Communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: receiving downlink information sent by a network device, a frame structure corresponding to the downlink information comprising a first unit, and the first unit carrying a signal for activating the terminal. The terminal is an Ambient Internet of Things (IoT) terminal. According to the method in the present disclosure, the Ambient IoT terminal can, on the basis of the frame structure of the downlink information, know an indication sent by the network device by means of the downlink information. For example, the terminal can be promptly activated on the basis of the signal carried by the first unit, so that the efficiency of communication between the terminal and a network device is improved.

Description

Communication method, terminal, network device, system and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium. Background Art

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

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Ambient-IoT terminals have different capabilities compared to other terminals, so a frame structure suitable for Ambient-IoT terminals is required.

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

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

[0007] Receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

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

[0009] Downlink information is sent to a terminal, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0010] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0011] A transceiver module is used to receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, which carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

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

[0013] A transceiver module is used to send downlink information to a terminal, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

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

[0015] one or more processors;

[0016] The terminal is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0017] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0018] one or more processors;

[0019] The network device is configured to implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0020] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including a terminal and a network device, wherein:

[0021] The terminal is configured to implement the method according to the first aspect;

[0022] The network device is configured to implement the method according to the second aspect.

[0023] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, wherein:

[0024] When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0025] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a program product, wherein:

[0026] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the Ambient IoT terminal can obtain the instructions sent by the network device through the downlink information based on the frame structure of the downlink information. For example, the terminal can be activated in time based on the signal carried by the first unit to improve the communication efficiency between the terminal and the network device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] 1a to 1b are exemplary schematic diagrams of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG2 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] 3a to 3b are exemplary flowcharts of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG4 is an exemplary flowchart of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG5a is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG5b is a schematic structural diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG6a is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG6 b is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

[0038] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0039] Receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the Ambient IoT terminal can obtain the instructions sent by the network device through the downlink information based on the frame structure of the downlink information. For example, the terminal can be activated in time based on the signal carried by the first unit to improve the communication efficiency between the terminal and the network device.

[0041] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first unit carries at least one of the following:

[0042] Activation signal;

[0043] Preamble sequence;

[0044] separator;

[0045] The signal used to activate the terminal is an activation signal or a preamble sequence;

[0046] The preamble sequence is used for terminal synchronization;

[0047] The separator is set after the time domain position of the activation signal, and / or the separator is set before the preamble sequence.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the terminal can be activated by either the activation signal in the first unit or the preamble sequence in the first unit, thereby improving the flexibility of the first unit structure.

[0049] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the activation signal includes a high-level symbol, or the activation signal includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the pattern or structure of the activation signal may include various forms, thereby indicating activation of the terminal in various forms.

[0051] In combination with the embodiment of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to a first duration; wherein the first duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the duration of the activation signal can meet the duration required for the terminal state transition, so that the terminal can have sufficient time to detect the activation signal and perform other reasonable operations.

[0053] In conjunction with the embodiment of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the second duration, and the duration of the spacer is greater than or equal to the third duration;

[0054] The second duration is the duration required for the terminal to successfully perform signal detection, and the third duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state after receiving an activation signal.

[0055] In the above embodiment, a spacer with a certain length can be designed to satisfy the state transition of the terminal after receiving the activation signal, so that the terminal can perform other reasonable operations at an appropriate time.

[0056] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is defined by a protocol; or, the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is configured by a network device.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the duration of the activation signal or the spacer may be indicated in various ways.

[0058] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the preamble code sequence is a signal for activating the terminal, the duration of the preamble code sequence is greater than or equal to a fourth duration; wherein the fourth duration includes the duration used for synchronization and the duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state.

[0059] In the above embodiment, when the preamble sequence is used to activate a terminal, the duration of the preamble sequence is enhanced to effectively meet the time requirements for activating the terminal and synchronizing the terminal.

[0060] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the frame structure further includes a second unit following the time domain position of the first unit, and the second unit carries at least one of the following:

[0061] Control information;

[0062] Data information.

[0063] In the above embodiment, in the frame structure of downlink information, the terminal can receive information carried by the second unit after being activated based on the first unit, thereby executing the operation corresponding to the second unit in a timely manner, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0064] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the control information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0065] The duration of a single symbol in the data information part;

[0066] The duration of the data information;

[0067] Modulation method of data information;

[0068] The operating mode of the terminal.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the terminal can obtain relevant control parameters of the downlink information based on the control information, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of processing information.

[0070] In conjunction with the embodiment of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the frame structure further includes a third unit for carrying a start character;

[0071] The third unit is arranged between the first unit and the second unit, and / or the third unit is arranged between the control information and the data information.

[0072] In the above embodiment, in the frame structure of the downlink information, the third unit carrying the start character indicates the subsequent information content, so that the terminal can perform reasonable operations based on the start character.

[0073] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the start character includes at least one of the following:

[0074] First start symbol;

[0075] The second starting symbol;

[0076] The first start character corresponds to the data information, and the second start character corresponds to the control information.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines the type of information following the start character according to different start characters in the frame structure, so as to adapt to and process the corresponding information in a reasonable manner, thereby improving information processing efficiency.

[0078] In combination with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the patterns of the first start character and the second start character are different, and / or the durations of the first start character and the second start character are different.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the start character can be distinguished by different structural designs to effectively distinguish the type of information that follows it.

[0080] In combination with the embodiment of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the duration of the second unit corresponds to multiple candidate values, the frame structure further includes a fourth unit for carrying an end character.

[0081] In the above embodiment, when the duration of the second unit is not fixed, the fourth unit can be set to indicate the end position of information transmission to the terminal, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of information processing by the terminal.

[0082] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, activating the terminal includes: switching the terminal from a dormant state to an active state.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the terminal needs to be activated to perform corresponding communication or information processing operations, and the signal carried by the first unit can be used to instruct or assist the terminal to perform state transition, thereby ensuring effective communication between the terminal and the network device.

[0084] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0085] Downlink information is sent to a terminal, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the network device may send a corresponding instruction to the terminal through the frame structure of the downlink information, for example, instructing the terminal to activate in time through the first unit to improve the communication efficiency with the terminal.

[0087] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first unit carries at least one of the following:

[0088] Activation signal;

[0089] preamble sequence;

[0090] separator;

[0091] The signal used to activate the terminal is an activation signal or a preamble sequence;

[0092] The preamble sequence is used for terminal synchronization;

[0093] The separator is set after the time domain position of the activation signal, and / or the separator is set before the preamble sequence.

[0094] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the activation signal includes a high-level symbol, or the activation signal includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol.

[0095] In combination with the embodiment of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to a first duration; wherein the first duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state.

[0096] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the second duration, and the duration of the spacer is greater than or equal to the third duration;

[0097] The second duration is the duration required for the terminal to successfully perform signal detection, and the third duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state after receiving an activation signal.

[0098] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is defined by a protocol; or, the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is configured by a network device.

[0099] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the preamble code sequence is a signal for activating the terminal, the duration of the preamble code sequence is greater than or equal to a fourth duration; wherein the fourth duration includes the duration used for synchronization and the duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state.

[0100] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the frame structure further includes a second unit following the time domain position of the first unit, and the second unit carries at least one of the following:

[0101] Control information;

[0102] Data information.

[0103] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the control information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0104] The duration of a single symbol in the data information portion;

[0105] The duration of the data information;

[0106] Modulation method of data information;

[0107] The operating mode of the terminal.

[0108] In conjunction with the embodiment of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the frame structure further includes a third unit for carrying a start character;

[0109] The third unit is arranged between the first unit and the second unit, and / or the third unit is arranged between the control information and the data information.

[0110] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the start character includes at least one of the following:

[0111] First start symbol;

[0112] The second starting symbol;

[0113] The first start character corresponds to the data information, and the second start character corresponds to the control information.

[0114] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the patterns of the first start character and the second start character are different, and / or the durations of the first start character and the second start character are different.

[0115] In combination with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the duration of the second unit corresponds to multiple candidate values, the frame structure further includes a fourth unit for carrying an end character.

[0116] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, activating the terminal includes: switching the terminal from a dormant state to a working state.

[0117] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0118] A transceiver module is used to receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, which carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0119] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0120] A transceiver module is used to send downlink information to a terminal, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0121] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0122] one or more processors;

[0123] The terminal is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0124] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, including:

[0125] one or more processors;

[0126] The network device is configured to implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0127] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, including a terminal and a network device, wherein:

[0128] The terminal is configured to implement the method according to the first aspect;

[0129] The network device is configured to implement the method according to the second aspect.

[0130] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, wherein:

[0131] When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0132] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a program product, wherein:

[0133] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0134] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0135] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0136] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0137] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0138] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0139] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0140] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0141] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0142] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0143] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0144] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0145] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0146] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0147] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0148] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0149] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0150] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0151] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", and in some embodiments may also be understood as "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission and / or reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)", etc.

[0152] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc.

[0153] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0154] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0155] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0156] FIG1a is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0157] As shown in FIG. 1 a , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0158] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may be an Ambient-IoT terminal or device. Terminal 101 may not be equipped with a battery and may be excited and powered by received electromagnetic signals; or it may be equipped with a battery with a small amount of electrical storage capacity and obtain energy from the battery by obtaining external electromagnetic waves, thermal energy, kinetic energy, etc.

[0159] Optionally, the power acquisition and storage capabilities of the terminal 101 may vary depending on the type and working mode of the terminal 101. For example, the types of the terminal 101 may include the following:

[0160] Device A: cannot independently generate or amplify signals. For example, Device A uses backscattering or backscattering communication and does not have the ability to amplify downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) signals.

[0161] Device B: Has energy storage capabilities but cannot independently generate signals. For example, if Device B operates in backscatter mode, it can use the stored energy for DL ​​and / or UL signal amplification.

[0162] Device C: has energy storage capabilities and can independently generate signals, such as a radio frequency (RF) module that actively sends signals.

[0163] Among the aforementioned terminal 101 types, device C has the strongest capabilities and the highest terminal cost. Devices A and B have weaker capabilities and lower terminal costs. Furthermore, because devices A and B require backscattering and cannot actively transmit signals, their supported coverage range is smaller. However, the power consumption of device A or B in this operating mode is lower than that of device C.

[0164] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0165] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0166] Optionally, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses the terminal to the wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, but is not limited thereto.

[0167] In some embodiments, in an Ambient-IoT scenario, as shown in FIG1b , the communication system 100 may further include a continuous wave node (CWN) 103, an uplink receiver (UR) 104, and an energy source node (ESN) 105. The network device 102 may function as a downlink signal node (DSN). Alternatively, the network device 102 may be configured to implement at least one of the following functions: a DSN, CWN 103, UR 104, or ESN 105.

[0168] Optionally, the DSN is used to send downlink information or indication information. The DSN can be a network device 102 such as a base station or a relay device such as a relay UE. The DSN can send indication information to the terminal 101 to trigger uplink transmission of the terminal 101.

[0169] Optionally, CWN 103 is used to transmit continuous electromagnetic waves (CWs). Terminal 101 can use CWs to transmit uplink information based on backscatter. CWN 103 can implement an excitation function, enabling devices A and B to perform uplink transmission based on backscatter. In addition, CWs can serve as an energy source (ES), providing energy to Terminal 101, which can receive and store CWs.

[0170] Optionally, UR104 may be another terminal or user equipment (UE) other than terminal 101, configured to receive uplink information sent by Ambient-IoT terminal 101. For example, UR104 may receive uplink information sent by terminal 101 based on backscatter communication, or receive uplink information actively transmitted by terminal 101.

[0171] Optionally, ESN 105 is used to provide energy to terminal 101. For example, ESN 105 functions for device B and device C. Due to the limited energy storage capacity supported by device A, ES signals other than CW may not be defined for device A. Alternatively, ES may also be used for device A.

[0172] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1b, the Ambient-IoT communication system may include four links, for example: link 1 for transmitting downlink information, link 2 for receiving uplink information, link 3 for sending CW, and link 4 for sending charging signals.

[0173] Optionally, link 4 may be controlled by the network. For example, the network may control ESN 105 to turn on or off charging of terminal 101. The energy provided by ESN 105 may come from electromagnetic waves or non-electromagnetic waves. In this case, ESN 105 can better coordinate with network scheduling and other functions to ensure that terminal 101 is charged while minimizing the impact on terminal 101's communications. Alternatively, ESN 105 is not controlled by the network. In other words, terminal 101 flexibly collects energy on its own based on its capabilities and the energy sources in the actual environment. For example, it collects electromagnetic or non-electromagnetic wave energy that is not controlled by the network, and there is no specific ESN 105 node. In this case, link 4 can be considered non-existent.

[0174] Optionally, the nodes involved in the four links in the above embodiment, such as DSN, CWN 103, ESN 104, and UR 105, can be independently configured, or can be the same node or device, or two, three, or four of them can be configured as one node or device. For example, in some embodiments, link 4 can be omitted or non-existent.

[0175] In some embodiments, the functions of the above-mentioned different nodes can be implemented or supported by a single device. For example, a single device can support the functions of multiple nodes or all of the above-mentioned nodes. Alternatively, a single device can correspond to a node with only one of the above-mentioned functions. Network device 102 can coordinate the behavior of the above-mentioned different nodes, such as CWN 103, ESN 104, and UR 105, to support effective communication with terminal 101.

[0176] In some embodiments, the number of devices or nodes in FIG. 1 a and FIG. 1 b is for illustration only, and in actual applications, multiple devices or nodes may be used.

[0177] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0178] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0179] In some embodiments, the core network device can be a device including one or more network elements, or it can be multiple devices or device groups, each including all or part of one or more network elements. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the 5G Core Network (5GCN), and the Next Generation Core (NGC). Alternatively, the core network device refers to a network element with a specific function, such as the Access Management Function (AMF), the Service Management Function (SMF), etc.

[0180] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0181] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 a or FIG. 1 b , or a partial body thereof, but are not limited thereto.

[0182] The entities shown in Figure 1a or 1b are examples. The communication system may include all or part of the entities in Figure 1a or 1b, or may include other entities other than Figure 1a or 1b. The number and form of each entity are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is an example. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, which may be direct or indirect, and may be wired or wireless.

[0183] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication processing methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0184] In the disclosed embodiment, the terminal 101 can communicate based on the backscattering method. Backscattering or backscatter communications is an extremely low-power modulation and transmission technology that uses the backscattering principle of radio frequency signals, and is a means to achieve the intelligent connection of all things. In backscatter communications, radio frequency signals such as electromagnetic waves are received by the terminal 101, and the internal circuit of the terminal 101 modulates the information to be transmitted on the basis of the incident electromagnetic wave through load impedance modulation and other methods, and then sends out the modulated electromagnetic wave carrying the information. There are many ways to modulate information, such as amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency-shift keying (FSK) or phase-shift keying (PSK).

[0185] In the disclosed embodiment, for a terminal 101 using backscatter, the workflow may include: the network device 102 sends a downlink instruction to the terminal 101. After receiving the downlink instruction, the terminal 101 sends a corresponding response to the network device 102 or performs a corresponding operation. While the terminal 101 is sending data to the UR 105, it requires an energy source such as the CWN 103 to provide it with a CW for reflection (i.e., link 3 is required).

[0186] Optionally, CW typically has a constant amplitude. The frequency of the electromagnetic wave reflected by terminal 101 can be exactly the same as the CW frequency, or there can be some offset. The offset size depends on the hardware characteristics of terminal 101. For example, the offset may be a fixed value, or, if supported by the hardware of terminal 101, it may support multiple fixed values, or a dynamically adjustable value.

[0187] In the Ambient IoT scenario, the terminal 101 needs to be activated before completing downlink data, and a downlink information structure or frame structure suitable for the Ambient IoT terminal 101 needs to be provided.

[0188] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method, the method comprising:

[0189] Step S2101 , the network device 102 sends downlink information to the terminal 101 .

[0190] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives the downlink information.

[0191] Optionally, the terminal 101 is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0192] In some possible implementations, a frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal.

[0193] Optionally, activating the terminal includes: switching the terminal from a dormant state to a working state.

[0194] Optionally, the terminal 101 may be a terminal 101 that uses a backscattering method, or a terminal 101 that can independently generate a signal.

[0195] In one example, the terminal 101 is capable of independently generating a signal, such as a device type C. The terminal 101 may include a first part and a second part with different energy consumption, wherein the first part includes a low-energy consumption device or a low-energy consumption circuit, and the energy consumption of the second part is higher than that of the first part. The terminal 101 switches from a dormant state to an active state, that is, the second part switches from a dormant state to an active state. For example, the terminal 101 may monitor a signal for activating the terminal through the first part, while the second part is in a dormant state or a sleep state or an OFF state to save energy. When the terminal 101 receives a signal for activating the terminal, the second part is awakened, that is, the second part switches from a dormant state to an active state or an awakened state or an ON state to receive other downlink information.

[0196] In some embodiments, the first unit carries at least one of the following:

[0197] Activation signal;

[0198] Preamble sequence;

[0199] separator;

[0200] Among them, the signal used to activate the terminal is an activation signal or a preamble sequence; the preamble sequence is used for terminal synchronization; the spacer is set after the time domain position of the activation signal, and / or the spacer is set before the preamble sequence.

[0201] Optionally, the activation signal may also be referred to as a wake-up signal, which is used to activate the terminal. For example, in conjunction with the foregoing embodiment, the activation signal may be used to enable the terminal to switch from a dormant state to an active state.

[0202] Optionally, the activation signal includes a high-level symbol, or the activation signal includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol. For example, the activation signal includes a high-level symbol, and the high-level symbol is for a set duration. For another example, the activation signal lasts for a set duration, and the set duration includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol. If it is an on-off cycle signal, the high-level symbol can also be referred to as an on symbol, and the low-level symbol can also be referred to as an off symbol. Optionally, the activation signal can have a relatively high power.

[0203] Optionally, the preamble is used for terminal synchronization, so that the terminal 101 obtains time domain information of the downlink symbol, which may include the symbol duration, symbol start position or symbol end position of the downlink symbol; for example, the preamble includes a synchronization symbol.

[0204] Optionally, the separator may be used in conjunction with the activation signal to meet the requirements of the terminal 101 state transition. For the duration relationship, please refer to the description of the following embodiments.

[0205] In a first example, the first unit carries the activation signal.

[0206] In the second example, the first unit carries the activation signal and the preamble, and the activation signal is located before the preamble in the time domain. For example, the frame structure is: [activation signal] + preamble.

[0207] In the third example, the first unit carries a preamble, which is used to activate the terminal and synchronize the terminal. The duration of the preamble in this example meets the activation and synchronization requirements and can be longer than the duration of the preamble in the second example or the fourth example described below.

[0208] Optionally, when the preamble sequence is a signal for activating the terminal, the duration of the preamble sequence is greater than or equal to a fourth duration; wherein the fourth duration includes the duration for synchronization and the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state, that is, the fourth duration is the sum of the duration for synchronization and the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state. For example, if the duration for synchronization is 40 microseconds (μs) and the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state is 20 μs, the duration of the preamble needs to be greater than or equal to 60 μs. Optionally, the duration of the terminal switching state may be the first duration or the third duration in the following embodiments.

[0209] In the fourth example, the first unit may carry an activation signal, a separator, and a preamble in the order of the time domain positions from front to back. For example, the frame structure is as follows: activation signal+separator+preamble.

[0210] In some embodiments, the duration of the first unit or the duration of the signal carried by the first unit needs to meet the requirements of the terminal 101.

[0211] Optionally, for a terminal 101 with a simple hardware structure, the duration of the activation signal is relatively short, such as a few microseconds. For some types of terminals 101, such as device C in the aforementioned embodiment, or a terminal including the first part and the second part, state transitions are required, and the duration of the activation signal may be longer.

[0212] In some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to a first duration; wherein the first duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state.

[0213] Optionally, the duration of the activation signal is the duration from the start time to the end time of the activation signal.

[0214] Optionally, the first duration may be several microseconds. In one example, the first duration is 10 μs or 20 μs, and the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the 10 μs or 20 μs.

[0215] Optionally, the first duration may be several milliseconds (ms).For example, in a scenario where the terminal 101 includes the first part or the second part, the duration for the terminal to switch from the dormant state to the working state, i.e., the first duration, may be the duration for the second part to switch from the dormant state to the working state.

[0216] In some embodiments, the duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the second duration, and the duration of the interval is greater than or equal to the third duration; wherein the second duration is the duration required for the terminal to successfully perform signal detection, and the third duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state after receiving the activation signal.

[0217] Optionally, the third duration may be the same as or different from the first duration.

[0218] Optionally, this embodiment may be applicable to a terminal 101 capable of independently generating a signal, such as device C.

[0219] Optionally, in conjunction with the aforementioned embodiment, the second duration may be the time required for the first portion of terminal 101 to detect an activation signal after failing to detect the activation signal. For example, the second duration may start at the time when terminal 101 begins adjusting the hardware structure of the first portion, and end at the time when terminal 101 adjusts the first portion to be able to detect the activation signal. After receiving the activation signal, terminal 101 may wake up or start the second portion, i.e., perform a state transition. Optionally, the third duration may be the time required for the second portion to start or wake up, or the time it takes for the second portion to transition from a dormant state to an active state.

[0220] In the above embodiment, the duration of the activation signal may be defined by a protocol or configured by the network device 102. And / or, the duration of the separator may be defined by a protocol or configured by the network device 102.

[0221] For example, the duration of the activation signal may be defined as T1 by the protocol. Alternatively, multiple candidate values ​​may be defined by the protocol.

[0222] In some possible implementations, the frame structure includes a first unit and a second unit.

[0223] In some embodiments, the second unit is located after the first unit in time domain, and the second unit carries at least one of the following:

[0224] Control information;

[0225] Data information (data).

[0226] For example, the frame structure may be: [activation signal] + preamble + data, or [activation signal] + preamble + control information, or [activation signal] + preamble + control information + data, or activation signal + separator + preamble + control information and / or data. "[]" indicates optional items.

[0227] Optionally, the control information may be control information of one frame or multiple frames, such as the control information is control information of the current frame or this frame, or the control information is control information of the local oscillator and subsequent frames.

[0228] Optionally, the control information is used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0229] The duration of a single symbol in the data information portion;

[0230] The duration of the data information;

[0231] Modulation method of data information;

[0232] The operating mode of the terminal.

[0233] Optionally, the total duration of the data information may include multiple symbols, and the control information may indicate both the total duration of the data information and the duration of a single symbol in the data information, for example, indicating the relationship between the duration of a single symbol and an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0234] Optionally, the modulation mode may be a binary on-off keying (OOK) modulation mode or a pulse interval encoding (PIE) modulation mode.

[0235] Optionally, the working mode may include: a working mode that consumes stored energy (such as marked as mode-A) and a working mode that does not consume stored energy (such as marked as mode-B).

[0236] When receiving a downlink signal in mode A, terminal 101 does not use stored energy to detect or demodulate the downlink signal. Mode A does not consume stored energy, but network device 102 needs to use a higher power to transmit the downlink signal to ensure that terminal 101 can use the power of the downlink signal to detect the signal.

[0237] When terminal 101 receives a downlink signal in mode-B, it uses stored energy to detect or demodulate the downlink signal. In mode-B, network device 102 consumes stored energy and can transmit signals at a lower power. Alternatively, when terminal 101 uses stored energy to demodulate signals, network device 102 can use a more complex signal modulation scheme (e.g., OFDM), higher-order modulation, or higher-rate coding.

[0238] Optionally, the data information may include instructions or commands from network device 102 to terminal 101. For example, the data information may instruct terminal 101 to report stored measurement information, such as temperature, humidity, or speed measured by terminal 101. For another example, the data information may instruct terminal 101 to perform a corresponding operation, such as storing a data packet in the data information. For another example, the data information may instruct terminal 101 to modify or update stored data.

[0239] Optionally, the lower layer of the terminal 101, such as the physical layer, can identify control information, and the higher layer can identify data information. After detecting the data information, the lower layer can upload it to the higher layer to identify the data content.

[0240] In some possible implementations, the frame structure includes a first unit, a second unit, and a third unit.

[0241] In some embodiments, the third unit is used to carry a start character.

[0242] Optionally, the start symbol is used to indicate the start of the second unit, such as the start of data or control information, or to indicate the end of the first unit, such as the end of a preamble.

[0243] Optionally, when the first unit carries a preamble and the duration of the preamble is not fixed or a set value, a start character needs to be set or the frame structure includes the third unit. However, when the duration of the preamble is fixed, a start character does not need to be set or the frame structure does not include the third unit.

[0244] Optionally, the third unit is provided between the first unit and the second unit. For example, the frame structure refers to: [activation signal]+preamble+start character+data, or [activation signal]+preamble+start character+control information.

[0245] Optionally, the third unit is provided between the control information and the data information. For example, the frame structure is as follows: [activation signal]+preamble+control information+start character+data.

[0246] Optionally, the third unit is provided between the first unit and the second unit, and between the control information and the data information. The start character includes at least one of the following:

[0247] The first start symbol (e.g., start symbol 1);

[0248] The second start character (e.g., start character 2);

[0249] The first start character corresponds to data information, and the second start character corresponds to control information. For example, the frame structure is: [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + start character 1 + data.

[0250] Optionally, the patterns of the first start character and the second start character are different, and / or the durations of the first start character and the second start character are different.

[0251] Therefore, terminal 101 can determine whether the information following the start character is control information or data by detecting whether the start character is the first or second start character, thereby performing appropriate operations. For example, if the physical layer of terminal 101 detects that the start character is the second start character, the physical layer can process the control information following the start character; if the physical layer of terminal 101 detects that the start character is the first start character, the physical layer can pass the data following the start character to higher layers for identification.

[0252] In some possible implementations, the frame structure includes the first unit, the second unit, and the fourth unit. Alternatively, the frame structure includes the first unit, the second unit, the third unit, and the fourth unit.

[0253] In some embodiments, the fourth unit is used to carry a terminator.

[0254] Optionally, the end character is used to indicate the end of the current frame or this frame.

[0255] Optionally, when the duration of the second unit is not fixed, an end symbol needs to be set or the frame structure includes a fourth unit. That is, when the duration of the second unit corresponds to multiple candidate values, the frame structure also includes a fourth unit for carrying the end symbol.

[0256] For example, the duration (or simply length) of the data or control information is not fixed, such as the data or control information corresponding to any value among the candidate length values ​​L1 to L2. For another example, the length of the data or control information has multiple candidate values, and the length of this transmission does not indicate a specific candidate value.

[0257] Optionally, when the duration of the second unit is fixed, there is no need to set the end character or the frame structure does not include the fourth unit.

[0258] For example, the duration of data or control information is a fixed length or a set value. The fixed length may be configured by the network device 102 or defined by a protocol. For another example, the duration of data is a fixed value, such as the length of data being determined by the portion of the frame preceding the data, such as indicated by the control information.

[0259] Optionally, the fourth unit may be located at the end of the frame structure. In combination with the aforementioned various possible embodiments, the frame structure for downlink information transmission may be any one of the following (1) to (8):

[0260] (1) [activation signal] + preamble + data + [terminator];

[0261] (2) [activation signal] + preamble + control information + [terminator];

[0262] (3) [activation signal] + preamble + control information + data + [terminator];

[0263] (4) [activation signal] + preamble + start character 1 + data + [end character];

[0264] (5) [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + [end character];

[0265] (6) [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + data + [end character];

[0266] (7) [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + start character 1 + data + [end character];

[0267] (8) Activation signal + spacer + preamble + others, where others can be the components after preamble in (1) to (7) above.

[0268] Step S2102: Terminal 101 performs corresponding operations according to the downlink information.

[0269] Optionally, the terminal 101 may determine what operation to perform according to data in the downlink information.

[0270] Optionally, if data instructs the terminal 101 to report the stored measurement information, the terminal 101 reports corresponding information such as temperature, humidity or speed.

[0271] Optionally, if data instructs the terminal 101 to store a data packet in the data information, the terminal 101 stores the corresponding data packet.

[0272] Optionally, if data instructs the terminal 101 to change or update the stored data, the terminal 101 changes or updates the stored data.

[0273] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", and "field" can be used interchangeably.

[0274] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0275] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0276] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0277] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0278] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)", "cell", "frequency carrier", "carrier frequency" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0279] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "some", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "some A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, some A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0280] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0281] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0282] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2102.

[0283] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 .

[0284] FIG3a is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3a, the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0285] Step S3101, receiving downlink information.

[0286] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3101 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0287] Step S3102: perform corresponding operations according to the downlink information.

[0288] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3102 can refer to the implementation of step S2102 and will not be repeated here.

[0289] The method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3102.

[0290] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 a .

[0291] FIG3b is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3b, the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0292] Step S3201: Receive downlink information sent by the network device 102.

[0293] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3201 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0294] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 b .

[0295] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the present disclosure embodiment relates to a communication method, which is executed by a network device 102 and includes:

[0296] Step S4101, sending downlink information.

[0297] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4101 can refer to the implementation of step S2101 and will not be repeated here.

[0298] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4 .

[0299] The method of the disclosed embodiments proposes a downlink data frame structure suitable for ambient IoT devices. The frame structure includes an activation signal for activating the device. After activation, the device receives a synchronization signal, control information, data information, and other information.

[0300] Optionally, device corresponds to the terminal 101 in the aforementioned embodiment. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, some examples are listed below.

[0301] Example 1:

[0302] The frame structure for ambient IoT downlink (DL) data transmission can refer to the following optional examples:

[0303] Alt 1: [activation signal] + preamble + data + [end character]

[0304] Alt 2: [activation signal] + preamble + control information + [end character]

[0305] Alt 3: [activation signal] + preamble + control information + data + [terminator]

[0306] Alt 4: [activation signal] + preamble + start character 1 + data + [end character]

[0307] Alt 5: [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + [end character]

[0308] Alt 6: [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + data + [end character]

[0309] Alt 7: [activation signal] + preamble + start character 2 + control information + start character 1 + data + [end character]

[0310] Alt 8: activation signal + separator + preamble + others (others can be the component after preamble in Alt 1 to 7 above)

[0311] Example 2:

[0312] Based on Example 1, the activation signal is mainly used to activate the device, causing the device to switch from the off state to the on state. Its function is similar to a wake-up signal. For devices using backscattering, the activation signal can have a higher power.

[0313] Optionally, the activation signal can be:

[0314] (1) A high-level symbol for a period of time

[0315] (2) A symbol that contains both high and low levels for a certain period of time. For example, an on-off periodic signal.

[0316] Optionally, for devices using backscattering, the duration of the activation signal should be greater than or equal to the transition duration of the device from the off state to the on state. In other words, the activation signal continuously supplies power during the device state transition.

[0317] Optionally, for devices that can autonomously generate signals, the activation signal duration does not need to be bound to the off-to-on transition duration; however, a certain duration is required to meet the performance requirements for the device receiver to detect the activation signal. For example, the activation signal duration is T1, which is defined by the protocol. After receiving the activation signal, the device begins the on-off transition. The interval between the end of the activation signal and the start of the preamble must be greater than or equal to the device's wake-up delay (i.e., on-off transition). In other words, the duration of the Alt8 delimiter must be greater than or equal to the device's wake-up delay.

[0318] Alternatively, in Alt 1 to 7, the device can be activated directly using a preamble, without requiring an activation signal. In this case, the preamble needs to be long enough to meet the activation and synchronization duration requirements.

[0319] Example 3:

[0320] Based on Example 1 or Example 2, the preamble is primarily used for device synchronization, allowing the device to obtain time-domain information about downlink symbols, including symbol duration, symbol start and end positions, and other information. The preamble includes synchronization symbols. When the preamble duration is fixed, a start symbol is not required after the preamble. Otherwise, a start symbol (including start symbol 1 and start symbol 2 in the Alts section above) is required after the preamble. This start symbol indicates the beginning of data or control information and can also be understood as the end of the preamble.

[0321] Example 4:

[0322] Based on any one of Examples 1 to 3, the control information includes control information for the current frame or the current frame and subsequent frames. It may include:

[0323] (1) data length indication;

[0324] (2) Data symbol modulation mode indication;

[0325] (3) Device working mode indication, etc.

[0326] Optionally, the device operating mode can be divided into an operating mode that consumes stored energy and an operating mode that does not consume stored energy. Possible operating modes include:

[0327] Mode-A: When receiving a downlink signal, no energy storage is used for downlink signal detection or demodulation. In Mode-A, no energy storage is consumed, but the network needs to use a higher power to transmit the downlink signal to ensure that the device can use the downlink signal power for signal detection.

[0328] Mode-B: When receiving a downlink signal, the base station uses stored energy for downlink signal detection or demodulation. Mode-B consumes device stored energy, allowing the network to transmit signals at lower power. Alternatively, while the device uses stored energy for signal demodulation, the base station can use more complex signal modulation schemes (such as OFDM), higher-order modulation, or higher-rate coding.

[0329] Example 5:

[0330] Based on any one of Examples 1 to 4, a terminator may be added or not added at the end of the frame.

[0331] Optionally, the following situations do not require a terminator after data or control information:

[0332] (1) The length of data or control information is fixed. This fixed length may be configured by the base station or defined by the protocol.

[0333] (2) The length of the data is determined by the portion of the frame preceding the data, such as indicated by control information. Therefore, no terminator is required after the data.

[0334] Optionally, a terminator may be added after the data / control information in the following cases:

[0335] (1) The length of data or control information is not fixed. For example, data can be any value between L1 and L2.

[0336] (2) Data or control information has multiple candidate lengths, but the length of the current transmission is not indicated.

[0337] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0338] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0339] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0340] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5a, terminal 5100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 5101 and a processing module 5102. In some embodiments, transceiver module 5101 is configured to receive downlink information sent by a network device. The frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit that carries a signal for activating the terminal. The terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0341] Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 5102 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0342] FIG5 b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 b , the network device 5200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 5201 and a processing module 5202 .

[0343] In some embodiments, when the network device 5200 is a network device, the above-mentioned transceiver module 5201 is used to send downlink information to the terminal, and the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein, the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

[0344] Optionally, the transceiver module 5201 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps of sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 5202 is configured to execute at least one of the other steps performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here.

[0345] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0346] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules respectively execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0347] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal implementing any of the above methods. Communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0348] As shown in Figure 6a, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 is used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0349] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method, and the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps. In an optional embodiment, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0350] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 6103 may be located outside the communication device 6100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuits 6104 are connected to the memories 6103 and may be configured to receive data from the memories 6103 or other devices, or to send data to the memories 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 6104 may read data stored in the memories 6103 and send the data to the processor 6101.

[0351] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6a. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0352] FIG6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 6200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, reference can be made to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 6200 shown in FIG6b , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0353] The chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. The chip 6200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0354] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of memory 6203 may be located external to chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203 and may be used to receive data from memory 6203 or other devices, or may be used to send data to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 may read data stored in memory 6203 and send the data to processor 6201.

[0355] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method. For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 6202 performs data exchange between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0356] The modules and / or devices described in various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be arbitrarily combined or separated according to circumstances. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0357] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 6100, the communication device 6100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a transient storage medium.

[0358] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 6100, enables the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0359] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods. Industrial Applicability

[0360] Based on the frame structure of the downlink information, the Ambient IoT terminal can obtain the instructions sent by the network device through the downlink information. For example, the terminal can be activated in time based on the signal carried by the first unit to improve the communication efficiency between the terminal and the network device.

Claims

1. A communication method, performed by a terminal, comprising: Receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first unit carries at least one of the following: Activation signal; preamble sequence; separator; The signal for activating the terminal is the activation signal or the preamble sequence; The preamble sequence is used for synchronization of the terminal; The separator is set after the time domain position of the activation signal, and / or the separator is set before the preamble sequence.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The activation signal includes a high-level symbol, or the activation signal includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to a first duration; wherein the first duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the second duration, and the duration of the spacer is greater than or equal to the third duration; The second duration is the duration required for the terminal to successfully perform signal detection, and the third duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state after receiving the activation signal.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is defined by a protocol; or the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is configured by the network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: When the preamble sequence is a signal for activating the terminal, the duration of the preamble sequence is greater than or equal to a fourth duration; wherein the fourth duration includes a duration for synchronization and a duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The frame structure further includes a second unit following the time domain position of the first unit, the second unit carrying at least one of the following: Control information; Data information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein: The control information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The duration of a single symbol of the data information portion; The duration of the data information; the modulation method of the data information; The operating mode of the terminal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein: The frame structure further includes a third unit for carrying a start character; The third unit is arranged between the first unit and the second unit, and / or the third unit is arranged between the control information and the data information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The start character includes at least one of the following: First start symbol; The second starting symbol; The first start character corresponds to the data information, and the second start character corresponds to the control information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: The first start character and the second start character have different patterns, and / or the first start character and the second start character have different durations.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein: When the duration of the second unit corresponds to multiple candidate values, the frame structure further includes a fourth unit for carrying an end character.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The activating the terminal includes: The terminal is converted from a dormant state to an active state.

15. A communication method, performed by a network device, the method comprising: Downlink information is sent to a terminal, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, and the first unit carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first unit carries at least one of the following: Activation signal; preamble sequence; separator; The signal for activating the terminal is the activation signal or the preamble sequence; The preamble sequence is used for synchronization of the terminal; The separator is set after the time domain position of the activation signal, and / or the separator is set before the preamble sequence.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: The activation signal includes a high-level symbol, or the activation signal includes a high-level symbol and a low-level symbol.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein: The duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to a first duration; wherein the first duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein: The duration of the activation signal is greater than or equal to the second duration, and the duration of the spacer is greater than or equal to the third duration; The second duration is the duration required for the terminal to successfully perform signal detection, and the third duration is the duration for the terminal to switch from a dormant state to a working state after receiving the activation signal.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein The duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is defined by a protocol; or the duration of the activation signal and / or the duration of the spacer is configured by the network device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein: When the preamble sequence is a signal for activating the terminal, the duration of the preamble sequence is greater than or equal to a fourth duration; wherein the fourth duration includes a duration for synchronization and a duration for the terminal to switch from a sleep state to a working state.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein: The frame structure further includes a second unit following the time domain position of the first unit, the second unit carrying at least one of the following: Control information; Data information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein: The control information is used to indicate at least one of the following: The duration of a single symbol of the data information portion; the duration of the data information; A modulation method of the data information; The operating mode of the terminal.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein: The frame structure further includes a third unit for carrying a start character; The third unit is arranged between the first unit and the second unit, and / or the third unit is arranged between the control information and the data information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein: The start character includes at least one of the following: First start symbol; The second starting symbol; The first start character corresponds to the data information, and the second start character corresponds to the control information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The first start character and the second start character have different patterns, and / or the first start character and the second start character have different durations.

27. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein: When the duration of the second unit corresponds to multiple candidate values, the frame structure further includes a fourth unit for carrying an end character.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, wherein The activating the terminal includes: switching the terminal from a dormant state to an active state.

29. A terminal comprising: A transceiver module is used to receive downlink information sent by a network device, where the frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit, which carries a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

30. A network device comprising: The transceiver module is used to send downlink information to the terminal. The frame structure corresponding to the downlink information includes a first unit. The first unit carries Carrying a signal for activating the terminal; wherein the terminal is an Ambient IoT terminal.

31. A terminal comprising: one or more processors; The terminal is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

32. A network device comprising: one or more processors; The network device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

33. A communication system comprising a terminal and a network device, wherein: The terminal is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14; The network device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

34. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or any one of claims 15 to 28.

35. A program product, wherein When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or any one of claims 15 to 28.

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