Operation method and device for energy harvesting of ambient IoT terminal

By managing battery status and requesting energy harvesting through carrier waves, the solution addresses the challenge of energy depletion in ambient IoT terminals, ensuring continuous communication.

WO2025178464A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-08-28KT CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/KR2025/099466
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2025-02-14
Filing Date
2025-02-19
Publication Date
2025-08-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies do not effectively manage energy harvesting for ambient IoT terminals, leading to potential disruptions in communication due to battery depletion, as the network lacks the necessary procedures to manage and optimize energy harvesting operations for these devices.

Method used

The proposed solution involves an ambient IoT terminal that receives energy harvesting-related configuration information and transmits battery status information when the battery level falls below a threshold, allowing the network to manage energy harvesting operations by requesting a carrier wave for the terminal to perform energy harvesting, switching to an ultra-low power mode, and reporting charging status.

Benefits of technology

This approach ensures uninterrupted communication by managing battery levels and optimizing energy harvesting, thereby maintaining stable operation of ambient IoT devices.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided are an operation method and a device for energy harvesting of an ambient Internet of Things (IoT) terminal. The terminal receives energy harvesting-related configuration information, and transmits battery state information on the basis of the received energy harvesting-related configuration information. In addition, the terminal performs energy harvesting when a battery state is lower than a threshold value.
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Description

Operating method and device for energy harvesting of ambient IoT terminals

[0001] This specification relates to wireless communications applicable to 5G NR, 5G-Advanced and 6G.

[0002] As more and more communication devices demand ever-increasing communication traffic, the need for next-generation 5G systems, which offer enhanced wireless broadband communication capabilities over existing LTE systems, is growing. This next-generation 5G system, known as NewRAT, differentiates communication scenarios into Enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra-reliability and low-latency communication (URLLC), and Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC).

[0003] Here, eMBB is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as High Spectrum Efficiency, High User Experienced Data Rate, and High Peak Data Rate; URLLC is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as Ultra Reliable, Ultra Low Latency, and Ultra High Availability (e.g., V2X, Emergency Service, and Remote Control); and mMTC is a next-generation mobile communication scenario with characteristics such as Low Cost, Low Energy, Short Packet, and Massive Connectivity (e.g., IoT).

[0004] An object of the present specification is to provide a method and device for supporting stable communication through battery capacity management of an ambient IoT terminal, by having the terminal request the need for energy harvesting to a network / base station (or leader) or the network / base station (or leader) to the terminal when the battery status information (e.g., battery level / remaining level information) of the terminal supporting ambient IoT in a wireless communication system is lower than a threshold value.

[0005] One embodiment of the present specification provides a wireless communication system in which an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal receives energy harvesting-related configuration information and transmits battery status information based on the received energy harvesting-related configuration information. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for the ambient IoT terminal to perform energy harvesting when the battery status falls below a threshold.

[0006] In addition, one embodiment of the present specification provides a wireless communication system, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions and being operably electrically connected to the at least one processor, wherein the operations performed based on the instructions being executed by the at least one processor include: receiving energy harvesting-related configuration information, and transmitting battery status information based on the received energy harvesting-related configuration information. In addition, an ambient IoT terminal is provided that performs energy harvesting when the battery status is lower than a threshold value.

[0007] The above energy harvesting related setting information may include at least one of i) battery level table information, ii) threshold information for determining whether to perform the energy harvesting, iii) period information for transmitting the battery status information, and iv) timer information for transmitting the battery status information.

[0008] Meanwhile, the ambient IoT terminal may receive a carrier wave request when its battery status falls below a threshold. Here, energy harvesting may be performed based on the carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

[0009] Alternatively, an ambient IoT terminal may transmit a carrier wave request when its battery status falls below a threshold. Energy harvesting may be performed based on the carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

[0010] Additionally, the ambient IoT terminal may receive a battery status request requesting battery status information. Here, the battery status information may be transmitted in response to the battery status request.

[0011] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal may stop performing the energy harvesting.

[0012] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal may perform a fallback to a state prior to performing the energy harvesting and transmit information indicating the fallback.

[0013] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal can transmit information indicating that the battery status is fully charged.

[0014] According to the disclosure of this specification, battery status information (e.g., battery level information) of an ambient IoT terminal that supports energy harvesting operating at low power in a wireless communication system is transmitted to a network (or a leader), so that the network (or leader) can instruct / manage efficient operations for energy harvesting based on the acquired battery status information, thereby providing uninterrupted communication.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a wireless communication system.

[0016] Figure 2 illustrates the structure of a radio frame used in NR.

[0017] Figures 3a to 3c are exemplary diagrams showing exemplary architectures for wireless communication services.

[0018] Figure 4 illustrates the slot structure of an NR frame.

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates an example of subframe types in NR.

[0020] Figure 6 illustrates the structure of a self-contained slot.

[0021] Figures 7a to 7e illustrate examples of connectivity topologies for ambient IoT networks and devices.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method between a network / base station (or leader) and a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0023] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0024] Figure 10 illustrates a device according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0025] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0026] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of a processor in which the disclosure of this specification is implemented.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing in detail the transmitter / receiver of the first device illustrated in FIG. 10 or the transmitter / receiver unit of the device illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0028] It should be noted that the technical terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the contents of this specification. In addition, unless specifically defined otherwise herein, the technical terms used in this specification should be interpreted as having a meaning generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this specification pertains, and should not be interpreted in an excessively broad or narrow sense. In addition, if a technical term used in this specification is an incorrect technical term that does not accurately express the contents and ideas of this specification, it should be replaced with a technical term that can be correctly understood by a person skilled in the art. In addition, general terms used in this specification should be interpreted according to their dictionary definitions or according to the preceding and following context, and should not be interpreted in an excessively narrow sense.

[0029] Additionally, the singular expressions used herein include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "consist of" or "have" should not be construed to necessarily include all of the components or steps described in the specification, and should be construed to mean that some of the components or steps may not be included, or that additional components or steps may be included.

[0030] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first" and "second," used herein may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component could be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a first component.

[0031] When a component is referred to as being connected or connected to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may also be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being directly connected or connected to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing reference numerals, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, when describing the contents of this specification, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to obscure the gist of this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only intended to make the contents and ideas of this specification easily understandable, and should not be construed as limiting the contents and ideas of this specification by the attached drawings. The contents and ideas of this specification should be construed to extend to all changes, equivalents, and substitutes other than the attached drawings.

[0033] In this specification, “A or B” can mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” In other words, “A or B” in this specification can be interpreted as “A and / or B.” For example, “A, B or C” in this specification can mean “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any combination of A, B, and C.”

[0034] As used herein, a slash ( / ) or a comma can mean "and / or." For example, "A / B" can mean "A and / or B." Accordingly, "A / B" can mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." For example, "A, B, C" can mean "A, B, or C."

[0035] In this specification, “at least one of A and B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” Additionally, in this specification, the expressions “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of A and / or B” may be interpreted identically to “at least one of A and B.”

[0036] Additionally, in this specification, “at least one of A, B and C” can mean “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any combination of A, B and C.” Additionally, “at least one of A, B or C” or “at least one of A, B and / or C” can mean “at least one of A, B and C.”

[0037] Additionally, parentheses used in this specification may mean “for example.” Specifically, when “control information (PDCCH)” is indicated, “PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel)” may be suggested as an example of “control information.” In other words, “control information” in this specification is not limited to “PDCCH,” and “PDDCH” may be suggested as an example of “control information.” Furthermore, even when indicated as “control information (i.e., PDCCH),” “PDCCH” may be suggested as an example of “control information.”

[0038] Technical features individually described in a single drawing in this specification may be implemented individually or simultaneously.

[0039] Although the attached drawing illustrates a UE (User Equipment) as an example, the illustrated UE may also be referred to as a terminal, ME (Mobile Equipment), etc. In addition, the UE may be a portable device such as a laptop, mobile phone, PDA, smart phone, multimedia device, etc., or a non-portable device such as a PC or vehicle-mounted device.

[0040] Hereinafter, the term "UE" is used as an example of a device capable of wireless communication (e.g., a wireless communication device, a wireless device, or a wireless device). The operations performed by the UE can be performed by any device capable of wireless communication. A device capable of wireless communication may also be referred to as a wireless communication device, a wireless device, or a wireless device.

[0041] The term base station used below generally refers to a fixed station that communicates with wireless devices, and can be used as a comprehensive term that includes eNodeB (evolved-NodeB), eNB (evolved-NodeB), BTS (Base Transceiver System), Access Point, gNB (Next generation NodeB), RRH (remote radio head), TP (transmission point), RP (reception point), relay, etc.

[0042] Although this specification describes embodiments using LTE systems, LTE-A systems, and NR systems, these embodiments may be applied to any communication system falling within the above definitions.

[0043] Wireless Communication System

[0044] Building on the success of LTE (long term evolution) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) for 4th generation mobile communications, commercialization of the next generation, or 5th generation (so-called 5G) mobile communications, and follow-up research are also ongoing.

[0045] The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines 5G mobile communications as providing data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps and a perceived transmission speed of at least 100 Mbps everywhere. Its official name is "IMT-2020."

[0046] ITU proposes three usage scenarios: eMBB (enhanced Mobile BroadBand), mMTC (massive Machine Type Communication), and URLLC (Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications).

[0047] URLLC addresses usage scenarios that require high reliability and low latency. For example, services such as autonomous driving, factory automation, and augmented reality require high reliability and low latency (e.g., sub-1ms). Current 4G (LTE) latency is statistically 21-43ms (best 10%) and 33-75ms (median). This is insufficient to support services requiring sub-1ms latency. Next, eMBB usage scenarios address usage scenarios that require mobile ultra-wideband.

[0048] In other words, the 5th generation mobile communication system can support higher capacity than the current 4G LTE, increase the density of mobile broadband users, and support D2D (Device to Device), high reliability, and MTC (Machine-type communication). 5G research and development also aims for lower latency and lower battery consumption than 4G mobile communication systems to better implement the Internet of Things. For this 5G mobile communication, a new radio access technology (New RAT or NR) may be proposed.

[0049] The NR frequency band can be defined by two types of frequency ranges (FR1, FR2). The numerical values ​​of the frequency ranges can be changed, and for example, the two types of frequency ranges (FR1, FR2) can be as shown in Table 1 below. For convenience of explanation, among the frequency ranges used in the NR system, FR1 can mean the “sub 6 GHz range”, and FR2 can mean the “above 6 GHz range” and can be called millimeter wave (mmW).

[0050] Frequency Range designationCorresponding frequency rangeSubcarrier SpacingFR1410MHz - 7125MHz15, 30, 60kHzFR224250MHz - 52600MHz60, 120, 240kHz

[0051] The numerical value of the frequency range of the NR system can be changed. For example, FR1 can include a band from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz, as shown in Table 1. That is, FR1 can include frequency bands above 6 GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.). For example, the frequency bands above 6 GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.) included within FR1 can include unlicensed bands. Unlicensed bands can be used for various purposes, such as for vehicle communications (e.g., autonomous driving).

[0052] Meanwhile, 3GPP-based communication standards define downlink physical channels corresponding to resource elements that carry information originating from upper layers, and downlink physical signals corresponding to resource elements that are used by the physical layer but do not carry information originating from upper layers. For example, the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical multicast channel (PMCH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH) are defined as downlink physical channels, and reference signals and synchronization signals are defined as downlink physical signals. A reference signal (RS), also referred to as a pilot, is a signal with a special predefined waveform known to the gNB and the UE. For example, cell specific RS, UE-specific RS (UE-RS), positioning RS (PRS), and channel state information RS (CSI-RS) are defined as downlink reference signals. The 3GPP LTE / LTE-A standard defines uplink physical channels corresponding to resource elements carrying information originating from higher layers, and uplink physical signals corresponding to resource elements used by the physical layer but not carrying information originating from higher layers.For example, a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and a physical random access channel (PRACH) are defined as uplink physical channels, and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for uplink control / data signals and a sounding reference signal (SRS) used for uplink channel measurement are defined.

[0053] In this specification, PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control CHannel) / PCFICH (Physical Control Format Indicator CHannel) / PHICH ((Physical Hybrid automatic retransmit request Indicator CHannel) / PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared CHannel) mean a set of time-frequency resources or a set of resource elements that carry DCI (Downlink Control Information) / CFI (Control Format Indicator) / downlink ACK / NACK (ACKnowlegement / Negative ACK) / downlink data, respectively. In addition, PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control CHannel) / PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared CHannel) / PRACH (Physical Random Access CHannel) mean a set of time-frequency resources or a set of resource elements that carry UCI (Uplink Control Information) / uplink data / random access signals, respectively.

[0054] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a wireless communication system.

[0055] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the wireless communication system includes at least one base station (BS). The BS is divided into a gNodeB (or gNB) (20a) and an eNodeB (or eNB) (20b). The gNB (20a) supports 5th generation mobile communications. The eNB (20b) supports 4th generation mobile communications, i.e., long term evolution (LTE).

[0056] Each base station (20a and 20b) provides communication services for a specific geographic area (commonly referred to as a cell) (20-1, 20-2, 20-3). The cell may be further divided into multiple areas (referred to as sectors).

[0057] A UE (user equipment) typically belongs to a single cell, and the cell to which the UE belongs is called a serving cell. The base station that provides communication services for the serving cell is called a serving base station (BS). Since the wireless communication system is a cellular system, there are other cells adjacent to the serving cell. These other cells adjacent to the serving cell are called neighbor cells. The base station that provides communication services to the neighbor cell is called a neighbor BS. The serving cell and neighbor cells are determined relative to the UE.

[0058] Hereinafter, downlink refers to communication from a base station (20) to a UE (10), and uplink refers to communication from a UE (10) to a base station (20). In downlink, the transmitter may be part of the base station (20), and the receiver may be part of the UE (10). In uplink, the transmitter may be part of the UE (10), and the receiver may be part of the base station (20).

[0059] Meanwhile, wireless communication systems can be broadly divided into frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). In FDD, uplink and downlink transmissions occupy different frequency bands and occur at different times. In TDD, uplink and downlink transmissions occupy the same frequency band but occur at different times. The channel response in TDD is essentially reciprocal, meaning that the downlink and uplink channel responses are nearly identical in a given frequency range. Therefore, in TDD-based wireless communication systems, the downlink channel response can be derived from the uplink channel response. In TDD, uplink and downlink transmissions are time-divided across the entire frequency band, so downlink transmission by the base station and uplink transmission by the UE cannot be performed simultaneously. In TDD systems, where uplink and downlink transmissions are divided into subframes, uplink and downlink transmissions are performed in different subframes.

[0060] Figure 2 illustrates the structure of a radio frame used in NR.

[0061] In NR, uplink and downlink transmissions are structured as frames. A radio frame is 10ms long and is defined by two 5ms half-frames (HF). Each half-frame is defined by five 1ms subframes (SF). A subframe is divided into one or more slots, and the number of slots in a subframe depends on the subcarrier spacing (SCS). Each slot contains 12 or 14 OFDM(A) symbols, depending on the cyclic prefix (CP). When a normal CP is used, each slot contains 14 symbols. When an extended CP is used, each slot contains 12 symbols. Here, the symbols may include OFDM symbols (or CP-OFDM symbols), SC-FDMA symbols (or DFT-s-OFDM symbols).

[0062] Support for various numerologies

[0063] In NR systems, multiple numerologies may be provided to terminals as wireless communication technologies advance. For example, an SCS of 15 kHz supports a wide area in traditional cellular bands. An SCS of 30 kHz / 60 kHz supports dense urban environments, lower latency, and wider carrier bandwidth. An SCS of 60 kHz or higher supports a bandwidth greater than 24.25 GHz to overcome phase noise.

[0064] The above numerology can be defined by the cycle prefix (CP) length and subcarrier spacing (SCS). A single cell can provide multiple numerologies to a terminal. When the numerology index is represented by μ, each subcarrier spacing and the corresponding CP length can be as shown in the table below.

[0065] μ△f=2 μ 15 [kHz]CP015 General 130 General 260 General, Extended 3120 General 4240 General 5480 General 6960 General

[0066] For general CP, when the index of the numerology is represented by μ, the number of OFDM symbols per slot (N slot symb ), number of slots per frame (N frame,μ slot ) and the number of slots per subframe (N subframe,μ slot ) is as shown in the table below.

[0067] μ△f=2 μ 15 [kHz]N slot symb N frame,μ slot N subframe,μ slot 015141011301420226014404312014808424014160165480143203269601464064

[0068] For extended CP, when the index of the numerology is represented by μ, the number of OFDM symbols per slot (N slot symb ), number of slots per frame (N frame,μ slot ) and the number of slots per subframe (N subframe,μ slot ) is as shown in the table below.

[0069] μSCS (15*2 u )N slot symb N frame,μ slot N subframe,μslot 260KHz (u=2)12404

[0070] In an NR system, OFDM(A) numerology (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.) may be set differently between multiple cells that are merged into a single terminal. Accordingly, the (absolute time) interval of a time resource (e.g., SF, slot, or TTI) (conveniently referred to as TU (Time Unit)) consisting of the same number of symbols may be set differently between the merged cells.

[0071] Figures 3a to 3c are exemplary diagrams showing exemplary architectures for wireless communication services.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 3a, the UE is connected to an LTE / LTE-A-based cell and an NR-based cell in a DC (dual connectivity) manner.

[0073] The above NR-based cell is connected to the core network for existing 4th generation mobile communication, i.e. Evolved Packet Core (EPC).

[0074] Referring to FIG. 3b, unlike FIG. 3a, the LTE / LTE-A-based cell is connected to a core network for 5th generation mobile communication, i.e., a 5G core network.

[0075] A service method based on an architecture as illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b above is called NSA (non-standalone).

[0076] Referring to Figure 3c, the UE is connected only to NR-based cells. A service method based on this architecture is called SA (standalone).

[0077] Meanwhile, in the above NR, it may be considered that reception from the base station utilizes a downlink subframe, and transmission to the base station utilizes an uplink subframe. This method can be applied to paired and unpaired spectrums. A pair of spectrums means that two carrier spectrums are included for downlink and uplink operations. For example, in a pair of spectrums, one carrier may include a downlink band and an uplink band that are paired with each other.

[0078] Figure 4 illustrates the slot structure of an NR frame.

[0079] A slot contains multiple symbols in the time domain. For example, in the case of a normal CP, one slot contains 14 symbols, but in the case of an extended CP, one slot contains 12 symbols. A carrier contains multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain. An RB (Resource Block) is defined as multiple (e.g., 12) consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. A BWP (Bandwidth Part) is defined as multiple consecutive (physical, P)RBs in the frequency domain, and can correspond to a single numerology (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.). A terminal can be configured with up to N (e.g., 4) BWPs in the downlink and uplink, respectively. Downlink or uplink transmission is performed through an activated BWP, and at a given time, only one BWP among the BWPs configured for the terminal can be activated. In the resource grid, each element is referred to as a Resource Element (RE), to which one complex symbol can be mapped.

[0080] Figure 5 illustrates an example of subframe types in NR.

[0081] The transmission time interval (TTI) illustrated in FIG. 5 may be referred to as a subframe or slot for NR (or new RAT). The subframe (or slot) of FIG. 5 may be used in a TDD system of NR (or new RAT) to minimize data transmission delay. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a subframe (or slot) includes 14 symbols. The symbols in the front of the subframe (or slot) may be used for a downlink (DL) control channel, and the symbols in the back of the subframe (or slot) may be used for an uplink (UL) control channel. The remaining symbols may be used for DL ​​data transmission or UL data transmission. According to this subframe (or slot) structure, downlink transmission and uplink transmission may be sequentially performed in one subframe (or slot). Therefore, downlink data may be received within a subframe (or slot), and an uplink acknowledgment (ACK / NACK) may be transmitted within the subframe (or slot).

[0082] The structure of these subframes (or slots) can be called self-contained subframes (or slots).

[0083] Specifically, the first N symbols in a slot are used to transmit a DL control channel (hereinafter, DL control region), and the last M symbols in the slot can be used to transmit a UL control channel (hereinafter, UL control region). N and M are each integers greater than or equal to 0. A resource region (hereinafter, data region) between the DL control region and the UL control region can be used for DL ​​data transmission or UL data transmission. For example, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) can be transmitted in the DL control region, and a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) can be transmitted in the DL data region. A physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) can be transmitted in the UL control region, and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) can be transmitted in the UL data region.

[0084] Using this subframe (or slot) structure has the advantage of minimizing the final data transmission latency by reducing the time required to retransmit data that has experienced reception errors. In this self-contained subframe (or slot) structure, a time gap may be required during the transition from transmit mode to receive mode or from receive mode to transmit mode. To this end, some OFDM symbols during the transition from DL to UL in the subframe structure can be designated as a guard period (GP).

[0085] Figure 6 illustrates the structure of a self-contained slot.

[0086] In an NR system, a frame is characterized by a self-contained structure in which a DL control channel, DL or UL data, and a UL control channel can all be included within a single slot. For example, the first N symbols within a slot can be used to transmit a DL control channel (hereinafter, referred to as a DL control region), and the last M symbols within a slot can be used to transmit a UL control channel (hereinafter, referred to as a UL control region). N and M are each integers greater than or equal to 0. The resource region (hereinafter, referred to as a data region) between the DL control region and the UL control region can be used for DL ​​data transmission or UL data transmission. As an example, the following configuration can be considered. Each section is listed in chronological order.

[0087] 1. DL only configuration

[0088] 2. UL only configuration

[0089] 3. Mixed UL-DL configuration

[0090] - DL area + GP (Guard Period) + UL control area

[0091] - DL control area + GP + UL area

[0092] DL area: (i) DL data area, (ii) DL control area + DL data area

[0093] UL domain: (i) UL data domain, (ii) UL data domain + UL control domain

[0094] In the DL control region, a PDCCH can be transmitted, and in the DL data region, a PDSCH can be transmitted. In the UL control region, a PUCCH can be transmitted, and in the UL data region, a PUSCH can be transmitted. In the PDCCH, downlink control information (DCI), for example, DL data scheduling information, UL data scheduling information, etc., can be transmitted. In the PUCCH, uplink control information (UCI), for example, ACK / NACK (Positive Acknowledgement / Negative Acknowledgement) information for DL ​​data, CSI (Channel State Information) information, SR (Scheduling Request), etc., can be transmitted. GP provides a time gap when a base station and a terminal switch from transmission mode to reception mode or when switching from reception mode to transmission mode. Some symbols at the time of switching from DL to UL within a subframe can be set as GP.

[0095] Figures 7a to 7e illustrate examples of connectivity topologies for ambient IoT networks and devices.

[0096] In recent years, IoT technology has garnered significant attention in wireless communications. IoT technology has evolved to connect a growing number of objects to enhance industrial productivity and quality of life. Examples include the Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and enhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) technologies defined in 3GPP. However, to build a more effective IoT ecosystem, improvements are needed in several areas, including the size, form factor, price, complexity, power consumption, and coverage of IoT devices.

[0097] A representative technology service of the IoT is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID boasts extremely low complexity and its tags have a very small form factor. However, its reading range is limited to a few meters, providing a very narrow coverage area. Furthermore, handheld scanning is labor-intensive, and the installation costs of RFID portals and gates make deployment expensive. Consequently, RFID has limitations in providing seamless service and coverage in large-scale networks.

[0098] To meet these needs, 3GPP has been studying ambient IoT technology since Release 18. Ambient IoT devices have a smaller form factor than existing IoT devices and support energy harvesting based on battery-less or minimal energy storage capabilities, enabling operation without charging or with minimal power consumption. Furthermore, research is underway to support wider coverage based on higher power efficiency and to utilize RF signals supported by existing networks.

[0099] For convenience of explanation, in this specification, an ambient IoT device may be expressed as an ambient IoT terminal, an IoT device, an IoT terminal, a device, or a terminal.

[0100] A connectivity topology such as FIGS. 7a to 7e can be defined for ambient IoT networks and devices.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 7A, an ambient IoT device communicates directly and bidirectionally with a base station (BS). Communication between the BS and the ambient IoT device includes ambient IoT data and / or signaling. In the topology of FIG. 7A, the BS transmitting to the ambient IoT device may be different from the BS receiving from the ambient IoT device.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 7b, an ambient IoT device communicates bidirectionally with an intermediate node between the device and the base station. The intermediate node in the topology of FIG. 7b may be an ambient IoT-enabled relay, an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) node, a UE, a repeater, etc. The intermediate node transmits ambient IoT data and / or signaling between the BS and the ambient IoT device.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 7c, an ambient IoT device transmits data / signaling to a base station and receives data / signaling from an assisting node. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 7d, the ambient IoT device receives data / signaling from a base station and transmits data / signaling to an assisting node. The assisting node in the topology of FIGS. 7c and 7d may be an ambient IoT-enabled relay, IAB, UE, repeater, or the like.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 7e, the ambient IoT device communicates bidirectionally with the UE. Communication between the UE and the ambient IoT device includes transmission of ambient IoT data and / or signaling.

[0105] Meanwhile, 3GPP is conducting research on ambient IoT terminals, categorizing them into two types as shown in Table 5 below.

[0106]

[0107] In Table 5, when the device type is Device X, the maximum power consumption is less than 1 μW, and there is no independent signal generation or amplification function. In addition, UL is transmitted by utilizing backscattering of an externally provided carrier wave.

[0108] In Table 5, when the device type is Device Y, the maximum power consumption is less than several hundred μW, and it supports independent signal generation and amplification functions. In addition, UL can be transmitted by utilizing backscattering of an externally provided carrier wave, or it can be transmitted through signal generation within the terminal itself.

[0109] The aforementioned Devices X and Y have energy storage in common. However, Devices X and Y may have limited energy storage. Here, limited energy storage refers to a storage device composed only of small-sized capacitors. In order to support uninterrupted communication of ambient IoT devices, energy harvesting operation is required. However, while research on ambient IoT technology began in 3GPP Release 18 and emphasized the need for energy harvesting, detailed operations to support it have not been defined. That is, 3GPP standard-related materials do not define procedures for energy harvesting between ambient IoT terminals and base stations. For example, the network / base station (or leader) does not know when the ambient IoT terminal should perform energy harvesting. Therefore, one disclosure in this specification describes a method for supporting energy of an ambient IoT terminal through a network / base station (or leader).

[0110] In addition, one disclosure of the present specification seeks to provide a method for supporting uninterrupted communication by having a network / base station (or leader) manage the battery (remaining) level of an ambient IoT terminal that supports energy harvesting while operating at low power.

[0111] More specifically, an ambient IoT terminal can periodically report its remaining battery level information to a network / base station (or leader). The network / base station (or leader) that receives this can continuously check the remaining battery level of the terminal, and when the remaining battery level falls below a threshold, it can transmit an optimized carrier wave along with indication information requesting the terminal to prepare for and require energy harvesting. In addition, when the remaining battery level of the ambient IoT terminal falls below a threshold, it transmits a carrier wave request message along with indication information notifying the base station of the need for energy harvesting. The network / base station (or leader) that receives this can transmit an optimized carrier wave to the terminal. Alternatively, the network / base station (or leader) may transmit a carrier wave request indication message for power transmission to a carrier wave source located around the ambient IoT terminal, thereby causing the carrier wave source to transmit an optimized carrier wave to the terminal.

[0112] This specification specifically proposes matters related to the energy harvesting indication and / or carrier wave request procedure described above.

[0113] For an ambient IoT terminal that operates at ultra-low power and supports energy harvesting, a carrier wave request message may be transmitted from a network / base station (or reader) to the terminal or from the terminal to the network / base station (or reader) based on remaining battery level information to request the necessity of energy harvesting and / or operation switching to an energy harvesting mode, and an appropriate carrier wave may be transmitted and received. Depending on the subject of the transmission of the carrier wave request message, the cases can be divided into the following two cases.

[0114] Case 1. Network / Base Station (or Leader) *Ambient IoT Terminal: Transmits Carrier Wave Request

[0115] In Case 1, the network / base station (or leader) must periodically receive or be aware of the ambient IoT device's remaining battery level. To achieve this, the ambient IoT device must transmit its battery level information to the network / base station (or leader). Depending on the device type, two actions are possible, which are described below.

[0116] In the case of the Device X described above, a battery level response operation, i.e., a response to a periodic battery level request from a network / base station (or leader), can be performed.

[0117] In the case of Device Y described above, a battery level response operation, i.e., a battery level response operation, may be performed in response to a periodic battery level request from a network / base station (or leader), or a periodic battery level reporting operation may be performed by the terminal itself.

[0118] Since Device X does not support independent UL / DL signal generation and amplification functions and only supports UL transmission in the form of backscattering an external carrier, there may be limitations in the terminal itself transmitting battery level information to the network / base station (or leader). Therefore, in order for the base station to obtain the battery level information of Device X, the base station needs to periodically transmit a battery level request message to Device X. Device X, which receives the battery level request message, transmits its current battery level information response message according to the battery level information request, and the base station that receives this can obtain the battery level information of the ambient IoT Device X.

[0119] Meanwhile, Device Y supports independent UL / DL signal generation and amplification functions, and supports a UL transmission method using an active RF component other than backscattering, so that the terminal itself can periodically transmit remaining battery level information. Accordingly, like Device X, it can support a battery level response operation, i.e., a response according to a periodic battery level request from a base station. In addition, Device Y can periodically report its own remaining battery level information based on periodic information (e.g., timer and / or cycle-related information) preset by the base station.

[0120] Table 6 below is an example of battery level mapping for periodic transmission of battery level information of ambient IoT terminals (e.g., Device X and / or Device Y).

[0121] The network / base station (or leader) can set the battery threshold of the ambient IoT terminal based on Table 6, and if it obtains a battery level index lower than the set threshold, it can transmit a carrier wave request message to the ambient IoT terminal.

[0122] Battery Level IndexCurrent Battery Level025 %130 %235 %340 %445 %550 %655 %760 %865 %970 %1075 %1180 %1285 %1390 %1495 %15100 %

[0123] The network / base station (or reader) that has received the aforementioned battery information can transmit a carrier wave request message to the ambient IoT terminal when the remaining battery capacity of the terminal is below a threshold value. In addition, if the network / base station (or reader) knows the location of the ambient IoT terminal, it can transmit a carrier wave transmission indication for power transmission to carrier wave source(s) located around the terminal, and the carrier wave source(s) that receive the indication can transmit a suitable carrier wave to the ambient IoT terminal. The ambient IoT terminal that has received the carrier wave request message for instructing a transition to an energy harvesting mode can transmit the carrier wave request message to the surrounding carrier wave source(s) while transitioning to the energy harvesting mode. In addition, the ambient IoT terminal that receives the carrier wave request message can be configured to operate in an ultra-low power mode by switching to a scheduling mode preset by the network / base station (or reader). Here, the ambient IoT terminal operating in the ultra-low power mode can increase the UL cycle for reporting battery level information to the network / base station (or reader) to report more intermittently (Device Y), and Device Y can be configured to operate only in a backscattering mode like Device X, or the RF transmission and reception function can be turned OFF for a certain period of time based on a timer (Device X, Y), or the RF transmission and reception function can be turned OFF until the battery level due to charging becomes greater than a threshold value (Device X, Y).

[0124] Case 2. Ambient IoT terminal *Network / base station (or leader): Transmits carrier wave request

[0125] An ambient IoT terminal can transmit a carrier wave request message to a network / base station (or leader) based on battery level information to indicate the need for energy harvesting and to request a carrier wave. For example, when the ambient IoT terminal's battery level falls below a threshold, the terminal transmits a carrier wave request message to the network / base station (or leader) for energy harvesting. In addition, the terminal can also transmit a carrier wave request message for power transfer to carrier wave source(s) in the vicinity of the terminal in addition to the network / base station (or leader). A network / base station (or leader) that receives a carrier wave request message can transmit an optimized carrier wave to an ambient IoT terminal and, if the location of the ambient IoT terminal is known, can transmit power transmission and carrier wave transmission indications for energy harvesting to carrier wave source(s) located around the terminal. Meanwhile, when the ambient IoT terminal's remaining battery level falls below a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal can operate in an ultra-low power mode as in Case 1 described above.

[0126] In Case 2, it is desirable to apply it to a Device Y type terminal composed of an active RF component, because the ambient IoT terminal itself transmits a carrier wave request message through UL based on its own battery level information.

[0127] As described above, in Case 1 and / or Case 2, when the remaining battery level falls below a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal operates by performing energy harvesting and switching to an ultra-low power mode. When the remaining battery level and the charged level of the ambient IoT terminal rise above the threshold through energy harvesting, this is notified to the network / base station (or reader) and fallback can be performed from the ultra-low power mode to the existing operation. When the network / base station (or reader) receives charging completion information and / or fallback information of the ambient IoT terminal, it can stop separate carrier wave power transmission for charging the ambient IoT terminal and transmit an indication to stop carrier wave power transmission to carrier wave source(s) around the ambient IoT terminal.

[0128] The transmission of charging completion information or fallback information for ambient IoT devices can be differentiated by device type. When the battery level (i.e., the remaining battery capacity) of an ambient IoT device exceeds a threshold, the following actions can be taken.

[0129] In the case of Device X, when receiving an external carrier wave or data signal for charging, it may transmit information to the network / base station (or reader) and / or surrounding carrier wave source(s) that battery charging is complete or that fallback has occurred using backscattering.

[0130] In case of Device Y, when an external carrier wave or data signal for charging is received, the information notifying the network / base station (or reader) and / or the surrounding carrier wave source(s) that the battery charging is complete or that a fallback has occurred can be transmitted using UL backscattering. Alternatively, the built-in active RF component can be utilized to immediately transmit the information notifying the network / base station (or reader) and / or the surrounding carrier wave source(s) that the battery charging is complete or that a fallback has occurred via UL.

[0131] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method between a network / base station (or leader) and a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0132] An ambient IoT terminal obtains energy harvesting-related configuration information from a network / base station (or leader) (S801). Here, the energy harvesting-related configuration information may include at least one of battery level table information, threshold information, timer information, and UL transmission cycle information.

[0133] The network / base station (or leader) transmits a battery level request message to the ambient IoT terminal (S802), and the ambient IoT terminal that receives the message transmits a battery level response message, i.e., a battery level reporting message, to the network / base station (or leader) based on the acquired energy harvesting-related configuration information (S803).

[0134] The battery level request message transmitted from the network / base station (or leader) to the ambient IoT terminal may be transmitted periodically. Furthermore, the ambient IoT terminal may periodically transmit a battery level response message to the network / base station (or leader) using the period information (or timer information) included in the energy harvesting-related configuration information.

[0135] The battery level of the ambient IoT terminal is compared with a threshold value (S804), and if the battery level falls below the threshold value, a carrier wave request message is transmitted (S805). In Case 1 described above, the network / base station (or leader) compares the battery level with a threshold value based on the battery level report received from the ambient IoT terminal, and if it determines that the battery level falls below the threshold value, a carrier wave request message is transmitted to the ambient IoT terminal to instruct it to switch to an energy harvesting mode. In addition, the network / base station (or leader) may transmit a carrier wave request, i.e., a carrier wave transmission indication, to carrier wave source(s) located around the ambient IoT terminal. In Case 2 described above, when the ambient IoT terminal compares its battery level with a threshold value and determines that the battery level has fallen below the threshold value, it transmits a carrier wave request message for energy harvesting to the network / base station (or leader). In addition, the ambient IoT terminal can also transmit a carrier wave request message to carrier wave source(s) located around it in addition to the network / base station (or leader). In addition, the network / base station (or leader) that receives the carrier wave request message can transmit a carrier wave request, i.e., a carrier wave transmission indication, to the carrier wave source(s) located around the ambient IoT terminal.

[0136] Based on the aforementioned carrier wave request message, a carrier wave for energy harvesting is transmitted to the ambient IoT terminal (S806). The carrier wave for energy harvesting can be transmitted to the ambient IoT terminal from the network / base station (or leader) and / or carrier wave source(s).

[0137] The ambient IoT terminal begins energy harvesting based on carrier waves received from a network / base station (or leader) and / or carrier wave source(s) (S807). Here, energy harvesting may be performed in an ultra-low power mode of the ambient IoT terminal.

[0138] Meanwhile, when an ambient IoT terminal receives a carrier wave request message for energy harvesting from a network / base station (or leader), in response, it can i) transmit a carrier wave request message by backscattering and / or ii) transmit a carrier wave response message to an ambient carrier wave source.

[0139] If the battery level of the ambient IoT terminal rises above a threshold value due to energy harvesting operation (e.g., when charging is complete), it falls back to the previous mode (S808). That is, it stops energy harvesting and falls back from the ultra-low power mode to the previous mode. In this case, the ambient IoT terminal may transmit a fallback indication message to the network / base station (or leader) and / or carrier wave source(s) notifying that it has fallen back to the previous mode.

[0140] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 9, an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal receives energy harvesting-related configuration information (S901) and transmits battery status information based on the received energy harvesting-related configuration information (S902). Here, the battery status information may indicate the remaining battery level of the ambient IoT terminal.

[0142] Thereafter, the ambient IoT terminal performs energy harvesting when the battery status is lower than a threshold value (S903).

[0143] The above energy harvesting related setting information may include at least one of i) battery level table information, ii) threshold information for determining whether to perform the energy harvesting, iii) period information for transmitting the battery status information, and iv) timer information for transmitting the battery status information.

[0144] Meanwhile, the ambient IoT terminal may receive a carrier wave request when its battery status falls below a threshold. Here, energy harvesting may be performed based on the carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

[0145] Alternatively, an ambient IoT terminal may transmit a carrier wave request when its battery status falls below a threshold. Energy harvesting may be performed based on the carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

[0146] Additionally, the ambient IoT terminal may receive a battery status request requesting battery status information. Here, the battery status information may be transmitted in response to the battery status request.

[0147] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal may stop performing the energy harvesting.

[0148] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal may perform a fallback to a state prior to performing the energy harvesting and transmit information indicating the fallback.

[0149] If the battery status rises above a threshold, the ambient IoT terminal can transmit information indicating that the battery status is fully charged.

[0150] The disclosures of this specification, as described so far, can be implemented through various means. For example, the disclosures of this specification can be implemented through hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Specifically, the disclosures will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0151] Figure 10 illustrates a device according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0152] Referring to FIG. 10, a wireless communication system may include a first device (100a) and a second device (100b).

[0153] The first device (100a) may be a base station, a network node, a transmitting terminal, a receiving terminal, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a vehicle, a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function, a connected car, a drone (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV), an AI (Artificial Intelligence) module, a robot, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, an MR (Mixed Reality) device, a hologram device, a public safety device, an MTC device, an IoT device, a medical device, a fintech device (or a financial device), a security device, a climate / environmental device, a device related to 5G services, or any other device related to the 4th industrial revolution field.

[0154] The second device (100b) may be a base station, a network node, a transmitting terminal, a receiving terminal, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a vehicle, a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving function, a connected car, a drone (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, UAV), an AI (Artificial Intelligence) module, a robot, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, an MR (Mixed Reality) device, a hologram device, a public safety device, an MTC device, an IoT device, a medical device, a fintech device (or a financial device), a security device, a climate / environmental device, a device related to 5G services, or any other device related to the 4th industrial revolution field.

[0155] The first device (100a) may include at least one processor, such as a processor (1020a), at least one memory, such as a memory (1010a), and at least one transceiver, such as a transceiver (1031a). The processor (1020a) may perform the functions, procedures, and / or methods described above. The processor (1020a) may perform one or more protocols. For example, the processor (1020a) may perform one or more layers of a wireless interface protocol. The memory (1010a) may be connected to the processor (1020a) and may store various types of information and / or commands. The transceiver (1031a) may be connected to the processor (1020a) and may be controlled to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0156] The second device (100b) may include at least one processor, such as a processor (1020b), at least one memory device, such as a memory (1010b), and at least one transceiver, such as a transceiver (1031b). The processor (1020b) may perform the functions, procedures, and / or methods described above. The processor (1020b) may implement one or more protocols. For example, the processor (1020b) may implement one or more layers of a wireless interface protocol. The memory (1010b) may be connected to the processor (1020b) and may store various types of information and / or commands. The transceiver (1031b) may be connected to the processor (1020b) and may be controlled to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0157] The memory (1010a) and / or the memory (1010b) may be connected internally or externally to the processor (1020a) and / or the processor (1020b), or may be connected to another processor via various technologies such as a wired or wireless connection.

[0158] The first device (100a) and / or the second device (100b) may have one or more antennas. For example, the antenna (1036a) and / or the antenna (1036b) may be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0159] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal according to one embodiment of the present specification.

[0160] In particular, FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating the device of FIG. 10 in more detail.

[0161] The device includes a memory (1010), a processor (1020), a transceiver (1031), a power management module (1091), a battery (1092), a display (1041), an input unit (1053), a speaker (1042), and a microphone (1052), a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, and one or more antennas.

[0162] The processor (1020) may be configured to implement the proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described herein. Layers of a radio interface protocol may be implemented in the processor (1020). The processor (1020) may include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, and / or data processing devices. The processor (1020) may be an application processor (AP). The processor (1020) may include at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a modem (modulator and demodulator). Examples of the processor (1020) may be a SNAPDRAGON™ series processor manufactured by Qualcomm®, an EXYNOSTM series processor manufactured by Samsung®, an A series processor manufactured by Apple®, a HELIO™ series processor manufactured by MediaTek®, an ATOM™ series processor manufactured by INTEL®, a KIRINTM series processor manufactured by HiSilicon®, or a corresponding next-generation processor.

[0163] The power management module (1091) manages power to the processor (1020) and / or the transceiver (1031). The battery (1092) supplies power to the power management module (1091). The display (1041) outputs the results processed by the processor (1020). The input unit (1053) receives input to be used by the processor (1020). The input unit (1053) can be displayed on the display (1041). A SIM card is an integrated circuit used to securely store an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and its associated keys, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers in mobile devices such as mobile phones and computers. Contact information can also be stored on many SIM cards.

[0164] The memory (1010) is operably coupled to the processor (1020) and stores various information for operating the processor (610). The memory (1010) may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), flash memory, a memory card, a storage medium, and / or other storage devices. When the embodiment is implemented in software, the techniques described herein may be implemented as modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The modules may be stored in the memory (1010) and executed by the processor (1020). The memory (1010) may be implemented within the processor (1020). Alternatively, the memory (1010) may be implemented external to the processor (1020) and communicatively connected to the processor (1020) via various means known in the art.

[0165] The transceiver (1031) is operably coupled to the processor (1020) and transmits and / or receives a radio signal. The transceiver (1031) includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver (1031) may include baseband circuitry for processing a radio frequency signal. The transceiver controls one or more antennas to transmit and / or receive a radio signal. The processor (1020) transmits command information to the transceiver (1031) to initiate communication, for example, to transmit a radio signal constituting voice communication data. The antenna functions to transmit and receive radio signals. Upon receiving a radio signal, the transceiver (1031) may transmit the signal to the processor (1020) for processing and convert the signal to baseband. The processed signal may be converted into audible or readable information output through the speaker (1042).

[0166] The speaker (1042) outputs sound-related results processed by the processor (1020). The microphone (1052) receives sound-related input to be used by the processor (1020).

[0167] A user inputs command information, such as a phone number, for example, by pressing (or touching) a button on an input unit (1053) or by voice activation using a microphone (1052). The processor (1020) receives this command information and processes it to perform an appropriate function, such as dialing a phone number. Operational data can be extracted from a SIM card or memory (1010). In addition, the processor (1020) can display command information or operation information on a display (1041) for the user's recognition and convenience.

[0168] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of a processor in which the disclosure of this specification is implemented.

[0169] As can be seen from FIG. 12, the processor (1020) implementing the disclosure of the present specification may include multiple circuits to implement the proposed functions, procedures, and / or methods described herein. For example, the processor (1020) may include a first circuit (1020-1), a second circuit (1020-2), and a third circuit (1020-3). Furthermore, although not shown, the processor (1020) may include more circuits. Each circuit may include multiple transistors.

[0170] The above processor (1020) may be called an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or an application processor (AP), and may include at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0171] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing in detail the transmitter / receiver of the first device illustrated in FIG. 10 or the transmitter / receiver unit of the device illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0172] Referring to FIG. 13, the transceiver unit (1031) includes a transmitter (1031-1) and a receiver (1031-2). The transmitter (1031-1) includes a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) unit (1031-11), a subcarrier mapper (1031-12), an IFFT unit (1031-13), a CP insertion unit (1031-14), and a wireless transmitter unit (1031-15). The transmitter (1031-1) may further include a modulator. In addition, for example, the transmitter may further include a scramble unit (not shown), a modulation mapper (not shown), a layer mapper (not shown), and a layer permutator (not shown), which may be arranged before the DFT unit (1031-11). That is, in order to prevent an increase in PAPR (peak-to-average power ratio), the transmitter (1031-1) first passes the information through a DFT (1031-11) before mapping the signal to a subcarrier. The signal spread (or precoded in the same sense) by the DFT unit (1031-11) is mapped to a subcarrier through a subcarrier mapper (1031-12) and then passes through an IFFT (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform) unit (1031-13) to be converted into a signal on the time axis.

[0173] The DFT unit (1031-11) performs DFT on the input symbols and outputs complex-valued symbols. For example, if Ntx symbols are input (where Ntx is a natural number), the DFT size is Ntx. The DFT unit (1031-11) may be called a transform precoder. The subcarrier mapper (1031-12) maps the complex symbols to each subcarrier in the frequency domain. The complex symbols may be mapped to resource elements corresponding to resource blocks allocated for data transmission. The subcarrier mapper (1031-12) may be called a resource element mapper. The IFFT unit (1031-13) performs IFFT on the input symbols and outputs a baseband signal for data, which is a time-domain signal. The CP insertion unit (1031-14) copies a portion of the rear portion of the baseband signal for data and inserts it into the front portion of the baseband signal for data. CP insertion prevents ISI (Inter-Symbol Interference) and ICI (Inter-Carrier Interference), thereby maintaining orthogonality even in multipath channels.

[0174] On the other hand, the receiver (1031-2) includes a wireless reception unit (1031-21), a CP removal unit (1031-22), an FFT unit (1031-23), and an equalization unit (1031-24). The wireless reception unit (1031-21), the CP removal unit (1031-22), and the FFT unit (1031-23) of the receiver (1031-2) perform the inverse functions of the wireless transmission unit (1031-15), the CP insertion unit (1031-14), and the IFF unit (1031-13) of the transmitter (1031-1). The receiver (1031-2) may further include a demodulator.

[0175] Although the preferred embodiments have been described above by way of example, the disclosure of this specification is not limited to these specific embodiments, and may be modified, changed, or improved in various forms within the scope of the spirit and claims of this specification.

[0176] In the exemplary system described above, the methods are described based on a flowchart as a series of steps or blocks. However, the order of the steps described is not limited, and some steps may occur in a different order or simultaneously with other steps described above. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the steps depicted in the flowchart are not exclusive, and other steps may be included, or one or more steps in the flowchart may be deleted without affecting the scope of the invention.

[0177] The claims set forth in this specification may be combined in various ways. For example, the technical features of the method claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a method. Furthermore, the technical features of the method claims and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the method claims and the technical features of the device claims of this specification may be combined and implemented as a method.

Claims

1. In a method for operating an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal in a wireless communication system, A step of receiving energy harvesting related configuration information; A step of transmitting battery status information based on the received energy harvesting-related setting information; and A method comprising the step of performing energy harvesting when the battery condition is lower than a threshold value.

2. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the energy harvesting-related setting information includes at least one of i) battery level table information, ii) threshold information for determining whether to perform the energy harvesting, iii) period information for transmitting the battery status information, and iv) timer information for transmitting the battery status information.

3. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of receiving a carrier wave request when the battery status is lower than the threshold value, A method in which energy harvesting is performed based on a carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

4. In paragraph 1, further comprising a step of transmitting a carrier wave request when the battery status is lower than the threshold value; A method in which energy harvesting is performed based on a carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

5. In paragraph 1, Further comprising the step of receiving a battery status request requesting the above battery status information, A method in which the battery status information is transmitted in response to the battery status request.

6. In paragraph 1, A method further comprising the step of stopping the performance of the energy harvesting when the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value.

7. In paragraph 1, If the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value, a step of performing a fallback to a state prior to performing the energy harvesting; and A method further comprising the step of transmitting information indicating the fallback.

8. In paragraph 1, A method further comprising the step of transmitting information indicating that the battery status is fully charged when the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value.

9. As an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) terminal in a wireless communication system, at least one processor; and At least one memory storing instructions and being operably electrically connectable to the at least one processor, wherein the operations performed based on the instructions being executed by the at least one processor are: A step for receiving energy harvesting-related configuration information, A step of transmitting battery status information based on the received energy harvesting-related setting information, and A terminal comprising a step of performing energy harvesting when the battery condition is lower than a threshold value.

10. In paragraph 9, A terminal, wherein the energy harvesting-related setting information includes at least one of i) battery level table information, ii) threshold information for determining whether to perform the energy harvesting, iii) period information for transmitting the battery status information, and iv) timer information for transmitting the battery status information.

11. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: Further comprising a step of receiving a carrier wave request when the battery status is lower than the threshold value, A terminal in which energy harvesting is performed based on a carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

12. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: further comprising a step of transmitting a carrier wave request when the battery status is lower than the threshold value; A terminal in which energy harvesting is performed based on a carrier wave received in association with the carrier wave request.

13. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: Further comprising the step of receiving a battery status request requesting the above battery status information, A terminal in which the battery status information is transmitted in response to the battery status request.

14. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: A terminal further comprising a step of stopping the performance of the energy harvesting when the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value.

15. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: A step of performing a fallback to a state before performing the energy harvesting when the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value, and A terminal further comprising a step of transmitting information indicating the fallback.

16. In paragraph 9, Based on the above instruction being executed by the at least one processor, the operations performed are: A terminal further comprising a step of transmitting information indicating that the battery status is charging complete when the battery status becomes higher than the threshold value.

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