Ambient internet of things collision avoidance

Abstract

Ambient internet of things collision avoidance is provided. A method for ambient internet of things collision avoidance may include receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device and determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The method may also include transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

Description

TITLE:AMBIENT INTERNET OF THINGS COLLISION AVOIDANCETECHNICAL FIELD:

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) access technology, or 5G beyond, or sixth generation (6G) access technology or other communications systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to ambient internet of things collision avoidance.BACKGROUND:

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology and / or sixth generation (6G) radio access technology. Fifth generation (5G) and sixth generation (6G) wireless systems refer to the next generation (NG) of radio systems and network architecture. 5G and 6G network technology is mostly based on new radio (NR) technology, but the 5G / 6G (or NG) network can also build on E-UTRAN radio. It is estimated that NR may provide bitrates on the order of 10-20 Gbit / s or higher, and may support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low- latency communication (URLLC) as well as massive machine-type communication (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver extreme broadband and ultra-robust, low-latency connectivity and massive networking to support the Internet of Things (loT).SUMMARY:

[0003] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive a success rate of responses from a reader device. The apparatus may also be caused to determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus may be further caused to transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0004] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window. The apparatus may also be caused to determine a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The apparatus may further be caused to transmit or reflect, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0005] Some exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to detect, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus may also be caused to transmit, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0006] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide a method includingreceiving a success rate of responses from a reader device and determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The method may also include transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0007] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a method including receiving, by an apparatus from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window and determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The method may also include transmitting or reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0008] Some exemplary embodiments may provide a method including detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal and calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The method may also include transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including means for receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device and means for determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus may also include means for transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0010] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including means for receiving, by an apparatus from an activation device, an activationsignal comprising a random seed and a common contention window and means for determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The apparatus may also include means for transmitting or means for reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0011] Some exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus including means for detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal and means for calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus may also include means for transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0012] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to receive a success rate of responses from a reader device and determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus may also be caused to transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0013] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to receive, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window. The apparatus may also be caused to determine a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of theapparatus. The apparatus may further be caused to transmit or reflect, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0014] Some exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to detect, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus may also be caused to transmit, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0015] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide one or more computer programs including instructions stored thereon for performing one or more of the methods described herein. Some exemplary embodiments may also provide one or more apparatuses including one or more circuitry configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0016] For proper understanding of example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, as follows:

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a connectivity topology;

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a connectivity topology;

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a further example of a connectivity topology;

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates an additional example of a connectivity topology;

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a connectivity topology for bidirectional communication;

[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a received power relative to a distance between devices on an loT network;

[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates a signal diagram for one or more procedures, according to various exemplary embodiments;

[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a flow diagram of a method, according to some exemplary embodiments;

[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a flow diagram of another method, according to certain exemplary embodiments;

[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a flow diagram of a further method, according to some exemplary embodiments; and

[0027] FIG. 11 illustrates a set of apparatuses, according to various exemplary embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

[0028] It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer program products for ambient internet of things (loT) collision avoidance. Although the devices discussed below and shown in the figures refer to 5G / 6G or Next Generation NodeB (gNB) devices and user equipment (UE) devices, this disclosure is not limited to only gNBs and UEs.

[0029] It may be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Different reference designations from multiple figures may be used out of sequence in the description, to refer to a same element to illustrate their features or functions. If desired, the different functions or procedures discussed herein may be performed in a different order and / or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the described functions or procedures may be optional or may be combined. As such, the following description should be considered as illustrative of the principles andteachings of certain example embodiments, and not in limitation thereof.

[0030] In 5G / 6G technology, Internet of Things (loT) devices have been and will continue to rapidly increase and may be applied in a variety of applications. As the number of loT device increases, it will become more important to increase production efficiency while reducing the size, cost, and power consumption for the loT devices. For example, routine replacement of batteries for the loT devices may be impractical or otherwise undesirable due to the costs and consumption of materials, excess waste, and increased manpower demands. One solution for reducing the need to routinely replace batteries is to use energy harvested from the surrounding environment to power loT devices for self-sustainable communications. This may be particularly useful in implementations in which a large number of devices are used, such as identification (ID) tags and sensors.

[0031] 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications may define certain loT devices, such as reduced capability (RedCap) devices, to satisfy requirements for low cost and low power devices for wide area loT communication. These loT devices may consume relatively low power, such as tens or hundreds of milliwatts, during transceiving. To achieve the internet of everything, loT devices with lower cost and lower power consumption are needed, especially for implementations in which battery-less devices are desired.

[0032] One issue with existing 3GPP technologies with implementations of loT device is the capability to provide energy harvesting with limited device size. loT devices may consume, for example, tens or even hundreds of milliwatts power for transceiver processing. Since the available power for loT devices may be far less than the consumed power in certain implementations, it may be impractical to power cellular devices directly by energy harvesting in most cases. One solution may be to integrate energy harvesting with a rechargeable battery or supercapacitor. However, a rechargeable batteryand / or a supercapacitor may be limited by a shortened lifespan because inconsistent charging current and prolonged continuous charging may be harmful to battery life. Another concern may be that the size of loT devices is increased when using a rechargeable battery or supercapacitor. Also, both rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors can be costly, and may be more expensive than the remainder of the parts of the loT device, which would be impractical.

[0033] An loT device may be a passive radio system that harnesses energy from wireless signals sent on specific carriers and / or bandwidths and charges a simple circuitry that, once activated, may emit or reflect a signal which encodes at least the ID of the passive radio. A passive radio system may include a passive radio which harnesses energy over a range of frequencies and listens for activation signals, an activator which sends an activation signal targeted at waking up the passive radio, and a reader that listens and detects the passive radio signals. The reader may or may not be co-located with the activator. Once an activation signal is detected, the passive radio emits or reflects a signal which is specific to the radio ID of the passive radio.

[0034] A radio frequency identification (RFID) is an example of a passive device which is formed by a wireless system comprised of one or more tags and one or more readers. RFID may be designed for short-range communications, such as, for example, less than 10 meters. RFID may support battery-less tags. The power consumption of passive RFID tags may be as low as 1 microwatt. RFIDs may provide low power consumption using envelope detection for downlink data reception and backscatter communication for uplink data transmission.

[0035] 3GPP technologies may define connectivity topologies for ambient loT devices which may be provided with a carrier wave from one or more nodes, either inside or outside the topology. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a connectivity topology of a base station (BS) 101 and an ambient loT device102 connected by links 103. The links 103 in each topology may be bidirectional or unidirectional. The topology may also include one or more UEs, assisting nodes, or intermediate nodes.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a connectivity topology which includes a base station (BS) 201, an ambient loT device 202, and an intermediate node 203. The ambient loT device 202 may communicate bidirectionally with the intermediate node 203 between the ambient loT device 202 and the BS 201. The intermediate node 203 may be a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (TAB) node, a UE, a repeater, or the like, which may be capable of functioning as an ambient loT device. The intermediate node 203 may transfer data / information between the BS 201 and the ambient loT device 202.

[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates a further example of a connectivity topology which includes a base station (BS) 301, an ambient loT device 302, and an assisting node 303. The ambient loT device 302 may transmit data / signaling to the BS 301 and receive data / signaling from the assisting node 303. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a connectivity topology which includes a base station (BS) 401, an ambient loT device 402, and an assisting node 403, in which the ambient loT device 402 may receive data / signaling from the BS 401 and transmit data / signaling to the assisting node 403. The assisting node 303 / 403 may be a relay, an I AB, UE, a repeater, or the like, which are capable of functioning as an ambient loT device.

[0038] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a connectivity topology for bidirectional communication between a UE 501 and an ambient loT device 502. The UE 501 and the ambient loT device 502 may communicate ambient loT data and / or signaling.

[0039] Various exemplary embodiments may provide technological advantages to support and integrate ambient loT (A-IoT) in 5G NR networks using a passive tag without power source elements. Due to the lack of powersource elements, the passive tag may not have any means for the passive tag to make itself visible or heard by other devices, such as a reader, BS, UE, node, or the like. Certain exemplary embodiments provide advantages over the conventional technology which may have experienced deficiencies in providing the ability to discover and / or range a passive A-IoT device due to the inherent nature of the passive radio. Conventional passive radios may have had the ability to hear other radios only within its own proximity.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a received power relative to a distance between devices on an loT network. The network may include an activator 601, an ambient loT device 602, and a reader 603. In this configuration, the activator 601 may be located at a starting point for measuring distance, such as at 0 meters, and the ambient loT device 602, which may be a tag, may be located 20 meters from the activator 601. The reader 603 may be located further away from the activator 601 and the ambient loT device 602, such as at 200 meters from the activator 601. An activation signal from the activator601 may have a received power that is, for example, more than 50 dB higher than the received power of a modulated signal from the ambient loT device602 (e.g., passive tag). A receiver of the reader 603 may need to handle a high interference level (e.g., signal interference to noise ratio (SINR)), which may require a complex and expensive receiver. If, for example, there are numerous passive ambient loT devices responding to the same activation signal at the same time, the interference level may increase significantly, as shown in FIG. 5. For example, assuming 10,000 passive devices (e.g., tags) are located in a warehouse and respond to a single activation signal, the interference level may increase by, for example, 40 dB in addition to the existing activator interference for communications with the tags.

[0041] The ambient loT devices may have a muting capability and each ambient loT device may be addressed individually, or in smaller groups (i.e., subsets) of ambient loT devices, by imbedding IDs of the respective ambientloT devices in the activation signal. For large number of ambient loT (tags) devices within the activation range, response latency to the activation signal may be significantly increased. In a situation in which the activation signal includes the IDs of the tags to be activated and there are a large number of tags, a large number of queries may be required in order to ensure that the group of tags activated by the activation signal is small enough so that the reader is able to decode the replies / response signals from the ambient loT devices.

[0042] Various exemplary embodiments may provide advantages to address the high interference level that may be caused between ambient loT devices without addressing each ambient loT device individually while muting other ambient loT devices within the activation range. This type of interference may be referred to as AIoT-to-AIoT interference. Certain exemplary embodiments may also enable ambient loT devices (e.g., of Type A and / or Type B) that may have a simple structure and may be unable to have a state based random generator to be able to randomize their responses in time.

[0043] Some exemplary embodiments may minimize the AIoT-to-AIoT interference using one or more procedures that randomize the AIoT device responses without requiring the AIoT devices to implement a random state generator and the activator needing to send dedicated activation signals to address each individual AIoT device. The activator may be able to randomize responses / replies from multiple AIoT devices by working with the reader to adapt a common contention window (CW) during which the AIoT devices can issue the responses / replies. The activator may generate and distribute a common random seed to the AIoT devices, which together with the CW, may enable the AIoT devices to reply in a randomized response window of the CW. The passive device, e.g., tag, may generate or select a transmission slot based on the common random seed, an ID of the tag and the CW. The transmission slot may be generated or selected by means of, for example, a moduluscontention window and / or an exclusive OR operator (XOR), which may be expressed as: Time slot = ((Tag ID) XOR random number).

[0044] Various exemplary embodiments may provide that the reader calculates or determines a success rate for each attempt to detect a reply / response to the activation signal from a AIoT device. The reader may trigger a contention resolution procedure at the activator, such as providing the activator with an indication to scale up (increase) or scale down (decrease) a size of the CW. Each AIoT device may use the CW and random seed provided by the activator, together with their unique IDs, to randomize a subsequent transmission (e.g., response / reply). This may avoid the need to implement a state generator which may otherwise be needed for random transmission.

[0045] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide one or more procedures that advantageously minimize collision or interference at the reader during attempts to detect the responses / replies from the tags, which allows the responses / replies from all AIoT devices to be read. The one or more procedures may also enable implementing AIoT devices that do not include a memory, which provides for lower complexity and lower cost for the AIoT devices.

[0046] FIG. 7 illustrates a signal diagram for one or more procedures, according to various exemplary embodiments. The one or more procedures may be performed by a configuration of, for example, an activator 701, a first AIoT device 702, a second AIoT device 703, and a reader 704. The one or more procedures may include, at 710, the activator 701 initiates / transmits an activation signal to the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. The activation signal may enable or trigger a response / reply from one or more of AIoT devices, such as the AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703. The activation signal may indicate a common contention window (CW) which has a size in which the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoTdevice 703 may respond. This CW may be included in the activation signal or precoded in each of the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. At 720, the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703 may transmit a response / reply to the activation signal by performing a backscattered transmission, which may be detected by the reader 704.

[0047] At 730, the reader 704 may estimate whether the number of responding AIoT devices has too high of interference to decode. For example, the reader 704 may detect a number K of AIoT devices out of a total number N of targeted AIoT devices, which are the total number of devices that were transmitted the activation signal. The reader 704 may estimate a signal strength (e.g., received signal power) and a signal interference to noise ratio (SINR) to determine the number K of responding AIoT devices. The reader 704 may determine that a difference of N-K is at most the number of AIoT devices that are potentially interfered. This may not exclude the situation in which some of the remaining N-K AIoT devices were not activated to begin with by the activation signal. In some exemplary embodiments, an expected number of responses from AIoT devices may be provided to the reader 704 by one or more higher layers. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to this, and the reader 704 may be informed of the total number N of AIoT devices in any suitable manner, such as by the activator 701 or another device on the network.

[0048] At 740, the reader 704 may determine success rate using the following Equation (1):SR = K / (N-K) (1)

[0049] The reader 704 may inform (e.g., transmit an indication to) the activator 701 with the determined success rate and request a collision avoidance management procedure (e.g., procedures 750 and 760) be performed by the activator 701. At 750, the activator 701 may determine that contention resolution should be performed by determining an update or modification tothe activation signal may be desirable, and the activator 701 may determine a random seed and new CW to be included in a new activation signal for the AIoT devices. The random seed, together with a unique ID of the AIoT device, which may be stored in the AIoT device, may allow each AIoT device to generate a different random number, without the need for the AIoT device to include designated hardware for a random generator. The combination of the random seed and the unique ID of the AIoT devices may allow the AIoT to generate a different random number. A size (contention window size (CWS)) of the new CW may be determined based on a severity of the interference (e.g., SINR).

[0050] At 760, the activator 701 may transmit to the first AIoT device 702 and / or the second AIoT device 703, the new activation signal which includes the random seed and the new CW. The activation signal may be active for at least a duration of the CWS. Each of the AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may initialize a random generator procedure to randomly generate a value based on the random seed and its unique device ID (or an equivalent dedicated value). Each of the AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may calculate a response window within the CWS based on the output of its random generator procedure. The random generator procedures may implement the following Equation (2):MOD<flOOT<R.„JSDe+1'CWS> <2>

[0051] At 770, the AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may determine a time instance within the response window within which to provide the reply / response to the activator signal.

[0052] At 780 and 785, the first AIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703 may transmit a backscattered response / reply to the activation signal based on the calculated response window within the CW.

[0053] At 790, the reader 104 may detect the response / reply from each of theAIoT device 702 and the second AIoT device 703. The reader 704 may detect a group (subset) of AIoT devices with reduced / limited interference level sequentially based on groups of response windows. Based on the detected group of AIoT devices, the reader 704 may calculate and update the success rate. At 795, if the success rate remains below a threshold and / or the received power or interference measured at the reader 704 is above a certain threshold, the reader 704 may notify the activator 701 that the activator 701 may need to increase the CWS. Procedures 740-795 may then be performed iteratively until the success rate becomes equal to or above the threshold for the success rate and / or the received power or interference measured at the reader 704 becomes equal to or below the corresponding threshold.

[0054] Various exemplary embodiments may provide technological advantages to support and integrate ambient loT (A-IoT) in 5G NR networks using a passive tag without power source elements while providing the ability to discover and / or range the passive tag due to the inherent nature of the passive radio.

[0055] FIG. 8 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to certain exemplary embodiments. In an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may be performed by a network element, or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may be performed by network node or network entity, such as an activator within an RFID network, similar to apparatus 1110 illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0056] According to various exemplary embodiments, the method of FIG. 8 may include, at 810, receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device, and at 820, determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. At 830, the method may include transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, anactivation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0057] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide that the determining the common contention window comprises scaling a length of the contention window according to the success rate. The method may also include transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, another activation signal, which is different from the activation signal, prior to receiving the success rate from the reader device. The success rate may be based on the responses triggered by the other activation signal. The receiving the success rate, the determining the common contention window, and the transmitting of the activation signal may be performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

[0058] FIG. 9 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to certain exemplary embodiments. In an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 9 may be performed by a network element, or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 9 may be performed by a user device, mobile device, etc., such as an AIoT device, similar to apparatus 1120 illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0059] According to various exemplary embodiments, the method of FIG. 9 may include, at 910, receiving, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window. At 920, the method may also include determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the AIoT device. At 930, the method may include transmitting or reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0060] Some exemplary embodiments may provide that the common contention window comprises a length of time for the apparatus to transmitthe response to the activation signal. The receiving the activation signal, the performing the random generator, and the transmitting the response may be performed iteratively until a success rate equals or exceeds a threshold. The method may further include calculating a response window within a size of the common contention window based on a result of the random generator.

[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method, according to certain exemplary embodiments. In an example embodiment, the method of FIG. 10 may be performed by a network element, or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 10 may be performed by a user device, mobile device, etc., such as a reader, similar to apparatus 1130 illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0062] According to various exemplary embodiments, the method of FIG. 10 may include, at 1010, detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal, and at 1020, calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. At 1030, the method may further include transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0063] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide that the success rate may be calculated based on a ratio of a number of responses to the activation signal relative to a total number of the plurality of passive devices.

[0064] FIG. 11 illustrates apparatuses 1110, 1120, and 1130 according to various exemplary embodiments. In the various exemplary embodiments, apparatus 1110 may be an element in a communications network or associated with such a network, such as an activator of an RFID system. Activator 601 / 701 may be an example of apparatus 1110 according to various exemplary embodiments as discussed above. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 1110 may include components orfeatures not shown in FIG. 11. Further, the apparatus 1120 may be an element in a network or associated with such a network, such as an AIoT device. AIoT devices 602 / 702 / 703 may be examples of apparatus 1120 according to various exemplary embodiments as discussed above. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 1120 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 11. In addition, an apparatus 1130 may be an element in a network or associated with such a network, such as a reader of an RFID system. For example, readers 603 / 704 may be examples of apparatus 1130 according to various exemplary embodiments as discussed above. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that apparatus 1130 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 11.

[0065] According to various exemplary embodiments, the apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage medium (for example, memory, storage, or the like), one or more radio access components (for example, a modem, a transceiver, or the like), and / or a user interface. In some exemplary embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE- A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technologies.

[0066] As illustrated in the example of FIG. 11, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include or be coupled to processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, respectively, for processing information and executing instructions or operations. Processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. In fact, processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits(ASICs), and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as examples. While a single processor 1112 (1122 and 1132) for each of apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 is shown in FIG. 11, multiple processors may be utilized according to other example embodiments. For example, it should be understood that, in certain example embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system (for example, in this case processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may represent a multiprocessor) that may support multiprocessing. According to certain example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled to, for example, form a computer cluster).

[0067] Processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130, respectively, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming a communication message, formatting of information, and overall control of the apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130, including processes illustrated in FIGs. 6-10.

[0068] Apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may further include or be coupled to memory 1114, 1124, and / or 1134 (internal or external), respectively, which may be coupled to processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, respectively, for storing information and instructions that may be executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132. Memory 1114 (memory 1124 and 1134) may be one or more memories and of any type suitable to the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or nonvolatile data storage technology such as a semiconductor-based memory device, a magnetic memory device and system, an optical memory device and system, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 1114 (memory 1124 and 1134) can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), static storage suchas a magnetic or optical disk, hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non- transitory machine or computer readable media. The instructions stored in memory 1114, memory 1124, and memory 1134 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, enable the apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0069] In certain example embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may further include or be coupled to (internal or external) a drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132 and / or apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 to perform any of the methods illustrated in FIGs. 6-10.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 1115, 1125, and 1135, respectively, for receiving a downlink signal and for transmitting via an uplink from apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. Apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may further include transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136, respectively, configured to transmit and receive information. The transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may also include a radio interface (for example, a modem) respectively coupled to the antennas 1115, 1125, and 1135. The radio interface may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT- LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, or the like. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (for example, digital-to-analog converters or the like), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) module, or the like, to process symbols, such as OFDMA symbols, carried by a downlink or an uplink.

[0071] For instance, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be respectively configured to modulate information on to a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 1115, 1125, and 1135, and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 1115, 1125, and 1135 for further processing by other elements of apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. In other example embodiments, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be capable of transmitting and receiving signals or data directly. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may include an input and / or output device (I / O device). In certain example embodiments, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or touchscreen.

[0072] In certain example embodiments, memory 1114, memory 1124, and memory 1134 store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, respectively. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as an application or program, to provide additional functionality for apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130. The components of apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain example embodiments, apparatus 1110 may optionally be configured to communicate with apparatus 1120 and / or 1130 via a wireless or wired communications links 1140, 1150, and / or 1160 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0073] According to certain example embodiments, processors 1112, 1122, and 1132, and memory 1114, 1124, and 1134 may be included in or may form a part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. In addition, in some example embodiments, transceivers 1116, 1126, and 1136 may be included in or may form a part of transceiving circuitry.

[0074] For instance, in certain exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 1110 may be controlled by the memory 1114 and the processor 1112 to receive a success rate of responses from a reader device and determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus 1110 may also be controlled to transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0075] In various exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 1120 may be controlled by the memory 1124 and the processor 1122 to receive, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window and determine a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus. The apparatus 1120 may also be controlled to transmit or reflect, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0076] In various exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 1130 may be controlled by the memory 1134 and the processor 1132 to detect, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal and calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus 1130 may also be controlled to transmit, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0077] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 1110, apparatus 1120, and / or apparatus 1130) may include means for performing a method, a process, or any of the variants discussed herein. Examples of the means may include one or more processors, memory, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for causing the performance of the operations.

[0078] Various exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus, such as apparatus 1110, that includes means for receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device and means for determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses. The common contention window may be based on the success rate. The apparatus 1110 may also include means for transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

[0079] Various exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus, such as apparatus 1120, that includes means for receiving, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window and means for determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal. The transmission slot may be determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus 1120. The apparatus 1120 may also include means for transmitting or reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

[0080] Various exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus, such as apparatus 1130, that includes means for detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal, and means for calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices. The apparatus 1130 may also include means for transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

[0081] As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to hardware-only circuitry implementations (for example, analog and / or digital circuitry), combinations of hardware circuits and software, combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, any portions of hardware processor(s) with software, including digital signal processors, that work together to cause an apparatus (for example, apparatus 1110, 1120,and / or 1130) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), or portions thereof, that use software for operation but where the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term “circuitry” may also cover an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor or multiple processors, or portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and the accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0082] A computer program product may include one or more computerexecutable components which, when the program is run, are configured to carry out some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or portions of it. Modifications and configurations required for implementing functionality of certain example embodiments may be performed as routine(s), which may be implemented as added or updated software routine(s). Software routine(s) may be downloaded into the apparatus.

[0083] As an example, software or a computer program code or portions of it may be in a source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some sort of carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers may include a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory, photoelectrical and / or electrical carrier signal, telecommunications signal, and software distribution package, for example. Depending on the processing power needed, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or it may be distributed amongst a number of computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0084] In other example embodiments, the functionality may be performed byhardware or circuitry included in an apparatus (for example, apparatuses 1110, 1120, and / or 1130), for example through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality may be implemented as a signal, a non-tangible means that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0085] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus, such as a node, device, or a corresponding component, may be configured as circuitry, a computer or a microprocessor, such as single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, including at least a memory for providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operation and an operation processor for executing the arithmetic operation.

[0086] The features, structures, or characteristics of example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “certain embodiments,” “an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in certain embodiments,” “an example embodiment,” “in some embodiments,” “in other embodiments,” or other similar language, throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. Further, the terms “cell”, “node”, “gNB”, or other similar language throughout this specification may be used interchangeably.

[0087] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similarwording, where the list of two or more elements are joined by “and” or “or,” mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all the elements.

[0088] One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the disclosure as discussed above may be practiced with procedures in a different order, and / or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although the disclosure has been described based upon these example embodiments, it would be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be apparent, while remaining within the spirit and scope of example embodiments. Although the above embodiments refer to 5G NR and LTE technology, the above embodiments may also apply to any other present or future 3GPP technology, such as LTE-advanced, and / or fourth generation (4G) and / or sixth (6G) technology.

[0089] Partial Glossary:

[0090] 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project

[0091] 5G 5th Generation

[0092] 6G 6thGeneration

[0093] AIoT Ambient Internet of Things

[0094] BS Base Station

[0095] CW Contention Window

[0096] CWS Contention Window Size

[0097] DL Downlink

[0098] EMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0099] gNB 5G or Next Generation NodeB

[0100] ID Identifier

[0101] loT Internet of Things

[0102] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0103] NR New Radio

[0104] RAN Radio Access Network

[0105] SINR Signal Interference to Noise Ratio

[0106] SR Success Rate

[0107] UE User Equipment

[0108] UL Uplink

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive a success rate of responses from a reader device; determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; and transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining the common contention window comprises scaling a length of the contention window according to the success rate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to: transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, another activation signal, which is different from the activation signal, prior to receiving the success rate from the reader device, wherein the success rate is based on the responses triggered by the other activation signal.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the receiving the success rate, the determining the common contention window, and the transmitting of the activation signal are performed iteratively until thesuccess rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

5. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window; determine a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission slot is determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus; and transmit or reflect, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the common contention window comprises a length of time for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the receiving the activation signal, the performing the random generator, and the transmitting the response are performed iteratively until a success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus at least to: calculate a response window within a size of the common contention window based on a result of the random generator.

9. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: detect, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal; calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; and transmit, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the success rate is calculated based on a ratio of a number of responses to the activation signal relative to a total number of the plurality of passive devices.

11. A method, comprising: receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device; determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; and transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining the common contention window comprises scaling a length of the contention window according to the success rate.

13. The method according to claim 11 or claim 12, further comprising: transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, another activation signal, which is different from the activation signal, prior to receiving the success rate from the reader device, wherein the success rate is based on the responses triggered by the other activation signal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the receiving the success rate, the determining the common contention window, and the transmitting of the activation signal are performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

15. A method, comprising: receiving, by an apparatus from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window; determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission slot is determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus; and transmitting or reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the common contention window comprises a length of time for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

17. The method according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the receiving the activation signal, the performing the random generator, and the transmitting the response are performed iteratively until a success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15-17, further comprising: calculating a response window within a size of the common contention window based on a result of the random generator.

19. A method, comprising: detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal; calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; and transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the success rate is calculated based on a ratio of a number of responses to the activation signal relative to a total number of the plurality of passive devices.

21. An apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a success rate of responses from a reader device; means for determining a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; and means for transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined common contention window.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the determining the common contention window comprises scaling a length of the contention window according to the success rate.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21 or claim 22, further comprising: means for transmitting, to the plurality of passive devices, another activation signal, which is different from the activation signal, prior to receiving the success rate from the reader device, wherein the success rate is based on the responses triggered by the other activation signal.

24. The apparatus according to any one of claims 21-23, wherein the receiving the success rate, the determining the common contention window, and the transmitting of the activation signal are performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

25. An apparatus, comprising: means for receiving, by an apparatus from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window; means for determining a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission slot is determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus; and means for transmitting or means for reflecting, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the common contention window comprises a length of time for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 or claim 26, wherein the receiving the activation signal, the performing the random generator, and the transmitting the response are performed iteratively until a success rate equalsor exceeds a threshold.

28. The apparatus according to any one of claims 25-27, further comprising: means for calculating a response window within a size of the common contention window based on a result of the random generator.

29. An apparatus, comprising: means for detecting, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal; means for calculating a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; and means for transmitting, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the success rate is calculated based on a ratio of a number of responses to the activation signal relative to a total number of the plurality of passive devices.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to: receive a success rate of responses from a reader device; determine a common contention window during which a plurality of passive devices are configured to transmit the responses, wherein the common contention window is based on the success rate; and transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, an activation signal comprising a random seed and an indication of the determined commoncontention window.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the determining the common contention window comprises scaling a length of the contention window according to the success rate.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 31 or claim 32, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: transmit, to the plurality of passive devices, another activation signal, which is different from the activation signal, prior to receiving the success rate from the reader device, wherein the success rate is based on the responses triggered by the other activation signal.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to any one of claims 31-33, wherein the receiving the success rate, the determining the common contention window, and the transmitting of the activation signal are performed iteratively until the success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from an activation device, an activation signal comprising a random seed and a common contention window; determine a transmission slot for a response to the activation signal, wherein the transmission slot is determined based on the random seed and an identifier of the apparatus; and transmit or reflect, to the activation device, the response to the activation signal.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the common contention window comprises a length of time for the apparatus to transmit the response to the activation signal.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 35 or claim 36, wherein the receiving the activation signal, the performing the random generator, and the transmitting the response are performed iteratively until a success rate equals or exceeds a threshold.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to any one of claims 35-37, wherein the apparatus is further caused to: calculate a response window within a size of the common contention window based on a result of the random generator.

39. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to: detect, from a plurality of passive devices, a response to an activation signal; calculate a success rate of responses from the plurality of passive devices; and transmit, to a reader device, the calculated success rate of the responses and an indication of whether to change a length of a common contention window in the activation signal.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the success rate is calculated based on a ratio of a number of responses to the activation signal relative to a total number of the plurality of passive devices.

41. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method of claim 11.

42. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method of claim 15.

43. A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon for performing at least the method of claim 19.

44. An apparatus comprising one or more circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 11.

45. An apparatus comprising one or more circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 15.

46. An apparatus comprising one or more circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 19.

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