Communication method, apparatus and system, node device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, apparatus and system, a node device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending a CW to a terminal, wherein the CW is transmitted over a plurality of frequency domain units, the CW is used for the terminal to send uplink information on the basis of backscattering technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment. In the method of the present disclosure, a node device provides energy or an excitation signal for the terminal by sending a CW, so that the terminal can utilize the CW for backscattering; moreover, the CW occupies a plurality of frequency domain units, so that the performance of the CW in resisting frequency domain fading can be effectively enhanced, improving the reliability of communication.

Description

Communication method, node equipment, device, system and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, node equipment, apparatus, system and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient-IoT) is a type of IoT. Compared to cellular-based Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) terminals, Ambient-IoT terminals are less complex, less expensive, and require less maintenance. Ambient-IoT terminals require energy from the external environment and are therefore also referred to as ambient-powered terminals or passive terminals.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] It is necessary to determine the energy form or signal form used by the Ambient-IoT terminal to send information.

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, node equipment, apparatus, system, and storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a node device, the method comprising:

[0007] A continuous electromagnetic wave (CW) is sent to a terminal, wherein the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units, and the CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter communications (or backscattering) technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0009] A CW is received from a node device, where the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0010] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0011] Sending indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of the subcarriers that can be occupied by the CW, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0012] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a node device, including:

[0013] The transceiver module is used to send continuous electromagnetic waves (CW) to the terminal. The CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0014] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0015] The transceiver module is used to receive the CW sent by the node device, the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units, the CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0017] The transceiver module is used to send indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that the CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the terminal sending uplink information.

[0018] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, including:

[0019] one or more processors;

[0020] The communication device is used to execute the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0021] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including a node device, a terminal and a network device, wherein:

[0022] The node device is configured to implement the method according to the first aspect;

[0023] The terminal is configured to implement the method according to the second aspect;

[0024] The network device is configured to implement the method described in the third aspect.

[0025] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, wherein:

[0026] When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0027] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a program product, wherein:

[0028] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0029] In the disclosed embodiment, the node device provides energy or excitation signals to the terminal by sending CW so that the terminal can use CW for backscattering. CW occupies multiple frequency domain units, thereby effectively improving the performance of CW in resisting frequency domain fading, thereby improving the reliability of communication. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG2a and FIG2b are exemplary interaction diagrams of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] 3a to 3b are exemplary flowcharts of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] 4a and 4b are exemplary flowcharts of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG5 is an exemplary flowchart of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG6a is a schematic structural diagram of a node device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG6b is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG7a is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG7 b is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, node equipment, apparatus, system, and storage medium.

[0041] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a node device, the method comprising:

[0042] A CW is sent to the terminal. The CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an IoT terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the node device provides energy or excitation signal to the terminal by sending CW so that the terminal can use CW for backscattering. CW occupies multiple frequency domain units, which can effectively improve the performance of CW in resisting frequency domain fading, thereby improving the reliability of communication.

[0044] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the frequency domain unit is one of the following:

[0045] sub-band;

[0046] subcarrier.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the CW may occupy multiple sub-bands or multiple sub-carriers, thereby effectively resisting frequency domain fading.

[0048] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are compounded based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is a sub-band.

[0049] In the above embodiment, CW may be a broadband signal, which is transmitted over a certain bandwidth and has better resistance to frequency domain fading than a single-frequency wireless signal.

[0050] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, CW is obtained by orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, or by discrete Fourier transform-spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the CW may be a multi-carrier signal modulated by OFDM, occupying multiple sub-carriers for transmission, thereby combating deep fading in the frequency domain to a certain extent.

[0052] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or,

[0053] The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by the protocol.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the node device may determine the bandwidth of the subcarrier in the CW according to the protocol definition or the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier of the network device, so as to transmit the CW in an appropriate frequency domain width.

[0055] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the node device may transmit CW on a suitable number of subcarriers based on the uplink bandwidth, so that the terminal may reasonably send uplink information on a required frequency domain width based on backscattering.

[0057] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0058] Indication information sent by a network device is received, where the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that a CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate an uplink bandwidth.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the node device may directly or indirectly obtain the number of subcarriers occupied when sending a CW according to the instruction information of the network device, thereby obtaining the frequency domain width occupied by the CW.

[0060] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the waveform function x(t) corresponding to CW satisfies:

[0061] Among them, N represents the number of subcarriers where CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k} represents the complex-valued symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the waveform parameters of the CW multi-carrier signal are illustrated, and the CW transmission waveform can be determined based on the waveforms of different sub-carriers.

[0063] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, {a k} is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

[0064] In the above embodiment, {ak} can be a ZC sequence with a constant amplitude, which is conducive to OFDM modulation.

[0065] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the CW has a constant amplitude, so that the terminal can perform amplitude modulation on the received CW based on backscattering to transmit uplink information.

[0067] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

[0068] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0069] A CW is received from a node device, where the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the terminal can receive the CW sent by the node device and use the CW for backscattering, wherein the CW occupies multiple frequency domain units, thereby effectively improving the performance of the CW in resisting frequency domain fading, thereby improving the reliability of communication.

[0071] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the frequency domain unit is one of the following:

[0072] sub-band;

[0073] subcarrier.

[0074] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are compounded based on FDM technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is a sub-band, and the total bandwidth of the multiple sub-bands where the CW is located is greater than the sum of the multiple bandwidths.

[0075] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CW is obtained through OFDM modulation, or through DFT-S-OFDM modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0076] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or,

[0077] The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by the protocol.

[0078] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0079] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the waveform function x(t) corresponding to CW satisfies:

[0080] Among them, N represents the number of subcarriers where CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k} represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

[0081] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, {a k} is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

[0082] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0083] Uplink information is sent through amplitude modulation according to a CW, wherein the CW has a constant amplitude.

[0084] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

[0085] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0086] Uplink information is sent in a non-amplitude modulation manner according to CW, wherein the non-amplitude modulation manner includes a frequency modulation manner or a phase modulation manner.

[0087] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0088] Sending indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of the subcarriers that can be occupied by the CW, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0089] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a node device, including:

[0090] The transceiver module is used to send continuous electromagnetic waves (CW) to the terminal. The CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0091] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0092] The transceiver module is used to receive the CW sent by the node device, the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units, the CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0093] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0094] The transceiver module is used to send indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that the CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the terminal sending uplink information.

[0095] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, including:

[0096] one or more processors;

[0097] The communication device is used to execute the method described in the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0098] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including a node device, a terminal and a network device, wherein:

[0099] The node device is configured to implement the method according to the first aspect;

[0100] The terminal is configured to implement the method according to the second aspect;

[0101] The network device is configured to implement the method described in the third aspect.

[0102] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, wherein:

[0103] When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect, the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0104] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a program product, wherein:

[0105] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0106] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0107] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0108] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, node devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0109] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0110] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0111] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0112] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0113] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0114] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0115] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0116] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0117] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0118] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0119] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0120] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0121] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0122] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0123] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", and in some embodiments may also be understood as "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission and / or reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)", etc.

[0124] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc.

[0125] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0126] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0127] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0128] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes at least one of the following: a terminal 101, a downlink signal sending node (Downlink Signal Node, DSN) 102, a continuous electromagnetic wave node (continuous wave node, CW node or CWN) 103, an energy source node (Energy Source Node, ESN) 104 and an uplink receiver (Uplink receiver, UR) 105.

[0130] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may be an Ambient-IoT terminal or a device. The terminal 101 may be excited and powered by received electromagnetic signals, or obtain energy by acquiring external heat energy, kinetic energy, and the like.

[0131] Optionally, the power acquisition and storage capabilities of the terminal 101 vary depending on the type and working mode of the terminal 101. The types of the terminal 101 include:

[0132] Device A: cannot independently generate or amplify signals. For example, Device A uses backscattering or backscattering communication and does not have the ability to amplify downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) signals.

[0133] Device B: Has energy storage capabilities but cannot independently generate signals. For example, Device B uses backscattering and can use stored energy to amplify DL and / or UL signals. Device A or Device B may use relatively simple modulation and demodulation methods, such as binary on-off keying (OOK) or phase-shift keying (PSK).

[0134] Device C: Has energy storage capabilities and can independently generate signals, such as a radio frequency (RF) module that actively transmits signals. Device C can use more complex modulation and coding schemes, such as OFDM modulation and demodulation.

[0135] Of the three types of terminals 101 described above, device C has the strongest capabilities and the highest terminal cost. Devices A and B have weaker capabilities and lower terminal costs. Furthermore, since devices A and B can only operate in backscatter mode and cannot actively transmit signals, their supported coverage range is smaller. However, the power consumption of device A or B in this operating mode is lower than that of device C.

[0136] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the Ambient-IoT communication system may include four links, for example: a link 1 for transmitting downlink information, a link 2 for receiving uplink information, a link 3 for sending CW, and a link 4 for sending a charging signal.

[0137] The DSN 102 is used to send downlink information or indication information. The DSN 102 can be a network node or network device, for example, a base station, or a relay device such as a relay UE. The DSN 102 can send indication information to the terminal 101 to trigger uplink transmission of the terminal 101.

[0138] CWN 103 is used to transmit continuous electromagnetic waves (CWs). Terminal 101 can use CWs to send uplink information based on backscatter. CWN 103 can also provide an excitation function, enabling devices A and B to perform uplink transmission based on backscatter. Furthermore, CWs can serve as an energy source (ES), providing energy to Terminal 101. Terminal 101 can receive CWs and store energy.

[0139] ESN 104 is used to provide energy to terminal 101. For example, ESN 104 functions for device B and device C. Since device A has limited energy storage capabilities, ES signals other than CW may not be defined for device A. Alternatively, ES may also be used for device A.

[0140] The UR 105 may be a terminal or user equipment (UE) other than the terminal 101, and is configured to receive uplink information sent by the Ambient-IoT terminal 101. For example, the UR 105 may receive uplink information sent by the terminal 101 based on backscatter communication, or may receive uplink information actively transmitted by the terminal 101.

[0141] Optionally, the nodes involved in the four links in the above embodiment, such as DSN 102, CWN 103, ESN 104, and UR 105, can be independently configured, or can be the same node or device, or two, three, or four of them can be configured as one node or device. For example, in some embodiments, link 4 can be omitted or non-existent.

[0142] In some embodiments, the functions of the above-mentioned different nodes can be implemented or supported by a single device. For example, a single device can support the functions of multiple nodes or all of the above-mentioned nodes. Alternatively, a single device can correspond to a node with only one of the above-mentioned functions. A network, such as a network device, can coordinate the behavior of the above-mentioned different nodes, such as DSN 102, CWN 103, ESN 104, and UR 105, to support effective communication with terminal 101.

[0143] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0144] In some embodiments, the network device may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0145] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, but is not limited thereto.

[0146] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0147] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0148] In some embodiments, the core network device can be a device including one or more network elements, or it can be multiple devices or device groups, each including all or part of one or more network elements. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the 5G Core Network (5GCN), and the Next Generation Core (NGC). Alternatively, the core network device refers to a network element with a specific function, such as the Access Management Function (AMF), the Service Management Function (SMF), etc.

[0149] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0150] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 , or a part of the main body thereof, but are not limited thereto.

[0151] The entities shown in Figure 1 are examples. The communication system may include all or part of the entities in Figure 1, and may also include other entities outside of Figure 1. The number and form of the entities are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is an example. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, which may be direct or indirect, and may be wired or wireless.

[0152] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication processing methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0153] In the disclosed embodiments, the Ambient IoT system can be used in application scenarios such as inventory management, sensors, positioning, and command execution. Ambient IoT's network coverage is limited, and information transmission between terminal 101 and the network is easily affected by the environment. In these application scenarios, terminal 101 must maintain a reliable connection to the network.

[0154] In the disclosed embodiment, the terminal 101 can communicate based on the backscattering method. Backscatter communication is an extremely low-power modulation and transmission technology that uses the backscattering principle of radio frequency signals, and is a means to achieve the intelligent connection of all things. In backscatter communication, CWN103 sends a radio frequency signal such as an electromagnetic wave, and the terminal 101 receives the electromagnetic wave. The internal circuit of the terminal 101 modulates the information to be transmitted on the basis of the incident electromagnetic wave through load impedance modulation and other methods, and then sends out the modulated electromagnetic wave carrying the information. There are many ways to modulate information, such as amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK) or phase shift keying (PSK).

[0155] In some embodiments, for terminals that cannot actively transmit signals, when terminal 101 needs to send uplink information, it must rely on an externally provided CW for backscattering. In ambient IoT communication scenarios, CWN 103 and terminal 101 may be a certain distance apart (e.g., <= 50m), and the channel environment is complex, requiring a decision on which signal to use as the backscattered CW.

[0156] Figure 2a is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, the method comprising:

[0157] Step S2101 : The node device sends a CW to the terminal 101 .

[0158] In some embodiments, the node device is configured to provide the terminal 101 with a CW capable of backscattering, so that the terminal 101 can send uplink information such as uplink communication data.

[0159] Alternatively, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the node device may be CWN 103. Alternatively, the node device may be DSN 102 or ESN 104 capable of transmitting CWs. Alternatively, the node device may be a network device capable of providing CWs. Alternatively, the node device may be a network device capable of simultaneously implementing the functions of DSN 102, CWN 103, and ESN 104.

[0160] Optionally, the node device can be a separately set node such as a separately set CWN103, or a receiving end of the terminal 101 based on backscatter communication such as UR105, or a network device that triggers backscatter communication for the terminal 101; wherein UR105 can be a base station or an intermediate node such as a UE, and the network device can be DSN102 such as a base station.

[0161] In some embodiments, CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units, and CW is used by terminal 101 to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0162] Optionally, referring to the description of the foregoing embodiment, the terminal 101 may include device A or device B.

[0163] In some embodiments, the frequency domain unit includes one of the following:

[0164] sub-band;

[0165] subcarrier.

[0166] Optionally, the sub-band may be a set bandwidth, and when the CW occupies multiple sub-bands, it can combat deep fading in the frequency domain to a certain extent.

[0167] Optionally, the number and / or bandwidth of subcarriers may be determined according to a protocol definition, or according to uplink transmission of the terminal 101 and downlink transmission of the DSN 102 .

[0168] In a first example, the CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are multiplexed based on the FDM technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is a sub-band.

[0169] For example, in this example, the bandwidth of each signal is W2 Hz, the bandwidth of CW is W1 Hz, and CW may be composed of multiple FDM signals with a bandwidth of W2 Hz.

[0170] In the second example, the CW is obtained through OFDM modulation, or through DFT-S-OFDM modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0171] In this example, a multi-carrier signal is used as the CW, such as a multi-carrier OFDM signal or a DFT-S-OFDM signal. This improves the CW's resistance to frequency domain fading and also improves the reliability of ambient IoT system communications.

[0172] Optionally, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by a protocol.

[0173] The network device may be DSN 102, and DSN 102 may trigger backscatter communication of terminal 101. Optionally, when the node device and the network device are two separate devices, the network device may indicate the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier by sending indication information to the node device; when the node device and the network device are the same device, the node device may directly obtain the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier.

[0174] Optionally, the CW has a constant amplitude.

[0175] For example, CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain or in the frequency domain. In this embodiment, CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain, so that terminal 101 can transmit uplink information through amplitude modulation during backscattering. In one example, amplitude modulation can include OOK modulation, etc. For OOK modulation, terminal 101 can reflect energetic CW signals during backscattering. For example, when terminal 101 needs to send a "1", terminal 101 reflects the energetic time domain signal; when terminal 101 needs to send a "0", terminal 101 does not reflect the signal. In another example, high-order amplitude modulation can be used, and the terminal 101 reflects the energetic CW with different reflection coefficients during backscattering. For example, when the terminal 101 needs to send "11", the terminal 101 reflects the energetic time domain signal with a reflection coefficient of K1; when the terminal 101 needs to send "10", the terminal 101 reflects the energetic time domain signal with a reflection coefficient of K2; when the terminal 101 needs to send "01", the terminal 101 reflects the energetic time domain signal with a reflection coefficient of K3; when the terminal 101 needs to send "00", the terminal 101 does not reflect the energetic time domain signal, or considers the reflection coefficient to be 0; wherein the reflection coefficients K1, K2 and K3 are not equal to each other.

[0176] Optionally, if CW does not have a constant amplitude in the time domain, terminal 101 cannot use general amplitude modulation to transmit uplink information during backscattering; non-amplitude modulation methods such as frequency modulation, phase modulation, etc. can be used; OOK modulation method can also be used.

[0177] Optionally, the waveform function x(t) corresponding to CW satisfies:

[0178] Wherein, N represents the number of subcarriers where the CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k} represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c+kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

[0179] Optionally, {a k} is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence. For example, {a k} has a constant amplitude in the time domain, and the sequence in the frequency domain can be a (Zadoff-Chu, ZC) sequence. The time domain sequence corresponding to the frequency domain sequence also has the characteristic of constant amplitude.

[0180] Optionally, for a DFT-S-OFDM modulated signal, {a k}But it is obtained through DFT transformation.

[0181] Optionally, the number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal 101.

[0182] For example, the bandwidth of the uplink signal sent by the terminal 101 is equal to the total bandwidth of multiple subcarriers occupied by the CW.

[0183] For another example, the more subcarriers a CW occupies, the larger the uplink bandwidth of the uplink signal sent by the terminal 101 during backscattering.

[0184] Optionally, the network device may control the uplink bandwidth for uplink signals transmitted by the terminal 101 by controlling the number of subcarriers on which a node device such as CWN 103 transmits a CW. Alternatively, the network device may instruct CWN 103 to control the number of subcarriers occupied by the CW it transmits by indicating the uplink bandwidth resources of the uplink signal of the terminal 101, as described in the embodiment with reference to FIG2 b.

[0185] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the CW based on the frequency domain position of the CW and performs step S2102.

[0186] In step S2102, the terminal 101 sends uplink information based on backscatter according to the received CW.

[0187] In some embodiments, the backscattering of the terminal 101 may be triggered by a network device. For example, after receiving a downlink instruction from the network device, the terminal 101 executes step S2102.

[0188] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may include device A or device B, that is, terminal 101 is a device that communicates using backscattering. When sending uplink information such as uplink data, the node device needs to provide CW for terminal 101 to reflect.

[0189] Optionally, the frequency of the reflected signal or uplink information of terminal 101 may be the same as the frequency of the received CW, or may be offset from the frequency of the received CW. The offset size depends on the hardware characteristics of terminal 101. The offset may be a fixed value; or, if supported by the hardware of terminal 101, the offset may include multiple fixed values ​​or a dynamically adjustable value.

[0190] In some embodiments, if the CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain, the terminal 101 can transmit uplink information based on amplitude modulation, such as OOK modulation. In OOK modulation, the terminal 101 uses the CW to reflect the energetic signal to transmit the uplink information to the UR 105.

[0191] In some embodiments, if the CW does not have a constant amplitude in the time domain, the terminal 101 may send uplink information based on non-amplitude modulation, where the non-amplitude modulation method includes a frequency modulation method or a phase modulation method.

[0192] In some embodiments, UR 105 receives uplink information sent by terminal 101 .

[0193] Optionally, UR105 can be an intermediate node, a base station or other terminal equipment.

[0194] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", and "field" can be used interchangeably.

[0195] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0196] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0197] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0198] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0199] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)", "cell", "frequency carrier", "carrier frequency" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0200] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0201] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0202] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0203] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2102, such as the method including step S2101.

[0204] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 a .

[0205] Figure 2b is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, the method comprising:

[0206] Step S2201: The network device sends instruction information to the node device.

[0207] Optionally, the network device may be a base station or an intermediate node, such as the DSN 102 in the embodiment of Figure 1. The node device may be the CWN 103 in the embodiment of Figure 1.

[0208] Optionally, the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that can be occupied by the CW, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth.

[0209] Optionally, the network device controls the number of subcarriers used by CWN 103 to transmit CWs through indication information, thereby controlling the uplink bandwidth of uplink signals transmitted by terminal 101. Alternatively, the network device indicates the uplink bandwidth resources of the uplink signals of terminal 101 through indication information, so that CWN 103 controls the number of subcarriers occupied by its CW transmission.

[0210] In some embodiments, the node device receives the above-mentioned indication information.

[0211] In some embodiments, the network device may further send indication information to the terminal 101 .

[0212] Step S2202 : The network device sends a downlink instruction to the terminal 101 .

[0213] Optionally, the downlink instruction is used to instruct the terminal 101 to transmit uplink information, thereby triggering backscattering of the terminal 101.

[0214] Optionally, after receiving the downlink instruction, the terminal 101 may send a corresponding response to the network device or perform a corresponding operation such as executing step S2204.

[0215] In some embodiments, in an ambient IoT system, frequency resources can be utilized by dividing the available spectrum into multiple subchannels, each occupying a fixed bandwidth and orthogonal to the frequency domain. Optionally, the downlink instruction can also instruct terminal 101 to use one or more of these subchannels to transmit uplink data. Alternatively, terminal 101 can independently select one or more subchannels for uplink data transmission using an algorithm.

[0216] Step S2203 : The node device sends a CW to the terminal 101 .

[0217] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S2203 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0218] In step S2204, the terminal 101 sends uplink information based on backscatter according to the received CW.

[0219] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S2204 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 and will not be repeated here.

[0220] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2204.

[0221] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 b .

[0222] Figure 3a is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a node device and includes:

[0223] Step S3101, obtain instruction information.

[0224] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2201 and will not be repeated here.

[0225] Step S3102, send CW.

[0226] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0227] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3102.

[0228] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 a .

[0229] FIG3b is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3b, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a node device and includes:

[0230] Step S3201, sending CW to terminal 101.

[0231] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0232] Optionally, CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. CW is used for the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0233] In some embodiments, the frequency domain unit includes one of the following:

[0234] sub-band;

[0235] subcarrier.

[0236] In some embodiments, the CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are multiplexed based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is a sub-band.

[0237] In some embodiments, the CW is obtained by orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, or by discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM) modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0238] In some embodiments, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or,

[0239] The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by the protocol.

[0240] In some embodiments, the number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0241] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0242] Indication information sent by a network device is received, where the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that a CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate an uplink bandwidth.

[0243] In some embodiments, the waveform function x(t) corresponding to CW satisfies:

[0244] Among them, N represents the number of subcarriers where CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k} represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

[0245] In some embodiments, {a k} is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

[0246] In some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude.

[0247] In some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

[0248] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 b .

[0249] FIG4a is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0250] Step S4101, obtain downlink instructions.

[0251] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2202 and will not be repeated here.

[0252] Step S4102, obtain CW.

[0253] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0254] Step S4103: Send uplink information based on backscatter according to the received CW.

[0255] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4103 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 and will not be repeated here.

[0256] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4103.

[0257] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4 a .

[0258] FIG4b is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4b, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0259] Step S4201: Receive a CW sent by a node device.

[0260] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0261] Optionally, CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. CW is used for the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0262] In some embodiments, the frequency domain unit includes one of the following:

[0263] sub-band;

[0264] subcarrier.

[0265] In some embodiments, the CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, which are composited based on FDM technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is a sub-band, and the total bandwidth of the multiple sub-bands where the CW is located is greater than the sum of the multiple bandwidths.

[0266] In some embodiments, the CW is obtained through OFDM modulation, or through DFT-S-OFDM modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

[0267] In some embodiments, the bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or,

[0268] The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by the protocol.

[0269] In some embodiments, the number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

[0270] In some embodiments, the waveform function x(t) corresponding to CW satisfies:

[0271] Among them, N represents the number of subcarriers where CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k} represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

[0272] In some embodiments, {a k} is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

[0273] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0274] Uplink information is sent through amplitude modulation according to a CW, wherein the CW has a constant amplitude.

[0275] In some embodiments, the CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

[0276] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0277] Uplink information is sent in a non-amplitude modulation manner according to CW, wherein the non-amplitude modulation manner includes a frequency modulation manner or a phase modulation manner.

[0278] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4 b .

[0279] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which is executed by a network device and includes:

[0280] Step S5101, sending instruction information.

[0281] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S5101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2201 and will not be repeated here.

[0282] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 5 a .

[0283] The method of the embodiments of this disclosure proposes using multi-carrier signals, particularly multi-carrier OFDM or DFT-S-OFDM signals, as CWs in an Ambient IoT network. This improves the CW's resistance to frequency domain fading and also enhances the reliability of ambient IoT system communications. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure, an example is provided below:

[0284] CW occupies multiple frequency domain units in the frequency domain. The advantage of occupying multiple frequency domain units is that it can combat deep frequency attenuation to a certain extent, and has some gain compared to single-frequency wireless signals.

[0285] Optionally, CW may be a bandwidth signal, for example, the bandwidth of CW is W1 Hz, and CW may be composed of multiple FDM signals, and the bandwidth of each signal is W2 Hz.

[0286] Optionally, the frequency domain unit may be a subcarrier. The CW may be generated by an OFDM modulation method or a DFT-S-OFDM method.

[0287] Optionally, the bandwidth of a single subcarrier may be the same as the downlink subcarrier of the OFDM modulated signal sent by the DSN, or may be a subcarrier bandwidth defined by the protocol.

[0288] Optionally, the CW signal has a constant amplitude in the time domain, so that the device can transmit uplink information through amplitude modulation during backscattering.

[0289] Alternatively, if CW does not have constant amplitude in the time domain, the device cannot use standard amplitude modulation to transmit uplink information during backscatter. However, it can use OOK modulation (for example, when sending a "1," an energetic time-domain signal is reflected, and when sending a "0," no signal is reflected). Other non-amplitude modulation methods, such as frequency modulation and phase modulation, can also be used.

[0290] Alternatively, the expression for CW can be written as a k It can be considered as a complex value symbol on subcarrier k. For DFT-S-OFDM modulated signal, {a k}But it is obtained through DFT transformation.

[0291] In order to make CW have a constant amplitude in the time domain, the sequence {a k} can be selected as a sequence with constant amplitude and zero autocorrelation, such as a ZC sequence. In this case, the time domain sequence corresponding to the frequency domain sequence also has the characteristic of constant amplitude.

[0292] Optionally, the number of subcarriers occupied by the CW is positively correlated with the bandwidth of the uplink signal sent by the device after backscattering (for example, the bandwidth of the uplink signal sent by the device is equal to the total bandwidth of the multiple subcarriers occupied by the CW). The more subcarriers occupied by the CW, the greater the uplink bandwidth of the signal sent by the device during backscattering.

[0293] The network can control the bandwidth of the device's uplink signal by controlling the number of subcarriers in the CW sent by the CWN. Alternatively, the network can also control the number of subcarriers occupied by the device's uplink signal by indicating the device's uplink signal bandwidth resources.

[0294] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a node device or network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0295] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0296] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0297] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the node device structure proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6a, node device 6100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6101 and a processing module 6102. In some embodiments, transceiver module 6101 is configured to transmit continuous electromagnetic waves (CWs) to a terminal. The CWs are transmitted across multiple frequency domain units and are used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an IoT terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0298] Optionally, the transceiver module 6101 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, performed by the node device 6100 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 6102 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the node device 6100 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0299] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6b, terminal 6200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6201 and a processing module 6202. In some embodiments, transceiver module 6201 is configured to receive a CW transmitted by a node device. The CW is transmitted across multiple frequency domain units and is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an IoT terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

[0300] Optionally, the transceiver module 6201 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal 6200 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 6202 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the terminal 6200 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0301] Figure 6c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6c, network device 6300 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6301 and a processing module 6302. In some embodiments, transceiver module 6301 is configured to send indication information to a node device, where the indication information indicates the number of subcarriers that a CW can occupy, or indicates the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the transmission of uplink information by a terminal.

[0302] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0303] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules each execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0304] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 7100 can be a node device or network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), or a terminal (e.g., a user device, etc.). It can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0305] As shown in Figure 7a, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 7100 is used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 7101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0306] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7102. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7102, the transceiver 7102 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method, and the processor 7101 performs at least one of the other steps. In an optional embodiment, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0307] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 7103 may be located outside the communication device 7100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuits 7104 are connected to the memories 7103 and may be configured to receive data from the memories 7103 or other devices, or to send data to the memories 7103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 may read data stored in the memories 7103 and send the data to the processor 7101.

[0308] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7a. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (7) others, etc.

[0309] FIG7 b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 7200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, reference can be made to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 shown in FIG7 b , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0310] The chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201. The chip 7200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0311] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202. Alternatively, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of memory 7203 may be located external to chip 7200. Optionally, interface circuit 7202 is connected to memory 7203 and may be used to receive data from memory 7203 or other devices, or may be used to send data to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 7202 may read data stored in memory 7203 and send the data to processor 7201.

[0312] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7202 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method. For example, the interface circuit 7202 performing the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 7202 performs data exchange between the processor 7201, the chip 7200, the memory 7203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 7201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0313] The modules and / or devices described in various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be arbitrarily combined or separated according to circumstances. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0314] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 7100, the communication device 7100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0315] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 7100, enables the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0316] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods. Industrial Applicability

[0317] The node device provides energy or excitation signals to the terminal by sending CW so that the terminal can use CW for backscattering. CW occupies multiple frequency domain units, which can effectively improve the performance of CW in resisting frequency domain fading, thereby improving the reliability of communication.

Claims

1. A communication method, performed by a node device, comprising: A continuous electromagnetic wave (CW) is sent to a terminal, where the CW is transmitted over multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The frequency domain unit is one of the following: sub-band; subcarrier.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are multiplexed based on frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is the sub-band.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The CW is obtained by orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, or by discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM) modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or, The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by a protocol.

6. The method of claim 2, 4 or 5, wherein: The number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The method further comprises: Receive indication information sent by a network device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of the subcarriers that the CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth.

8. The method of any one of claims 4 to 7 or claim 2, wherein: The waveform function x(t) corresponding to the CW satisfies: Wherein, N represents the number of subcarriers where the CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k } represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein: The k } is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The CW has a constant amplitude.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

12. A communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising: A CW is received from a node device, where the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein: The frequency domain unit is one of the following: sub-band; subcarrier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The CW includes multiple signals with the same bandwidth, and the multiple signals with the same bandwidth are compounded based on FDM technology; wherein the frequency domain unit is the sub-band, and the total bandwidth of the multiple sub-bands where the CW is located is greater than the sum of the multiple bandwidths.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein: The CW is obtained through OFDM modulation, or through DFT-S-OFDM modulation; wherein the frequency domain unit is a subcarrier.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein: The bandwidth of the subcarrier is the same as the bandwidth of the downlink subcarrier corresponding to the downlink information sent by the network device; or, The bandwidth of the subcarrier is defined by a protocol.

17. The method of claim 13, 15 or 16, wherein: The number of subcarriers where the CW is located is positively correlated with the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

18. The method of any one of claims 15 to 17 or claim 13, wherein The waveform function x(t) corresponding to the CW satisfies: Wherein, N represents the number of subcarriers where the CW is located, x k (t) represents the waveform of the Kth subcarrier, {a k } represents the complex value symbol on the Kth subcarrier, Δf represents the bandwidth of each subcarrier, f c Indicates the center frequency of the lowest subcarrier, (f c +kΔf) represents the frequency domain position of the Kth subcarrier, 2π(f c +kΔf)t represents the phase of the Kth subcarrier at time t.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein: The k } is a constant amplitude zero autocorrelation sequence.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein The method further comprises: Uplink information is sent through amplitude modulation according to the CW, wherein the CW has a constant amplitude.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The CW has a constant amplitude in the time domain.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein: The method further comprises: Uplink information is sent in a non-amplitude modulation manner according to the CW, wherein the non-amplitude modulation manner includes a frequency modulation manner or a phase modulation manner.

23. A communication method, performed by a network device, comprising: Sending indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that can be occupied by the CW, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the uplink information sent by the terminal.

24. A node device, comprising: The transceiver module is used to send continuous electromagnetic waves (CW) to the terminal. The CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units. The CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology. The terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

25. A terminal comprising: The transceiver module is used to receive the CW sent by the node device, the CW is transmitted on multiple frequency domain units, the CW is used by the terminal to send uplink information based on backscatter technology, and the terminal is an Internet of Things terminal that obtains energy from the environment.

26. A network device comprising: The transceiver module is used to send indication information to the node device, wherein the indication information is used to indicate the number of subcarriers that the CW can occupy, or the indication information is used to indicate the uplink bandwidth corresponding to the terminal sending uplink information.

27. A communication device comprising: one or more processors; The communication device is used to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11, any one of claims 12 to 22, or 23.

28. A communication system comprising a node device, a terminal and a network device, wherein: The node device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11; The terminal is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22; The network device is configured to implement the method of claim 23.

29. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein: When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, any one of 12 to 22, or 23.

30. A program product, wherein When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, any one of claims 12 to 22, or 23.

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