Method and apparatus for group communication of devices in wireless communication system

Abstract

Provided is a method of a first leader device in a first group including a plurality of devices in a wireless communication system. The method may comprise the steps of: receiving first data from at least one member in the first group; and transmitting second data to respective second leader devices of at least one second group on the basis of the received first data.

Description

Method and device for group communication of devices in a wireless communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for group communication between devices in a wireless communication system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a data transmission method and device applicable to ambient IoT devices with very limited communication and computing power.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in the sub-6GHz band, such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5GHz), but also in the ultra-high frequency band (Above 6GHz), also called millimeter wave (mmWave), such as 28GHz and 39GHz. In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is called the system after 5G communication (Beyond 5G), implementation in the terahertz (THz) band (for example, 3 THz band at 95GHz) is being considered to achieve a transmission speed that is 50 times faster than 5G mobile communication technology and ultra-low latency that is reduced to one-tenth.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, the goal is to support services and satisfy performance requirements for ultra-wideband services (eMBB: enhanced Mobile Broadband), ultra-reliable / ultra-low-latency communications (URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). These include beamforming and massive MIMO (Massive MIMO) to alleviate path loss of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands and increase the transmission distance of radio waves, support for various numerologies (such as operation of multiple sub-carrier intervals) and dynamic operation of slot formats for efficient use of ultra-high frequency resources, initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and wideband, definition and operation of BWP (Bidth Part), new channel coding methods such as LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes for large-capacity data transmission and polar codes for reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and specific services. Standardization has been progressed for network slicing, which provides specialized, dedicated networks.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the initial 5G mobile communication technology in consideration of the services that 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support, and physical layer standardization is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) to help autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and increase user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by vehicles, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) for the purpose of system operation that complies with various regulatory requirements in unlicensed bands, NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE Power Saving), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication to secure coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is impossible, and Positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization of wireless interface architecture / protocols is in progress for technologies such as intelligent factories (IIoT: Industrial Internet of Things) to support new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) to provide nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement technology including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover, and 2-step random access (2-step RACH for NR) to simplify random access procedures. Standardization is also in progress for system architecture / services such as 5G baseline architecture (e.g., Service-based Architecture: SBA, Service-based Interface: SBI) for grafting Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) that provides services based on the location of the terminal.

[0006] When such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, an explosive increase in connected devices will be connected to the communication network, which will require enhanced functions and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operation of connected devices. To this end, new research will be conducted on improving 5G performance and reducing complexity, supporting AI services, supporting metaverse services, and drone communications by utilizing eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] In addition, the development of these 5G mobile communication systems includes new waveforms to ensure coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve the coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology, as well as full duplex technology to improve the frequency efficiency and system network of 6G mobile communication technology, satellite, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and internalize end-to-end AI support functions to realize system optimization, and ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources to realize services with complexity that exceeds the limits of terminal computing capabilities. It could serve as a basis for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies.

[0008] A method and device are required for effectively providing communication services using a device that does not use battery power or operates at low power in a wireless communication system.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided for a first responsible device within a first group comprising a plurality of devices in a wireless communication system. The method may include the steps of: receiving first data from at least one member within the first group; and transmitting second data to each second responsible device of at least one second group based on the received first data.

[0010] The step of transmitting the second data may include a step of transmitting the second data based on the first data to the second responsible device of the at least one second group immediately upon receiving the first data.

[0011] The step of receiving the first data may include receiving the first data from at least one member device within the first group for a predetermined period of time, and the step of transmitting the second data may include transmitting the second data based on an aggregation of the first data received for the predetermined period of time.

[0012] The method may further include the steps of transmitting a request message for forwarding the second data to each of the neighboring group's neighboring manager devices; receiving a response message to the request message from the at least one neighboring manager device; and selecting, from the at least one neighboring manager device, each of the second manager devices of the at least one second group to which the second data is to be transmitted.

[0013] Each of the second responsible devices of the at least one second group may be selected based on at least one of a distance between a responsible base station for the first base station and the at least one peripheral responsible device, a signal strength of the response, an arrival time of the response, a battery status of the at least one peripheral responsible device, and a load status of the at least one peripheral responsible device.

[0014] Each of said second responsible devices of said at least one second group may be selected based on a path of transmission of said second data to a previous other responsible device.

[0015] The request message may include at least one of a device ID (identification) of the first responsible device, a transmission area code, a reception area code, and a message type.

[0016] The response message may include at least one of a device ID, a region code, a battery status, and a load status of the at least one peripheral responsible device.

[0017] The first data may be received based on at least one member within the first group detecting an event.

[0018] The above second data can be transmitted using one of unicast, multicast, and broadcast.

[0019] The step of transmitting the second data to each of the second responsible devices of the at least one second group may include the step of transmitting the second data to each of the second responsible devices of the at least one second group based on the fact that the responsible base station is outside the communication range of the first responsible device.

[0020] The method may further include the step of receiving third data from a third responsible device of a third group; and, if the responsible base station is outside the communication range of the first responsible device, the step of transmitting fourth data to each of at least one fourth responsible device of a fourth group based on the received third data.

[0021] The method may further include the steps of transmitting a request message for forwarding the fourth data to each peripheral manager device of at least one peripheral group; receiving a response message to the request message from at least one peripheral manager device; and selecting, from the at least one peripheral manager device, each fourth manager device of the at least one fourth group to which the fourth data is to be transmitted.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first responsible device within a first group including a plurality of devices in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The first responsible device may include a transceiver; and a processor connected to the transceiver. The processor is configured to receive first data from at least one member within the first group, and transmit second data to each of at least one second responsible device of a second group based on the received first data.

[0023] The present disclosure can provide a method and device for effectively providing a communication service using a device that does not use battery power or operates at low power in a wireless communication system.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of a 5G network according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a scenario in which an Ambient IoT device is used in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates an example configuration of a device ID, which is identification information of an Ambient IoT device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates the overall operation of a data communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a process of forming a group after Ambient IoT devices are deployed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure illustrate a process of transmitting data during an operation phase.

[0030] Figure 8 illustrates the signaling of devices during the initial phase.

[0031] FIG. 9 illustrates a process of transmitting data to a network based on the occurrence of an event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 10 shows the configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 11 illustrates a configuration of a base station or network entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that, where possible, identical components are represented by identical reference numerals throughout the attached drawings. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

[0035] In describing the embodiments herein, descriptions of technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to avoid obscuring the gist of the present disclosure by omitting unnecessary explanations and to convey the gist more clearly.

[0036] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0037] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0038] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create a means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0039] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0040] Here, the term '~ unit' used in the present embodiment means a software or hardware component such as an FPGA or ASIC, and the '~ unit' performs certain roles. However, the '~ unit' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ unit' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play one or more processors. Accordingly, as an example, the '~ unit' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ units' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ units' or further separated into additional components and '~ units'. Additionally, components and '~parts' may be implemented to regenerate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card.

[0041] In this disclosure, phrases such as "A and / or B", "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding component from other corresponding components and do not limit the corresponding components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0042] Hereinafter, the base station is an entity that performs resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of a Node B, a BS (Base Station), an eNB (eNode B), a gNB (gNode B), a wireless access unit, a base station controller, or a node on a network. The terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), an MS (Mobile Station), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing a communication function. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background or channel form to the embodiments of the present disclosure described below. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems through some modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure at the discretion of a person having skilled technical knowledge.

[0043] In the present disclosure, network technology may refer to standard specifications defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) or 3GPP (e.g., TS 23.501, TS 23.502, TS 23.503, etc.), and components included in the network structure of FIG. 1 may each mean a physical entity, or may mean software performing an individual function, or hardware combined with software. Reference symbols shown as Nx, such as N1, N2, N3, ... in the drawings, represent known interfaces between NFs in a 5G core network (CN), and since a related description may refer to the standard specification (TS 23.501), a detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] In the following description, terms used to identify connection nodes, terms referring to network entities (NEs) or network functions (NFs), terms referring to messages, terms referring to interfaces between network entities, terms referring to various identification information, etc. are provided as examples for convenience of explanation. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms referring to objects having equivalent technical meanings may be used.

[0045] For convenience of explanation, some terms and names defined in the 3rd generation partnership project long-term evolution (3GPP) standards may be used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these terms and names, and can be equally applied to systems conforming to other standards.

[0046] Figure 1 illustrates the structure of a 5G network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 1, a 5G network may include network entities (NE) or network functions (NF) described below.

[0048] (R)AN ((Radio) Access Network) is an entity that performs wireless resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of an eNode B, a Node B, a BS (Base Station), an NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network), a 5G-AN (5G Access Network), a 5G NR (5G New Radio), a radio access unit, a base station controller, or a node on a network.

[0049] The terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), NG UE (Next Generation UE), MS (Mobile Station), cellular phone, smartphone, computer, IoT (Internet of Things) device, or multimedia system capable of performing communication functions.

[0050] Furthermore, while the embodiments of the present disclosure are described below using a 5G system as an example, the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to other communication systems with similar technical backgrounds. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to other communication systems with some modifications, as determined by a person skilled in the art, without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] As wireless communication systems evolve from 4G to 5G, a new core network (CN) called the Next Generation Core (NG Core) or 5GC (5G Core Network) is being defined. This new core network virtualizes all existing network entities (NEs) into network functions (NFs). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network function may refer to a network entity, a network component, or a network resource.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, 5GC may include NFs as illustrated in FIG. 1. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the example of FIG. 1, and 5GC may include more or fewer NFs than the NFs illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0053] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) may be a network function that manages the access and mobility of a terminal (UE). For example, AMF may perform network functions such as terminal registration, connection, reachability, mobility management, access verification, authentication, and mobility event generation.

[0054] The Session Management Function (SMF) may be a network function that manages the Packet Data Network (PDN) connection provided to the user equipment (UE). The PDN connection may be referred to as a Packet Data Unit (PDU) Session. For example, the SMF may perform network functions such as session management through the establishment, modification, and release of sessions and the maintenance of tunnels between the UPF and the RAN required for this; user plane (UP) selection and control; traffic processing control in the UPF; and charging data collection control.

[0055] PCF (Policy Control Function) may be a network function that applies the mobile carrier's service policy, charging policy, and PDU Session policy to the terminal.

[0056] Unified Data Management (UDM) can be a network function that stores subscriber information. For example, UDM can perform functions such as generating authentication information for 3GPP security, processing user identifiers (User IDs), managing a list of network functions supporting UEs, and managing subscription information.

[0057] The Network Exposure Function (NEF) may provide terminal information to servers outside the 5G network. Additionally, NEF may provide the information necessary for 5G network services and store it in the Unified Data Repository (UDR).

[0058] The User Plane Function (UPF) may function as a gateway that transmits user data (PDU) to the Data Network (DN). More specifically, the UPF may perform the role of processing data so that data transmitted by a terminal can be transmitted to an external network or data received from an external network can be transmitted to the terminal. For example, the UPF may perform network functions such as serving as an anchor between radio access technologies (RATs), packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy application, traffic usage report generation, and buffering.

[0059] NRF (Network Repository Function) can store the profiles of NFs and perform the function of discovering NFs.

[0060] AUSF (Authentication Server Function) can perform terminal authentication in 3GPP access networks and non-3GPP access networks.

[0061] NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) can perform the function of selecting a Network Slice Instance provided to a terminal.

[0062] The Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) collects data from multiple NFs (Network Functions) to ensure efficient operation of the 5GC network. This data is analyzed using a machine learning (ML) model, and the results are provided back to the NFs, enabling them to provide efficient network services.

[0063] An Application Function (AF) can communicate with a network operator to enable external servers (Application Servers) to utilize network services provided by the network operator. Depending on the deployment entity, AFs can be divided into internal AFs and external AFs. Internal AFs deployed by network operators can communicate directly with NFs within the network operator. AFs deployed by third-party service providers (3rd-party service providers) must go through an NEF to communicate with NFs within the network operator.

[0064] DN (Data Network) can be a data network where terminals transmit and receive data to use network operator services or third-party services.

[0065] The terminal may include an IoT device. The IoT device may include a device that does not use battery power or operates with very little power, and such IoT devices are referred to as ambient IoT devices (or simply Ambient IoT).

[0066] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an Ambient IoT device may be a device that does not have a battery or has very limited energy storage capability, and also has very limited communication and computing capabilities. The present disclosure proposes an efficient data transmission method for an Ambient IoT device.

[0067] Typically, an Ambient IoT device may have at least one of the following characteristics:

[0068] - Very low power consumption for device operation (e.g. 1-500μW)

[0069] - The device is very cheap (e.g. $0.01-$0.5)

[0070] - Very low data transfer speed (e.g. 10kbps)

[0071] - The number of devices deployed is very large (e.g., hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or more than 1,000,000).

[0072] - It has very low computational power, simple structure, and very small device size.

[0073] - May not include USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module)

[0074] - May not include complex communication protocol stacks such as TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol)

[0075] - They can be deployed primarily in environments that are difficult for people to access, making maintenance after deployment impossible (e.g. high pressure, extremely high / low temperature, humid environment)

[0076] In the present disclosure, Ambient IoT devices can be divided into three types as shown in Table 1, depending on the presence or absence of a battery within the device and the communication method used by the device. The types of Ambient IoT devices in the present disclosure are not limited to the examples in Table 1 below, and it is also possible to distinguish the types of Ambient IoT devices through other criteria.

[0077] Device Type Description Device Type A (TY_A) - No Energy Storage (e.g., battery) - No independent signal generation / amplification Device Type B (TY_B) - Has Energy Storage (e.g., battery) - No independent signal generation / amplification Device Type C (TY_C) - Has Energy Storage (e.g., battery) - Can have independent signal generation / amplification (including active RF components)

[0078] In addition, in the present disclosure, Ambient IoT devices may have a connection topology classified into four types, as shown in the examples in Table 2 below. The connection types of Ambient IoT devices in the present disclosure are not limited to the examples in Table 2 below, and connections by various combinations of the connection topologies classified into the four types are also possible.

[0079] Connection Topology Types DescriptionTopology 1 (T1) - Connection between base station and Ambient IoT device (Base Station - Ambient IoT device)Topology 2 (T2) - Connection between base station and Ambient IoT device via intermediate node (Base Station - Intermediate node - Ambient IoT device)Topology 3 (T3) - Connection between base stations via auxiliary node and Ambient IoT device (Base Station - Assisting node - Ambient IoT device - Base Station)Topology 4 (T4) - Connection between terminal and Ambient IoT device (UE - Ambient IoT device)

[0080] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a scenario of using an Ambient IoT device in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system of FIG. 2 may include a plurality of Ambient IoT devices (201) deployed in a mountainous area, at least one base station (202) capable of communicating with at least one of the Ambient IoT devices (201), a core network (203) to which the at least one base station is connected, and a data network (205) including an AF (204) communicatively connected with the core network. In the example of FIG. 2, the basic functions and configuration of the data network (205) including the base station (202), the core network (203), and the AF (204) may refer to the example of FIG. 1.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 2, the Korea Forest Service or the National Fire Agency can deploy millions of Ambient IoT devices (201) on mountains for early detection of forest fires. Since the number of Ambient IoT devices and the deployment area are vast and not easily accessible to humans, they are often deployed by air. Maintenance (e.g., battery replacement of Ambient IoT devices, replacement of broken parts, etc.) of Ambient IoT devices (201) deployed in this manner may be impossible for the reasons mentioned above. Once deployed, Ambient IoT devices (201) must operate and perform their duties for at least 10 years and at most 20 years. Therefore, it is important for Ambient IoT devices (201) to operate with little battery consumption. In the scenario of FIG. 2, the Ambient IoT devices (201) deployed can monitor fires around the mountain. Among the Ambient IoT devices (201), at least one Ambient IoT device that detects a fire transmits information notifying the occurrence of a fire to the NG-RAN (202) (in the case of a 5G network) using a wireless network, and the information can be transmitted to the AF (204) (a 3rd party server / provider, such as a server of the National Fire Agency in the example of FIG. 2) via the 5G core network (203) and the data network (205). As in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the Ambient IoT devices (201) can be deployed for the same purpose, such as notifying the occurrence of a fire, and the information notifying the occurrence of a fire and / or data related to the information can be transmitted to a 3rd party server (i.e., the AF).Although the example in Fig. 2 illustrates a fire outbreak scenario in a mountain, Ambient IoT devices can also be deployed to provide relevant information in various disaster situations or in various commercial services such as sports stadiums or shopping malls used by many people.

[0082] FIG. 3 illustrates an example configuration of a device ID, which is identification information of an Ambient IoT device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] Devices that operate according to the 3GPP standard can use the SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier) / IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), which is the identification information contained in the USIM chip, as the device's ID. However, Ambient IoT devices may not be able to use USIM chips, or the number of Ambient IoT devices may be too large for mobile carriers to assign a unique ID to each device. Therefore, FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an Ambient IoT device ID.

[0084] Since the number of Ambient IoT devices is large as in the scenario of FIG. 2, it may be efficient to group the Ambient IoT devices in order to control their operations. The Ambient IoT devices can be grouped according to their tasks, for example, based on the third-party provider of the AF that communicates with the Ambient IoT devices. The Ambient IoT devices can be grouped by region, purpose, or simply the number of Ambient IoT devices within the third-party provider for various reasons. In addition, grouping by Ambient IoT device type as exemplified in [Table 1] or connection type as exemplified in [Table 2] is also possible, and Ambient IoT devices can be grouped according to specific use cases or task scenarios. The embodiment of FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a device ID of an Ambient IoT device, and various other values ​​can be used as the device ID of an Ambient IoT device.

[0085] In this embodiment, the definitions for each field that constitutes the device ID of an Ambient IoT device are as shown in the example below. In the following description, a third-party provider may be understood as AF or a server of a third-party provider.

[0086] - MNO ID: Indicates the mobile carrier ID used by third-party providers to communicate with Ambient IoT devices. This ID may include at least one of a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC), or may consist solely of an MNC.

[0087] - Enterprise ID: This indicates the enterprise to which the third-party provider belongs. When conducting business using multiple third-party servers, this ID can be used to identify all Ambient IoT devices belonging to the enterprise.

[0088] - AF ID: This ID identifies a third-party provider / server. It can identify all Ambient IoT devices performing a single task or all Ambient IoT devices communicating with a single AF.

[0089] - Group ID: Because there are so many Ambient IoT devices, grouping them is necessary for control. For this purpose, a group ID can be used. Ambient IoT devices can be grouped based on various classification criteria, such as purpose, capabilities, and status.

[0090] - Device Type ID: Ambient IoT devices can be classified into types A (TY_A), B (TY_B), and C (TY_C) as shown in the example in [Table 1] above, depending on their battery capacity and communication capabilities. This is the ID that represents this. Ambient IoT devices can also be grouped by device type using this ID.

[0091] - Connectivity Type ID: Ambient IoT devices can be categorized into Topology 1 (T1), Topology 2 (T2), Topology 3 (T3), and Topology 4 (T4) as shown in the example in [Table 2] above, depending on their ability to communicate with networks and terminals and their connection topology. This is the ID that represents this. Ambient IoT devices can also be grouped by connection type using this ID.

[0092] - Use Case Specific ID: This ID is an ID that can be assigned according to the use case or scenario in which the Ambient IoT device is used. For example, in a scenario of detecting a forest fire, each Ambient IoT device must report the location of the fire when it detects a fire. In other words, the location of the Ambient IoT device is important. In this case, if the location of the Ambient IoT device is used as the Use Case Specific ID of the Ambient IoT device, the Ambient IoT device only sends a notification that a forest fire has occurred without having to separately send the location of the forest fire as data, and a third-party provider can identify the location with only the ID of the Ambient IoT device. This is one embodiment, and this ID can be utilized in various other use cases.

[0093] - Unique Device ID: This ID is a unique ID that distinguishes each Ambient IoT device. The Unique Device ID can be used together with the MNO ID, Enterprise ID, AF ID, etc. to create a globally unique device ID. Since the number of Ambient IoT devices is so large, third-party providers can arbitrarily assign a Unique Device ID in a range of numbers or replace it with the manufacturing number of each device. The Unique Device ID can be defined as any value that can uniquely distinguish each device within the third-party provider or mobile carrier.

[0094] The elements that constitute the device ID of the above Ambient IoT device are only examples, and each of the values ​​that constitute the device ID can be freely configured according to the purpose of use of the Ambient IoT device or the capabilities of the device. In addition, a group ID can be configured using various elements to group Ambient IoT devices. In addition, various elements not mentioned in the present embodiment may be added according to the purpose of use or function of the Ambient IoT device. Among each element, at least the AF ID and the unique device ID can be included in the device ID of the Ambient IoT device.

[0095] FIG. 4 illustrates the overall operation of a data communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Ambient IoT devices have very limited battery power and communication capabilities. Except for a small number of devices located near a base station, most devices may not be able to communicate directly with the base station. Therefore, devices located far from the base station must relay data to the base station through multiple devices, resulting in multi-hop communication. Furthermore, communication patterns among devices may vary depending on the use case. For example, in a forest fire detection scenario, only devices that detect a forest fire will transmit data to the network, and this data transmission may occur irregularly. Conversely, in a scenario measuring the temperature of a specific area, all devices may transmit their measured temperature data to the network, and these data may also be reported at specific times. In this case, data transmission among devices will occur very regularly. In the latter scenario, a single device aggregates data measured by multiple devices and transmits it simultaneously (i.e., data aggregation) can be advantageous in terms of battery consumption and network congestion. Additionally, since the battery and communication capabilities of each device differ depending on the device type, it may be advantageous to set up a communication plan taking this into consideration.

[0097] The present disclosure proposes a data communication method comprising low layer communications and high layer communications, taking into account the characteristics and communication patterns of the above-described Ambient IoT devices.

[0098] Lower-layer communication is communication within a group (or cluster). This communication is direct communication between devices and can occur distributedly within multiple groups. Each group has a group leader device (or "head"), and when member devices within the group have data to transmit to the network, they transmit the data to the leader using lower-layer communication. Depending on the use case, the leader may wait for a certain period of time until all members have transmitted data to it, and then aggregate all received data and transmit it all at once. This feature may not be implemented depending on the characteristics and requirements of the use case. For example, in use cases sensitive to data transmission delays, such as wildfire surveillance, the leader device may transmit data to the network as soon as it is received.

[0099] Higher-layer communication is inter-group communication. A responsible device within a group transmits data to the responsible devices within each group, enabling transmission to the base station. Because lower-layer communication is intra-group communication, each member device consumes a small battery to ensure data transmission within its group. However, higher-layer communication consumes a large amount of power (e.g., maximum power) to transmit data as far as possible, reducing the number of transmissions to the base station.

[0100] FIG. 5 illustrates a process of forming a group after Ambient IoT devices are deployed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] Ambient IoT devices can be deployed in specific areas for specific tasks. Each Ambient IoT device assumes the following conditions:

[0102] - The device ID of Ambient IoT devices includes the device type.

[0103] - Grid coordinate information set in the deployment area is configured.

[0104] - Coordinate information of base stations installed in the deployment area is configured.

[0105] - All devices are synchronized

[0106] - All devices are equipped with GPS equipment

[0107] Immediately after deployment, each device can determine its own location using equipment such as GPS. Using this location information, each device can update its own device ID. Furthermore, using preconfigured grid coordinates and its own location, it can identify the group it belongs to. Each cell in the grid is identified by an area code, and the devices within a cell can be defined as a group. In other words, the area code can distinguish each group. The area code can be combined with the vertical and horizontal letters of each grid cell. For example, A1, A2, B3, D4, etc. Each device can update its own device ID using the area code of its own group. Each device can use its own location information and preconfigured base station location information to designate the closest base station in a straight line as its assigned base station. Furthermore, using the area code information and grid coordinate information, it can identify the area codes of the cells along the straight line to the assigned base station. As an example in Fig. 5, the base station in charge of devices belonging to group A5 is BS 1, and the cells through which the straight path to BS 1 passes can be B4, C3, D2, E2, and E1.

[0108] Devices can alternate between two phases while performing a task: an initial phase and an operation phase.

[0109] During the initial phase, each device can perform the following actions:

[0110] - Election of a responsible device for each group

[0111] - Group member registration of member devices of each group

[0112] - Announcement of the device responsible for each group

[0113] During the action phase, each device can perform the following actions:

[0114] - All devices in each group perform the task

[0115] - When transmitting data over the network

[0116] ■ Member devices transmit data to the responsible device using lower layer communication.

[0117] ■ The responsible device transmits and forwards data to the base station using upper layer communication (data aggregation may also be performed depending on the use case)

[0118] The operations described in Fig. 5 can be performed during the initial phase.

[0119] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a process of transmitting data during an operation phase according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] In Figure 6, when an event occurs and data needs to be transmitted over the network, a member device transmits this to the group's leader device using lower-layer communication. The leader device then uses upper-layer communication to send transmission requests to the leader devices in surrounding groups, in order to transmit the received data to the assigned base station. Upon receiving these requests, the leader devices respond to the transmission requests.

[0121] In FIG. 7, a responsible device that has received multiple transmission request responses selects one of the responsible devices among the responsible devices that have responded as a forwarding device among the responsible devices of the cells on the path to the responsible base station. The forwarding device can be selected based on various criteria, such as a device located in the cell closest to the responsible base station, a device with the strongest radio signal in the response message, or a device that received the response message the fastest. In one embodiment, the responsible device belonging to the cell closest to the responsible base station is selected as the forwarding device. Data transmission can be transmitted to the base station through multiple responsible devices in a multi-hop manner using upper layer communication in the same manner as described above.

[0122] FIG. 8 illustrates signaling of devices during an initial phase according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] At step 0, devices can be deployed in the area of ​​interest.

[0124] In step 1, devices can determine their location and determine their area code and responsible base station.

[0125] The initial page can be divided into three slots.

[0126] For each slot, different types of devices participate in the election of the responsible device (i.e., header). Once the responsible device is elected, subsequent slots are not performed. In the first slot (i.e., slot 1), only device type C can participate in the election of the responsible device, in the second slot (i.e., slot 2), only device type B can participate in the election of the responsible device, and in the third slot (i.e., slot 3), only device type A can participate in the election of the responsible device. That is, since the battery power and communication capability differ depending on the device type, the order of the responsible device election can be different depending on the device type in order to select the responsible device in the order of device type C with the best capability. In addition, since Ambient IoT devices are deployed randomly, type C or type B devices cannot exist in all cells. Therefore, in the last slot, device type A with the least device capability can be elected as the responsible device.

[0127] In Step 2, only Type C devices can transmit a Header Candidate message. This message uses lower layer communication and may include a device ID and a region code. This message may be transmitted by each device at a random time during the first slot. Type C devices that receive a Header Candidate message may not transmit their own Header Candidate message. If the region code in the Header Candidate message is not the region code of the cell (or region) to which the device belongs, the message may be discarded.

[0128] Devices that receive the header candidate message in Step 3 can transmit a member registration message using lower layer communication to register as members of the group. The member registration message may include a device ID and area code.

[0129] In step 4, the device that first transmits the header candidate message becomes the responsible device and can transmit the header announcement message. This message can include its own device ID, area code, and header duration information. In addition, the header announcement message can include the device IDs of the member registration messages it has received as a list of members. The header duration information can include the time that the responsible device elected in this initial phase can perform the responsible device function considering its battery status, etc. In other words, after the header duration has elapsed, the next initial phase can be performed to elect a new responsible device.

[0130] If a responsible device is elected during the above 3 slots, subsequent slots may be cancelled.

[0131] FIG. 9 illustrates a process of transmitting data to a network based on the occurrence of an event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] At step 0, Ambient IoT devices can detect events that occur within an area of ​​interest.

[0133] In step 1, a device that detects an event transmits it to the responsible device using lower layer communication.

[0134] In step 2, the responsible device can wait for data transmission from other member devices depending on the use case and can aggregate the received data.

[0135] In step 3, the responsible device transmits a Forwarding Data Request message to the surrounding group responsible devices using upper layer communication. The transmission distance of this message may vary depending on the circumstances of the responsible device (device type, battery power status, operation requirements, etc.). This message can be transmitted in various ways, such as unicast, multicast, and broadcast. Unicast or multicast can be used if the path to the responsible base station has been determined through the previous transmission of the Forwarding Data Request message. This message can include the device ID, transmission area code, reception area code, message type, etc. The Forwarding Data Request message can also include other parameters.

[0136] In step 4, the peripheral responsible device that received the forwarding data request message in step 3 can transmit a forwarding data response message. This message may include the device type, device ID, and region code. The forwarding data response message may also include various parameters indicating the device's battery status, its load status, etc.

[0137] In Step 5, the responsible device selects a responsible device from among the received response messages to request data transmission. The area code included in the response message can be used to select responsible devices along the path to the responsible base station. If there are multiple responsible devices along the path, the transmission responsible device can be selected based on factors such as the device type, battery status, load status, response reception order, and response signal strength of the responsible devices.

[0138] In step 6, the responsible device can transmit data to the forwarding responsible device.

[0139] In step 7, the forwarding responsible device may perform the forwarding responsible device selection procedure described above if the distance to the responsible base station is outside its transmission range. This procedure may continue until the data is transmitted to the responsible base station.

[0140] In step 8, data can be transmitted through multiple forwarding responsible devices to the responsible base station.

[0141] Figure 10 shows the configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] Here, the terminal (1000) may be one of the ambient IoT devices described above.

[0143] A terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processor (1020) that controls the overall operation of the terminal, a transceiver (1000) including a transmitter and a receiver, and a memory (1010). Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above example, and the terminal may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0144] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a transceiver (1000) can transmit and receive signals with network entities or other terminals. The signals transmitted and received with network entities may include control information and data. In addition, the transceiver (1000) can receive signals via a wireless channel, output them to a processor (1020), and transmit the signals output from the processor (1020) via the wireless channel.

[0145] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (1020) may control the terminal to perform any one of the operations described above. Meanwhile, the processor (1020), the memory (1010), and the transceiver (1000) do not necessarily have to be implemented as separate modules, and may of course be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor (1020) and the transceiver (1000) may be electrically connected. In addition, the processor (1020) may be an Application Processor (AP), a Communication Processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0146] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory (1010) can store data such as basic programs, application programs, and setting information for the operation of the terminal. In particular, the memory (1010) provides the stored data upon request of the processor (1020). The memory (1010) may be configured as a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD. In addition, there may be a plurality of memories (1010). In addition, the processor (1020) can perform the above-described embodiments based on a program for performing the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure stored in the memory (1010).

[0147] FIG. 11 illustrates a configuration of a base station or network entity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0148] A network entity may be one of the multiple entities and base stations described in FIG. 1.

[0149] A network entity according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processor (1120) that controls the overall operation of the network entity, a transceiver (1100) including a transmitter and a receiver, and a memory (910). Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above example, and the network entity may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0150] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the transceiver (1100) can transmit and receive signals with at least one of other network entities or terminals. The signals transmitted and received with at least one of the other network entities or terminals may include control information and data.

[0151] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor (1120) can control a network entity to perform any one of the operations described above. Meanwhile, the processor (1120), the memory (1100), and the transceiver (1100) do not necessarily have to be implemented as separate modules, and of course, they can be implemented as a single component in the form of a single chip. In addition, the processor (1120) and the transceiver (1100) can be electrically connected. In addition, the processor (1120) can be an Application Processor (AP), a Communication Processor (CP), a circuit, an application-specific circuit, or at least one processor.

[0152] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory (1110) may store data such as basic programs, application programs, and setting information for the operation of a network entity. In particular, the memory (1110) provides the stored data upon request of the processor (1120). The memory (1110) may be configured as a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD. In addition, there may be a plurality of memories (1110). In addition, the processor (1120) may perform the above-described embodiments based on a program for performing the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure stored in the memory (1110).

[0153] It should be noted that the aforementioned configuration diagrams, examples of control / data signal transmission methods, examples of operational procedures, and configuration diagrams are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, not all components, entities, or operational steps described in the embodiments of the present disclosure should be construed as essential components for implementing the disclosure, and implementations may be made within a scope that does not detract from the essence of the disclosure even if only some components are included. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined and operated as needed. For example, parts of the methods proposed in the present disclosure may be combined to operate network entities and terminals.

[0154] The operations of the base station or terminal described above can be realized by providing a memory device storing the corresponding program code in any component within the base station or terminal device. That is, the control unit of the base station or terminal device can execute the operations described above by reading and executing the program code stored in the memory device using a processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0155] The various components and modules of the entity, base station or terminal device described in this specification may be operated using hardware circuits, such as logic circuits based on complementary metal oxide semiconductors, firmware, software and / or hardware and firmware and / or software embedded in a machine-readable medium. For example, various electrical structures and methods may be implemented using electrical circuits such as transistors, logic gates and application-specific semiconductors.

[0156] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

[0157] These programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage device, compact disc ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage device, magnetic cassette. Or, they may be stored in a memory configured as a combination of some or all of these. In addition, each configuration memory may be included in multiple numbers.

[0158] Additionally, the program may be stored in an attachable storage device that is accessible via a communication network such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide local area network (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to a device performing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0159] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the disclosure are expressed in the singular or plural form, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in the plural form may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in the singular form may be composed of plural elements.

[0160] Meanwhile, although the detailed description of the present disclosure has described specific embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the following claims but also by equivalents of the scope of the claims. In other words, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that other modifications based on the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure are possible. In addition, each of the above embodiments can be combined and operated with each other as needed. For example, parts of the methods proposed in the present disclosure can be combined with each other to operate a base station and a terminal. In addition, although the above embodiments have been presented based on a 5G, NR system, other modifications based on the technical idea of ​​the above embodiments can be implemented with other systems such as LTE, LTE-A, and LTE-A-Pro systems.

[0161] While the detailed description of this disclosure has described specific embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method of a first responsible device in a first group including a plurality of devices in a wireless communication system, A step of receiving first data from at least one member within the first group; and A step of transmitting second data to each of the second responsible devices of at least one second group based on the received first data, method.

2. In paragraph 1, The steps of transmitting the above second data are: A step of transmitting said second data based on said first data to said at least one second group's second responsible device immediately upon receiving said first data, method.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of receiving the first data comprises the step of receiving the first data from at least one member device within the first group for a predetermined period of time, The step of transmitting the second data comprises a step of transmitting the second data based on an aggregation of the first data received during the predetermined period. method.

4. In paragraph 1, A step of transmitting a request message for forwarding the second data to a neighboring manager device of each of at least one neighboring group; A step of receiving a response message to the above request message from at least one peripheral responsible device; and Further comprising the step of selecting each of the second manager devices of the at least one second group for transmitting the second data from the at least one peripheral manager device. method.

5. In paragraph 4, Each of said second responsible devices of said at least one second group is selected based on at least one of a distance between a responsible base station for said first base station and said at least one peripheral responsible device, a signal strength of said response, an arrival time of said response, a battery status of said at least one peripheral responsible device, and a load status of said at least one peripheral responsible device. method.

6. In paragraph 4, wherein each of said second responsible devices of said at least one second group is selected based on a path of transmission of said second data to a previous other responsible device; method.

7. In paragraph 4, The request message includes at least one of the device ID (identification) of the first responsible device, a transmitting area code, a receiving area code, and a message type. method.

8. In paragraph 4, The response message includes at least one of a device ID, a region code, a battery status, and a load status of the at least one peripheral responsible device. method.

9. In paragraph 1, The first data is received based on at least one member within the first group detecting an event, method.

10. In paragraph 1, The above second data is transmitted using one of unicast, multicast, and broadcast. method.

11. In paragraph 1, The step of transmitting the second data to each of the second responsible devices of the at least one second group comprises the step of transmitting the second data to each of the second responsible devices of the at least one second group based on the fact that the responsible base station is outside the communication range of the first responsible device. method.

12. In paragraph 1, A step of receiving third data from a third responsible device of a third group; and Including a step of transmitting fourth data to each fourth responsible device of at least one fourth group based on the received third data, if the responsible base station is outside the communication range of the first responsible device. method.

13. In paragraph 12, A step of transmitting a request message for forwarding the fourth data to at least one peripheral manager device of each peripheral group; A step of receiving a response message to the above request message from at least one peripheral responsible device; and Further comprising the step of selecting each of the fourth manager devices of the at least one fourth group for transmitting the fourth data from the at least one peripheral manager device. method.

14. As a first responsible device in a first group including a plurality of devices in a wireless communication system, Transmitter and receiver; and comprising a processor connected to the transceiver; The above processor: Receiving first data from at least one member within the first group, and configured to transmit second data to each of the second responsible devices of at least one second group based on the first data received above, First responsible device.

15. In paragraph 14, The above processor is configured to operate according to any one of the methods of claims 2 to 13. First responsible device.

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