another type of memory. Computer-readable medium includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media includes any media that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media may be any available media accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0072] In some implementations, processor 602 and memory 604 coupled to processor 602 may be configured to cause UE 600 to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., processor 602 executing instructions stored in memory 604). For example, processor 602 may support wireless communication at UE 600 according to examples disclosed herein. For example, processor 602 coupled to memory 604 may be configured to enable UE 600 (or AIoT device) to transmit UL signals to a base station with a frequency hopping capability, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift. UE 600 (or AIoT device) may also receive a frequency hopping configuration from the base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on the frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying the frequency shift to the UL signal. UE 600 (or AIoT device) may autonomously select a frequency hopping mode based on the frequency hopping configuration. UE 600 (or AIoT device) may also use the frequency hopping mode to transmit UL signals to the base station. UE 600 (or AIoT device) may transmit an indication to the base station indicating the autonomously selected frequency hopping mode.

[0073] Controller 606 manages the input and output signals of UE 600. Controller 606 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into UE 600. In some embodiments, controller 606 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, WINDOWS®, or other operating systems. In some embodiments, controller 606 may be implemented as part of processor 602.

[0074] In some embodiments, UE 600 may include at least one transceiver 608. In other embodiments, UE 600 may have more than one transceiver 608. Transceiver 608 may represent a wireless transceiver. Transceiver 608 may include one or more receiver chains 610, one or more transmitter chains 612, or a combination thereof.

[0075] Receiver chain 610 may be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) over a wireless medium. For example, receiver chain 610 may include one or more antennas for receiving signals over the air or over a wireless medium. Receiver chain 610 may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. Receiver chain 610 may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and obtain the transmitted data by reversing the modulation technique applied during signal transmission. Receiver chain 610 may include at least one decoder for decoding the demodulated signal to receive the transmitted data.

[0076] Transmitter chain 612 can be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). Transmitter chain 612 may include at least one modulator for modulating data onto a carrier signal, preparing the signal for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes like phase shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Transmitter chain 612 may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. Transmitter chain 612 may also include one or more antennas for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0077] Figure 7 An example of a processor 700 according to aspects of this disclosure is described. Processor 700 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 700 may include a controller 702 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 700 may optionally include at least one memory 704, which may be, for example, an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, processor 700 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 706. One or more of these components may be electronically communicated or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0078] Processor 700 may be a processor chipset and includes a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, transmit, output, forward, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) according to the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory native to the processor chipset (e.g., processor 700) or contained within the processor chipset) or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), and others).

[0079] Controller 702 can be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of processor 700 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, forwarding, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, and reading) to enable processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. For example, controller 702 can operate as a control unit of processor 700, generating control signals that manage the operation of various components of processor 700. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory accesses, and coordinating operation timing.

[0080] Controller 702 may be configured to fetch (e.g., fetch, retrieve, receive) instructions from memory 704 and determine subsequent instructions to be executed to enable processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Controller 702 may be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 704. Controller 702 may be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, controller 702 may be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of processor 700 to enable processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Additionally or alternatively, controller 702 may be configured to manage data flow within processor 700. Controller 702 may be configured to control data migration between registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other functional units of processor 700.

[0081] Memory 704 may include one or more caches (e.g., memory local to processor 700 or included in processor 700) or other memories, such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc. In some embodiments, memory 704 may reside within or on the processor chipset (e.g., local to processor 700). In some other embodiments, memory 704 may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., remote from processor 700).

[0082] Memory 704 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 700, cause processor 700 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. Controller 702 and / or processor 700 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 704 to cause processor 700 to perform various functions. For example, processor 700 and / or controller 702 may be coupled to or coupled to memory 704, and processor 700, controller 702, and memory 704 may be configured to perform the various functions described herein. In some instances, processor 700 may include multiple processors, and memory 704 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, which may be individually or collectively configured to perform the various functions described herein.

[0083] One or more ALU 706s may be configured to support various operations according to the examples described herein. In some embodiments, one or more ALU 706s may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 700). In some other embodiments, one or more ALU 706s may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., processor 700). One or more ALU 706s may perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALU 706s may receive input operands and an opcode that determines the operation to be performed. One or more ALU 706s may be configured with various logic and arithmetic circuitry, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the operation. Alternatively, one or more ALU 706s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND, enabling one or more ALU 706s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0084] Processor 700 can support wireless communication according to examples disclosed herein. Processor 700 can be configured or operable to support components for: frequency hopping capability to transmit UL signals to a base station, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift; receiving frequency hopping configuration from a base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on the frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying the frequency shift to the UL signal; autonomously selecting a frequency hopping mode based on the frequency hopping configuration; transmitting UL signals to the base station using the frequency hopping mode; and transmitting an indication to the base station indicating the autonomously selected frequency hopping mode.

[0085] Figure 8This describes an example of an NE 800 according to aspects of this disclosure. The NE 800 may include a processor 802, a memory 804, a controller 806, and a transceiver 808. The processor 802, memory 804, controller 806, or transceiver 808, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be examples of components for performing the various aspects of this disclosure as described herein. These components may be coupled via one or more interfaces (e.g., operatively ground, communicatively ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground).

[0086] Processor 802, memory 804, controller 806, or transceiver 808, or various combinations or components thereof, may be implemented in hardware (e.g., a circuit system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof configured to or otherwise support components for performing the functions described in this disclosure.

[0087] Processor 802 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, ASICs, FPGAs, or any combination thereof). In some embodiments, processor 802 may be configured to operate memory 804. In some other embodiments, memory 804 may be integrated into processor 802. Processor 802 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 804 to cause NE 800 to perform various functions of this disclosure. For example, processor 802 coupled to memory 804 may be configured to cause NE 800 to: determine a configuration including one or more of the following: a frequency hopping configuration associated with different frequency modulations of an external node, wherein the frequency hopping indicated by the frequency hopping configuration is associated with the frequency response of the AIoT device; and a frequency hopping operation associated with the AIoT device, wherein the frequency hopping operation includes applying a frequency shift to a UL signal and a transmission configuration.

[0088] Memory 804 may comprise volatile or non-volatile memory. Memory 804 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 802, cause NE 800 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 804 or another type of memory. Computer-readable medium includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media includes any media that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media may be any available media accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0089] In some implementations, processor 802 and memory 804 coupled to processor 802 may be configured to cause NE 800 to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., processor 802 executing instructions stored in memory 804). For example, processor 802 may support wireless communication at NE 800 according to examples disclosed herein.

[0090] Controller 806 manages the input and output signals of NE 800. Controller 806 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into NE 800. In some embodiments, controller 806 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, WINDOWS®, or other operating systems. In some embodiments, controller 806 may be implemented as part of processor 802.

[0091] In some embodiments, NE 800 may include at least one transceiver 808. In other embodiments, NE 800 may have more than one transceiver 808. Transceiver 808 may represent a wireless transceiver. Transceiver 808 may include one or more receiver chains 810, one or more transmitter chains 812, or a combination thereof.

[0092] Receiver chain 810 may be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) over a wireless medium. For example, receiver chain 810 may include one or more antennas for receiving signals over the air or over a wireless medium. Receiver chain 810 may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. Receiver chain 810 may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and obtain the transmitted data by reversing the modulation technique applied during signal transmission. Receiver chain 810 may include at least one decoder for decoding the demodulated signal to receive the transmitted data.

[0093] Transmitter chain 812 can be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). Transmitter chain 812 may include at least one modulator for modulating data onto a carrier signal, preparing the signal for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes like phase shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Transmitter chain 812 may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. Transmitter chain 812 may also include one or more antennas for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0094] Figure 9A flowchart illustrating method 900 according to an aspect of this disclosure is provided. Operation of method 900 may be implemented by an NE (e.g., a base station) as described herein. In some embodiments, the NE 800 may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of a processor to perform the described functions.

[0095] In 902, the method may include determining a configuration comprising one or more of the following: a frequency hopping configuration associated with a different frequency modulation of an external node, wherein the frequency hopping indicated by the frequency hopping configuration is associated with the frequency response of the AIoT device; and a frequency hopping operation associated with the AIoT device, wherein the frequency hopping operation includes applying a frequency shift to a UL signal. The operation of 902 may be performed according to examples as described herein. In some embodiments, it may be performed by reference to... Figure 8 The described aspect of the NE performing operation 902.

[0096] In 904, the method may include an emission configuration. Operation of 904 can be performed according to examples as described herein. In some implementations, it may be provided by reference to... Figure 8 The described aspect of the NE performing operation 904.

[0097] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating method 1000 according to an aspect of this disclosure is provided. Operation of method 1000 can be implemented by means such as those described herein (e.g., AIoT devices). In some embodiments, UE 600 can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of a processor to perform the described functions.

[0098] In 1002, the method may include a frequency hopping capability for transmitting UL signals to a base station, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift. Operation of 1002 may be performed according to examples as described herein. In some embodiments, it may be performed by reference to... Figure 6 The described aspect of the UE performing operation 1002.

[0099] In 1004, the method may include receiving a frequency hopping configuration from a base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying a frequency shift to the UL signal. Operation 1004 may be performed according to examples as described herein. In some implementations, it may be provided by reference to... Figure 6 The described aspect of the UE performing operation 1004.

[0100] In 1006, the method may include autonomously selecting a frequency hopping mode based on a frequency hopping configuration. The operation of 1006 can be performed according to examples as described herein. In some implementations, it may be performed by, as referenced... Figure 6 The described aspect of the UE performing operation 1006.

[0101] In 1008, the method may include transmitting a UL signal to a base station using a frequency hopping mode. Operation 1008 may be performed according to examples as described herein. In some implementations, it may be performed as referenced... Figure 6 The described aspect of the UE performing operation 1008.

[0102] In 1010, the method may include transmitting to the base station an indication of an autonomously selected frequency hopping mode. The operation of 1010 may be performed according to examples as described herein. In some implementations, it may be performed by, as referenced... Figure 6 The described aspect of the UE performing operation 1010.

[0103] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible.

[0104] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be given the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A base station, comprising: At least one memory; and At least one processor, coupled to and configured to enable the base station to: Determine the configuration that includes one or more of the following: Frequency hopping configurations associated with different frequency modulations of external nodes, wherein the frequency hopping indicated by the frequency hopping configuration is associated with the frequency response of the environmental Internet of Things (AIoT) device; and Frequency hopping operation associated with the AIoT device, wherein the frequency hopping operation includes applying a frequency shift to the uplink UL signal; and Launch the configuration described above.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the configuration indication is used for the frequency modulation list and corresponding time resources of the transmit carrier.

3. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the configuration indicates the row index of a table storing frequency modulation switching modes and time resources for switching the frequency modulation.

4. The base station of claim 1, wherein the time resources for hopping are aligned with the UL frame boundary, and a different frequency modulation of the carrier is used for each UL frame.

5. The base station of claim 1, wherein time resources are associated with different segments of the UL frame, and different carrier frequency modulations are used for the different segments of the UL frame.

6. The base station of claim 1, wherein in response to the repetition of the device configured to transmit UL data, different time resources are associated with different frequency modulations and different repetitions.

7. The base station of claim 1, wherein the configuration instructs the apparatus to apply different frequency shifts to the intrinsic signal in the frequency response at different time resources.

8. The base station of claim 1, wherein the time resources for offset frequency are aligned with the UL frame boundary.

9. The base station of claim 1, wherein time resources are associated with different segments of the UL frame, and a different frequency shift is applied for each segment of the UL frame.

10. The base station according to claim 1, wherein, In response to the repetition of the device configured to transmit UL data, time resources for changing the frequency shift are associated with different repetitions.

11. The base station of claim 1, wherein the configuration is transmitted to the external node.

12. The base station of claim 1, wherein the configuration is transmitted to the AIoT device.

13. An environmental Internet of Things (AIoT) device, comprising: At least one memory; and At least one processor, coupled to and configured to enable the AIoT device to: Frequency hopping capability for transmitting uplink UL signals to a base station, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift; Receive frequency hopping configuration from the base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on the frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying frequency shift to the UL signal; The frequency hopping mode is selected autonomously based on the frequency hopping configuration; The UL signal is transmitted to the base station using the frequency hopping mode; and Transmit an instruction to the base station indicating the autonomously selected frequency hopping mode.

14. The AIoT device of claim 13, wherein the frequency hopping configuration instructs the device to enable or disable autonomous switching between different frequency shifts during UL transmission.

15. The AIoT device of claim 13, wherein the frequency hopping configuration indicates a mode for applying frequency shift and corresponding time resources to UL resources carrying information about the selected frequency shift.

16. A processor for an environmental Internet of Things (AIoT) device, comprising: At least one controller, coupled to at least one memory and configured to enable the processor to: Frequency hopping capability for transmitting uplink UL signals to a base station, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift; Receive frequency hopping configuration from the base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on the frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying frequency shift to the UL signal; The frequency hopping mode is selected autonomously based on the frequency hopping configuration; The UL signal is transmitted to the base station using the frequency hopping mode; and Transmit an instruction to the base station indicating the autonomously selected frequency hopping mode.

17. The processor of claim 16, wherein the frequency hopping configuration instructs the device to enable or disable autonomous switching between different frequency shifts during UL transmission.

18. The processor of claim 16, wherein the frequency hopping configuration indicates a mode for applying frequency shift and corresponding time resources to UL resources carrying information about the selected frequency shift.

19. A method performed by an environmental Internet of Things (AIoT) device, the method comprising: Frequency hopping capability for transmitting uplink UL signals to a base station, wherein the frequency hopping capability includes at least one frequency shift; Receive frequency hopping configuration from the base station, wherein the frequency hopping configuration is based on the frequency hopping capability and includes information associated with applying frequency shift to the UL signal; The frequency hopping mode is selected autonomously based on the frequency hopping configuration; The UL signal is transmitted to the base station using the frequency hopping mode; and Transmit an instruction to the base station indicating the autonomously selected frequency hopping mode.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the frequency hopping configuration instructs the device to enable or disable autonomous switching between different frequency shifts during UL transmission.

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