Systems and methods for communication in a passive / semi-passive internet of things

Abstract

A system and method for communication in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) are presented. A wireless communication node can determine an identification for a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node can transmit an authentication command message to the wireless communication device. The authentication command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification of the wireless communication node. In one embodiment, the authentication command message includes a preamble sequence, an instruction code, an identification for the wireless communication device, and an identification of the wireless communication node, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including, but not limited to, systems and methods for communication in the passive / semi-passive Internet-of-Things (IoT). [Background technology]

[0002] background The standards body, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), is currently specifying a new air interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), as well as the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN, or NGC). 5G NR has three main components: 5G Access Network (5G-AN), 5G Core Network (5GC), and User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the enablement of various data services and requirements, the elements of 5GC, also called network functions, have been simplified and are partly software-based and partly hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] overview The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving one or more of the problems presented by the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it is understood that such embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium: A wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS)) can determine an identity for a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE). A first wireless communication node can send an authentication command message to the wireless communication device. The authentication command message can include an identity for the wireless communication device and an identity of the wireless communication node.

[0005] In an embodiment, the authentication command message may include a preamble sequence, a command code, an identification for the wireless communication device, and an identification of the wireless communication node, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

[0006] In an embodiment, the wireless communications node may receive a response message confirming the authentication command message, and in response to determining that the response message may indicate that the wireless communications node's identity was successfully received, the wireless communications node may determine that it can authenticate the wireless communications device.

[0007] In an embodiment, the wireless communication node may transmit a first type message or a second type message to an authenticated wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may transmit a second type message to an unauthenticated wireless communication device. The first type message may include an identification of the wireless communication node. The second type message may include an identification regarding the wireless communication device. The first type message may include at least one of an inventory command message, a response trigger command message, a read command message, or a write command message.

[0008] In one embodiment, the response trigger command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node, the read command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node, or the write command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node.

[0009] In an embodiment, the second type of message may include at least one of a positioning command message or an authentication command message. The wireless communication node may transmit a response trigger command message. The response trigger command message may be configured to trigger the wireless communication device to transmit a response message. The wireless communication node may receive the response message. The wireless communication node may determine, based on the response message, that the wireless communication device may be within the coverage of the wireless communication node.

[0010] In an embodiment, a wireless communication node may transmit no more than one response trigger command message within the same time period and frequency resource. The response trigger command message may include an identification regarding the wireless communication device.

[0011] In an embodiment, a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive an authentication command message from a wireless communication node that includes an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identification of the wireless communication device included in the authentication command message may match an identification stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may transmit a response message to the wireless communication node that confirms the authentication command message.

[0012] In an embodiment, the wireless communication device may receive a first type of message from the wireless communication node, the first type of message including an identification of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the first type of message may be invalidated in response to determining that the identification of the wireless communication node included in the first type of message does not match the identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device. The first type of message may include a response trigger command message. In response to determining that (i) the identification of the wireless communication node included in the response trigger command message may match the identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device, and (ii) the identification of the wireless communication device included in the response trigger command message may match the identification stored by the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device may transmit a response message confirming the response trigger command message.

[0013] In an embodiment, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) can transmit a positioning command message to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node can estimate the power of a response signal transmitted by the wireless communication device and responding to the positioning command message. The wireless communication node can determine the location of the wireless communication device based on a plurality (N) of wireless communication nodes from which the response signal was received with the highest power. The positioning command message can include a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identification of the wireless communication device, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

[0014] In an embodiment, determining a position of the wireless communication device may include determining the position based on respective positions of the N wireless communication nodes and respective tilt angles of the N wireless communication nodes, each tilt angle being defined as an angle of deflection of a vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0015] In an embodiment, the wireless communication node may transmit no more than one positioning command message within the same time period and frequency resource. The positioning command message may include an identification of the wireless communication device.

[0016] In an embodiment, a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive a measure position command message from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that an identification of the wireless communication device indicated in the measure position command message may match an identification stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may transmit a response signal acknowledging the measure position command message. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. Each figure is provided for illustrative purposes only and merely illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. As such, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the scope, scope, or applicability of the present solution. For clarity and ease of illustration, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and user equipment device in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a communication flow diagram in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Detailed Description 1. Mobile communications technology and environment FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 capable of implementing the techniques disclosed herein in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the wireless communication network 100 can be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such exemplary network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter "BS 102," also referred to as wireless communication nodes) and user equipment devices 104 (hereinafter "UE 104," also referred to as wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), as well as clusters that are cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that overlap a geographic region 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of the cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate wireless coverage to its intended users.

[0022] For example, the BS 102 may operate with an assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each of the radio frames 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, each of which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" capable of practicing the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

[0023] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) in accordance with an embodiment of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to correspond to known or conventional operational functions that need not be described in detail herein. In an exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as described above.

[0024] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter BS 202) and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter UE 204). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel, or other medium, suitable for data transmission, as described herein.

[0025] As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various example blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and interoperability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various example components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each particular application, and such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0026] In accordance with an embodiment, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230, including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or the uplink receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplexed fashion. Similarly, in accordance with an embodiment, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210, including a RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternately couple the downlink transmitter or the downlink receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplexed fashion. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time such that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In one embodiment, there is tight time synchronization with minimal guard times between changing duplex directions.

[0027] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with appropriately configured RF antenna arrangements 212 / 232 capable of supporting a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In an exemplary embodiment, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards, such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard and the emerging 5G standard. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in its application to any particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0028] According to various embodiments, the BS 202 can be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In an embodiment, the UE 204 can be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 can be implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, an associative memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor can be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or other such configurations.

[0029] Furthermore, the steps of the method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or other forms of storage media known in the art. In this regard, the memory module 216 may be coupled to the processor module 210, and the memory module 234 may be coupled to the processor module 230, such that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In one embodiment, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0030] The network communication module 218 is generally hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to accommodate Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface to enable the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with conventional Ethernet-based computer networks. In this manner, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a particular operation or function, the terms "configured to" and "configured to" and their conjugations refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc. that are physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the particular operation or function.

[0031] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (herein referred to as the Open Systems Interconnection model) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines the network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks, which effectively describe computer packet forwarding by using protocols at the different layers. The OSI model is sometimes referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or seven-layer model. In one embodiment, the first layer can be the physical layer. In one embodiment, the second layer can be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In one embodiment, the third layer can be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In one embodiment, the fourth layer can be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In one embodiment, the fifth layer can be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In one embodiment, layer 6 may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and layer 7 may be some other layer.

[0032] In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or sequence of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. The specific order or sequence of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged based on design preferences while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or sequence presented, unless otherwise specified.

[0033] 2. Systems and methods for communication in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) In passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT) communication, users can attach / connect / couple passive / semi-passive communication terminals to their own assets and goods. Users can use communication nodes (e.g., base stations or micro base stations) to perform operations such as inventory acquisition, positioning, and / or reading and writing information about assets and goods. However, there may be other users' passive / semi-passive communication terminals in the coverage area of ​​the base station. During the communication operation of the user's own assets, the signal of the base station may be transmitted to all the passive / semi-passive communication terminals in the coverage area. The other users' passive / semi-passive communication terminals may respond to the signal of the base station, which may unnecessarily increase the network load and cause privacy and security leakage.

[0034] The present invention proposes a system and method for transmitting and receiving information, allowing mutual authentication between a base station and a terminal. Certain information can be made valid only for authenticated terminals, thereby avoiding unnecessary information feedback from unauthenticated terminals and improving network security. Based on the above method, the positioning operation of the terminal can be realized.

[0035] In an embodiment, the first communication node may be a transmitting node and the second communication node may be a receiving node.

[0036] Implementation Example 1: Mutual authentication between a first communication node (e.g., a base station or a micro base station) and a second communication node (e.g., an electronic label) In an embodiment, the first communication node can be a base station, a micro base station, or a communication device equipped with a reader / writer. The second communication node can be a passive electronic terminal. The third communication node can be a user's terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone).

[0037] In an embodiment, the third communication node (e.g., a UE) can send authentication request information to the first communication node. The authentication request information can include an identification code of the second communication node. The authentication request information can be used to trigger the establishment of a mutual authentication relationship between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0038] In an embodiment, the first communication node can send authentication command information to the second communication node or the third communication node. The first communication node can receive authentication request information. The first communication node can send authentication command information to the second communication node (or the third communication node) according to an identification code of the second communication node included in the authentication request information. The authentication command information can include an identification code of the first communication node and an identification code of the second communication node (or the third communication node).

[0039] In the authentication command information, the bits corresponding to the identification code of the second communication node (or the third communication node) can be larger than the bits of the first communication node. For example, the identification code of the second communication node (or the third communication node) can correspond to the bits of sequence E. The identification code of the first communication node can correspond to the bits of sequence D. In the authentication command information, the bits of sequence E and the bits of sequence D can be compared. The bits of sequence E can be the higher bits. The bits of sequence D can be the lower bits. It can be an advantage of this process that the second communication node (or the third communication node) can preferentially determine the higher bits. If the identification code of the second communication node (or the third communication node) included in the authentication command information does not meet the requirements, the second communication node (or the third communication node) can omit processing or determining the next bit.

[0040] The signal of the authentication command information may include, in a time domain, a preamble sequence, a command code, an identification code of the second communication node, and an identification code of the first communication node. The preamble sequence, the command code, the identification code of the second communication node, and the identification code of the first communication node may be discontinuous in the time domain. The second communication node may determine a start time of the authentication command information according to the preamble sequence. The second communication node may receive the authentication command information periodically or synchronously. The command code may be used to indicate a type of command. Each command code may correspond to a command type. The command code included in the authentication command information may correspond to a type of authentication command.

[0041] The identification code can be a bit sequence. For example, the identification code can be a sequence including 8·G bits, where G can be 1 or greater. The identification code can be a complete unique identification number or a portion of a unique identification number. The unique identification number can be unique among the first or second communication nodes. The unique identification number can be different among different first or second communication nodes.

[0042] In an embodiment, the second communication node can transmit confirmation information associated with the authentication command information. When the second communication node receives the authentication command information, if an identification code of the second communication node included in the authentication command information is the same as the identification code of the second communication node, the second communication node can transmit confirmation information corresponding to the authentication command information to the first communication node. The authentication command information can include an identification code of the first communication node. The second communication node can store the identification code of the first communication node included in the authentication command information.

[0043] The confirmation information may include an identification code of the first communication node or a correct decoding indication. The correct decoding indication may be used to inform whether the authentication instruction information is correctly decoded. The signal of the confirmation information may include, contiguously in the time domain, a preamble sequence and an identification code of the first communication node. The preamble sequence and the identification code of the first communication node may be discontinuous in the time domain. Alternatively, the signal of the confirmation information may include, contiguously in the time domain, a preamble sequence and a correct decoding indication. The preamble sequence and the correct decoding indication may be discontinuous in the time domain.

[0044] In an embodiment, the first communication node can determine that authentication with the second communication node can be completed according to the confirmation information. The confirmation information can include an identification code of the first communication node. The first communication node can receive the confirmation information. If the identification code of the first communication node is the same as the identification code of the first communication node included in the confirmation information, the authentication between the first communication node and the second communication node can be completed. The first communication node can determine that the second communication node can be an authenticated second communication node.

[0045] If the identification code of the first communication node is different from the identification code of the first communication node included in the confirmation information (or if the first communication node does not receive the confirmation information), the first communication node may delay for a certain period of time, after which the first communication node may resend the authentication command.

[0046] The confirmation information may include a correct decryption indication. The first communication node may receive the confirmation information. If the correct decryption command indicates that the authentication command information is correctly decrypted, the first communication node may determine that the authentication with the second communication node may be completed. The first communication node may determine that the second communication node may be an authenticated second communication node. If the correct decryption command indicates that the authentication command information is not correctly decrypted, the first communication node may resend the authentication command after a certain time delay period.

[0047] The first communication node can transmit the first type of information or the second type of information to an authenticated second communication node, and the first communication node can transmit the second type of information to an unauthenticated second communication node.

[0048] The first type of information may include an identification code of the first communication node. The first type of information may include at least one of inventory command information, response trigger command information (e.g., an acknowledgment response to a trigger message), read command information, or write command information. The inventory command information may be used to obtain a unique identification number of the second communication node. The response trigger command information may be used to trigger the second communication node to send response information. The read command information may be used to read the stored contents of the second communication node. The write command information may be used to write the stored contents of the second communication node. The response trigger command information, read command information, and write command information may include an identification code of the first communication node, and an identification code of the second communication node.

[0049] The second type of information may include at least one of authentication command information or positioning command information. The positioning command information may be used to trigger the second communication node to transmit a positioning response signal. The second type of information may include an identification code of the second communication node.

[0050] A second communications node may receive the first type of information, and if an identification code of the first communications node included in the first type of information differs from a first communications identification code stored in the second communications node, the second communications node may determine that the first type of information may be invalid.

[0051] The second communication node may receive the first type of information. The first type of information may include an identification code of the first communication node and an identification code of the second communication node. If the identification code of the second communication node stored in the second communication node is the same as the identification code of the second communication node included in the first type of information, and the identification code of the first communication identification code stored by the second communication node is the same as the first communication identification code included in the first type of information, the second communication node may determine that the first type of information is valid. If the identification code of the second communication node stored in the second communication node is different from the identification code of the second communication node included in the first type of information (or the first communication identification code stored by the second communication node is different from the first communication identification code included in the first type of information), the second communication node may determine that the first type of information is invalid.

[0052] The second communication node may receive the second type of information. If an identification code of the second communication node included in the second type of information is the same as an identification code stored in the second communication node, the second communication node may determine that the second type of information may be valid. If not, the second communication node may determine that the second type of information may be invalid.

[0053] Implementation Example 2: Coarse Positioning for Authenticating a Second Communication Node (e.g., a Terminal) In the passive / semi-passive communication process, a communication node (e.g., a reader or a base station) may require a passive / semi-passive electronic terminal to perform an inventory operation to identify a passive electronic terminal (e.g., a passive electronic terminal within its communication range). The terminal can send a related command of a dynamic time slot selection algorithm or a Q-selection algorithm. The terminal can identify the passive / semi-passive electronic terminal one by one in the time domain. The terminal can obtain a unique identification number of each passive electronic terminal. After completing the inventory operation, the passive electronic terminal can perform operations such as reading and writing, and sending related commands such as reading and writing information.

[0054] In an embodiment, when a user needs to perform an operation such as reading, writing, or positioning on a specific passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the user can use a terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) to transmit the unique identification number of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. After obtaining the unique identification number of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, a communication node (e.g., a reader or a base station) can use the unique identification number to directly transmit relevant command signals for operations such as reading, writing, or positioning to the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. Also, no additional inventory operations may be required prior to these operations.

[0055] In an embodiment, the first communication node can transmit response trigger command information. The response trigger command information can include an identification code of the first communication node and an identification code of the second communication node. The response trigger command information can be used to trigger the second communication node to transmit response information. The signal of the response trigger command information can include, sequentially in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, an identification code of the first communication node, and an identification code of the second communication node. The preamble sequence, the instruction code, the identification code of the first communication node, and the identification code of the second communication node may be discontinuous in the time domain. The instruction code can correspond to a response trigger command type in a frame structure of the response trigger command.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second communication node can transmit response information corresponding to the response trigger command information. When the second communication node receives the response trigger command information, if the identification code of the second communication node is the same as the identification code of the second communication node included in the response trigger command information, and the identification code of the first communication node stored by the second communication node is the same as the identification code of the first communication node included in the response trigger command information, the second communication node can transmit the response information corresponding to the response trigger command information. If not, the second communication node can determine that the response trigger command information can be invalidated.

[0057] The identification code can be a bit sequence. For example, the identification code can be a sequence including 8·G bits, where G can be 1 or greater. The identification code can be a complete unique identification number or a portion of a unique identification number. The unique identification number can be unique among the first or second communication nodes. The unique identification number may be different among different first or second communication nodes.

[0058] In an embodiment, the first communication node can determine an area where the second communication node may be located according to the response information. The first communication node can receive the response information. The response information can be a fixed format signal. The first communication node can receive the response information. If the received response information conforms to the fixed format, the first communication node can determine that the response information can be detected. The first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be located in the coverage of the first communication node. If not, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be outside the coverage of the first communication node.

[0059] The response information can be a fixed format signal. The receiving end can obtain the peak power by detecting the response information. If the first communication node detects the peak power, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be located within the coverage of the first communication node. If not, the first communication node can determine that the second communication node may be located outside the coverage of the first communication node.

[0060] The response information may include bit information. If the first communication node correctly decodes the response information, the first communication node may determine that the second communication node may be located within the coverage of the first communication node. If not, the first communication node may determine that the second communication node may be outside the coverage area of ​​the first communication node.

[0061] On one frequency domain resource, the first communication node can simultaneously transmit up to one response trigger command information, and the response trigger command information can include an identification code of the second communication node.

[0062] Example 3: Precise positioning of a second communication node In the passive / semi-passive communication process, a communication node (e.g., a reader or a base station) may require a passive / semi-passive electronic terminal to perform an inventory operation to identify a passive electronic terminal (e.g., a passive electronic terminal within its communication range). The terminal can send a related command of a dynamic time slot selection algorithm or a Q-selection algorithm. The terminal can identify the passive / semi-passive electronic terminal one by one in the time domain. The terminal can obtain a unique identification number of each passive electronic terminal. After completing the inventory operation, the passive electronic terminal can perform operations such as reading and writing, and sending related commands such as reading and writing information.

[0063] In an embodiment, when a user needs to perform an operation such as reading, writing, or positioning on a specific passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, the user can use a terminal communication device (e.g., a mobile phone) to transmit the unique identification number of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. After obtaining the unique identification number of the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal, a communication node (e.g., a reader or a base station) can use the unique identification number to directly transmit relevant command signals for operations such as reading, writing, or positioning to the target passive / semi-passive electronic terminal. Also, no additional inventory operations may be required prior to these operations.

[0064] In an embodiment, the first communication node may transmit positioning command information, which may include an identification code of the second communication node.

[0065] The signal of the positioning command information may include, sequentially in the time domain, a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identification code of the second communication node. The preamble sequence, the instruction code, and the identification code of the second communication node may be discontinuous in the time domain. The instruction code may correspond to a type of the positioning command. The identification code may be a bit sequence. For example, the identification code may be a sequence including 8·G bits, where G may be 1 or greater. The identification code may be a complete unique identification number or a part of a unique identification number. The unique identification number may be unique among the first communication node or the second communication node. The unique identification number may be different among different first communication nodes or second communication nodes.

[0066] In an embodiment, the second communication node can transmit a response signal to the positioning command information. The second communication node can receive the positioning command information. If the identification code of the second communication node included in the positioning command information is the same as its own identification code, the second communication node can transmit a response signal to the positioning command information. The response signal can include the location information of the second communication node. Alternatively, the response signal can be a fixed format signal. The first communication node can obtain a power peak when the fixed format signal is detected.

[0067] In an embodiment, the first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node according to the response signal. The first communication node can receive the response signal. According to the response signal, the first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node. The response signal can include location information of the second communication node. The first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node according to the location information.

[0068] Alternatively, the response signal can be a fixed format signal. The first communication node can determine the location of the second communication node from the N first communication nodes with the strongest reception power of the response signal. The first communication node can detect the response signal to obtain a detection power. The N first communication nodes with the highest detected power can jointly determine the location of the second communication node. N can be 2 or more. Each first communication node of the N first communication nodes can determine a deflection angle according to a reception direction of the response signal. The deflection angle can be an angle of a vector direction from the first communication node to the second communication node. The second communication node can be determined according to the positions of the N first communication nodes and the deflection angles of the N first communication nodes. In an embodiment, determining the location of the wireless communication device can include determining the location based on the positions of each of the N wireless communication nodes and the tilt angles of each of the N wireless communication nodes. Each tilt angle can be defined as a deflection angle of a vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0069] On one frequency domain resource, the first communication node can simultaneously transmit no more than one positioning command information. The positioning command information can include an identification code of the second communication node.

[0070] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 300 for communication in a passive / semi-passive Internet of Things (IoT). Method 300 may be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in conjunction with FIGS. 1-2. In summary, method 300 may be performed in a wireless communication node in an embodiment. Depending on the embodiment, method 300 may perform additional, fewer, or different operations. At least one aspect of these operations is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0071] A wireless communication node, e.g., a base station (BS), can determine an identity for a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE). A first wireless communication node can send an authentication command message to the wireless communication device. The authentication command message can include an identity for the wireless communication device and an identity of the wireless communication node.

[0072] In an embodiment, the authentication command message may include a preamble sequence, a command code, an identification for the wireless communication device, and an identification of the wireless communication node, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

[0073] In an embodiment, the wireless communications node may receive a response message confirming the authentication command message, and in response to determining that the response message may indicate that the wireless communications node's identity was successfully received, the wireless communications node may determine that it can authenticate the wireless communications device.

[0074] In an embodiment, the wireless communication node may transmit a first type message or a second type message to an authenticated wireless communication device. The wireless communication node may transmit a second type message to an unauthenticated wireless communication device. The first type message may include an identification of the wireless communication node. The second type message may include an identification regarding the wireless communication device. The first type message may include at least one of an inventory command message, a response trigger command message, a read command message, or a write command message.

[0075] In one embodiment, the response trigger command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node, the read command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node, or the write command message can include an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification for the wireless communication node.

[0076] In an embodiment, the second type of message may include at least one of a positioning command message or an authentication command message. The wireless communication node may transmit a response trigger command message. The response trigger command message may be configured to trigger the wireless communication device to transmit a response message. The wireless communication node may receive the response message. The wireless communication node may determine, based on the response message, that the wireless communication device may be within the coverage of the wireless communication node.

[0077] In an embodiment, a wireless communication node may transmit no more than one response trigger command message within the same time period and frequency resource. The response trigger command message may include an identification regarding the wireless communication device.

[0078] In an embodiment, a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive an authentication command message from a wireless communication node that includes an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the identification of the wireless communication device included in the authentication command message may match an identification stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may transmit a response message to the wireless communication node that confirms the authentication command message.

[0079] In an embodiment, the wireless communication device may receive a first type of message from the wireless communication node, the first type of message including an identification of the wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that the first type of message may be invalidated in response to determining that the identification of the wireless communication node included in the first type of message does not match the identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device. The first type of message may include a response trigger command message. In response to determining that (i) the identification of the wireless communication node included in the response trigger command message may match the identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device, and (ii) the identification of the wireless communication device included in the response trigger command message may match the identification stored by the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device may transmit a response message confirming the response trigger command message.

[0080] In an embodiment, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) can transmit a positioning command message to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication node can estimate the power of a response signal transmitted by the wireless communication device and responding to the positioning command message. The wireless communication node can determine the location of the wireless communication device based on a plurality (N) of wireless communication nodes from which the response signal was received with the highest power. The positioning command message can include a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identification of the wireless communication device, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

[0081] In an embodiment, determining a position of the wireless communication device may include determining the position based on respective positions of the N wireless communication nodes and respective tilt angles of the N wireless communication nodes, each tilt angle being defined as an angle of deflection of a vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

[0082] In an embodiment, the wireless communication node may transmit no more than one positioning command message within the same time period and frequency resource. The positioning command message may include an identification of the wireless communication device.

[0083] In an embodiment, a wireless communication device (e.g., a passive UE) may receive a measure position command message from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that an identification of the wireless communication device indicated in the measure position command message may match an identification stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may transmit a response signal acknowledging the measure position command message.

[0084] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various diagrams may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand example features and functionality of the present solution. However, such skilled in the art will appreciate that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the example embodiments described above.

[0085] It will also be understood that any reference to elements herein using designations such as "first," "second," etc., generally does not limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, reference to a first element and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0086] Further, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0087] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as software or software modules), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, and such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented in or by integrated circuits (ICs), which may include general purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components in a network or device. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0089] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0090] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, while for purposes of explanation, various modules are described as separate modules, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0091] Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of the solution. For clarity, it will be appreciated that the above description describes embodiments of the solution with reference to various functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between various functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without detracting from the solution. For example, functionality illustrated as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units are not intended to represent a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality.

[0092] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A wireless communication method, comprising: determining, by the wireless communications node, an identification relating to the wireless communications device; transmitting, by the wireless communication node, an authentication command message to the wireless communication device; Including, The authentication command message includes the identification for the wireless communication device and an identification of the wireless communication node.

2. 2. The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the authentication command message includes a preamble sequence, a command code, the identification for the wireless communication device, and the identification of the wireless communication node, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

3. receiving, by the wireless communication node, a response message confirming the authentication command message; determining, by the wireless communications node, that the wireless communications device has been authenticated in response to determining that the response message indicates that the identification of the wireless communications node has been successfully received; The wireless communication method of claim 1 , further comprising:

4. transmitting, by the wireless communication node, a message of the first type or a message of the second type to the wireless communication device that has been authenticated; or transmitting, by the wireless communication node, the second type of message to an unauthorized wireless communication device; Including, 10. A method of wireless communication, wherein the first type of message includes an identification of the wireless communication node and the second type of message includes an identification for the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first type of message includes at least one of an inventory command message, a response trigger command message, a read command message, or a write command message.

6. The wireless communication method of claim 5, wherein the response trigger command message includes the identification of the wireless communication device and the identification of the wireless communication node, the read command message includes the identification of the wireless communication device and the identification of the wireless communication node, or the write command message includes the identification of the wireless communication device and the identification of the wireless communication node.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second type of message includes at least one of a positioning command message or an authentication command message.

8. transmitting, by the wireless communication node, the response trigger command message, the response trigger command message configured to trigger the wireless communication device to transmit a response message; receiving, by the wireless communication node, the response message; determining, by the wireless communication node, based on the response message, that the wireless communication device is within coverage of the wireless communication node; The wireless communication method of claim 5 , further comprising:

9. transmitting, by said wireless communications node, no more than one said response trigger command message within a same time period and frequency resource, said response trigger command message including said identification of said wireless communication device. The wireless communication method of claim 5 , further comprising:

10. 1. A wireless communication method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication device, from a wireless communication node, an authentication command message including an identification for the wireless communication device and an identification of the wireless communication node; determining, by the wireless communication device, that the identification of the wireless communication device included in the authentication command message matches an identification stored by the wireless communication device; sending, by the wireless communication device, to the wireless communication node a response message confirming the authentication command message; A wireless communication method comprising:

11. receiving, by a wireless communication device, a message of a first type from a wireless communication node, the message including an identification of the wireless communication node; A wireless communication method comprising:

12. determining, by the wireless communication device, that the identification of the wireless communication node included in the first type message does not match an identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device, that the first type message is invalid. The wireless communication method of claim 11 , further comprising:

13. The first type of message includes a response trigger command message; The method comprises: transmitting, by the wireless communication device, a response message confirming the response trigger command message in response to (i) determining that the identification of the wireless communication node included in the response trigger command message matches an identification of the wireless communication node stored by the wireless communication device, and (ii) determining that the identification of the wireless communication device included in the response trigger command message matches the identification stored by the wireless communication device. The wireless communication method of claim 11 , further comprising:

14. transmitting, by the wireless communication node, a position measurement command message to the wireless communication device; estimating, by the wireless communication node, a power of a response signal transmitted by the wireless communication device in response to the position measurement command message; determining, by the wireless communication node, a location of the wireless communication device based on a plurality (N) of wireless communication nodes each receiving the response signal with the highest power; A wireless communication method comprising:

15. The wireless communication method of claim 14, wherein the positioning command message includes a preamble sequence, an instruction code, and an identification of the wireless communication device, which are arranged in the above order along the time domain.

16. 15. The wireless communication method of claim 14, wherein determining the position of the wireless communication device further includes determining the position based on positions of each of the N wireless communication nodes and tilt angles of each of the N wireless communication nodes, each of the tilt angles being defined as an angle of deviation of a vector extending from the wireless communication node to the wireless communication device.

17. transmitting, by said wireless communication node, within a same time period and frequency resource, no more than one said positioning command message, the positioning command message includes an identification of the wireless communication device. The wireless communication method of claim 14, further comprising:

18. receiving, by a wireless communication device, a position measurement command message from a wireless communication node; determining, by the wireless communication device, that an identification of the wireless communication device indicated in the positioning command message matches an identification stored by the wireless communication device; transmitting, by said wireless communication device, a response signal acknowledging said positioning command message; A wireless communication method comprising:

19. A wireless communication device comprising a processor and a memory, the processor configured to read code from the memory and to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 18.

20. 20. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 18.

Images