Data transmission method, first device, and second device

Abstract

The present application relates to a data transmission method, a first device, a second device, a chip, a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a computer program, and a communication system. The data transmission method comprises: a first device sending a plurality of first signals in a first period among a plurality of periods, wherein in the first period, time-domain positions of the plurality of first signals are different, and powers of the plurality of first signals are different, and each of the plurality of first signals is used for providing energy for a second device within a coverage range of the first signal, the energy being used for performing data transmission with the first device. In the embodiments of the present application, by means of power control, a plurality of second devices are enabled to communicate with a first device at different times, and therefore ordered and differentiated transmissions of a large number of second devices can be realized.

Description

Data transmission method, first device and second device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a data transmission method, a first device, a second device, a chip, a computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a computer program, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of communication system technology, the IoT (Internet of Things) now supports the deployment and maintenance of large numbers of devices in scenarios such as logistics management, environmental monitoring, and intelligent control. However, when a large number of devices simultaneously communicate wirelessly with access devices in the network, congestion and interference can occur. Therefore, it is necessary to consider how to ensure orderly and differentiated transmission for these large numbers of devices.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a data transmission method that can realize orderly and differentiated transmission of a large number of devices.

[0005] The present invention provides a data transmission method, including:

[0006] The first device sends multiple first signals in a first cycle among multiple cycles; wherein in the first cycle, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy to a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used to transmit data with the first device.

[0007] The present invention provides a data transmission method, including:

[0008] The second device receives a first signal sent by the first device in a first cycle among the multiple cycles;

[0009] When the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets the first condition, the second device performs data transmission with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal.

[0010] An embodiment of the present application provides a first device, including:

[0011] The first communication module is used to send multiple first signals within a first cycle among multiple cycles; wherein within the first cycle, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy for a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used for data transmission with the first device.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application provides a second device, including:

[0013] A second communication module is configured to receive a first signal sent by a first device in a first cycle among the multiple cycles;

[0014] The second communication module is further configured to perform data transmission with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets the first condition.

[0015] An embodiment of the present application provides a first device, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices, and the processor is configured to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the first device performs the above-described data transmission method.

[0016] An embodiment of the present application provides a second device, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The memory is configured to store a computer program, the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices, and the processor is configured to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the second device performs the aforementioned data transmission method.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip for implementing the above-mentioned data transmission method.

[0018] Specifically, the chip includes: a processor, which is used to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the above-mentioned data transmission method.

[0019] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a device, the device executes the above-mentioned data transmission method.

[0020] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute the above-mentioned data transmission method.

[0021] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the above-mentioned data transmission method.

[0022] The embodiment of the present application enables multiple second devices to communicate with the first device at different times through power control, thereby achieving orderly and differentiated transmission of a large number of second devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the principle of RF energy harvesting.

[0026] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the backscatter communication principle.

[0027] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of resistive load modulation.

[0028] FIG6A is a schematic diagram of NRZ encoding.

[0029] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of Manchester encoding.

[0030] FIG6C is a schematic diagram of unipolar return-to-zero encoding.

[0031] FIG6D is a schematic diagram of DBP encoding.

[0032] FIG6E is a schematic diagram of Miller encoding.

[0033] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction process between the access device and the zero-power device.

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of a data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the coverage range of the first signal in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG10 is a schematic flowchart of a data transmission method according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of modulating a signal / information sequence in an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the registration process in some application examples of the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] FIG13 is a schematic block diagram of a first device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG14 is a schematic block diagram of a second device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0041] FIG15 is a schematic block diagram of a second device according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0042] FIG16 is a schematic block diagram of a second device according to yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0043] FIG17 is a schematic block diagram of a second device according to yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0044] FIG18 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] FIG19 is a schematic block diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 20 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum, NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Fifth Generation (5G) system or other communication systems.

[0049] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0050] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0051] In one embodiment, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, wherein the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, wherein the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum.

[0052] The embodiments of the present application describe various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices, wherein the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc.

[0053] The terminal device can be a station (STAION, ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a next-generation communication system such as an NR network, or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, etc.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water surface (such as ships, etc.); it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0055] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc.

[0056] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as those that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device may be a device for communicating with a mobile device. The network device may be an access point (AP) in a WLAN, an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, or a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, and a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or a network device in an NTN network, etc.

[0058] As an example and not a limitation, in an embodiment of the present application, the network device may have a mobile feature, for example, the network device may be a mobile device. Alternatively, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station set up in a location such as land or water.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources used by the cell (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources). The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0060] FIG1 exemplarily illustrates a communication system 100. The communication system includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices 120. In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may include multiple network devices 110, and each network device 110 may include a different number of terminal devices 120 within its coverage area, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0061] In one embodiment, the communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Among them, the network equipment may include access network equipment and core network equipment. That is, the wireless communication system also includes multiple core networks for communicating with the access network equipment. The access network equipment can be an evolutionary base station (evolutional node B, abbreviated as eNB or e-NodeB) macro base station, micro base station (also called "small base station"), pico base station, access point (AP), transmission point (TP) or new generation base station (new generation Node B, gNodeB), etc. in a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a next-generation (mobile communication system) (next radio, NR) system or an authorized auxiliary access long-term evolution (LAA-LTE) system.

[0063] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, a device having a communication function in a network / system may be referred to as a communication device. Taking the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example, the communication device may include a network device and a terminal device having a communication function. The network device and the terminal device may be specific devices in the embodiments of the present application and will not be described in detail here. The communication device may also include other devices in the communication system, such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and other network entities, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and / or" is simply a description of an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0065] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0067] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of the present application are described below. The following relevant technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0068] (1) Communication based on zero-power devices

[0069] Zero-power communication uses energy harvesting and backscatter communication technology. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system. As shown in Figure 2, the zero-power communication system includes a network device 210 and a zero-power device 220 (also referred to as a zero-power terminal). The network device 210 is used to send wireless power supply signals and downlink communication signals (such as trigger signals) to the zero-power device 220, and to receive backscatter signals from the zero-power device 220. A basic zero-power device 220 includes an energy harvesting module, a backscatter communication module, and a low-power computing module. In addition, the zero-power device 220 may also have a memory or sensor for storing some basic information (such as item identification, etc.) or obtaining sensor data such as ambient temperature and ambient humidity.

[0070] The key technologies of zero-power communication mainly include radio frequency energy harvesting and backscatter communication.

[0071] Figure 3 shows the principle diagram of RF power harvesting. As shown in Figure 3, the RF energy harvesting module uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to collect electromagnetic wave energy from space, thereby obtaining the energy required to operate zero-power devices. For example, this is used to drive low-power demodulation and modulation modules, sensors, and memory access. As a result, zero-power devices can eliminate the need for traditional batteries.

[0072] Figure 4 shows the principle diagram of backscatter communication (Back Scattering). As shown in Figure 4, the zero-power terminal receives the wireless signal sent by the network, modulates the wireless signal, loads the information to be sent and radiates the modulated signal from the antenna. This information transmission process is called backscatter communication. Backscatter and load modulation functions are inseparable. Load modulation adjusts and controls the circuit parameters of the oscillation circuit of the zero-power device according to the beat of the data stream, so that parameters such as the size of the electronic tag impedance change accordingly, thereby completing the modulation process. Load modulation technology mainly includes two methods: resistive load modulation and capacitive load modulation. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of resistive load modulation. As shown in Figure 5, in resistive load modulation, the load R LA resistor R3 is connected in parallel and is turned on or off based on the control of the binary data stream (for example, by controlling switch S). ​​The on-off switching of the resistor causes the circuit voltage to change, thereby implementing amplitude shift keying (ASK), that is, signal modulation and transmission are achieved by adjusting the amplitude of the backscattered signal of the zero-power device. Similarly, in capacitive load modulation, the resonant frequency of the circuit can be changed by switching the capacitor on and off, realizing frequency shift keying (FSK), that is, signal modulation and transmission are achieved by adjusting the operating frequency of the backscattered signal of the zero-power device.

[0073] It can be seen that the zero-power device uses load modulation to modulate the incoming signal, thereby realizing the backscatter communication process. Therefore, the zero-power device has significant advantages:

[0074] 1. The terminal does not actively transmit signals, so it does not require complex RF links such as PA and RF filters;

[0075] 2. The terminal does not need to actively generate high-frequency signals, so it does not need a high-frequency crystal oscillator;

[0076] 3. With the help of backscatter communication, terminal signal transmission does not need to consume the terminal's own energy.

[0077] (2) Application scenarios of zero-power communication

[0078] Due to its significant advantages such as extremely low cost, zero power consumption, and small size, zero-power communication can be widely used in various industries, such as logistics for vertical industries, smart warehousing, smart agriculture, energy and electricity, industrial Internet, etc.; it can also be applied to personal applications such as smart wearables and smart homes.

[0079] (3) Encoding method for zero-power communication

[0080] Data transmitted by zero-power terminals (such as electronic tags) can use various codes to represent binary "1" and "0." RFID systems typically use one of the following encoding methods: non-return-to-zero (NRZ), Manchester, unipolar RZ, differential binary phase (DBP), Miller, and differential encoding. In simple terms, different pulse signals are used to represent 0 and 1.

[0081] Figure 6A shows a schematic diagram of NRZ encoding. As shown in Figure 6A, NRZ encoding uses a high level to represent a binary "1" and a low level to represent a binary "0".

[0082] Figure 6B shows a schematic diagram of Manchester coding. Manchester coding is also known as Split-Phase Coding. As shown in Figure 6B, in Manchester coding, the value of a bit is represented by the change in level (rising / falling) during half a bit period within the bit length. A negative transition during half a bit period represents a binary "1," and a positive transition during half a bit period represents a binary "0." Manchester coding is commonly used for data transmission from electronic tags to readers when using carrier load modulation or backscatter modulation because it facilitates the detection of data transmission errors. This is because the "no change" state is not allowed within the bit length. When multiple electronic tags simultaneously transmit data bits with different values, the received rising and falling edges cancel each other, resulting in an uninterrupted carrier signal throughout the entire bit length. Since this state is not allowed, the reader can use this error to determine the specific location of the collision.

[0083] Figure 6C shows a schematic diagram of unipolar return-to-zero coding. As shown in Figure 6C, a high level signal during the first half of a bit period represents a binary "1," while a low level signal throughout the entire bit period represents a binary "0." Unipolar return-to-zero coding can be used to extract bit synchronization signals.

[0084] Figure 6D shows a schematic diagram of DBP encoding. As shown in Figure 6D, any edge within a half-bit period in DBP encoding represents a binary "0," while the absence of an edge represents a binary "1." Furthermore, the voltage level is inverted at the beginning of each bit period. Therefore, the bit beat is relatively easy to reconstruct for the receiver.

[0085] Figure 6E shows a schematic diagram of Miller coding. As shown in Figure 6E , in Miller coding, any edge within half a bit period represents a binary "1," while a constant level throughout the next bit period represents a binary "0." A level transition occurs at the beginning of a bit period. Therefore, the bit beat is relatively easy for the receiver to reconstruct.

[0086] (IV) Classification of Zero-Power Terminals

[0087] Based on the energy source and usage of zero-power terminals, zero-power terminals can be divided into the following types:

[0088] (1) Passive zero-power terminal

[0089] Zero-power terminals do not require built-in batteries. When a zero-power device approaches a network device, it is within the near field formed by the radiation from the network device's antenna. The network device is, for example, a reader / writer for an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system. Therefore, the antenna of the zero-power device generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. This implements tasks such as demodulating the forward link signal and modulating the backward link signal. For backscatter links, the zero-power device uses a backscatter implementation method to transmit signals.

[0090] It can be seen that the passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link, and is a truly zero-power device.

[0091] Passive zero-power devices do not require batteries, and their RF circuits and baseband circuits are very simple. For example, they do not require devices such as LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), PA (Power Amplifier), crystal oscillator, ADC (Analog to Digital Converter), etc. Therefore, they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0092] Passive zero-power devices can also support other energy harvesting methods. By harvesting energy from the environment (such as light energy, thermal energy, kinetic energy, mechanical energy, etc.), they can obtain energy for driving circuits and support communication in terminal devices.

[0093] (2) Semi-passive zero-power devices

[0094] Semi-passive zero-power devices do not have conventional batteries installed themselves, but can use RF (Radio Frequency) energy harvesting modules to harvest radio wave energy or use energy harvesting modules to harvest energy from the environment (such as solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical vibration energy, etc.), and store the harvested energy in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). After the energy storage unit obtains energy, it can drive the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. This can achieve tasks such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of backward link signals. For backscatter links, zero-power devices use backscatter implementation to transmit signals.

[0095] It can be seen that the semi-passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link. Although it uses energy stored in capacitors during operation, the energy comes from the radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module. Therefore, it is also a truly zero-power device.

[0096] Semi-passive zero-power devices inherit many advantages of passive zero-power devices, so they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0097] (3) Active zero-power devices

[0098] The zero-power devices used in some scenarios can also be active zero-power devices. Such terminals can have built-in batteries (conventional batteries, such as dry batteries, rechargeable lithium batteries, etc.). The battery is used to drive the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. It realizes the demodulation of the forward link signal and the modulation of the reverse link signal. However, for the backscatter link, the zero-power device uses the backscatter implementation method to transmit the signal. Therefore, the zero power consumption of this type of terminal is mainly reflected in the fact that the signal transmission of the reverse link does not require the terminal's own power, but uses the backscatter method. Although the active zero-power device uses a battery, due to the sampling of ultra-low power communication technology, the power consumption is very low, so compared with the existing technology, the battery life can be greatly improved.

[0099] Active zero-power devices, with built-in batteries to power the RFID chip, increase the tag's read and write distance and improve communication reliability. Therefore, they are suitable for scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0100] Some zero-power devices, such as semi-passive zero-power devices or active zero-power devices, may have the ability to actively transmit, that is, in addition to communicating through backscattering, the backward link may also communicate through active transmission.

[0101] As we all know, the service types of zero-power IoT are similar to other IoT service types, and will also focus on uplink services. Based on the transmitter type of zero-power devices, zero-power devices can be divided into the following types:

[0102] (1) Zero-power devices based on backscattering

[0103] These zero-power devices use backscattering, as previously described, to transmit uplink data. They lack active transmitters, only backscattering. Therefore, when transmitting data, these devices require network equipment to provide a carrier, which they then use for backscattering.

[0104] (2) Zero-power devices based on active transmitters

[0105] These zero-power devices use active transmitters with active transmission capabilities for uplink data transmission. Therefore, when sending data, these zero-power devices can use their own active transmitters to send data without the need for network equipment to provide a carrier. Examples of active transmitters suitable for zero-power devices include ultra-low-power ASK and ultra-low-power FSK transmitters. Based on current implementations, these transmitters can reduce overall power consumption to 400-600uW when transmitting a 100uW (microwatt) signal.

[0106] (3) Zero-power devices with both backscatter and active transmitters

[0107] This type of terminal supports both backscatter and active transmitters. The terminal can determine which uplink signal transmission method to use: backscatter or active transmitter, based on various conditions (such as battery life and available ambient energy) or based on network device scheduling.

[0108] (5) Cellular Passive Internet of Things

[0109] The cellular Internet of Things (IoT) is booming. Currently, IoT technologies such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), MTC, and RedCap (Reduced Capability) have been standardized. However, there are still many scenarios where IoT communication needs cannot be met using existing technologies. For example:

[0110] 1. Harsh communication environment

[0111] Certain IoT scenarios may encounter extreme environments such as high temperature, extremely low temperature, high humidity, high voltage, high radiation, or high-speed movement. Examples include ultra-high voltage substations, high-speed train track monitoring, environmental monitoring in high-altitude cold regions, and industrial production lines. In these scenarios, existing IoT terminals will not function due to the operating environment limitations of conventional power supplies. Furthermore, extreme operating environments are not conducive to IoT maintenance, such as battery replacement.

[0112] 2. Demand for extremely small terminal form factors

[0113] Certain IoT communication scenarios, such as food traceability, commodity distribution, and smart wearables, require terminals to be extremely small for ease of use. For example, IoT terminals used for commodity management in the distribution process often take the form of electronic tags, embedded in product packaging in a very compact form factor. Another example is lightweight wearable devices that can meet user needs while improving the user experience.

[0114] 3. Extremely low-cost IoT communication requirements

[0115] Many IoT communication scenarios require IoT terminals to be sufficiently affordable to enhance their competitiveness compared to alternative technologies. For example, in logistics or warehousing, to facilitate the management of large quantities of circulating items, IoT terminals can be attached to each item. Communication between the terminal and the logistics network enables precise management of the entire logistics process and lifecycle. These scenarios require IoT terminals to be competitively priced.

[0116] Therefore, in order to cover these unmet IoT communication needs, cellular networks also need to develop ultra-low-cost, extremely small-size, battery-free / maintenance-free IoT, and zero-power IoT can just meet this need.

[0117] It's important to note that during standardization discussions, the term "Zero-Power IoT" can also be referred to as "Ambient Power Enabled IoT" or "Ambient IoT." In some technical literature, it's also referred to as "Passive IoT." The so-called "Ambient IoT" (also referred to as "A-IoT") refers to IoT devices that use various ambient energies (such as radio frequency energy, light energy, solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy, etc.). These devices can have no energy storage capabilities or very limited energy storage capabilities (such as using capacitors with a capacity of tens of uF).

[0118] Based on the discussion of Ambient IoT application scenarios, Ambient IoT can be used in at least the following four scenarios:

[0119] Object recognition, such as logistics, production line product management, and supply chain management;

[0120] Environmental monitoring, such as temperature, humidity, and harmful gas monitoring of working environment and natural environment;

[0121] Positioning, such as indoor positioning, intelligent object search, and production line item positioning;

[0122] Intelligent control, such as intelligent control of various electrical appliances in smart homes (turning on and off air conditioners, adjusting temperature), and intelligent control of various facilities in agricultural greenhouses (automatic irrigation and fertilization).

[0123] Traditional cellular networks cannot communicate with zero-power devices. Terminal devices in traditional cellular networks require battery power. If the cellular network supports zero-power devices, a power supply signal must be provided by the network device or other source for the zero-power device to obtain energy. Once the zero-power device obtains the downlink signal and energy, it can feedback information to the access device (such as the network device) in the network via backscatter at the UL frequency. Figure 7 shows the interaction process between the access device and the zero-power device.

[0124] Because networks (such as the Zero Power Internet of Things or Ambient IoT) have large coverage areas, they may accommodate a large number of zero-power devices. Once a large number of user devices (UEs) acquire energy and simultaneously use wireless communication resources for signal transmission or reception, congestion can occur. Distinguishing reflected / returned signals from multiple UEs is a significant challenge. The greater the number of UEs, the more severe the mutual interference, making them more difficult to distinguish. Even using different time-frequency resources to distinguish UEs, the limited resources available make it difficult to distinguish UEs in these scenarios.

[0125] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can solve the above technical problems.

[0126] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can optionally be applied to the system shown in FIG1 or FIG2, but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following contents.

[0127] S810. The first device sends multiple first signals in a first period of multiple periods; wherein, in the first period, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy for a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used to transmit data with the first device.

[0128] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the first device may be an access device or a network device in a network that needs to transmit data with a large number of second devices. Exemplarily, the network may be a zero-power network or an ambient energy Internet of Things.

[0129] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the second device is a user device or a terminal device. Exemplarily, the second device may be a zero-power device or an ambient IoT device. The zero-power device or the ambient IoT device may include a device that uses backscattering for uplink transmission, or may include a device that uses active transmission for uplink transmission, and this application is not limited to this.

[0130] It should be noted that even though a zero-power network or ambient energy Internet of Things is used as an example, the data transmission method in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other types of networks. It is understood that the data transmission method in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to any network with multiple user equipment access requirements.

[0131] Optionally, a cycle in the embodiment of the present application refers to a cycle in which the first device completes a data transmission with each second device within a specific range. In actual applications, the first device can use multiple cycles to complete multiple data transmissions with each second device, that is, to achieve periodic data transmission. For example, in a logistics or warehousing scenario, the first device can periodically transmit data with each second device in a logistics network to complete the precise management of the items attached to each second device. For another example, in an environmental monitoring scenario, the first device can periodically collect sensor information reported by each second device (sensor) in the monitoring space.

[0132] Optionally, the first period may be any one or each of the aforementioned multiple periods. That is, within any one or each period, the first device may transmit multiple first signals at different time domain locations and with different powers. The first signal includes an energy supply signal. Optionally, the waveform of the energy supply signal is a simple waveform, such as a sine wave.

[0133] Optionally, the multiple first signals may be sent in multiple first time slots respectively. That is, the first signals with different powers correspond to different time slots in the time domain of the downlink frequency.

[0134] Since the power of multiple first signals is different, the coverage range of multiple signals is different. On this basis, the time domain positions of multiple signals are different. Therefore, for multiple second devices in different ranges (or multiple second devices at different distances from the first device), the time they receive the first signal that meets the power requirements is different, or the power of the first signal received at the same time is different, so the time to accumulate the energy required for data transmission is different. Based on this, multiple second devices are grouped by different powers, and different groups of second devices will receive the first signal that meets the power requirements at different times or accumulate the energy required for data transmission at different times, thereby transmitting data with the first device at different times. In other words, the first device can realize batch wake-up / batch activation of multiple second devices by sending the first signal with different powers at different time domain positions.

[0135] As an example, FIG9 shows a schematic diagram of the coverage range of the first signal in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , within the coverage range of the first signal sent by the first device with power x (power x can be a preset maximum transmission power), second devices T1 to T6 are deployed, wherein, taking T1 and T2 as examples, T1 is within the coverage range of the first signal sent with power T1, and T2 is within the coverage range of the first signal sent with power T2. Assuming that the first device first sends the first signal with power T1 and then sends the first signal with power T2, T1 will obtain the energy provided by the first signal earlier than T2, so that T1 can transmit data earlier than T2.

[0136] As can be seen, according to the above data transmission method, a first device transmits multiple first signals at different time domain locations within a cycle at different powers. This allows second devices located in different ranges to obtain energy at different times, thereby transmitting data with the first device at different times. In this way, through power control and the near-far effect, orderly and differentiated transmissions are achieved for a large number of second devices, avoiding transmission conflicts and interference.

[0137] In some embodiments, the power of each first signal in the plurality of signals is related to the order in which the plurality of first signals are transmitted. For example, the power of each first signal is determined according to a certain rule, which is related to the order in which the plurality of first signals are transmitted. For example, the transmission power of the plurality of first signals per unit frequency is a set of discrete values, which are P max -x, where x is a value sequentially extracted from a preset set according to the order of the first signal.

[0138] In some embodiments, the power of each of the multiple first signals increases sequentially within the first cycle. As shown in Figure 9, the first device first transmits a first signal at a lower power of 1, activating only device T1. After device T1 completes data transmission, no further data transmission occurs within the first cycle. The first device then transmits a first signal at a power of 2, which is greater than power 1. This activates only devices T2 and T3. After devices T2 and T3 complete data transmission, no further data transmission occurs within the first cycle. Subsequently, the first device transmits a first signal at a power of 3, which is greater than power 2. This activates only devices T4, T5, and T6.

[0139] It can be seen that by increasing the power, the second devices can be triggered to perform data transmission based on the distance between the first device and each second device, first the closer ones and then the farther ones, thereby simplifying the design complexity of power control.

[0140] As an example, the power of the first signal is P max-x, where x = {-12dB, -9dB, -6dB, -3dB, 0dB}. This means x is a value extracted from the set {-12dB, -9dB, -6dB, -3dB, 0dB} based on the order in which the first signal was sent. In this way, the power of the multiple signals increases sequentially within the first period.

[0141] In some embodiments, the powers of the multiple first signals transmitted by the first device in each of the multiple cycles have the same ordering rule. For example, the powers of the multiple first signals transmitted in each cycle are sequentially increased. In this way, in each cycle, the second device transmits data with the first device based on the same rule, simplifying the design complexity of power control.

[0142] Corresponding to the above method, an embodiment of the present application also provides a data transmission method performed by a second device. Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of a data transmission method according to another embodiment of the present application. This method can optionally be applied to the system shown in Figure 1 or 2, but is not limited thereto. The method includes at least part of the following content.

[0143] S1010. A second device receives a first signal sent by a first device in a first cycle among multiple cycles.

[0144] S1020: When the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal satisfies a first condition, the second device transmits data with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal.

[0145] The first signal includes an energy supply signal. Optionally, the waveform of the energy supply signal is a simple waveform, such as a sine wave waveform.

[0146] Since the second device transmits data with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets the first condition, power control can be used to enable different second devices to meet the first condition at different times, thereby achieving orderly and differentiated transmission of a large number of second devices.

[0147] For example, the time at which the second device meets the first condition is related to the distance of the second device from the first device. In this way, multiple second devices can be grouped based on distance, so that second devices in different groups can meet the first condition at different times, thereby achieving orderly and differentiated transmission of a large number of second devices.

[0148] Optionally, as in the aforementioned embodiment, the first signal may be one of a plurality of first signals sent by the first device at different time domain positions with different powers. In this way, second devices in different ranges or at different distances from the first device meet the first condition at different times, thereby achieving orderly and differentiated transmission of a large number of second devices.

[0149] Optionally, other technical details in this embodiment can also be implemented with reference to the aforementioned embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0150] Optionally, if the second device completes a data transmission with the first device within the first period, the second device may no longer perform data transmission within the first period to avoid subsequent transmission conflicts or interference with other second devices that meet the first condition. The second device may perform data transmission again in the period following the first period, thereby achieving periodic data transmission.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first condition includes: energy accumulated by the second device based on the first signal is greater than a first threshold. The first threshold is a pre-set energy threshold. For example, the first threshold may be 0.1 J (Joule), 0.01 J, 0.001 J, or 0.0001 J.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first condition includes: the power of the first signal received by the second device is greater than a second threshold. The second threshold is a pre-set power threshold. For example, the second threshold can be -20 dBm (decibel milliwatt), -40 dBm, -60 dBm, or -80 dBm.

[0153] In some embodiments, the first condition may include: the power of the first signal received by the second device is greater than the second threshold, and the energy accumulated by the second device based on the first signal is greater than the first threshold. That is, the second device needs to transmit data when the power of the received first signal is greater than the second threshold, and the energy accumulated by the second device based on the first signal is greater than the first threshold. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can flexibly make other settings for the first condition according to actual needs to control the orderly transmission of a large number of second devices through power or energy accumulation, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0154] Optionally, when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal does not meet the first condition, the second device continues to receive or detect the first signal.

[0155] Specifically, the second device may determine whether the first condition is met based on the reception of the first signal in each time slot within the first cycle. If the first condition is met, data transmission with the first device is performed; if the first condition is not met, the second device may detect the first signal in the next time slot within the first cycle.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first device may send a trigger message within a first period to trigger the second device to perform data transmission with the first device. Specifically, the data transmission method may further include: the first device sending a trigger message within the first period; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct the second device that detects the trigger message to perform data transmission with the first device.

[0157] Optionally, the second device may detect the trigger message if the first condition is met, and perform data transmission with the first device based on the trigger message. That is, the data transmission method performed by the second device may further include: if the first condition is met, the second device detecting a trigger message sent by the first device; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to perform data transmission with the first device.

[0158] In some embodiments, the trigger message may be used to indicate time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device.

[0159] In one implementation, the trigger message may include resource indication information, where the resource indication information is used by the second device to determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device. Accordingly, the data transmission method performed by the second device may further include: the second device determining the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device based on the resource indication information in the trigger message.

[0160] In another implementation, the trigger message may implicitly indicate the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device. Specifically, the time-frequency resources in the trigger message are used to determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device. Accordingly, the data transmission method performed by the second device may further include: the second device determining the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device based on the time-frequency resources in the trigger message.

[0161] Exemplarily, the frequency domain resources of the trigger message can be used to determine the frequency domain resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device. Specifically, the second device can determine the frequency domain resources for data transmission with the first device based on the frequency domain resources of the trigger message and a preset offset value.

[0162] Exemplarily, the time domain resource of the trigger message can be used to determine the time domain resource for data transmission between the second device and the first device. Specifically, the second device can determine the time domain resource for data transmission with the first device based on the time domain resource of the trigger message and a preset offset value.

[0163] In some embodiments, the second device performs data transmission with the first device, including the second device receiving downlink data sent by the first device and / or the second device sending uplink data to the first device. Accordingly, the second device can determine the time-frequency resources for receiving downlink data and / or the time-frequency resources for sending uplink data based on the trigger message. Exemplarily, the resource indication information in the trigger message may include time domain resource indication information and / or frequency domain resource indication information. Alternatively, the second device can determine the time-frequency resources for receiving downlink data based on the time-frequency resources of the trigger message and the first offset value; and determine the time-frequency resources for sending uplink data based on the time-frequency resources of the trigger message and the second offset value.

[0164] In some embodiments, the trigger message may also include an ID (identifier) ​​of the second device; this ID is used by the second device to determine that the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to transmit data with the first device. In other words, the ID is used to identify the second device to which the trigger message corresponds, allowing the second device to recognize the trigger message and perform data transmission based on the trigger message.

[0165] Accordingly, the second device performing data transmission with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal may include: the second device performing data transmission with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal when the trigger message includes the ID of the second device.

[0166] Exemplarily, the above-mentioned ID may be an inherent ID of the second device, or an ID of the second device previously registered in the network, etc.

[0167] Optionally, the first device may determine the time domain location of the second device that meets the first condition based on the deployment location of the second device, and send a trigger message for the second device at the time domain location, which carries the ID of the second device.

[0168] It should be noted that in actual applications, the trigger message may not include the ID of the second device. That is, each trigger message sent by the first device may be indistinguishable to each second device. For example, the first device may send a trigger message in each time slot within the first period, and the trigger message is used to indicate the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device that meet the first condition in the time slot.

[0169] Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, one or more of the trigger message, the downlink data sent by the first device to the second device, and the uplink data sent by the second device to the first device may be a modulated signal of a binary sequence, wherein the binary sequence is, for example, a PN (Pseudo-noise) sequence, a Gold sequence (a pseudo-random sequence), an M sequence (maximum length linear shift register sequence), a Hadamard sequence, or other sequences.

[0170] Optionally, in any of the above embodiments, one or more of the trigger message, the downlink data sent by the first device to the second device, and the uplink data sent by the second device to the first device can be obtained by amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, or phase modulation. Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of modulating a signal / information sequence in an embodiment of the present application, which shows the signal / information sequence to be modulated (such as a trigger message, downlink data, or uplink data), the corresponding unmodulated carrier, and the modulated waveform.

[0171] Optionally, the trigger message is carried by the first signal. In other words, the trigger message and the energy supply signal can be the same signal.

[0172] It is understood that in some embodiments, the first device may not send a trigger message, that is, the second device may receive downlink data and transmit uplink data when the first condition is met. Those skilled in the art may make settings according to scenario requirements.

[0173] In some application examples, after the second device meets the first condition, the process of detecting the trigger message and performing data transmission can be regarded as a registration process of the second device.

[0174] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the registration process in some application examples of the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 12, a first device sends a trigger message, which may include a terminal ID, resource indication information, and so on. A second device receives the trigger message, decodes the terminal ID in the trigger message, and determines, based on the ID, whether the trigger message is intended for the second device. If the terminal ID indicates that the trigger message is intended for the second device, the second device reads the resource indication information and, based on the resource indication information, determines the downlink data time-frequency resources. It then receives and decodes the downlink data based on the downlink data time-frequency resources. The second device may also determine the uplink data time-frequency resources based on the resource indication information and transmit the uplink data based on the uplink data time-frequency resources. Optionally, the second device may transmit the uplink data using backscatter. Optionally, the uplink data may include feedback information from the second device regarding the downlink data. If the second device successfully decodes the downlink data, the feedback information may include ACK (Acknowledgement) information. If the second device fails to successfully decode the downlink data, the feedback information may include NACK (Negative Acknowledgement) information. After successful registration, the second device will not register again until the next cycle.

[0175] As can be seen in the above application example, the registration process distinguishes the data information of different second devices, which can also greatly avoid interference between multiple second devices. At the same time, the trigger message provides certain timing control and coordinates the time domain structure of uplink and downlink data, ensuring that the terminal and network can process information in a timely manner.

[0176] In some embodiments, the data transmission method further includes: the first device sending a second signal within the first cycle; wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

[0177] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the data transmission method further includes: the second device receiving a second signal sent by the first device; wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

[0178] The second signal can be understood as a period boundary signal. The second period can be the next period of the first period.

[0179] If the second device is a zero-power device or an ambient energy IoT device, the second device may not have sufficient energy to maintain a clock and determine the start and end times of each cycle based on the clock. According to the above embodiment, the first device sends a second signal to the second device to determine that it has entered the second cycle. In this way, the zero-power device or the ambient energy IoT device can maintain data transmission over multiple cycles.

[0180] In some embodiments, the second signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used to determine the time domain position of the second period. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the data transmission method further includes: the second device determining the time domain position of the second period based on the timing information in the second signal.

[0181] Exemplarily, the time domain location of the second period may include the start time of the second period. For example, the timing information may indicate a time interval, and the second device may determine the start time of the second period based on the current time and the time interval. Optionally, the time domain location of the second period may also include the end time of the second period, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0182] In some embodiments, the second signal is further used to instruct the second device to release energy. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the data transmission method further includes: upon receiving the second signal, the second device releasing energy. By releasing energy, the second device can reaccumulate energy within the second period. In this way, multiple second devices can transmit data in batches through power control within the second period.

[0183] In some embodiments, the power of the second signal is greater than or equal to the maximum power of the multiple first signals. In this way, it can be ensured that the second devices within the coverage of the multiple first signals can all receive the second signal and enter the second cycle.

[0184] As can be seen, the data transmission method in the embodiment of the present application controls the wake-up and data transmission of different batches of multiple second devices through power control within a cycle. Each second device detects the cycle boundary signal and determines whether to continue detection and registration in the next cycle, thereby achieving periodic and orderly differentiated transmission of multiple second devices.

[0185] FIG13 is a schematic block diagram of a first device 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The first device 1300 may include:

[0186] The first communication module 1310 is used to send multiple first signals within a first period among multiple periods; wherein within the first period, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy for a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used for data transmission with the first device.

[0187] In one embodiment, within the first period, the power of each first signal in the plurality of first signals is related to the transmission order of the plurality of first signals.

[0188] In one embodiment, the power of each first signal in the plurality of first signals increases sequentially within the first period.

[0189] In one embodiment, the powers of the multiple first signals sent in each period of the multiple periods have the same sorting rule.

[0190] In one embodiment, the first communication module 1310 is further configured to:

[0191] A trigger message is sent within a first period; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct a second device that detects the trigger message to perform data transmission with the first device.

[0192] In one embodiment, the trigger message includes resource indication information; the resource indication information is used by the second device to determine time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

[0193] In one embodiment, the time-frequency resources of the trigger message are used to determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device.

[0194] In one embodiment, the trigger message further includes an identification ID of the second device; the ID is used by the second device to determine that the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to perform data transmission with the first device.

[0195] In one implementation, the trigger message is carried by the first signal.

[0196] In one embodiment, the first communication module 1310 is further configured to:

[0197] A second signal is sent within the first cycle, wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

[0198] In one embodiment, the second signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used to determine the time domain position of the second period.

[0199] In one embodiment, the second signal is further used to instruct the second device to release energy.

[0200] The first device 1300 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the first device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the first device 1300 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the first device 1300 of the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0201] FIG14 is a schematic block diagram of a second device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The second device 1400 may include:

[0202] The second communication module 1410 is used to receive a first signal sent by a first device in a first cycle among multiple cycles, and to transmit data with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets a first condition.

[0203] In one embodiment, the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0204] Based on the accumulated energy of the first signal being greater than a first threshold;

[0205] The power of the first signal is greater than the second threshold.

[0206] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG15 , the second device 1400 further includes a first processing module 1510 , and the first processing module 1510 is configured to:

[0207] When the first condition is met, a trigger message sent by the first device is detected; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct data transmission with the first device.

[0208] In one embodiment, the first processing module 1510 is further configured to:

[0209] Based on the resource indication information in the trigger message, determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

[0210] In one embodiment, the first processing module 1510 is further configured to:

[0211] Based on the time-frequency resources of the trigger message, determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

[0212] In one embodiment, the second communication module 1410 is further configured to:

[0213] In a case where the trigger message includes the ID of the second device, data transmission is performed with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal.

[0214] In one implementation, the trigger message is carried by the first signal.

[0215] In one embodiment, the second communication module 1410 is further configured to:

[0216] A second signal sent by the first device is received, wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

[0217] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG16 , the second device 1400 further includes a second processing module 1610 , which is configured to:

[0218] Based on the timing information in the second signal, a time domain position of the second period is determined.

[0219] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG17 , the second device 1400 further includes a third processing module 1710 , which is configured to:

[0220] Upon receiving the second signal, energy is released.

[0221] The second device 1400 of the embodiment of the present application can implement the corresponding functions of the second device in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processes, functions, implementation methods and beneficial effects corresponding to the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the second device 1400 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described in the various modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) in the second device 1400 of the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit or component, etc.).

[0222] Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1800 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1800 includes a processor 1810, which can call and run a computer program from a memory to enable the communication device 1800 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0223] In one embodiment, the communication device 1800 may further include a memory 1820. The processor 1810 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1820 to enable the communication device 1800 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0224] The memory 1820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1810 , or may be integrated into the processor 1810 .

[0225] In one embodiment, the communication device 1800 may further include a transceiver 1830 , and the processor 1810 may control the transceiver 1830 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, the transceiver 1830 may send information or data to other devices, or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0226] The transceiver 1830 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1830 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0227] In one embodiment, the communication device 1800 may be the first device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1800 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0228] In one embodiment, the communication device 1800 may be the second device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 1800 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0229] 19 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip 1900 includes a processor 1910, which can call and execute a computer program from a memory to implement the method according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0230] In one embodiment, the chip 1900 may further include a memory 1920. The processor 1910 may call and execute a computer program from the memory 1920 to implement the method executed by the first device or the second device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0231] The memory 1920 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1910 , or may be integrated into the processor 1910 .

[0232] In one embodiment, the chip 1900 may further include an input interface 1930. The processor 1910 may control the input interface 1930 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0233] In one embodiment, the chip 1900 may further include an output interface 1940. The processor 1910 may control the output interface 1940 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0234] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the first device in the embodiment of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first device in each method of the embodiment of the present application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0235] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the second device in the embodiments of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the second device in each method of the embodiments of the present application. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0236] The chips used in the first device and the second device may be the same chip or different chips.

[0237] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can also be called a system-level chip, a system chip, a chip system or a system-on-chip chip, etc.

[0238] The processor mentioned above may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor mentioned above may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0239] The memory mentioned above may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM).

[0240] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are exemplary but not restrictive. For example, the memories in the embodiments of the present application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct RAM RAM (DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of the present application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0241] FIG20 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 2000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 2000 includes a first device 1300 and a second device 1400 .

[0242] The first device 1300 sends multiple first signals in the first cycle of multiple cycles; wherein in the first cycle, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy for the second device 1400 within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used for data transmission between the second device 1400 and the first device 1300.

[0243] The second device 1400 receives the first signal sent by the first device 1300 in the first cycle of multiple cycles; when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets the first condition, the second device 1400 transmits data with the first device 1300 based on the energy provided by the first signal.

[0244] The first device 1300 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the first device in the above method, and the second device 1400 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the second device in the above method. For the sake of brevity, they are not described here in detail.

[0245] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function in accordance with the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server or data center by wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0246] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0247] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0248] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, comprising: A first device sends multiple first signals in a first cycle among multiple cycles; wherein, in the first cycle, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy to a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used to perform data transmission with the first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the first period, the power of each of the plurality of first signals is related to a transmission order of the plurality of first signals.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The power of each first signal among the plurality of first signals increases sequentially within the first period.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The powers of the multiple first signals sent by the first device in each of the multiple cycles have the same sorting rule.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The method further comprises: The first device sends a trigger message within the first period; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct a second device that detects the trigger message to perform data transmission with the first device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The trigger message includes resource indication information; the resource indication information is used by the second device to determine time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The time-frequency resources of the trigger message are used to determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein: The trigger message also includes an identification ID of the second device; the ID is used by the second device to determine that the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to perform data transmission with the first device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein: The trigger message is carried by the first signal.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The method further comprises: The first device sends a second signal within the first cycle; wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The second signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used to determine the time domain position of the second period.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The second signal is further used to instruct the second device to release energy.

13. A data transmission method, comprising: The second device receives a first signal sent by the first device in a first cycle among the multiple cycles; When the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal satisfies a first condition, the second device performs data transmission with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first condition includes at least one of the following: the second device accumulates energy greater than a first threshold based on the first signal; The power of the first signal is greater than a second threshold.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The method further comprises: When the first condition is met, the second device detects a trigger message sent by the first device; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to perform data transmission with the first device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device determines time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device based on the resource indication information in the trigger message.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device determines the time and frequency resource for data transmission with the first device based on the time and frequency resource of the trigger message. Frequency resources.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein: The second device performs data transmission with the first device based on energy provided by the first signal, including: When the trigger message includes the ID of the second device, the second device performs data transmission with the first device based on energy provided by the first signal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein: The trigger message is carried by the first signal.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device receives a second signal sent by the first device, wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device determines a time domain position of the second period based on timing information in the second signal.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device releases energy when receiving the second signal.

23. A first device, comprising: A first communication module, configured to send a plurality of first signals in a first cycle among a plurality of cycles; In which, within the first period, the time domain positions of the multiple first signals are different, and the powers of the multiple first signals are different, and each of the multiple first signals is used to provide energy to a second device within the coverage range of the first signal, and the energy is used to perform data transmission with the first device.

24. The first device according to claim 23, wherein: In the first period, the power of each of the plurality of first signals is related to a transmission order of the plurality of first signals.

25. The first device according to claim 24, wherein: The power of each first signal among the plurality of first signals increases sequentially within the first period.

26. The first device according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein: The powers of the plurality of first signals transmitted in each of the plurality of periods have the same sorting rule.

27. The first device according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein: The first communication module is also used for: A trigger message is sent within the first cycle; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct a second device that detects the trigger message to perform data transmission with the first device.

28. The first device according to claim 27, wherein: The trigger message includes resource indication information; the resource indication information is used by the second device to determine time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

29. The first device according to claim 27, wherein: The time-frequency resources of the trigger message are used to determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission between the second device and the first device.

30. The first device according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: The trigger message also includes an ID of the second device; the ID is used by the second device to determine that the trigger message is used to instruct the second device to perform data transmission with the first device.

31. The first device according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein: The trigger message is carried by the first signal.

32. The first device according to any one of claims 23 to 31, wherein: The first communication module is also used for: A second signal is sent within the first cycle; wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

33. The first device according to claim 32, wherein: The second signal includes timing information, and the timing information is used to determine the time domain position of the second period.

34. The first device according to claim 32 or 33, wherein: The second signal is further used to instruct the second device to release energy.

35. A second device, comprising: The second communication module is used to receive a first signal sent by a first device in a first cycle among multiple cycles, and to transmit data with the first device based on the energy provided by the first signal when the power of the first signal or the energy provided by the first signal meets a first condition.

36. The second device according to claim 35, wherein The first condition includes at least one of the following: Based on the accumulated energy of the first signal being greater than a first threshold; The power of the first signal is greater than a second threshold.

37. The second device according to claim 35 or 36, wherein: The second device further includes a first processing module, wherein the first processing module is configured to: When the first condition is met, a trigger message sent by the first device is detected; wherein the trigger message is used to instruct data transmission with the first device.

38. The second device according to claim 37, wherein: The first processing module is also used for: Based on the resource indication information in the trigger message, determine the time and frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

39. The second device according to claim 37, wherein: The first processing module is also used for: Based on the time-frequency resources of the trigger message, determine the time-frequency resources for data transmission with the first device.

40. The second device according to any one of claims 37-39, wherein: The second communication module is also used for: In a case where the trigger message includes the ID of the second device, data is transmitted with the first device based on energy provided by the first signal.

41. The second device according to any one of claims 37-39, wherein: The trigger message is carried by the first signal.

42. The second device according to any one of claims 35-40, wherein: The second communication module is also used for: A second signal sent by the first device is received; wherein the second signal is used to indicate entering a second cycle among the multiple cycles.

43. The second device according to claim 42, wherein: The second device further includes a second processing module, wherein the second processing module is configured to: Based on the timing information in the second signal, a time domain position of the second period is determined.

44. The second device according to claim 42 or 43, wherein: The second device further includes a third processing module, and the third processing module is used for: Upon receipt of the second signal, energy is released.

45. A first device, comprising: A transceiver, a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory so that the first device executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

46. ​​A second device, comprising: A transceiver, a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory so that the second device executes the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 22.

47. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

48. A chip, comprising: A processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 22.

49. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

50. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 13 to 22.

51. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, the computer program instructions causing a computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

52. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 13 to 22.

53. A computer program, the computer program causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

54. A computer program causing a computer to execute the method of any one of claims 13 to 22.

55. A communication system comprising: A first device, configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; A second device, configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 13 to 22.

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