Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, the method comprising: a terminal device receives first indication information from a first node, the first indication information being used for indicating that a terminal device that has a first capability is allowed to access a network, and the first capability being a capability of supporting backscatter or a capability of supporting active transmission; and, further, the terminal device accesses the network on the basis of the first indication information. According to the described method, the terminal device that is currently allowed to access a network can be indicated by means of indication information, thus facilitating reducing signal interference between terminal devices that have different capabilities.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 7, 2024, with application number 202410176136.1, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] In the ambient internet of things (A-IoT) scenario, terminal devices with different capabilities (referred to as A-IoT terminals in this application) may exist in the same cell. For example, an A-IoT terminal may have the ability to actively transmit signals, or the A-IoT terminal may not have the ability to actively transmit signals (i.e., it has the ability to support backscattering). When a reader operates the A-IoT terminal of the cell (such as inventory operations, etc.), interference may occur due to the different uplink transmission positions (i.e., the frequency domain positions of the uplink carrier) of A-IoT terminals with different capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device, which are conducive to improving communication performance.

[0005] In the first aspect, the present application provides a communication method. Taking a terminal device executing the method as an example, the method includes: the terminal device receives first indication information from a first node, and the first indication information is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network, and the first capability is the capability to support backscattering or the capability to support active transmission; further, the terminal device accesses the network based on the first indication information.

[0006] In the method described in the first aspect, terminal devices are differentiated based on their capabilities, and can be divided into terminal devices with the first capability and terminal devices without the first capability. Furthermore, indicating the terminal devices currently allowed to access the network through indication information is helpful in reducing signal interference between terminal devices with different capabilities. For example, this helps avoid interference between uplink signals sent by terminal devices with different capabilities when terminal devices with different capabilities access a network device simultaneously.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the backscatter support capability includes the ability to support backscatter and frequency shift, or the ability to support backscatter and not frequency shift. Based on this implementation, the terminal device can move the carrier signal received in the downlink of the dual spectrum to the uplink transmission, or move the carrier signal received in the downlink of the dual spectrum to the uplink transmission, to avoid violating spectrum regulations.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when the first capability supports both backscatter and frequency shifting, the terminal device receives a carrier signal in the downlink frequency band and transmits an uplink signal in the uplink frequency band using backscatter based on the carrier signal. Based on this implementation, when the receiving device is a base station, the terminal device can shift the carrier signal received in the downlink in the dual spectrum to the uplink for transmission, thereby avoiding violations of spectrum regulations.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0011] In a possible implementation, the frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

[0012] In one possible implementation, when the first capability supports backscattering but not frequency shifting, the terminal device receives a carrier signal in the uplink frequency band and transmits an uplink signal in the uplink frequency band via backscattering based on the carrier signal. Based on this implementation, when the receiving device is a base station, it can only receive reflected signals in the uplink frequency band to comply with spectrum regulations. However, since the terminal device itself does not support frequency shifting, it can only receive carrier signals transmitted in the uplink spectrum in order to transmit a reflected signal in the uplink spectrum.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band is an uplink part of a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency band.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in any of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel, or a system message block. By implementing this possible implementation, the first indication information is sent by broadcast, which helps save signaling overhead.

[0015] In the second aspect, the present application provides a communication method. Taking the first node executing the method as an example, the first node can be a network device in a direct communication scenario between a network device and a terminal device, or it can be a relay node in a scenario where the network device and the terminal device communicate through a relay node. The method includes: the first node determines first indication information, which is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network, and the first capability is the capability to support backscattering or the capability to support active transmission; further, the first node sends the first indication information.

[0016] In the method described in the second aspect, the first node can distinguish terminal devices based on their capabilities, and can classify terminal devices into terminal devices with the first capability and terminal devices without the first capability. Furthermore, indicating the terminal devices currently allowed to access the network through indication information is conducive to reducing signal interference between terminal devices with different capabilities. The beneficial effects achieved by the implementation of the second aspect can be found in the description of the beneficial effects of the implementation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the backscattering support capability includes the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shifting, or the capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting.

[0018] In one possible implementation, when the indication information indicates that a terminal device that supports backscattering and frequency shifting is allowed to access the network, the first node sends the carrier signal in the downlink frequency band and receives an uplink signal in the uplink frequency band, and the uplink signal is sent in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0021] In a possible implementation, the frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel, or a system message block.

[0023] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication method, wherein a first communication device (such as a terminal device or a chip in a terminal device, etc.) is used to execute any method described in the first aspect, and a second communication device (such as a first node or a chip in the first node, etc.) is used to execute any method described in the first aspect.

[0024] For the beneficial effects achieved by the method described in the third aspect, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the first or second aspect above, which will not be repeated here.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, taking a second node executing the method as an example, where the second node is a device for transmitting a carrier signal. The method includes: the second node receiving second indication information from a network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate a frequency domain position of the carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, where the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are in the same operating frequency band; and the second node transmitting the carrier signal at the frequency domain position, where the carrier signal is used for reflection communication.

[0026] In the method described in the fourth aspect, when the terminal receives a carrier signal through other second nodes (i.e., other devices that send carrier signals other than the network devices that operate the terminal devices), the second node can determine the frequency position of the sent carrier signal according to the instructions of the network devices, which is conducive to avoiding signal interference.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the second node receives third indication information from the network device, the third indication information being used to indicate whether to transmit the carrier signal. Furthermore, if the third indication information indicates to transmit the carrier signal, the second node transmits the carrier signal. By implementing this possible implementation, the second node can determine whether to transmit the carrier signal based on the indication from the network device, thereby facilitating the avoidance of signal interference.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0029] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, taking a network device executing the method as an example. The method includes: the network device determining second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate a frequency domain position of a carrier signal, the frequency domain position being in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band being in the same operating frequency band, and the carrier signal being used for reflection communication; and the network device sending the second indication information to a second node.

[0030] In the method described in the fifth aspect, when the terminal receives a carrier signal through a second node (i.e., a device that sends a carrier signal other than a network device that operates the terminal device), the network device can control the frequency position of the carrier signal sent by the second node through indication information, which is conducive to avoiding signal interference.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the network device determines third indication information, which is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal; further, the network device sends the third indication information to the second node. By implementing this possible implementation, the network device can control whether the second node sends the carrier signal through the indication information, which helps avoid signal interference.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0033] In the sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, wherein a third communication device (such as a second node or a chip in the second node, etc.) is used to execute any method described in the fourth aspect, and a fourth communication device (such as a network device, CU or DU, etc.) is used to execute any method described in the fifth aspect.

[0034] For the beneficial effects achieved by the method described in the sixth aspect, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the aforementioned fourth or fifth aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device, a device in a terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a terminal device. The communication device may also be a chip system. The communication device may execute the method described in the first aspect. The functions of the communication device may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. The units or modules may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device may refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above.

[0036] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a first node, a device in the first node, or a device capable of being used in conjunction with the first node. The communication device may also be a chip system. The communication device may execute the method described in the first aspect. The functions of the communication device may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions. The units or modules may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device may refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above.

[0037] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a second node, a device in the second node, or a device capable of being used in conjunction with the second node. The communication device may also be a chip system. The communication device may execute the method described in the first aspect. The functions of the communication device may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. The units or modules may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device may refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the fourth aspect above.

[0038] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a network device, a device in a network device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a network device. The communication device may also be a chip system. The communication device may execute the method described in the first aspect. The functions of the communication device may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. The unit or module may be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device may refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the fifth aspect above.

[0039] In the eleventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

[0040] In the twelfth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a communication device, the method described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect is implemented.

[0041] In a thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when a communication device reads and executes the instructions, enables the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the fourth aspect or the fifth aspect.

[0042] In the fourteenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising a communication device for executing the method described in the first aspect (i.e., the first device mentioned in the present application) and a communication device for executing the method described in the second aspect (i.e., the second device mentioned in the present application); or, comprising a communication device for executing the method described in the fourth aspect (i.e., the third device mentioned in the present application) and a communication device for executing the method described in the fifth aspect (i.e., the fourth device mentioned in the present application). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing a comparison between frequency shifting and non-frequency shifting provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an OOK modulation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of FSK modulation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a link relationship between a terminal device and a network device in an A-IoT scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG6 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a link relationship between another terminal device and a network device in an A-IoT scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG8 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to facilitate a detailed understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of the present application is first introduced below.

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 may be independent and different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes. Terminals and RAN nodes may be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. It should be noted that the RAN node 110 may also be referred to as a network device 110 in the following text.

[0055] The RAN 100 may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The RAN 100 may also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. The RAN 100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0056] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, facilitates wireless access to a communication system by a terminal. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station, an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), a relay node, or a donor node.

[0057] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0058] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and a RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node may be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the RAN node. For ease of description, the following description takes a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0059] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0060] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0061] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0062] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0064] In this application, a base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to a terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection with the cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a wireless connection is called the serving cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the serving cell, it will also be subject to interference from signals in neighboring cells.

[0065] It can be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, PDSCH, PDCCH and PUSCH are merely examples of downlink data channels, downlink control channels and uplink data channels, respectively. In different systems and different scenarios, data channels and control channels may have different names, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0066] In order to facilitate understanding of the relevant contents of the embodiments of the present application, some of the terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained below. This part is only for ease of understanding and cannot be regarded as a disclosure or specific limitation of the technical solution of the present application.

[0067] 1. Working frequency band

[0068] Typically, different frequency ranges predefined by the protocol can be divided into different operating frequency bands, and some or all of the operating frequency bands in different operating frequency bands can correspond to the same parameters, which may include, for example, at least one of the following: radio frequency indicator requirements, subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the synchronization signal block (SSB), duplex mode, applicable scenarios, channel bandwidth, synchronization grid, etc. The radio frequency indicator requirements may include transmit power, etc.; the duplex mode may include at least one of the following: time division duplex (TDD) mode and frequency division duplex (FDD) mode; and the applicable scenario may include at least one of the following: frequency range (FR) 1 scenario and FR2 scenario.

[0069] The frequency band in FDD duplex mode is called an FDD frequency band. The FDD frequency band includes a paired uplink frequency band and a downlink frequency band, and a guard interval is required between the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band.

[0070] 2. A-IoT

[0071] The A-IoT architecture includes terminal devices (hereinafter referred to as A-IoT terminals), readers, and servers.

[0072] A-IoT terminals can be either active or passive. A passive terminal device refers to a node (or device) that is not equipped with or does not rely on a power source such as a battery. The passive terminal device can obtain energy from the environment to support data perception, transmission, and distributed computing; it can also store the obtained energy. The A-IoT terminal can be in the form of a tag or any other terminal form, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0073] The reader uses radio frequency (RF) for contactless, two-way data communication, reading and writing to A-IoT terminals or RF tags, thereby identifying and exchanging data with them. It operates in two ways: when an A-IoT terminal enters the reader's effective recognition range, it receives the RF signal from the reader and, using the energy gained from the induced current, transmits the information stored in the chip (corresponding to passive terminal devices); the other mode actively transmits a signal of a specific frequency (corresponding to active, semi-passive, or semi-active terminals). The reader receives and decodes the information and sends it to the central information system for processing. A reader can be a network device, such as a base station, pole station, micro base station, or macro station; it can also be a terminal device, such as a mobile phone, IoT device, or handheld reader / writer.

[0074] It should be noted that in the following text of this application, network devices are used as examples of readers, which should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application. The terminal devices in this application are all A-IoT terminals.

[0075] 3. Operation of A-IoT terminals

[0076] The server can perform, but is not limited to, the following operations on tags:

[0077] The inventory operation (also known as the inventory operation) is to take inventory of the existing A-IoT terminals, and can also be understood as obtaining the identification information of the A-IoT terminal. Each A-IoT terminal will have its own identification, which can be assigned by the enterprise (that is, written into the A-IoT terminal when the enterprise prints the A-IoT terminal) or assigned by the operator. In one possible implementation, the identification of the A-IoT terminal can be a globally unique code - such as the Electronic Product Code (EPC), or it can be a temporary identification or an identification that is not globally unique. During the inventory process, the server can issue an inventory operation instruction. Typically, the inventory operation instruction will include information such as the identification range of the A-IoT terminal, the reader identification, and the location information. After receiving the inventory operation instruction, the reader will perform an inventory on the A-IoT terminal according to the inventory instruction and send the identification information of the A-IoT terminal to the server. Alternatively, the server sends the inventory operation instruction, and the reader forwards the inventory operation instruction to the A-IoT terminal. The A-IoT terminal learns that it is an inventory operation based on the content of the inventory operation instruction. The A-IoT terminal sends the identification information of the A-IoT terminal to the reader, and the reader sends the identification information of the A-IoT terminal to the server; alternatively, the A-IoT terminal sends the identification information of the A-IoT terminal to the core network through the reader, and the core network sends the identification information of the A-IoT terminal to the server.

[0078] A read operation involves reading data from an A-IoT terminal. An A-IoT terminal can have storage capabilities, and its storage area can store data. If a server wishes to perform a read operation on an A-IoT terminal, it sends a read instruction. The reader or core network then performs a read operation on the A-IoT terminal based on the instruction, reading the data from the A-IoT terminal's storage area and sending it to the server. Based on this definition, a read operation can also include a sensor operation, which involves reading sensor data from an A-IoT terminal.

[0079] A write operation is a process of writing data to an A-IoT terminal. The server can send a write instruction, and the reader or core network performs a write operation on the A-IoT terminal according to the instruction, writing data to the storage area of ​​the A-IoT terminal.

[0080] Positioning is the process of obtaining the location information of an A-IoT terminal. If the server wishes to perform a positioning operation on an A-IoT terminal, it will send a positioning instruction. The reader or core network will then perform a positioning operation on the A-IoT terminal, obtain the location of the A-IoT terminal, and send the data to the server.

[0081] The deactivation operation can disable or deactivate the A-IoT terminal. The server can send a deactivation instruction, which can include the A-IoT terminal identifier (i.e., the identifier of the A-IoT terminal to be deactivated or deactivated). The reader or core network performs the deactivation operation on the A-IoT terminal according to the instruction. After the operation is completed, the A-IoT terminal will be disabled or deactivated and cannot be inventoried or subjected to other operations.

[0082] Obtain A-IoT terminal information (including inventory operations, read operations, positioning operations, etc.). It does not distinguish whether the server is taking inventory of A-IoT terminals or reading A-IoT terminal data. This operation will obtain A-IoT terminal information, which can be the identification information of the A-IoT terminal or information stored in the A-IoT terminal storage area.

[0083] Message interaction with A-IoT terminals: After receiving instructions from the server, the reader exchanges information or messages with the A-IoT terminal and sends information from the A-IoT terminal to the server. This operation is mainly for the reader, which does not view the content of the instructions and is only responsible for forwarding messages from the server to the A-IoT terminal and messages from the A-IoT terminal to the server.

[0084] 4. Uplink transmission of A-IoT terminals

[0085] The uplink transmission process of an A-IoT terminal that supports active transmission includes three parts: signal generation, signal transmission, and signal reception. This signal generation process can be further divided into two steps: baseband signal generation and frequency band signal generation. The baseband signal refers to the original signal that has not undergone spectrum shifting or transformation. Its characteristics are low frequency, the signal spectrum starts near zero frequency, and it has a low-pass characteristic. The frequency band signal, also known as the bandpass signal, refers to the signal obtained by multiplying the baseband signal and the carrier wave (CW) signal. Its characteristics are higher frequency than the baseband signal, which has stronger anti-interference ability and is more suitable for transmission in the channel.

[0086] A-IoT terminals that support backscatter perform uplink transmission by backscattering on an externally provided carrier. In one possible approach, these A-IoT terminals that support backscatter can be divided into A-IoT terminals that support frequency shifting and A-IoT terminals that do not support frequency shifting.

[0087] It should be noted that the frequency shift capability refers to the carrier signal at the f1 frequency point received by the A-IoT terminal, but backscattered at the f2 frequency point. It can be understood that the terminal shifts the carrier signal by a certain frequency Δf (the difference between f2 and f1). For example, as shown in Figure 2, there is a schematic diagram comparing frequency shift and non-frequency shift. In 2a of Figure 2, the terminal device does not perform frequency shift, that is, the terminal device receives the carrier signal at the f1 frequency point and also reflects the uplink signal at the f1 frequency point; in 2b of Figure 2, the terminal device performs intra-band frequency shift, that is, the terminal device receives the carrier signal at the f1 frequency point in the uplink frequency band and also reflects the uplink signal at the f2 frequency point in the uplink frequency band; in 2c of Figure 2, the terminal device performs frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift, that is, the terminal device receives the carrier signal at the f1 frequency point in the downlink frequency band and reflects the uplink signal at the f2 frequency point in the uplink frequency band.

[0088] 5. Modulation method of carrier signal

[0089] It should be noted that the modulation methods mentioned in this application include but are not limited to on-off keying (OOK) modulation and frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation.

[0090] 5.1OOK modulation

[0091] When using OOK modulation, A-IoT terminals can use envelope detection to receive carrier signals. When using OOK modulation, each (encoded) bit corresponds to a symbol, also known as a chip. After receiving the signal within a symbol, the value of the bit corresponding to that symbol can be determined based on whether a signal is transmitted within that symbol.

[0092] In one example, when a signal is sent within a certain symbol length (that is, the signal power within the symbol length is not 0, or the signal within the symbol length is an ON signal), the bit corresponding to the symbol is "1". When no signal is sent within a certain symbol length (that is, the signal power within the symbol length is 0, or the signal within the symbol length is an OFF signal), the bit corresponding to the symbol is "0". For example, when the received signal waveform is shown in Figure 3, the waveform represents four bits "1010". In another example, the bit corresponding to the symbol in which a signal is sent within the symbol length (that is, the signal power within the symbol length is not 0) can also be determined as "0", and the bit corresponding to the symbol in which no signal is sent within the symbol length (that is, the signal power within the symbol length is 0) can be determined as "1". This application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0093] In one possible implementation, after an A-IoT terminal receives an OOK-modulated carrier signal, it can demodulate the carrier signal based on a threshold. If the signal power (or signal amplitude) received by the A-IoT terminal is higher than the threshold within a symbol length, the value of the bit received by the A-IoT terminal is considered to be 1; if the signal power (or signal amplitude) received by the A-IoT terminal is lower than the threshold, the value of the bit received by the A-IoT terminal is considered to be 0.

[0094] In another possible implementation, the carrier signal can be an OOK modulated signal based on Manchester encoding, that is, when the transmitter sends a signal, it uses two OOK symbols to send 1 bit of original information. For example, Manchester encoding will encode the original information bit "0" as "10" and the original information bit "1" as "01", so that the original information bit "0" corresponds to an ON signal followed by an OFF signal, and the original information bit "1" corresponds to an OFF signal followed by an ON signal. Furthermore, after the A-IoT terminal receives the OOK modulated carrier signal after Manchester encoding, it can compare the relative size of the signal power (or signal amplitude) in the two adjacent symbols; if the signal power (or signal amplitude) in the previous symbol is greater than the signal power (or signal amplitude) in the next symbol, the received bit is considered to be "0", otherwise the received bit is considered to be "1".

[0095] 5.2FSK modulation

[0096] When the carrier signal uses FSK modulation, different information can use different frequency resources. For example, 2FSK uses 2 frequency resources (i.e., frequency resource f0 and frequency resource f1) to carry 1 bit of information; when the value of the bit of the original information is 0, the information can be sent on frequency resource f0 and not sent on frequency resource f1; when the value of the bit of the original information is 1, the information can be sent on frequency resource f1 and not sent on frequency resource f0. Assuming f0 < f1, the FSK signal waveform of the information 0101 is shown in Figure 4. The frequency of the signal is lower within the first symbol and the third symbol, and the frequency of the signal is higher within the second symbol and the fourth symbol.

[0097] In a possible implementation, FSK can also support higher modulation orders to carry more information. For example, 4FSK can use 4 candidate frequency domain resources (i.e., frequency resources f0 to f3) to carry 2 bits of information; when the original information bits are 00, the information can be sent on frequency resource f0 and not sent on frequency resources f1, f2, and f3; when the original information bits are 01, the information can be sent on frequency resource f1 and not sent on frequency resources f0, f2, and f3; when the original information bits are 10, the information can be sent on frequency resource f2 and not sent on frequency resources f0, f1, and f3; when the original information bits are 11, the information can be sent on frequency resource f3 and not sent on frequency resources f0, f1, and f2. Thus, the receiving end can compare the power levels on multiple frequency resources to determine the transmitted information.

[0098] The above "frequency resource" can also be equivalently referred to as "frequency position".

[0099] 6. Link relationship between terminal devices and network devices in the A-IoT scenario

[0100] 6.1 Direct connection topology

[0101] As shown in 5a of Figure 5, data transmission is carried out directly between the network device and the terminal device. That is to say, downlink data is directly sent from the network device to the terminal device, and uplink data is directly sent (including active transmission or backscattering) from the terminal device to the network device.

[0102] 6.2 Topology structure linked through intermediate nodes

[0103] As shown in Figure 5(b), data is transmitted between the network device and the terminal device via an intermediate node link. That is, under the control of the network device, downlink data is sent from the intermediate node to the terminal device, and uplink data is reflected from the terminal device to the intermediate node. The intermediate node can be a network device, a terminal device, a relay device, or other communication device with a signal transmission and reception module, and this application does not specifically limit this.

[0104] Terminal devices with different capabilities may exist in the same cell, and the uplink transmission positions (ie, frequency domain positions of uplink carriers) of terminal devices with different capabilities are different, which may cause signal interference.

[0105] In order to help reduce signal interference, the present application provides a communication method and a communication device. The communication method and the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Please refer to Figure 6, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the communication method includes the following steps S601 to S603, and the method execution subject shown in Figure 6 is illustrated by taking the terminal and the first node as an example. It can be understood that the method execution subject shown in Figure 6 can also be a module in the terminal (for example, a chip) and a module in the first node (for example, a chip). It should be noted that the first node mentioned in this application can be a network device in the topology structure shown in 5a in Figure 5, or it can be an intermediate node in the topology structure shown in 5b in Figure 5. Wherein:

[0106] S601. A first node determines first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access a network, where the first capability is a capability to support backscattering or a capability to support active transmission.

[0107] The same cell includes multiple (denoted as M, where M is a positive integer) terminal devices, and the M terminal devices may have different capabilities. In this case, the first node can classify the M terminal devices according to their capabilities and indicate the terminal devices currently allowed to access the network through first indication information, thereby allowing terminal devices with different capabilities to access the network in a time-sharing manner.

[0108] The first indication information is explained below in conjunction with the situation of the M terminal devices.

[0109] In case 1, the M terminal devices can be divided into two categories of terminal devices. The first category is terminal devices with the ability of active transmission, and the second category is terminal devices with the ability of backscattering.

[0110] It can be understood that the M terminal devices in Case 1 include M1 terminal devices with the capability of active transmission and M2 terminal devices with the capability of backscattering, M1 and M2 are both positive integers, and the sum of M1 and M2 is M. In this case, ①, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal devices with the capability of supporting backscattering are allowed to access the network (i.e., the M2 terminal devices are allowed to access the network), and it can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal devices with the capability of supporting active transmission are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M1 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network); ②, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal devices with the capability of supporting backscattering are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M2 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network), and it can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal devices with the capability of supporting active transmission are allowed to access the network (i.e., the M1 terminal devices are allowed to access the network).

[0111] Case 2: The M terminal devices can be divided into three categories. The first category is terminal devices with the ability to actively transmit, the second category is terminal devices that support backscattering and frequency shifting, and the third category is terminal devices that support backscattering but not frequency shifting.

[0112] It can be understood that, based on the situation in the first case, the terminal devices that support backscattering include terminal devices that support backscattering and frequency shifting, and terminal devices that support backscattering and do not support frequency shifting. That is, the M terminal devices in the second case include M1 terminal devices with active transmission capability, M 21 A terminal device that supports backscatter and frequency shift and M 22 A terminal device that supports backscattering but does not support frequency shifting, M 21 and M 22 are all positive integers, M 21 and M 22 The sum is M2.

[0113] In this case, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device with the first capability is allowed to access the network, and it can also be understood as prohibiting the terminal device without the first capability from accessing the network. That is to say, ①, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device with the capability of supporting active transmission is allowed to access the network (that is, the M1 terminal devices are allowed to access the network), and it can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device with the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shift is prohibited from accessing the network (that is, the M 21 Terminal devices that support backscattering but not frequency shifting are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M 22②, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device capable of supporting backscatter and frequency shift is allowed to access the network (ie, the M 21 Terminal devices that support active transmission are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M1 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network), and terminal devices that support backscattering but not frequency shift are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M 22 ③, the first indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device capable of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shift is allowed to access the network (ie, the M 22 Terminal devices that support active transmission are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M1 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network), and terminal devices that support backscattering and frequency shift are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M 21 terminal devices access the network).

[0114] Case three: the M terminal devices can be divided into two categories of terminal devices. The first category is terminal devices that support backscattering and frequency shifting capabilities, and the second category is terminal devices that support backscattering but not frequency shifting capabilities.

[0115] It can be understood that the M terminal devices are all terminal devices with backscattering capabilities, and among the M terminal devices, M3 terminal devices have the capability to support frequency shifting and M4 terminal devices do not support frequency shifting. M3 and M4 are both positive integers, and the sum of M3 and M4 is M. In this case, ①, the first indication information is used to indicate that terminal devices with the capability to support backscattering and frequency shifting are allowed to access the network (i.e., the M3 terminal devices are allowed to access the network), and it can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that terminal devices with the capability to support backscattering and not support frequency shifting are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M4 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network); ②, the first indication information is used to indicate that terminal devices with the capability to support backscattering and frequency shifting are prohibited from accessing the network (i.e., the M3 terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network), and it can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that terminal devices with the capability to support backscattering and not support frequency shifting are allowed to access the network (i.e., the M4 terminal devices are allowed to access the network).

[0116] It should be noted that the terminal device that supports reflection capability and frequency shifting capability mentioned in this application may also be referred to as a terminal device that supports frequency shifting capability; the terminal device that supports reflection capability and does not support frequency shifting capability mentioned in this application may also be referred to as a terminal device that does not support frequency shifting capability.

[0117] S602: The first node sends first indication information.

[0118] After determining the first indication information, the first node sends the first indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the first node.

[0119] It should be noted that this application does not limit the manner in which the first node sends the first indication information. That is, the first node may send the first indication information to the M terminal devices by broadcasting, by multicasting, or by unicasting the first indication information to the M terminal devices.

[0120] In a possible implementation, the first indication information may be carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel, or a system message block.

[0121] S603: The terminal device accesses the network based on the first indication information.

[0122] That is to say, the terminal device receiving the first indication information can access the network or not access the network based on the first indication information. For the sake of ease of understanding and distinction, the terminal device in the cell that accesses the network based on the first indication information is recorded as the first terminal device, and the terminal device in the cell that is determined not to access the network based on the first indication information is recorded as the second terminal device. The method for determining the first terminal device and the second terminal device can refer to the description of any of Cases 1 to 3 in S601. In the same situation, the first terminal device is a terminal device that is allowed to access the network as indicated by the first indication information, and the second terminal device is a terminal device that is prohibited from accessing the network as indicated by the first indication information (or understood to be determined based on the first indication information).

[0123] It should be noted that the process of a terminal device accessing a network mentioned in this application includes processes such as the terminal device receiving downlink signaling and the terminal device sending an uplink signal in response to the downlink signaling. For example, the terminal device receives inventory trigger signaling (such as a query) from the network, and the terminal device sends a random number (RN) response in response to the inventory trigger signaling; the terminal device receives acknowledgment (ACK) signaling from the network device, and the terminal device sends an identification reporting signaling (such as EPC) in response to the acknowledgment signaling.

[0124] It should also be noted that, during the process of a terminal device accessing the network, if the terminal device receives a select (SELECT) signaling via a broadcast message, and the select signaling includes indication information for indicating not to participate in the inventory, then the terminal device does not subsequently need to receive downlink signaling such as inventory trigger signaling and confirmation signaling from the network device, nor does it need to send uplink signaling such as the random number response and identity reporting signaling. In one possible implementation, the terminal device may also receive a downlink signaling via multicast or unicast, and the downlink signaling includes indication information for indicating not to participate in the inventory, and the terminal device does not send an uplink signal in response to the downlink signaling. It is understandable that the non-participation in the inventory mentioned in this application can also be understood as not accessing the network, or the terminal device not participating in random access.

[0125] It should also be noted that if the second terminal device does not access the network according to the first indication information, the second terminal device does not send an uplink signal. The following describes the manner in which the first terminal device sends an uplink signal in conjunction with the terminal devices with different capabilities mentioned in S601.

[0126] Capability #1: The first terminal device is a terminal device that supports active transmission.

[0127] Method 1.1: The first terminal device can actively generate a carrier signal and send an uplink signal in the uplink frequency band.

[0128] For example, a first node network device (i.e., the first node is the network device shown in 5a in FIG5 ; or the first node is the intermediate node shown in 5b in FIG5 , where the intermediate node is a network device). The first terminal device actively generates a carrier signal and transmits an uplink signal in an uplink frequency band. Correspondingly, the first node receives an uplink signal from the first terminal device in the uplink frequency band.

[0129] Method 1.2: The first terminal device can actively generate a carrier signal and send an uplink signal in the downlink frequency band.

[0130] For example, the first node is the intermediate node shown in 5b in Figure 5, which is a terminal device. The first terminal device can actively generate a carrier signal and send an uplink signal in the downlink frequency band. Correspondingly, the first node receives the uplink signal from the first terminal device in the downlink frequency band.

[0131] It should be noted that the uplink signal mentioned in this application can be a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a passive IoT physical uplink shared channel (PIPUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a passive IoT physical uplink control channel (PIPUCCH), and this application does not limit this. It should also be noted that when the first terminal device mentioned in this application sends an uplink signal in the uplink frequency band, the first node is a network device (for example, the first node is the network device shown in 5a in Figure 5, or the first node is the intermediate node shown in 5b in Figure 5, and the intermediate node is a network device). When the first terminal device mentioned in this application sends an uplink signal in the downlink frequency band, the first node is a terminal device (for example, the first node is the intermediate node shown in 5b in Figure 5, and the intermediate node is a terminal device). The full text is as follows.

[0132] Capability #2: The first terminal device is a terminal device that supports frequency shift capability.

[0133] Mode 2.1: The first terminal device can receive a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band, and send an uplink signal in an uplink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

[0134] For example, the first node is a network device that transmits a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band. After a first terminal device receives the carrier signal, the first node transmits an uplink signal in an uplink frequency band using backscattering based on the carrier signal. Accordingly, the first node receives the uplink signal from the first terminal device in the uplink frequency band.

[0135] Mode 2.2: The first terminal device may receive a carrier signal in an uplink frequency band, and transmit an uplink signal in a downlink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

[0136] For example, the first node is a terminal device, and a node for sending a carrier signal is introduced (denoted as the second node). The topology structure can be shown as 7b in Figure 7, where the second node is used to send a carrier signal on the uplink frequency band. After the first terminal device receives the carrier signal, the uplink signal is sent in a backscattered manner on the downlink frequency band based on the carrier signal. Correspondingly, the first node receives the uplink signal from the first terminal device on the downlink frequency band. It should be noted that the second node mentioned in this application is a node for sending a carrier signal, and this application does not specifically limit the name of the second node. For example, the second node can also be called a carrier wave (CW) node.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band in the method 2.1 or the method 2.2 are located in the same operating frequency band. Optionally, the duplex mode of the operating frequency band is FDD. Optionally, the frequency shift capability is FDD frequency shift capability.

[0138] Capability #3: The first terminal device is a terminal device that does not support frequency shift capability.

[0139] Mode 3.1: The first terminal device may receive a carrier signal in an uplink frequency band, and send an uplink signal in an uplink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

[0140] For example, the first node is a network device (for example, the first node is the network device shown in 7a in Figure 7, or the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b in Figure 7, and the intermediate node is a network device), and a node for sending a carrier signal (i.e., a second node) is introduced. The second node is used to send a carrier signal on an uplink frequency band, and after the first terminal device receives the carrier signal, the uplink signal is sent in a backscattered manner on the uplink frequency band based on the carrier signal. Accordingly, the first node receives the uplink signal from the first terminal device on the uplink frequency band.

[0141] In a possible implementation manner, the uplink frequency band in the method 3.1 is the uplink portion of the FDD frequency band (ie, the working frequency band in which the duplex mode is FDD).

[0142] Mode 3.2: The first terminal device may receive a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band, and send an uplink signal in a backscattering manner in the downlink frequency band based on the carrier signal.

[0143] For example, the first node is a terminal device (for example, the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b of Figure 7, which is a terminal device), and a node for sending a carrier signal (i.e., a second node) is introduced. The second node is used to send a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band. After the first terminal device receives the carrier signal, the second node sends an uplink signal in a backscattered manner in the downlink frequency band based on the carrier signal. Accordingly, the first node receives the uplink signal from the first terminal device in the downlink frequency band.

[0144] In a possible implementation manner, the downlink frequency band in the method 3.2 is the downlink part of the FDD frequency band.

[0145] In summary, when different terminal devices in the same cell have different capabilities, the terminal devices can be differentiated according to their capabilities. Furthermore, by indicating the terminal devices currently allowed to access the network (the remaining terminal devices are prohibited from accessing the network) through indication information, or by indicating the terminal devices currently prohibited from accessing the network (the remaining terminal devices are allowed to access the network) through indication information, it is helpful to reduce signal interference between terminal devices with different capabilities. For example, it is helpful to avoid interference between uplink signals sent by terminal devices with different capabilities when they access the network device at the same time.

[0146] In combination with the method described in Figure 5, when a second node is introduced to send a carrier signal (corresponding to the topology shown in Figure 7), how to reduce the co-channel interference caused by the carrier signal sent by the second node to the uplink reflected signal received by the first node is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0147] In order to avoid interference, the present application also provides a communication method and a communication device. The communication method and the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Please refer to Figure 8, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication method includes the following steps S801 to S803, and the method execution subject shown in Figure 8 is illustrated by taking the terminal and the network device as examples. It can be understood that the method execution subject shown in Figure 8 can also be a module in the terminal (for example, a chip) and a module in the network device (for example, a chip, CU or DU, etc.). It should be noted that the network device mentioned in this application can be a network device in the topology structure shown in 7a in Figure 7, or it can be a network device in the topology structure shown in 7b in Figure 7. Wherein:

[0148] S801. The network device determines second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate a frequency domain position of a carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is located in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, where the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same working frequency band, and where the carrier signal is used for reflection communication.

[0149] It can be understood that, when a second node is introduced, the network device determines the frequency domain position of the carrier signal sent by the second node and generates a second indication information. It should be noted that the frequency domain position of the carrier signal is associated with one or more of the frequency band used by the uplink signal formed by the reflected communication (i.e., the uplink signal obtained based on the carrier signal), the receiving object corresponding to the uplink signal, or the capabilities of the terminal device currently allowed to access the network (i.e., the capabilities of the first terminal device in the method shown in Figure 6). In one possible embodiment, the duplex mode of the operating frequency band is FDD.

[0150] For example, in the case where the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability to support frequency shifting (i.e., the first terminal device in S603 is a terminal device with the capability to support frequency shifting), if the first node is a network device (i.e., the first node is the network device shown in 7a in Figure 7, or the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b in Figure 7, and the intermediate node is a network device), then the frequency band corresponding to the uplink signal is the uplink frequency band, that is, the frequency band corresponding to the carrier signal is the downlink frequency band. In other words, the second indication information is used to indicate that the frequency domain position of the carrier signal is the downlink frequency band.

[0151] For another example, in the case where the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability to support frequency shifting (i.e., the first terminal device in S603 is a terminal device capable of supporting frequency shifting), if the first node is a terminal device (i.e., the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b in Figure 7, and the intermediate node is a terminal device), then the frequency band corresponding to the uplink signal is the downlink frequency band, that is, the frequency band corresponding to the carrier signal is the uplink frequency band. In other words, the second indication information is used to indicate that the frequency domain position of the carrier signal is the uplink frequency band.

[0152] For another example, in the case where the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability of not supporting frequency shifting (i.e., the first terminal device in S603 is a terminal device that does not support frequency shifting), if the first node is a network device (i.e., the first node is the network device shown in 7a in Figure 7, or the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b in Figure 7, and the intermediate node is a network device), then the frequency band corresponding to the uplink signal is the uplink frequency band, that is, the frequency band corresponding to the carrier signal is the uplink frequency band. In other words, the second indication information is used to indicate that the frequency domain position of the carrier signal is the uplink frequency band.

[0153] For another example, in the case where the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability of not supporting frequency shifting (i.e., the first terminal device in S603 is a terminal device that does not support frequency shifting), if the first node is a terminal device (i.e., the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b in Figure 7, and the intermediate node is a terminal device), then the frequency band corresponding to the uplink signal is the downlink frequency band, that is, the frequency band corresponding to the carrier signal is the downlink frequency band. In other words, the second indication information is used to indicate that the frequency domain position of the carrier signal is the downlink frequency band.

[0154] In one possible implementation, before determining the second indication information, the network device may further determine third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal. This can be understood as follows: when the network device determines that the second node sends a carrier signal (i.e., when the third indication information indicates to send a carrier signal), the network device determines the frequency domain location at which the second node sends the carrier signal.

[0155] For example, when the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability of supporting backscatter, the capability of supporting backscatter and supporting frequency shift, or the capability of supporting backscatter and not supporting frequency shift, the third indication information is used to instruct the second node to send a carrier signal. Further, the network device determines second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the frequency domain position at which the second node sends the carrier signal.

[0156] For another example, in the case where the first capability in the aforementioned S601 is the capability of supporting active transmission, the third indication information is used to instruct the second node not to send a carrier signal.

[0157] S802: The network device sends second indication information to the second node.

[0158] After determining the second indication information, the network device sends the second indication information to the second node. Correspondingly, the second node receives the second indication information from the network device.

[0159] In S801, when the network device determines the third indication information, the network device sends the third indication information to the second node. It should be noted that the network device may send the third indication information first and then the second indication information; the network device may also send the third indication information and the second indication information simultaneously, which is not limited in this application. It is understood that the second indication information and the third indication information may be carried in the same message or in different messages, which is not limited in this application.

[0160] It should also be noted that this application does not limit the number of second nodes serving the terminal equipment in the same cell, that is, the second node can be one or more. This application also does not limit the manner in which the network device sends the second indication information or the third indication information; that is, the network device can send the second indication information or the third indication information to the second node by broadcasting, by multicasting, or by unicasting.

[0161] It is understandable that when the first node is the network device shown in 7a of Figure 7, the second indication information and the third indication information can be carried in the same message (e.g., a broadcast message) as the first indication information shown in Figure 6, or the second indication information and the third indication information can be carried in different messages from the first indication information in Figure 6, and this application does not limit this. When the first node is the intermediate node shown in 7b of Figure 7 (e.g., the intermediate node is a terminal device), the network device can instruct the first node to send one or more of the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information.

[0162] S803: The second node sends a carrier signal at the frequency domain position.

[0163] After receiving the second indication information, the second node sends a carrier signal at the frequency domain position indicated by the second indication information.

[0164] In one possible implementation, the second node receives the third indication information, and when the third indication information indicates not to send a carrier signal, the second node does not send a carrier signal; when the third indication information indicates to send a carrier signal, the second node sends a carrier signal based on the frequency domain position indicated by the second indication information.

[0165] In summary, when the terminal receives a carrier signal through a second node (i.e., a device that sends carrier signals other than a network device that operates the terminal device), the second node can determine the frequency position of the sent carrier signal according to the instructions of the network device, which is conducive to avoiding signal interference.

[0166] It is understandable that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or the first node includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software transceiver components driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0167] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided by the embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device, the first node or the second node in the above-mentioned method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above-mentioned method embodiment. In the embodiment of the present application, when the communication device is used to implement the function of the terminal device, the terminal device can be the terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, the terminal device shown in Figure 5 or Figure 7, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal device; when the communication device is used to implement the function of the first node, the first node can be the network device 110 shown in Figure 1, the network device or intermediate node shown in Figure 5, or the network device or intermediate node shown in Figure 7, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the first node; when the communication device is used to implement the function of the second node, the second node can be the network device 110 or terminal 120 shown in Figure 1, or the CW node shown in Figure 5, or the CW node shown in Figure 7, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the second node.

[0168] As shown in FIG9 , a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG6 above.

[0169] The transceiver unit 920 is used to receive first indication information from the first node, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network, where the first capability is the capability to support backscattering or the capability to support active transmission; the processing unit 910 is used to access the network based on the first indication information.

[0170] In a possible implementation, the capability of supporting backscattering includes the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shifting, or the capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the first capability is the capability to support backscattering and frequency shifting; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to receive a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band; the processing unit 910 is also used to send an uplink signal in an uplink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

[0172] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band.

[0173] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0174] In a possible implementation, the frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

[0175] In one possible implementation, the first capability is the capability to support backscattering but not frequency shifting; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to receive a carrier signal in an uplink frequency band; the processing unit 910 is also used to send an uplink signal in a backscattering manner in the uplink frequency band based on the carrier signal.

[0176] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band is the uplink portion of a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency band.

[0177] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel, or a system message block.

[0178] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 920 and the processing unit 910 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG6 .

[0179] As shown in FIG9 , a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the first node in the method embodiment shown in FIG6 .

[0180] The processing unit 910 is used to determine the first indication information, which is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network. The first capability is the capability to support backscattering or the capability to support active transmission; the transceiver unit 920 is used to send the first indication information.

[0181] In a possible implementation, the capability of supporting backscattering includes the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shifting, or the capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the indication information indicates that terminal devices that support backscatter and frequency shift are allowed to access the network, and the transceiver unit 920 is also used to send the carrier signal in the downlink frequency band; receive the uplink signal in the uplink frequency band, and the uplink signal is sent in a backscattered manner based on the carrier signal.

[0183] In a possible implementation, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band.

[0184] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0185] In a possible implementation, the frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

[0186] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel, or a system message block.

[0187] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 920 and the processing unit 910 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the first node in the method embodiment shown in FIG6 .

[0188] As shown in FIG9 , a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the second node in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 .

[0189] The transceiver unit 920 is used to receive second indication information from the network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the frequency domain position of the carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is located in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, and the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same working frequency band; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to send the carrier signal at the frequency domain position, where the carrier signal is used for reflection communication.

[0190] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is further used to receive third indication information from the network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal; the transceiver unit 920 is further used to send the carrier signal when the third indication information indicates to send the carrier signal.

[0191] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0192] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 920 and the processing unit 910 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the second node in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 .

[0193] As shown in FIG9 , a communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 and a transceiver unit 920. The communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 .

[0194] The processing unit 910 is used to determine the second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the frequency domain position of the carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is located in the uplink frequency band or the downlink frequency band, the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same working frequency band, and the carrier signal is used for reflection communication; the transceiver unit 920 is used to send the second indication information to the second node.

[0195] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 910 is further configured to determine third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal; and the transceiver unit 920 is further configured to send the third indication information to the second node.

[0196] In a possible implementation, the duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

[0197] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 920 and the processing unit 910 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG8 .

[0198] As shown in Figure 10, communication device 1000 includes a processor 1010 and an interface circuit 1020. Processor 1010 and interface circuit 1020 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that interface circuit 1020 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1030 for storing instructions executed by processor 1010, input data required by processor 1010 to execute instructions, or data generated by processor 1010 after executing instructions.

[0199] When the communication device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 8 , the processor 1010 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 910 , and the interface circuit 1020 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 920 .

[0200] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal device, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the terminal device chip receives information from the base station, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal device chip by these modules. When the terminal device chip sends information to the base station, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0201] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a first node, the terminal chip implements the functions of the first node in the aforementioned method embodiment. When the first node chip receives information from a terminal device, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the first node (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the first node chip by these modules. When the first node chip sends information to a terminal device, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the first node (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the terminal device by these modules.

[0202] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a second node, the terminal chip implements the functions of the second node in the aforementioned method embodiment. When the second node chip receives information from a network device, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the second node (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the second node chip by these modules. When the second node chip sends information to a terminal device, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the second node (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the terminal device by these modules.

[0203] When the communication device is a chip used in a network device, the network device chip implements the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. When the network device chip receives information from a terminal, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the network device chip by these modules. When the network device chip sends information to a terminal, it can be understood that the information is sent to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0204] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0205] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0206] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0207] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments of the present application are performed. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media, such as floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic tapes; optical media, such as digital video disks; or semiconductor media, such as solid-state drives. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0208] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0209] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0210] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receiving first indication information from a first node, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network, where the first capability is a capability of supporting backscatter or a capability of supporting active transmission; Access the network based on the first indication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The capability of supporting backscattering includes the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shifting, or the capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first capability is a capability of supporting backscatter and frequency shift; and the accessing the network based on the first indication information includes: receiving a carrier signal in a downlink frequency band; An uplink signal is sent in an uplink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same working frequency band.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first capability is a capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting; and the accessing the network based on the first indication information includes: receiving a carrier signal in an uplink frequency band; An uplink signal is sent in the uplink frequency band in a backscattering manner based on the carrier signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The uplink frequency band is the uplink part of the frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency band.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel or a system message block.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a terminal device with a first capability is allowed to access the network, where the first capability is a capability to support backscatter or a capability to support active transmission; Send the first indication information.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The capability of supporting backscattering includes the capability of supporting backscattering and supporting frequency shifting, or the capability of supporting backscattering and not supporting frequency shifting.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The indication information indicates that a terminal device that supports backscattering and frequency shift is allowed to access the network, including: Sending the carrier signal in a downlink frequency band; An uplink signal is received in an uplink frequency band, where the uplink signal is sent in a backscattering manner based on a carrier signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same working frequency band.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that: The frequency shift capability is a frequency division duplex (FDD) frequency shift capability.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that: The first indication information is carried in any one of the following messages: a broadcast message, a selection message, a query message, a paging message, a broadcast channel or a system message block.

17. A communication method, characterized in that: The first device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the second device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

18. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving second indication information from a network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate a frequency domain position of a carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is located in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, and the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band; The carrier signal is sent at the frequency domain position, and the carrier signal is used for reflection communication.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving third indication information from a network device, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal; The sending the carrier signal at the frequency domain position includes: In a case where the third indication information indicates to send the carrier signal, the carrier signal is sent.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that The duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

21. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determining second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate a frequency domain position of a carrier signal, where the frequency domain position is located in an uplink frequency band or a downlink frequency band, where the uplink frequency band and the downlink frequency band are located in the same operating frequency band, and where the carrier signal is used for reflection communication; Send second indication information to the second node.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate whether to send the carrier signal; Send the third indication information to the second node.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The duplex mode of the working frequency band is frequency division duplex (FDD).

24. A communication method, characterized in that: The third device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, and the fourth device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or comprising a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, or comprising a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, or comprising a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23 through a logic circuit or execution code instructions.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by the communication device, the communication device implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 16, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 18 to 20, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 21 to 23.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, or the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, or the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, or the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

29. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a first device and a second device, the first device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the second device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

30. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a third device and a fourth device, the third device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, and the fourth device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 21 to 23.

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