Clock synchronization methods and apparatuses, device and storage medium

Abstract

Clock synchronization methods and apparatuses, a device and a storage medium, relating to the technical field of communications. A method is executed by a first device, the method comprising: receiving a synchronization signal, wherein after the synchronization signal has been received, the first device and a second device are in a clock synchronization state (610). The present application provides a method for a first device to determine whether itself is in a clock synchronization state, allows the first device to determine on the basis of a clock synchronization condition whether an uplink signal can be sent, and can effectively avoid the situation in which a conflict between uplink signals of different first devices causes interference between the uplink signals, increasing capacities of communication systems.

Description

Clock synchronization method, device, equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a clock synchronization method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) refers to a new type of wireless communication system that is largely self-sufficient by using energy from the environment. It is an ecosystem for connecting and automating a large number of objects and devices, each of which is connected to form a wireless sensor network using low-cost, self-powered sensor nodes.

[0003] In related technologies, terminal devices rely on the PSS (Primary Synchronization Signal) and SSS (Secondary Synchronization Signal) signals periodically sent by network devices to achieve downlink synchronization between terminal devices and network devices. However, further research is needed to determine how A-IOT (Ambient-Internet of Things) devices can achieve downlink synchronization with network devices.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a clock synchronization method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are as follows:

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a clock synchronization method is provided, the method being performed by a first device, the method including:

[0007] A synchronization signal is received, wherein after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0008] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a clock synchronization method is provided, the method being performed by a second device, the method including:

[0009] A synchronization signal is sent, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a clock synchronization device is provided, the device comprising:

[0011] The receiving module is configured to receive a synchronization signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0012] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a clock synchronization device is provided, the device comprising:

[0013] The sending module is used to send a synchronization signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method. The communication device is a first device, or the communication device is a second device.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is configured to be executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running, is used to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method.

[0017] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method.

[0018] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] A method is provided for a first device to determine whether it is in a clock synchronization state, so that the first device can determine whether it can send an uplink signal based on the clock synchronization status. This method can effectively avoid conflicts between uplink signals of different first devices, causing interference between uplink signals, and improve the capacity of the communication system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of topology 1 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of topology 2 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of topology 3 provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) query process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG6 is a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG7 is a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG8 is a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG9 is a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG10 is a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG11 is a block diagram of a clock synchronization device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG12 is a block diagram of a clock synchronization device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a first device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a second device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0036] Please refer to FIG1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The network architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10 , an access network device 20 , and a core network element 30 .

[0037] The terminal device 10 may refer to a UE (User Equipment), a STA (Station), an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user apparatus. In some embodiments, the terminal device 10 may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, a WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5GS (5th Generation System) or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For ease of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as terminal devices. The number of terminal devices 10 is generally multiple, and one or more terminal devices 10 may be distributed in each cell managed by an access network device 20. The terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal or UE for short, and those skilled in the art will understand its meaning.

[0038] The access network device 20 is a device deployed in the access network to provide wireless communication functions for the terminal device 10. The access network device 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, APs (Access Points), etc. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with access network device functions may be different. For example, in the 5G NR (New Radio) system, it is called gNodeB or gNB (Next Generation Node B). With the evolution of communication technology, the name "access network device" may change. For the convenience of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned devices that provide wireless communication functions for the terminal device 10 are collectively referred to as access network devices. In some embodiments, a communication relationship can be established between the terminal device 10 and the core network network element 30 through the access network device 20. For example, in an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, the access network device 20 may be an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) or one or more eNodeBs in the EUTRAN. In a 5G NR system, the access network device 20 may be a Radio Access Network (RAN) or one or more gNBs in the RAN. In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the "network device" referred to refers to the access network device 20, such as a base station.

[0039] The core network element 30 is a network element deployed in the core network. The functions of the core network element 30 are mainly to provide user connection, user management, and service bearer, and to provide an interface to the external network as a bearer network. For example, the core network elements in the 5G NR system may include network elements such as the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entity, the UPF (User Plane Function) entity, and the SMF (Session Management Function) entity.

[0040] In some embodiments, the access network device 20 and the core network element 30 communicate with each other via an air interface technology, such as the NG interface in the 5G NR system. The access network device 20 and the terminal device 10 communicate with each other via an air interface technology, such as the Uu interface.

[0041] The "5G NR system" in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a 5G system or an NR system, but those skilled in the art will understand its meaning. The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application may be applicable to LTE systems, 5G NR systems, and subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR systems (e.g., B5G (Beyond 5G) systems, 6G systems (6th Generation System, sixth generation mobile communication systems)), and other communication systems such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) systems, which are not limited in this application.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can provide services for a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (for example, frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) on the carrier used by the cell. The cell can be a cell corresponding to the network device (for example, a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cells here may include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0043] Before introducing the technical solutions of this application, we first introduce and explain some of the relevant technical knowledge involved in this application. The following related technologies can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least part of the following contents.

[0044] 1. Introduction to A-IOT

[0045] The Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) refers to a new type of wireless communication system that is largely self-sufficient by using energy from the environment. It is an ecosystem for connecting and automating a large number of objects and devices, each of which is connected using low-cost, self-powered sensor nodes to form wireless sensor network devices.

[0046] As a key mechanism for powering the Ambient IoT, energy harvesting is relied upon, eliminating the need for cables to power or recharge batteries in mobile devices and smart objects. Vibrations from equipment, machinery, and buildings, as well as propagation of radio signals in the surrounding environment, can be used to generate electricity.

[0047] Here are two possible standardized A-IOT topologies for 5G network devices:

[0048] In Topology 1, the Ambient IoT device directly and bidirectionally communicates with a base station. The communication between the base station and the ambient IoT device includes Ambient IoT data and / or signaling. This topology includes the possibility that the BS transmitting to the Ambient IoT device is a different from the BS receiving from the Ambient IoT device.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, in Topology 1, Ambient IoT devices 210 communicate directly and bidirectionally with network devices 220. Communications between the network devices and the Ambient IoT devices include Ambient IoT data and / or signaling. This topology allows for the possibility that the base station (BS) used to send data to the Ambient IoT devices may be different from the base station (BS) used to receive data from the Ambient IoT devices.

[0050] In Topology 2, the Ambient IoT device communicates bidirectionally with an intermediate node between the device and basestation. In this topology, the intermediate node can be a relay, IAB node, UE, repeater, etc. which is capable of Ambient IoT.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, in Topology 2, Ambient IoT devices 310 communicate bidirectionally with intermediate nodes 330 between devices and network devices 320. In this topology, intermediate nodes can be relays, Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) nodes, UEs, repeaters, and more, enabling the Ambient IoT. Intermediate nodes transmit Ambient IoT data and / or signaling between base stations (BSs) and Ambient IoT devices.

[0052] In Topology 3, the Ambient IoT device transmits data / signalling to a basestation, and receives data / signalling from the assisting node; or the Ambient IoT device receives data / signalling from a basestation and transmits data / signalling to the assisting node.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, in Topology 3, A-IoT device 410 sends data / signaling to network device 420 and receives data / signaling from assisting node 430; alternatively, A-IoT device 410 receives data / signaling from network device 420 and transmits the data / signaling to assisting node 430. In this topology, assisting nodes can be relays, IABs, UEs, repeaters, etc., which enable the A-IoT. This type of topology is primarily designed to address the problem of insufficient uplink transmission coverage for A-IoT devices, utilizing assisting nodes to send uplink signals to network devices.

[0054] The following two scenarios are identified in the related technology:

[0055] Deployment scenario 1 with Topology 1 (Indoor)

[0056] ○ Basestation and coexistence characteristics: Micro-cell, co-site (network equipment and coexistence characteristics: micro-cell, co-site)

[0057] Deployment scenario 2 with Topology 2 and UE as intermediate node, under network control (network equipment is outdoors, tags are indoors, and their communications are relayed through intermediate nodes)

[0058] ○ Basestation and coexistence characteristics: Macro-cell, co-site (network equipment and coexistence characteristics: macro cell, co-site)

[0059] ○ The location of the intermediate node is indoor

[0060] 2. A-IOT device types

[0061] i.~1μW peak power consumption,has energy storage,initial sampling frequency offset(SFO)up to 10 X ppm, neither DL nor UL amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission is backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally. / / Worst capability (~1 μW peak power consumption with energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, neither DL nor UL amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission is backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally.)

[0062] ii.≤a few hundredμW peak power consumption 1 ,has energy storage,initial sampling frequency offset (SFO)up to 10 Xppm, both DL and / or UL amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission may be generated internally by the device, or be backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally. / / Best-in-class capabilities (≤ several hundred μW peak power consumption1, with energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, DL (DownLink) and / or UL (UpLink) amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission may be generated internally by the device, or be backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally.)

[0063] Traffic types: DO-DTT & DT with focus on rUC1 (indoor inventory) and rUC4 (indoor command).

[0064] DO-DTT: Data transmission generated by terminal devices triggered by downlink signaling of terminal devices

[0065] DT: Downlink signaling for terminal devices

[0066] 4. NR uplink synchronization mechanism

[0067] After achieving downlink synchronization via the PSS / SSS, the UE needs to access the network device (gNodeB) through the RACH (Random Access Channel) process (random access procedure). When sending msg1, the network device has not yet achieved uplink synchronization with the UE. To facilitate subsequent reception of terminal signals by the network device, after receiving msg1, the network device first sends msg2 containing a Timing Advance Command to the terminal device. This allows different UEs to send uplink data in advance of their dedicated TAs, ensuring that uplink data from different UEs reaches the gNB together.

[0068] 5. NR downlink synchronization mechanism

[0069] The 5G NR air interface periodically transmits the PSS / SSS to synchronize the terminal device with the network equipment for downlink transmission. This is the process in which the UE detects the radio frame boundary (i.e., the exact timing when a radio frame starts) and OFDM symbol boundary (i.e., the exact timing when an OFDM symbol starts).

[0070] In 5G NR, the PSS / SSS and the PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) containing the MIB (Master Information Block) together form an SSB (Synchronization Signaling Block). After locking onto the PSS and SSS, the terminal device attempts to decode the PBCH information. In addition to the MIB information, the PBCH also contains the following information:

[0071] The low-order 4-bit frame number information, combined with the high-order 6-bit frame number information in the MIB, can be used to derive the frame number of the current frame.

[0072] ●Half-frame information, indicating whether the current frame is the first half-frame or the second half-frame.

[0073] ●The upper 3 bits of SSB index (when the maximum SSBA index = 64); otherwise, the upper 1 bit of Kssb (determines the SSB and ) between the two.

[0074] 6. SSS

[0075] SSS is a specific physical layer signal that is used for radio frame synchronization. It has characteristics as listed below.

[0076] Mapped to 127 active sub carriers around the center of SSB block located at subcarriers 56 to 182

[0077] Placed at the third OFDM symbol (symbol 2) within a SSB Burst

[0078] Made up of 127 m-Sequence Values

[0079] Used for Downlink Frame Synchronization

[0080] t has 336 different code sequences

[0081] One of the critical factors determining Physical Cell ID

[0082] 7. PSS

[0083] PSS is a specific physical layer signal that is used for radio frame synchronization. It has characterstics as listed below.

[0084] Mapped to 127 active sub carriers around the center of SSB block located at subcarriers 56 to 182

[0085] Placed at the first OFDM symbol (symbol 0) within a SSB Burst

[0086] Made up of 127 m-Sequence Values

[0087] Used for Downlink Frame Synchronization

[0088] One of the critical factors determining Physical Cell ID

[0089] It has 3 different code sequences

[0090] SSS: Secondary Synchronization Signal: It has 336 different code sequences

[0091] So there will be a total of 3*336=1008 possible code sequences

[0092] This value will determine PCI Physical Cell Identity

[0093] The PSS is the first physical signal a terminal device uses to wirelessly access the NR system. Once a terminal device successfully decodes the PSS, it can achieve symbol-level time synchronization, knowing the symbol length. Leveraging prior knowledge of the SSB's time-frequency structure, it also naturally determines which symbol the SSS and MIB messages reside on. At this point, the terminal device cannot yet achieve slot or frame synchronization. In addition to obtaining PSS and SSS timing information, the terminal device can also calculate the cell's PCI. The PCI calculation method is the same as for LTE, except that the PCI capacity has doubled to 1008.

[0094] 8. RFID Query Process

[0095] Exemplarily, the RFID Query process is shown in FIG5 .

[0096] 1. The interrogator selects a specific group through select signaling.

[0097] 2. The Interrogator sends a Query message after a certain period of time (indicating that a specific group or a specific UE is selected and contains a Q value).

[0098] 3. The tag randomly selects a value from the received (0, 2Q-1). The tag with a value of 0 sends RN16 to the network device after a certain period of time.

[0099] 4. If the network device receives RN16 correctly, it sends an ACK to the tag.

[0100] 5. The tag sends the tag ID information to the network device.

[0101] 6. The network device sends a QueryRep (query repetition) message to the terminal device, with the random number held by all terminal devices minus 1. Then, returning to step 3, the network device resends the Query signaling.

[0102] 9. Potential mechanisms for A-IOT synchronization

[0103] In future 5G NR systems supporting A-IoT, the periodic PSS / SSS signals to help terminal devices synchronize with network equipment may not be present. If a synchronization signal does not arrive for a long time after the network device sends a query message, it will be difficult for the terminal device to perform subsequent uplink transmissions at the appropriate time. Therefore, the network device will need to send the synchronization signal after a certain interval between the signaling it sends. In this case, how terminal devices should determine whether they are in a synchronized state requires further discussion and research.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 6, which shows a flow chart of a clock synchronization method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method is executed by a first device and includes the following step 610.

[0105] Step 610: The first device receives a synchronization signal. After receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0106] Accordingly, the second device sends a synchronization signal.

[0107] In some embodiments, after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device considers itself to be in a clock synchronization state. In some embodiments, when the first device is in the clock synchronization state, the first device may send an uplink signal based on its own needs or according to instructions from a network device. In some embodiments, the uplink signal may be a data signal carrying data or a control signal carrying signaling, which is not limited in this application.

[0108] In some embodiments, the clock synchronization state refers to the first device being in a downlink synchronization state.

[0109] In some embodiments, the clock synchronization state refers to the first device being in an uplink and downlink synchronization state.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal device, and the second device is a network device. In some embodiments, the second device may also be a relay device between the terminal device and the network device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the first device is an A-IOT device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node communicating with the A-IOT device. In some embodiments, due to the inherent characteristics of the A-IOT device, the distance between the first device and the second device is relatively close, and the transmission delay is small and negligible. Therefore, it can be assumed that if the first device and the second device are in a downlink synchronization state, the first device and the second device are also in an uplink synchronization state.

[0112] In some embodiments, the first device considers itself to be in a clock-synchronized state for a period of time after receiving a synchronization signal. In some embodiments, the first device can determine whether it is in a clock-synchronized state independently or based on signaling sent by a network device. In some embodiments, the first device is said to be in a clock-out state if it is not in a clock-synchronized state with the second device.

[0113] Solution 1: The first device determines whether it is in clock synchronization state

[0114] In some embodiments, the first device can determine whether it is still in clock synchronization with the second device based on a timer. For example, the first device starts a timer after receiving a synchronization signal. While the timer is running, the first device considers itself to be in clock synchronization with the second device. After the timer expires, the first device desynchronizes its clock with the second device.

[0115] In some embodiments, the method further includes the following step 620 .

[0116] Step 620: After receiving the synchronization signal, the first device starts a timer. During the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0117] In some embodiments, after the timer expires, the first device and the second device are not in a clock synchronization state.

[0118] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer is configured by the network device. For example, the network device carries the timer configuration information when sending a synchronization signal. In some embodiments, the timer configuration information may include at least one of the following: the timer start time, the timer duration, the timer end time, and the timer start condition.

[0119] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol.

[0120] In some embodiments, the length of the timer is determined based on the capabilities of the first device.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first device sends capability information to the second device, the capability information including the capabilities of the first device. In some embodiments, the second device determines the duration of the timer based on the capability information. In some embodiments, the terminal device determines the duration of the timer based on its own capabilities.

[0122] In some embodiments, the method further includes the following step 630 .

[0123] Step 630: During the timer running or after the timer expires, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the timer is reset.

[0124] In some embodiments, resetting the timer means resetting the state of the timer to the initial state. In other words, after resetting the timer, the timer restarts. For example, the timer duration is 15 seconds. When the timer starts running from 0 to the 10th second, the first device receives the synchronization signal again, and the first device resets the timer, and the timer starts running from 0 again.

[0125] Solution 2: Determine whether the network device is in clock synchronization state based on the signaling sent by the network device

[0126] In some embodiments, the method further includes the following step 640 .

[0127] Step 640: The first device receives a synchronization release signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in a clock synchronization state.

[0128] Accordingly, the second device sends a synchronization release signal.

[0129] In some embodiments, after receiving the synchronization release signal, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state again.

[0130] In some embodiments, the synchronization release signal is used to instruct the first device to release the clock synchronization state. After the first device receives the synchronization release signal, the first device determines that it is no longer in clock synchronization with the second device. After receiving the synchronization signal, until the first device receives the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device remain in clock synchronization.

[0131] In some embodiments, the above two solutions can also be combined to obtain the following solution. In some embodiments, the first device receives a synchronization signal and starts a timer. During the timer, if the first device receives a synchronization release signal, the timer is paused, and the first device is desynchronized from the clock state with the second device. During the timer, if the first device does not receive a synchronization release signal, the first device is desynchronized from the clock state with the second device when the timer expires.

[0132] In some embodiments, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device calibrates the clock synchronization with the second device.

[0133] In some embodiments, the method further includes the following step 650 .

[0134] Step 650: After the first device receives the synchronization signal again, calibrate the clock synchronization between the first device and the second device.

[0135] In some embodiments, due to the time delay associated with communication between a first device and a second device, it is necessary to calibrate the clock synchronization between the first and second devices to achieve time and frequency synchronization between the first and second devices and ensure communication stability. In some embodiments, the synchronization signal includes the clock information of the second device, and the first device calibrates the clock information locally maintained by the first device based on the clock information of the second device. In some embodiments, the synchronization signal can be SSB, PSS, and / or SSS. In some embodiments, the first device receives the synchronization signal, determines the location of the synchronization signal, and then calibrates the clock synchronization based on the location of the synchronization signal.

[0136] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application provides a method for a first device to determine whether it is in a clock synchronization state, so that the first device can determine whether it can send an uplink signal based on the clock synchronization situation, and can effectively avoid conflicts between uplink signals of different first devices, causing interference between uplink signals, thereby improving the capacity of the communication system.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the first device is in a clock synchronization state, the first device may send communication information to the second device. In this regard, the present application provides exemplary embodiments.

[0138] In some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following steps 660 to 670 .

[0139] Step 660: When the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state, the first device sends communication information to the second device.

[0140] In some embodiments, the communication information may be data information carrying data, or control information carrying signaling, which is not limited in this application.

[0141] In some embodiments, the communication information may be sent on reserved resources or may be sent using a backscattering method.

[0142] In some embodiments, the communication information is sent on reserved resources. In some embodiments, the reserved resources are indicated by information carrying a synchronization signal. In some embodiments, illustratively, a first device receives fourth information sent by a second device, the fourth information carrying synchronization information and first indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate the reserved resources. In some embodiments, the second device allocates different reserved resources to different first devices to reduce interference between communication information sent by different first devices.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate at least one reserved resource, and the first device independently determines a resource from the at least one reserved resource for sending communication information. Exemplarily, the first device selects a resource from the at least one reserved resource that is closest to the current moment in time as the resource for sending communication information. Exemplarily, the first device randomly selects a resource from the at least one reserved resource as the resource for sending communication information.

[0144] In some embodiments, the communication information is backscattered and transmitted at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by spectrum shifting a frequency on a first carrier received by the first device.

[0145] In some embodiments, the communication information is backscattered transmitted at a second frequency, the second frequency being the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first carrier may or may not carry information, and this application does not limit this. In some embodiments, if the first carrier carries information, the information carried in the first carrier may or may not be valid information, and this application does not limit this. In some embodiments, valid information refers to information that the first device can correctly receive and decode. Exemplarily, if the identification information indicated in the information carried on the first carrier is the identification information of the first device, then for the first device, the information carried on the first carrier is valid information; if the identification information indicated in the information carried on the first carrier is not the identification information of the first device, then for the first device, the information carried on the first carrier is not valid information.

[0147] In some embodiments, backscatter communication utilizes the principle of RF signal backscattering to design extremely low-power modulation and transmission technology, which is suitable for IoT nodes that harvest ambient energy.

[0148] In some embodiments, spectrum shifting involves shifting the modulated signal from a low-frequency end to a high-frequency end at the transmitter to facilitate antenna transmission or enable frequency division multiplexing of different signal sources and systems. Spectrum shifting essentially generates the sum frequency (w1+w2) and / or difference frequency (w1-w2) of two signals at different frequencies (w1, w2).

[0149] Step 670: After receiving the response information for the communication information, the first device sends the identification information of the first device to the second device.

[0150] In some embodiments, the response information may be ACK (Acknowledgment Packet) information for the communication information, or NACK (Negative Acknowledgment Packet) information for the communication information, which is not limited in this application.

[0151] In some embodiments, after receiving ACK information for the communication information, the first device sends identification information of the first device to the second device.

[0152] In some embodiments, after receiving NACK information for the communication information, the first device sends the communication information to the second device again.

[0153] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency on a second carrier received by the first device.

[0154] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device.

[0155] In some embodiments, the second carrier may be a carrier that carries response information, or may be a carrier that does not carry response information, which is not limited in this application.

[0156] In some embodiments, the communication information may be second information sent by the first device, where the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device. Next, the query process for the first device will be described using an RFID as an example. In some embodiments, the query process may include at least one of the following steps 1 to 3.

[0157] Step 1: A first device receives first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value.

[0158] Step 2: The first device randomly determines a first value based on the Q value.

[0159] Step 3: When the first value is 0, the first device sends second information to the second device, where the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first message is a Query message. In some embodiments, after a first device receives a valid Query message, each selected first device that meets the specified criteria generates a random number (similar to rolling a dice). Each tag whose random number is zero will generate a response (sending back a temporary password RN16, a 16-bit random number) and transition to the Reply state. First devices that meet other conditions will change certain attributes and flags, thereby exiting the aforementioned first device group, which helps reduce duplicate identification.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first information carries the above-mentioned set standard. In some embodiments, the first information carries synchronization information. In some embodiments, after the first device receives the first information, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first device randomly selects a value in the range of (0, 2Q-1) as the first value.

[0163] In some embodiments, the temporary identification information may be a random number. For example, the temporary identification information is RN16, a 16-bit random number.

[0164] In some embodiments, if the first values ​​corresponding to two first devices are the same, the second device sends fourth information to the first device. The fourth information is used to configure a new Q value. The first information is used to redetermine the first value based on the new Q value.

[0165] In some embodiments, after receiving the second information, the second device sends a response message. In some embodiments, the response message may use the temporary identification information included in the second information to indicate that the response message is for the first device. In a scenario where there are multiple first devices, the response message corresponding to one of the first devices is identified using the temporary identification information of the first device, and the response message cannot be parsed and read by other first devices.

[0166] In some embodiments, the process further includes at least one of the following steps 4 to 5.

[0167] Step 4: When the first value is greater than 0, after receiving the third information sent by the second device, the first device subtracts 1 from the first value to obtain an updated first value, and the third information is used to trigger the update of the first value.

[0168] Step 5: When the updated first value is 0, the first device executes the step of sending second information to the second device.

[0169] In some embodiments, the third information is a QueryRep message. In some embodiments, after the first device receives a valid QueryRep message, the original random number of each first device in the first device group is reduced by one, and the rest is the same as the Query message.

[0170] In some embodiments, during a transmission opportunity, if the first value is greater than 0, after receiving the third information sent by the second device, the first device subtracts 1 from the first value to obtain an updated first value. In some embodiments, if the first value fails to update to 0 within the configured transmission opportunity, the second device sends a fourth information to the first device, which configures a new Q value. The Q value included in the fourth information is different from the Q value included in the first information. In some embodiments, the fourth information may be QueryAdjust information. In some embodiments, the first information also includes a first threshold, which is the number of configured transmission opportunities. In some embodiments, the first threshold may be configured by the network device, preconfigured or predefined, or determined by the first device based on its own capabilities, which is not limited in this application. For example, the first threshold is 6, indicating that the first device has 6 transmission opportunities. In other words, the maximum value of the first value of the first device is 5. If the first value is greater than 5, the first device will not be able to send the second information during these 6 transmission opportunities. In this case, the second device will send the fourth information to the first device.

[0171] Through the above method, the first device can determine whether to send an uplink signal based on the clock synchronization situation, thereby achieving communication between the first device and the second device.

[0172] In view of the method provided in the above embodiment, the present application also provides several exemplary embodiments in combination with actual situations. Next, an exemplary description will be given by taking the first device as the target tag and the second device as the base station as an example.

[0173] 1. When the first device is in clock synchronization state, the first device can send communication information to the second device

[0174] 1. The first device determines whether it is in clock synchronization state based on the timer

[0175] Please refer to FIG7 , which shows a flow chart of a clock synchronization method provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0176] At time 1, the target Tag and Tag1 respectively receive query information sent by the base station. The query information includes a Q value and a synchronization signal. At this time, the target Tag and Tag1 both believe that they are in clock synchronization with the base station, that is, both start the timer. The first threshold is 6. In this case, the target Tag and Tag1 both meet the set standards, and the two determine their corresponding first values ​​based on the Q value. The first value corresponding to the target Tag is 3, while the first value corresponding to Tag1 is 0. Therefore, Tag1 sends RN16 to the base station. After the base station receives the RN16 sent by Tag1, it sends an ACK message to Tag1. The ACK message carries a synchronization signal. This ACK message is only valid for Tag1, so Tag1 resets the timer at time 2. The response message is invalid for the target Tag, so the target Tag does not reset the timer at time 2. After receiving the ACK message, Tag1 sends the Tag ID to the base station. The above process is completed at transmission opportunity 1.

[0177] Because the target tag did not reset the timer at time 2, after the timer expires, the target tag believes that it has lost clock synchronization with the base station. Until the base station sends a synchronization signal to the target tag and Tag1 again at time 3, the target tag and Tag1 start the timer again. This process occurs during transmission opportunity 3. During transmission opportunity 3, the first value corresponding to the target tag is 1. Until transmission opportunity 3 ends and transmission opportunity 4 begins, the first value corresponding to the target tag is updated to 0. At this time, the target tag sends RN16 to the base station. The base station sends ACK information to the target tag at time 4. This ACK information is only valid for the target tag. Therefore, the target tag resets the timer at time 4, while Tag1 does not reset the timer at time 4. After receiving the ACK information, the target tag sends the Tag ID to the base station.

[0178] 2. The first device determines whether it is in clock synchronization state based on the signaling sent by the network device

[0179] Please refer to FIG8 , which shows a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0180] At time 1, the target Tag and Tag1 respectively receive query information sent by the base station. The query information includes the Q value and the synchronization signal. At this time, the target Tag and Tag1 both believe that they are in clock synchronization with the base station. The first threshold is 6. In this case, both the target Tag and Tag1 meet the set standards, and the two determine their corresponding first values ​​based on the Q value. The first value corresponding to the target Tag is 3, while the first value corresponding to Tag1 is 0. Therefore, Tag1 sends RN16 to the base station. After the base station receives the RN16 sent by Tag1, it sends an ACK message to Tag1. The ACK message carries a synchronization signal. This ACK message is only valid for Tag1. After receiving the ACK message, Tag1 sends the Tag ID to the base station. The above process is completed at transmission opportunity 1.

[0181] Until the base station sends a synchronization signal to the target tag again at time 2. This process occurs during transmission opportunity 3. During transmission opportunity 3, the first value corresponding to the target tag is 1. Until transmission opportunity 3 ends and transmission opportunity 4 begins, the first value corresponding to the target tag is updated to 0. At this time, the target tag sends RN16 to the base station, and the base station sends an ACK message to the target tag. This ACK message is only valid for the target tag. After receiving the ACK message, the target tag sends the Tag ID to the base station.

[0182] In the above process, neither the target Tag nor Tag1 receives the synchronization release signal sent by the base station, so the target Tag and Tag1 are always in the clock synchronization state.

[0183] 2. If the first device is not in clock synchronization with the second device, the first device cannot send communication information to the second device.

[0184] 1. The first device determines whether it is in clock synchronization state based on the timer

[0185] Please refer to FIG9 , which shows a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0186] At time 1, the target Tag and Tag1 respectively receive query information sent by the base station. The query information includes a Q value and a synchronization signal. At this time, the target Tag and Tag1 both believe that they are in clock synchronization with the base station, that is, both start the timer. The first threshold is 6. In this case, the target Tag and Tag1 both meet the set standards, and the two determine their corresponding first values ​​based on the Q value. The first value corresponding to the target Tag is 3, while the first value corresponding to Tag1 is 0. Therefore, Tag1 sends RN16 to the base station. After the base station receives the RN16 sent by Tag1, it sends an ACK message to Tag1. The ACK message carries a synchronization signal. This ACK message is only valid for Tag1, so Tag1 resets the timer at time 2. The response message is invalid for the target Tag, so the target Tag does not reset the timer at time 2. After receiving the ACK message, Tag1 sends the Tag ID to the base station. The above process is completed at transmission opportunity 1.

[0187] Because the target tag did not reset the timer at time 2, after the timer expires, the target tag believes that its clock synchronization with the base station has been lost. Until the end of transmission opportunity 4, the target tag has not received the synchronization signal sent by the base station. At this time, although the first value corresponding to the target tag is updated to 0, the target tag and the base station are not in clock synchronization, so the target tag cannot send RN16 to the base station.

[0188] 2. The first device determines whether it is in clock synchronization state based on the signaling sent by the network device

[0189] Please refer to FIG10 , which shows a flowchart of a clock synchronization method provided by another embodiment of the present application.

[0190] At time 1, the target Tag and Tag1 respectively receive query information sent by the base station. The query information includes the Q value and the synchronization signal. At this time, the target Tag and Tag1 both believe that they are in clock synchronization with the base station. The first threshold is 6. In this case, both the target Tag and Tag1 meet the set standards, and the two determine their corresponding first values ​​based on the Q value. The first value corresponding to the target Tag is 3, while the first value corresponding to Tag1 is 0. Therefore, Tag1 sends RN16 to the base station. After the base station receives the RN16 sent by Tag1, it sends an ACK message to Tag1. The ACK message carries a synchronization signal. This ACK message is only valid for Tag1. After receiving the ACK message, Tag1 sends the Tag ID to the base station. The above process is completed at transmission opportunity 1.

[0191] Until the base station sends a synchronization release signal to the target Tag and Tag1 at time 2, the target Tag and Tag1 are both desynchronized from the base station's clock. This process occurs at transmission opportunity 3. Until the end of transmission opportunity 4, the target Tag has not received the synchronization signal sent by the base station. At this time, although the first value corresponding to the target Tag is updated to 0, the target Tag and the base station are not in clock synchronization. Therefore, the target Tag cannot send RN16 to the base station.

[0192] In the above method embodiments, the technical solution of this application is described only from the perspective of the interaction between the first device and the second device. The above steps performed by the first device can be independently implemented as a clock synchronization method on the first device side, and the above steps performed by the second device can be independently implemented as a clock synchronization method on the second device side. In addition, the embodiments provided herein can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments, which are all within the scope of protection of this application.

[0193] The following are device embodiments of the present application, which can be used to implement the method embodiments of the present application. For details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present application, please refer to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0194] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows a block diagram of a clock synchronization device provided by one embodiment of the present application. This device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned example of the clock synchronization method. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. This device can be the first device described above, or it can be provided in the first device. As shown in Figure 11, the device 1100 may include: a receiving module 1110.

[0195] The receiving module 1110 is configured to receive a synchronization signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0196] In some embodiments, the device further includes a processing module (not shown).

[0197] The processing module is configured to start a timer after receiving the synchronization signal, and during the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

[0198] In some embodiments, after the timer expires, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

[0199] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to reset the timer if the synchronization signal is received again during the operation of the timer or after the timer times out.

[0200] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or,

[0201] The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or,

[0202] The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

[0203] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1110 is further configured to receive a synchronization release signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

[0204] In some embodiments, after receiving the synchronization release signal, if the synchronization signal is received again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

[0205] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to calibrate clock synchronization with the second device after receiving the synchronization signal again.

[0206] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a sending module (not shown in the figure).

[0207] The sending module is configured to send communication information to the second device when the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

[0208] In some embodiments, the communication information is sent on reserved resources; or,

[0209] The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or

[0210] The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device;

[0211] The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

[0212] In some embodiments, the sending module is further configured to send identification information of the first device to the second device after receiving response information for the communication information.

[0213] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; or

[0214] The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device;

[0215] The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

[0216] In some embodiments, the receiving module is further configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value;

[0217] The processing module is configured to randomly determine a first value based on the Q value;

[0218] The sending module is configured to send second information to the second device when the first value is 0, where the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

[0219] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to, when the first value is greater than 0, subtract 1 from the first value after receiving third information sent by the second device to obtain an updated first value, wherein the third information is used to trigger an update of the first value;

[0220] The sending module is further configured to, when the updated first value is 0, execute the step of sending the second information to the second device.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

[0222] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application provides a method for a first device to determine whether it is in a clock synchronization state, so that the first device can determine whether it can send an uplink signal based on the clock synchronization situation, and can effectively avoid conflicts between uplink signals of different first devices, causing interference between uplink signals, thereby improving the capacity of the communication system.

[0223] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a block diagram of a clock synchronization device provided by one embodiment of the present application. This device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned example of the clock synchronization method. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. This device can be the second device described above, or it can be provided in the second device. As shown in Figure 12, the device 1200 may include: a sending module 1210.

[0224] The sending module 1210 is configured to send a synchronization signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0225] In some embodiments, during the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state, and the timer is started by the first device after receiving the synchronization signal.

[0226] In some embodiments, after the timer expires, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

[0227] In some embodiments, during the running of the timer or after the timer expires, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the timer is reset by the first device.

[0228] In some embodiments, the duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or,

[0229] The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or,

[0230] The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

[0231] In some embodiments, the sending module 1210 is further configured to send a synchronization release signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

[0232] In some embodiments, after the first device receives the synchronization release signal, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

[0233] In some embodiments, after the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device calibrates clock synchronization with the second device.

[0234] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a receiving module (not shown in the figure).

[0235] The receiving module is configured to receive communication information sent by the first device when the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

[0236] In some embodiments, the communication information is sent on reserved resources; or,

[0237] The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or

[0238] The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device;

[0239] The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

[0240] In some embodiments, the receiving module is further configured to receive identification information of the first device sent by the first device after sending response information for the communication information.

[0241] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a second carrier received by the first device; or

[0242] The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device;

[0243] The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

[0244] In some embodiments, the sending module 1210 is further configured to send first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value, where the Q value is used to randomly determine a first value;

[0245] The receiving module is configured to receive second information, where the second information is sent by the first device when the first value is 0, and the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

[0246] In some embodiments, the sending module 1210 is further configured to send third information, where the third information is configured to trigger an update of the first value.

[0247] In some embodiments, the first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

[0248] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application provides a method for a first device to determine whether it is in a clock synchronization state, so that the first device can determine whether it can send an uplink signal based on the clock synchronization situation, and can effectively avoid conflicts between uplink signals of different first devices, causing interference between uplink signals, thereby improving the capacity of the communication system.

[0249] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0250] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0251] Please refer to Figure 13, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a first device provided by one embodiment of the present application. The first device 1300 may include: a radio frequency energy collection module 1301, a backscatter communication module 1302, a low-power computing module 1303, and a sensor module 1304. The backscatter communication module 1302 is used to implement a transmission or reception function, such as the functions of the aforementioned receiving module 1110 or transmitting module, and the low-power computing module 1303 may be used to implement other processing functions or control transmission and / or reception, such as the functions of the aforementioned processing module.

[0252] The RF energy harvesting module 1301 harvests electromagnetic wave energy from space based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, thereby obtaining the energy required to operate the first device, such as for driving the low-power demodulation and modulation modules, sensors, and memory reading. Therefore, the first device does not require a traditional battery.

[0253] The first device receives a wireless signal sent by a network device, modulates the wireless signal, loads the information to be transmitted, and radiates the modulated signal from an antenna. This information transmission process is called backscatter communication. In some embodiments, the backscatter communication module 1302 is configured to receive a synchronization signal. After receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in clock synchronization.

[0254] The low-power computing module 1303 can perform preliminary processing on the data collected by the sensor 1304 using relatively low power consumption.

[0255] Sensor 1304 is used to collect environmental data.

[0256] For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0257] Please refer to Figure 14, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a second device provided in one embodiment of the present application. The second device 1400 may include: a processor 1401, a transceiver 1402, and a memory 1403. The transceiver 1402 is used to implement the functions of the aforementioned sending module 1210 or receiving module, and the processor 1401 may be used to implement other processing functions or control transmission and / or reception, such as implementing the functions of the aforementioned processing module.

[0258] The processor 1401 includes one or more processing cores, and executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules. The processor 1401 is used to execute the other steps except the sending and receiving steps performed by the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0259] Transceiver 1402 may include a receiver and a transmitter. For example, the receiver and transmitter may be implemented as the same wireless communication component, which may include a wireless communication chip and a radio frequency antenna. Transceiver 1402 is configured to perform the sending and / or receiving steps performed by the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0260] The memory 1403 may be connected to the processor 1401 and the transceiver 1402 .

[0261] The memory 1403 may be used to store a computer program executed by the processor, and the processor 1401 is used to execute the computer program to implement each step in the above method embodiment.

[0262] In addition, the memory can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, static access memory, read-only memory, magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory.

[0263] In some embodiments, the transceiver 1402 is configured to send a synchronization signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

[0264] For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0265] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the clock synchronization method on the first device side mentioned above, or to implement the clock synchronization method on the second device side mentioned above. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may include: ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drives) or optical disks, etc. Among them, random access memory may include ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0266] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip is running, it is used to implement the clock synchronization method on the first device side mentioned above, or to implement the clock synchronization method on the second device side mentioned above.

[0267] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program, which is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method on the first device side, or to implement the above-mentioned clock synchronization method on the second device side.

[0268] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0269] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0270] In some embodiments of the present application, "predefined" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., including the first device and the AP), and the present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0271] In some embodiments of the present application, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, a NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and this application does not limit this.

[0272] In this document, "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects.

[0273] The term “greater than or equal to” mentioned herein may mean greater than or equal to, or greater than, and the term “less than or equal to” may mean less than or equal to, or less than.

[0274] In addition, the step numbers described in this document only illustrate a possible execution order between the steps. In some other embodiments, the above steps may also be executed in a non-numbered order, such as two steps with different numbers are executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers are executed in the opposite order to that shown in the figure. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0276] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A clock synchronization method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a first device, and includes: A synchronization signal is received, wherein after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: After receiving the synchronization signal, a timer is started. During the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that After the timer times out, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the running of the timer or after the timer times out, if the synchronization signal is received again, the timer is reset.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or, The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or, The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After receiving the synchronization signal, the method further includes: A synchronization release signal is received, wherein after receiving the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that After receiving the synchronization release signal, if the synchronization signal is received again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

8. The method according to claim 4 or 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: After receiving the synchronization signal again, the clock synchronization between the device and the second device is calibrated.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state, communication information is sent to the second device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The communication information is sent on the reserved resources; or, The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device; The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that After sending the communication information to the second device, the method further includes: After receiving response information for the communication information, the identification information of the first device is sent to the second device.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; or The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value; randomly determining a first value based on the Q value; When the first value is 0, second information is sent to the second device, where the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first value is greater than 0, after receiving third information sent by the second device, subtract 1 from the first value to obtain an updated first value, and the third information is used to trigger the update of the first value; When the updated first value is 0, the step of sending the second information to the second device is performed.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

16. A clock synchronization method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a second device, and includes: A synchronization signal is sent, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that During the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state, and the timer is started by the first device after receiving the synchronization signal.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that After the timer times out, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that During the running of the timer or after the timer times out, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the timer is reset by the first device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that The duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or, The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or, The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein After sending the synchronization signal, the method further includes: A synchronization release signal is sent, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that After the first device receives the synchronization release signal, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

23. The method according to claim 19 or 22, characterized in that After the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device calibrates clock synchronization with the second device.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state, communication information sent by the first device is received.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The communication information is sent on the reserved resources; or, The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device; The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that After receiving the communication information sent by the first device, the method further includes: After sending response information for the communication information, identification information of the first device sent by the first device is received.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; or The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value, where the Q value is used to randomly determine a first value; Second information is received, where the second information is sent by the first device when the first value is 0, and the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending third information, where the third information is used to trigger updating of the first value.

30. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 29, characterized in that The first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

31. A clock synchronization device, characterized in that: The device comprises: The receiving module is configured to receive a synchronization signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in Clock synchronization status.

32. The device according to claim 31, characterized in that The device further comprises: The processing module is configured to start a timer after receiving the synchronization signal, and during the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

33. The device according to claim 32, characterized in that After the timer times out, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

34. The device according to claim 32 or 33, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to reset the timer if the synchronization signal is received again during the operation of the timer or after the timer times out.

35. The device according to any one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that The duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or, The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or, The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

36. The device according to claim 31, characterized in that The receiving module is further configured to receive a synchronization release signal, wherein after receiving the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

37. The device according to claim 36, characterized in that After receiving the synchronization release signal, if the synchronization signal is received again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

38. The device according to claim 34 or 37, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to calibrate clock synchronization with the second device after receiving the synchronization signal again.

39. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 38, characterized in that The device further comprises: A sending module is used to send communication information to the second device when the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

40. The device according to claim 39, characterized in that The communication information is sent on the reserved resources; or, The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device; The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

41. The device according to claim 39 or 40, characterized in that The sending module is further configured to send the identification information of the first device to the second device after receiving response information for the communication information.

42. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; or The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

43. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 42, characterized in that The device further comprises: a processing module and a sending module; The receiving module is further configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value; The processing module is configured to randomly determine a first value based on the Q value; The sending module is configured to send second information to the second device when the first value is 0, where the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to, when the first value is greater than 0, subtract 1 from the first value after receiving third information sent by the second device to obtain an updated first value, wherein the third information is used to trigger an update of the first value; The sending module is further configured to, when the updated first value is 0, execute the step of sending the second information to the second device.

45. The device according to any one of claims 31 to 44, characterized in that The first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

46. ​​A clock synchronization device, characterized in that: The device comprises: The sending module is used to send a synchronization signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization signal, the first device and the second device are in a clock synchronization state.

47. The device according to claim 45, characterized in that During the running time of the timer, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state, and the timer is started by the first device after receiving the synchronization signal.

48. The device according to claim 47, characterized in that After the timer times out, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

49. The device according to claim 47 or 48, characterized in that During the running of the timer or after the timer times out, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the timer is reset by the first device.

50. The device according to any one of claims 47 to 49, characterized in that The duration of the timer is configured by the network device; or, The duration of the timer is preconfigured according to the protocol; or, The duration of the timer is determined based on the capability of the first device.

51. The device according to claim 45, characterized in that The sending module is further configured to send a synchronization release signal, wherein after the first device receives the synchronization release signal, the first device and the second device are no longer in the clock synchronization state.

52. The device according to claim 51, characterized in that After the first device receives the synchronization release signal, if the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state again.

53. The device according to claim 49 or 52, characterized in that After the first device receives the synchronization signal again, the first device calibrates clock synchronization with the second device.

54. The device according to any one of claims 45 to 53, characterized in that The device further comprises: The receiving module is configured to receive communication information sent by the first device when the first device and the second device are in the clock synchronization state.

55. The device according to claim 54, characterized in that The communication information is sent on the reserved resources; or, The communication information is backscattered and sent at a first frequency, where the first frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on a frequency of a first carrier received by the first device; or The communication information is backscattered and sent at a second frequency, where the second frequency is the frequency of the first carrier received by the first device; The first carrier carries information, or the first carrier does not carry information.

56. The device according to claim 54 or 55, characterized in that The receiving module is further configured to receive identification information of the first device sent by the first device after sending response information for the communication information.

57. The device according to claim 56, characterized in that The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a third frequency, where the third frequency is determined by performing spectrum shifting on the frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; or The identification information of the first device is backscattered and sent on a fourth frequency, where the fourth frequency is a frequency of the second carrier received by the first device; The second carrier carries the response information, or the second carrier does not carry the response information.

58. The device according to any one of claims 45 to 57, characterized in that The device further includes: a receiving module; The sending module is further configured to send first information, where the first information is used to select a first device from a plurality of first devices, and the first information includes a Q value, where the Q value is used to randomly determine a first numerical value; The receiving module is configured to receive second information, where the second information is sent by the first device when the first value is 0, and the second information includes temporary identification information corresponding to the first device.

59. The device according to claim 58, characterized in that The sending module is further used to send third information, and the third information is used to trigger an update of the first value.

60. The device according to any one of claims 45 to 59, characterized in that The first device is an ambient Internet of Things (A-IOT) device, and the second device is a network device or an intermediate node that communicates with the A-IOT device.

61. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device includes a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or implements the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

62. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

63. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running, is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

64. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes computer instructions, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

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