Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in embodiments of the present disclosure are a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first device receives first data or a first request sent by a second device, the first request being used for requesting to send the first data; and the first device sends second data to a network device on a first resource, wherein the second data comprises the first data or the first request, the second device is an Internet of Things device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device. By implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, the problem of how to enable an intermediate node to quickly send data or a data request of an Internet of Things device to a network device when the intermediate node in an Internet of Things scenario receives the data or the data request of the Internet of Things device can be solved, thereby ensuring the data transmission between the devices in the Internet of Things scenario.

Description

A communication method and apparatus Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus, especially to a data transmission method in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario. Background Technology

[0002] The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to connecting any object to a network through information sensor devices and according to agreed protocols. Objects exchange and communicate information through information transmission media to achieve functions such as intelligent identification, positioning, tracking, and monitoring.

[0003] However, there is currently a lack of effective means for data transmission between devices in IoT scenarios.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure presents a communication method and apparatus.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a first device, the method comprising: receiving first data or a first request sent by a second device, the first request being used to request the sending of the first data; sending second data to a network device on a first resource, the second data including the first data or the first request; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a first device, the method comprising: receiving first data or a first request sent by a second device, the first device being an intermediate node of the second device; and sending second data to a network device on a first resource, the second data including the first data or the first request; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module configured to receive first data or a first request sent by a second device, wherein the first request is used to request the transmission of the first data; the transceiver module is further configured to send second data to a network device on a first resource, wherein the second data includes the first data or the first request; wherein the first device is an intermediate node in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, the second device is an IoT device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module, configured to receive second data sent by a first device on a first resource, the second data including first data or a first request, the first request being used to request the transmission of the first data, the first data or the first request being sent by a second device to the first device; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0011] The first device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the aforementioned first aspect;

[0012] The network device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0013] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0014] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0015] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed by the communication device, implements the steps of the methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0016] According to the technical solution disclosed herein, when the first device receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device, it sends the second data, including the first data or the first request, to the network device on the first resource. This can solve the problem of how to enable the intermediate node in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario to quickly send the data or data request of the IoT device to the network device when the intermediate node receives the data or data request of the IoT device, thereby ensuring the data transmission between devices in the IoT scenario. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an A-IoT device communicating with network devices and / or terminals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the communication method proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 8B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 8200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This disclosure presents a communication method and apparatus.

[0031] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, which is executed by a first device. The method includes: receiving first data or a first request sent by a second device; sending second data to a network device on a first resource, the second data including the first data or the first request; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0032] In the above embodiments, when the first device receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device, it can send the second data including the first data or the first request to the network device on the first resource. This can solve the problem of how the intermediate node in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario can quickly send the data or data request of the IoT device to the network device when it receives the data or data request of the IoT device, thereby ensuring the data transmission between devices in the IoT scenario.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a first resource configuration sent by the network device, the first resource configuration being used to configure the first resource; or determining the first resource based on a pre-configuration; or determining the first resource based on a protocol specification.

[0034] In the above embodiments, the first device can obtain the first resource through network configuration, or through pre-configuration, or through protocol specifications, thereby facilitating the first device to send the second data to the network device on the first resource, thus ensuring data transmission between devices in the Internet of Things scenario.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0037] In some embodiments, in conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: sending an SR to the network device via a first scheduling request SR configuration configured by the network device, the SR being used to request the first resource, the first resource being used to send the second data.

[0038] In the above embodiments, by configuring a first resource through a first SR, it is convenient to send second data, including the first data or the first request, to the network device on the first resource. This can solve the problem of how to enable intermediate nodes in IoT scenarios to quickly send the data or data request of IoT devices to the network device when they receive data or data requests from IoT devices, thereby ensuring data transmission between devices in IoT scenarios.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR is configured as the SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is the SR configuration whose SR resource arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, sending an SR to the network device through the first scheduling request SR configuration configured by the network device includes at least one of the following: determining that the first device does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data; triggering a scheduling request SR; and sending an SR to the network device through the first SR configuration.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: initiating random access to the network device through a first random access channel (RACH) configured by the network device, wherein the random access is used to request the first resource, and the first resource is used to send the second data.

[0045] In the above embodiments, random access is initiated to the network device through the first RACH configuration. This random access is used to request a first resource, which facilitates the sending of second data, including the first data or the first request, to the network device on the first resource. This can solve the problem of how to enable intermediate nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario to quickly send the data or data request of the IoT device to the network device when they receive data or data requests from IoT devices, thereby ensuring data transmission between devices in the IoT scenario.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first RACH is configured as the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, initiating random access to the network device through the first random access channel (RACH) configuration configured by the network device includes at least one of the following: determining that the first device does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data; triggering a scheduling request (SR); determining that the first device does not have a first SR configuration; triggering a random access channel (RACH); and initiating random access to the network device through the first RACH configuration.

[0049] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining that the first device has uplink resources for new transmission, and that the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data; and determining the uplink resources for new transmission as uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0050] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device. The method includes: receiving second data sent by a first device on a first resource, the second data including first data or a first request, the first request being used to request the sending of the first data, the first data or the first request being sent by a second device to the first device; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a first resource configuration to the first device, the first resource configuration being used to configure the first resource.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving an SR sent by the first device through a first scheduling request SR configuration, the SR being used to request the first resource, the first resource being used to send the second data.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR is configured as a dedicated SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first SR configuration is the SR configuration whose SR resource arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a random access initiated by the first device through a first random access channel RACH configuration, the random access being used to request the first resource, the first resource being used to send the second data.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first RACH is configured as the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving the second data transmitted by the first device on an uplink resource, the uplink resource being an uplink resource in the first device used for new transmission, and the uplink resource used for new transmission being capable of accommodating the second data and / or a sub-header of the second data.

[0063] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a first device, including at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the first device is used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0064] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including at least one of a transceiver module and a processing module; wherein the network device is used to execute an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0065] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including:

[0066] The first device is configured as an optional implementation of the aforementioned first aspect;

[0067] The network device is configured to perform an optional implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform an optional implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to invoke instructions to cause the communication device to perform an optional implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0070] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform optional implementations of the first and second aspects described above.

[0071] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0072] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0073] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described according to optional implementations of the first and second aspects above.

[0074] It is understood that the aforementioned first device, network device, communication system, storage medium, program product, computer program, chip, or chip system are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0075] This disclosure provides communication methods and apparatus. In some embodiments, terms such as information processing method and communication method can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as information processing apparatus and communication apparatus, and as can terms such as information processing system and communication system.

[0076] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular 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 particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0077] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0078] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0079] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0080] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0081] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0082] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0083] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0084] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0085] In some embodiments, "including A", "containing A", "for indicating A", "carrying A" can be understood in some embodiments as directly carrying A, and in other embodiments as indirectly indicating A.

[0086] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0088] In some embodiments, the terms “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 lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “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”.

[0089] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be understood as physical in some embodiments and virtual in others. Their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments and may be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0090] In some embodiments, "network" can be understood as devices included in the network, such as access network devices, core network devices, etc.

[0091] 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," or "fixed station." In some embodiments, it may also be understood as "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / 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," or "bandwidth part (BWP)."

[0092] 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.

[0093] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0094] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0095] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This communication system may include, but is not limited to, a first device, a second device, and a network device. The number and configuration of devices shown in Figure 1 are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure. In practical applications, it may include two or more first devices, two or more second devices, and two or more network devices. The communication system 100 shown in Figure 1 is exemplified by including a first device 101, a second device 102, and a network device 103.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first device 101 is, for example, an intermediate node in an IoT (Internet of Things) scenario. In some embodiments, the first device 101 may be a relay, an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul), a terminal, or a repeater, etc. In some embodiments, the terminal in this document may be a user-side entity used to receive or transmit signals, such as a mobile phone. It may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal can be at least one of the following: a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0097] In some embodiments, the second device 102 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, such as an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) device. For example, the second device 102 can be one or more IoT devices in an IoT scenario, or one or more A-IoT devices in an A-IoT scenario. This A-IoT device does not need to generate its own energy but can collect energy, such as by collecting energy based on signals sent by the surrounding environment or surrounding devices, and can communicate based on the collected energy. The device may also be battery-free and require no battery replacement. That is, the A-IoT device needs to collect energy from radio waves sent by the surrounding environment or surrounding devices to power itself. This A-IoT device features low memory, low processing power, low power consumption, small data transmission, and mass deployment. The A-IoT device is maintenance-free and has a long service life.

[0098] In some embodiments, network device 103 may be an access network device. In some embodiments, the access network device may be, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0099] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0100] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0101] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0102] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0103] The embodiments disclosed herein 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), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a 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, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0104] It's important to note that in today's IoT networks, traditional IoT devices are typically powered by conventional batteries with limited lifespans, negatively impacting user experience. The astronomical growth of IoT networks, coupled with the sheer number of IoT devices, has pushed maintenance costs, including labor and battery expenses, to unprecedented levels. Billions of conventional batteries are discarded annually, with only a fraction being effectively recycled, causing harmful impacts on the Earth's ecosystem. Maintaining IoT networks and replacing batteries can be extremely challenging under some extreme environmental conditions. In this regard, battery-free IoT communication has been proposed, which will improve network performance and sustainability and expand application scenarios. Furthermore, battery-free communication is more environmentally friendly and safer for children and the elderly. By eliminating conventional batteries, device size and cost can be significantly reduced, paving the way for a variety of new applications.

[0105] In the 5G era, various LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technologies have been developed, such as MTC (Machine Type Communication), NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), and RedCap (Reduced Capability), to meet the growing demands of vertical industries. These LPWA technologies achieve low cost, low power consumption, and massive connectivity, satisfying the requirements of many applications. However, many use cases and applications remain unresolved in the following situations: First, devices powered by traditional batteries are unsuitable, for example, under extreme environmental conditions (e.g., high voltage, extremely high / low temperatures, humid environments). Second, maintenance-free devices are required (e.g., traditional batteries that do not require replacement). Finally, ultra-low complexity, very small device size / form factor (e.g., thickness in millimeters), and longer lifespan are required.

[0106] Ambient power-enabled IoT is a promising technology that can address the aforementioned unmet needs. An ambient power-enabled IoT device is an IoT device powered by energy harvesting, without batteries or with limited energy storage capacity (e.g., using capacitors), providing energy by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable source.

[0107] Energy harvested from the environment can power sensing nodes to perform data transmission and wireless communication. Current mainstream low-power IoT communication chips (such as BLE, LoRa, and NB-IoT) consume tens or even hundreds of milliwatts of power for transmission and reception, while environmental energy harvesting yields only microwatts, insufficient to power these types of nodes. Therefore, a new wireless communication technology is needed to reduce communication energy consumption to tens or even below ten microwatts. The current mainstream approach uses backscatter communication technology. Backscatter communication is one of the key technologies for building a green, energy-efficient, low-cost, and flexibly deployable future Internet of Things (IoT), and is an important means of realizing "intelligent interconnection of everything."

[0108] Backscatter communication utilizes the principle of radio frequency (RF) signal backscattering to design an extremely low-power modulation and transmission technology. For example, when an RF signal reaches the surface of an object, a portion is reflected. The transmitting node adjusts the matching between its receiving antenna and impedance according to the information to be transmitted, enhancing the reflection of the incident RF signal and modulating its acquired sensing data onto the reflected signal to complete data transmission. This process is similar to a reflector. Compared to other communication technologies, backscatter communication does not require complex RF structures, reducing the use of components such as power amplifiers, high-precision crystal oscillators, duplexers, and high-precision filters. It also does not require complex baseband processing, thus simplifying terminal design and significantly reducing terminal node costs.

[0109] Backscatter communication has been widely used in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems, resulting in many large-scale commercial applications. Its working principle is that the receiver (usually an RFID reader) sends a radio frequency excitation signal to activate a passive node (usually an RFID tag). The tag uses backscatter communication to modulate its own information onto the radio frequency signal. The reader receives the reflected signal from the passive tag and demodulates it to achieve information transmission.

[0110] Currently, RFID technology also has many drawbacks, such as short coverage distance (the wireless signal experiences double-path fading during communication, resulting in significant path loss and a short effective communication distance), single-channel transmission, the need for strict tag alignment, and lack of power control. There is significant room for improvement in the communication aspects of RFID technology. Integrating 3GPP communication technologies is needed to improve the wireless communication performance of RFID technology in passive IoT applications.

[0111] In communication systems, to save power and reduce device complexity, a new type of device has been introduced, such as Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices. These A-IoT devices require energy from radio waves emitted by their surroundings or other devices to power themselves. Therefore, before obtaining energy, the A-IoT device is typically in a "power-off" state, i.e., offline. For this reason, communication systems need to support data communication methods with shorter transmission times, lower memory consumption, and more convenient terminal management to complete the data communication process as quickly as possible.

[0112] In some embodiments, this disclosure implements a wireless communication design based on backscattering technology for communication with an environmental energy device (also known as an environmental IoT device, i.e., the second device herein). Optionally, the aforementioned environmental IoT device (also called an Ambient IoT device or A-IoT device) can be applied to various different communication architectures in the communication system. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an A-IoT device communicating with a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0113] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2, A-IoT devices (i.e., the second device in this paper) and network devices (such as base stations (BS)) can indirectly receive and send data or signals through an intermediate node. The intermediate node (i.e., the first device in this paper) can be, for example, a relay, an integrated access backhaul (IAB) device, a terminal, or a repeater.

[0114] In some embodiments, the data transmission type of the second device 102 may include, but is not limited to, three types: DO-DTT, DT, and DO-A. DO-DTT can be understood as DO-DTT (Device-originated–device-terminated triggered), which is data triggered based on the network device 103 or the first device 101, such as inventory. DT (Device-terminated) can be understood as, for example, an access command. DO-A (Device-originated–autonomous) can be understood as data actively transmitted by the second device 102, such as active reporting triggered by sensor functions.

[0115] In some embodiments, IoT devices can be applied to autonomous driving scenarios, such as speed detection and vehicle fault detection. IoT devices with multiple integrated sensors mounted on vehicle components can initiate communication when the measured threshold (such as pressure, resistance, temperature, etc.) is exceeded, or when the vehicle's speed exceeds a certain threshold, the IoT device can also initiate an alarm.

[0116] However, for the communication architecture shown in Figure 2, when an intermediate node receives data or a data request from an IoT device (or A-IoT device), it needs to send it to a network device (such as a base station). How to enable the intermediate node to quickly send the data or data request from the IoT device (or A-IoT device) to the network device is a problem that needs to be clarified.

[0117] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus that can resolve the problem of how to quickly send data or data requests from IoT devices to network devices when intermediate nodes receive such data or requests from IoT devices in IoT scenarios, thereby ensuring data transmission between devices in IoT scenarios.

[0118] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0119] In step S3101, the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first data or first request may be sent by the second device 102. For example, the second device 102 sends the first data or first request to the first device 101, and correspondingly, the first device 101 receives the first data or first request sent by the second device 102, wherein the first request is used to request the sending of the first data.

[0121] In some embodiments, the number of the second devices 102 can be one or more. For example, one or more second devices 102 send first data or a first request to the first device 101, and correspondingly, the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by one or more second devices 102.

[0122] In some embodiments, the type of the first data mentioned above can be DO-A, that is, the first data can be data actively sent by the second device 102. For example, the second device 102 can be applied to autonomous driving scenarios, such as speed detection, vehicle fault detection, etc. The second device 102 (i.e., IoT device) with multiple integrated sensors mounted on vehicle components actively initiates communication when the measured threshold (such as pressure, resistance, temperature, etc.) is exceeded, or when the vehicle's speed exceeds a certain threshold, the second device 102 can also actively initiate an alarm.

[0123] In some embodiments, the type of the first data mentioned above can also be DO-DTT, that is: the first data can be data triggered based on network device 103 or first device 101, such as data fed back during inventory, for example, the identifier of second device 102, such as EPC (Electronic Product Code) or temporary identifier. In some embodiments, the type of the first data mentioned above can also be DT, that is: the first data can be data returned by second device 102 after executing the access command sent by network device 103 or first device 101, for example, ACK (acknowledgment) feedback.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first request may be, for example, a data request sent by the second device 102, which may be used to indicate that the second device 102 has data to be sent.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first request described above may be, for example, a resource for requesting the transmission of first data. For example, the second device 102 sends the first request to request the resource for transmitting the first data.

[0126] In step S3102, the first device 101 determines the first resource.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first resource described above can be used to send second data, such as the resource used by the first device 101 to send the second data to the network device 103. In some embodiments, the second data may include, but is not limited to, the first data or the first request described above. For example, the second data may be the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102 described above. For example, in addition to the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102 described above, the second data may also include other data.

[0128] For example, the first device 101 can carry the second data via an SRB (signaling radio bearer) or a MAC (Medium Access Control) CE (Control Element). That is, the first device 101 sends an SRB or MAC CE to the network device 103, and correspondingly, the network device 103 receives the SRB or MAC CE sent by the first device 101, whereby the SRB or MAC CE carries the second data. In other words, the second data sent by the first device 101 to the network device 103 can be carried via an SRB or a MAC CE.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first resource may be configured by the network device 103, pre-configured, or agreed upon (or specified) by the protocol.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the first device 101 receives a first resource configuration sent by the network device 103, which can be used to configure a first resource. For example, the network device 103 configures the first resource for the first device 101; for instance, the network device 103 sends the first resource configuration to the first device 101, and correspondingly, the first device 101 receives the first resource configuration sent by the network device 103, which is used to configure the first resource.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the first device 101 determines the first resource based on a pre-configuration. For example, the first resource is pre-configured, and the first device 101 can determine the first resource through this pre-configuration.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the first device 101 determines the first resource based on a protocol specification. For example, the protocol specifies the first resource, and the first device 101 can determine the first resource based on the protocol specification.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first resource may be a periodic resource. In some embodiments, the first resource may be an aperiodic resource. For example, the first resource may be a time-domain and / or frequency-domain resource. For example, the first resource may be a dedicated resource, which may be used to transmit first data or a first request received by the second device 102 from the first device 101; or, the dedicated resource may be used to transmit second data, which includes the first data or the first request received by the second device 102 from the first device 101.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first resource described above can be configured at the intermediate node (i.e., the first device 101) granularity. For example, the first resource can be configured per (each or a single) intermediate node. For instance, one intermediate node is associated with one first resource, and different intermediate nodes may be associated with the same or different first resources.

[0135] In step S3103, the first device 101 sends the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource.

[0136] In some embodiments, when a first device 101 receives first data or a first request from a second device 102, and the first device 101 determines a first resource, then the first device 101 sends second data to the network device 103 on that first resource. For example, the second data may be the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102. For example, the second data may include other data besides the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0137] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0138] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0139] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “get,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably, and in some embodiments they can be understood as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, autonomous implementation, and other meanings.

[0140] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0141] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be understood in some embodiments as A pre-defined in a protocol, etc., in some embodiments as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., and in some embodiments as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0142] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0143] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3103. For example, step S3101 + step S3103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step S3101 + step S3102 + step S3103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0144] In some embodiments, steps S3101 and S3102 may be performed in an alternate order or simultaneously.

[0145] In some embodiments, step S3102 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0146] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3A.

[0147] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0148] In step S3201, the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0149] The optional implementation of step S3201 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] In step S3202, if the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission, and the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 determines the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data. Here, "the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data" can be interpreted as: the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data; or, the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the header of the second data; or, the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate both the second data and the header of the second data.

[0151] In some embodiments, when a first device 101 receives first data or a first request sent by a second device 102, it determines whether the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission. If the first device 101 has uplink resources available for new transmission, and these uplink resources can accommodate the second data and / or its header, then the first device 101 may determine the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data. For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources available for new transmission, and these uplink resources can accommodate the second data, then the first device 101 may determine the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data. For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources available for new transmission, and these uplink resources can accommodate the header of the second data, then the first device 101 may determine the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data. For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission, and the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and the sub-header of the second data, then the first device 101 can determine the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0152] For example, the second data may be the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102. For example, the second data may include other data besides the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0153] In some embodiments, the uplink resource used for new transmission can be a semi-static resource. This semi-static resource can be the first resource shown in step S3102 above. The first resource can be configured by the network device 103, or it can be pre-configured or specified by a protocol. For example, the first resource can be a dedicated resource. This dedicated resource can be used to transmit first data or a first request received by the second device 102 from the first device 101. Alternatively, the dedicated resource can be used to transmit second data, which includes the first data or the first request received by the second device 102 from the first device 101. If the first device 101 has the first resource, and the first resource can accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 determines the first resource as the uplink resource for transmitting the second data, facilitating the first device 101 to send the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource.

[0154] In some embodiments, the uplink resources used for new transmission may be uplink resources dynamically scheduled by network device 103 (such as the first resource requested by the first SR configuration or the first resource requested by the first RACH configuration mentioned in this disclosure). For example, if the first device 101 determines that there are network dynamically scheduled uplink resources, the dynamically scheduled uplink resources are used for new transmission, and the dynamically scheduled uplink resources can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data, then the first device 101 determines the dynamically scheduled uplink resources as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data, so that the first device 101 can send the second data to network device 103 on the dynamically scheduled uplink resources.

[0155] For example, the uplink resources dynamically scheduled by the network device 103 may be, for example, a first resource configured through a first SR (Scheduling request), or, for example, a first resource configured through a first RACH (Random Access Channel), or, for example, other resources. This disclosure does not limit or elaborate on these possibilities. The first resource can be used to transmit second data.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration described above can be an SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device. For example, in some embodiments, the SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device can be understood as a dedicated SR configuration corresponding to the first data or first request. This dedicated SR configuration is used to request a first resource to send the first data or first request. For instance, there is a mapping relationship between the first SR configuration (such as the scheduling request identifier of the SR configuration) and the first data or first request of the second device. Based on this mapping relationship, the first SR configuration used to request the first resource to send the first data or first request can be determined. That is, based on this mapping relationship, it can be determined that the first SR configuration can be used to request the first resource for the first data or first request of the second device. For example, a new SR configuration can be defined, which is applicable to the transmission scenario of the first data or first request of the second device. The first resource requested through this SR configuration is used to send the first data or first request of the second device. For example, a new parameter, such as iot-SchedulingRequestID (IoT scheduling request identifier), can be defined. The ScheduledRequestId associated with this iot-SchedulingRequestID can be used to indicate the first SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device 102. Specifically, the first SR configuration is the SR configuration associated with IoT data. Alternatively, the defined parameter can be named by other names, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration described above is configured at the intermediate node granularity. This first SR configuration may include one or more PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) resources. For example, the first SR configuration may be configured per (each or a single) intermediate node, and may include a set of PUCCH resources. For example, this set of PUCCH resources may be distributed across different BWPs (Bandwidth Parts) and cells. At most one PUCCH resource is configured for this first SR configuration on a single BWP. For instance, one intermediate node is associated with one first SR configuration; different intermediate nodes may be associated with the same or different first SR configurations. For example, when the first device 101 is in an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection state, the network device 103 can send the first SR configuration to the first device 101. That is, when the first device 101 is in an RRC connection state, the network device 103 can configure the first SR configuration for the first device 101, and the first device 101 can send an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration described above can be any available SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101. For example, network device 103 configures one or more SR configurations for first device 101. When first device 101 receives first data or a first request sent by second device 102, first device 101 can determine one or more SR configurations associated with it, and determine any one of these one or more SR configurations as the first SR configuration. This allows first device 101 to send an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration can be any SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101, where the SR resource arrives earliest. For example, the first device has multiple SR configurations, where the SR resources are ordered in ascending or descending order of arrival time. The first SR configuration can be the SR configuration where the SR resource arrives earliest among these multiple SR configurations. For example, network device 103 configures one or more SR configurations for first device 101. When first device 101 receives first data or a first request from second device 102, first device 101 can determine that the SR configuration with the earliest arrival of the SR resource among the one or more SR configurations associated with it is the first SR configuration. That is, first device 101 determines the SR configuration with the earliest arrival of the SR resource as the first SR configuration, so that first device 101 can send an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration described above can be the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device 102. For example, in some embodiments, the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device can be understood as a dedicated RACH configuration corresponding to the first data or the first request. This dedicated RACH configuration is used to request a first resource to send the first data or the first request. For instance, there is a mapping relationship between the first RACH configuration and the first data or the first request of the second device. Based on this mapping relationship, the first RACH configuration used to request the first resource to send the first data or the first request can be determined. That is, based on this mapping relationship, it can be determined that the first RACH configuration can be used to request the first resource with the first data or the first request of the second device. For example, a new RACH configuration can be defined, which is suitable for the transmission scenario of the first data or the first request of the second device. The first resource requested through this RACH configuration is used to send the first data or the first request of the second device. For example, a new parameter can be defined, such as iot-Rachconfig (IoT Random Access Channel Configuration), which is used to configure the dedicated RACH resource used by the first data or first request of the second device 102. Specifically, the first RACH is configured as the RACH configuration associated with IoT data.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration described above can be configured at the intermediate node level. For example, the first RACH configuration can be configured per (each or a single) intermediate node. For instance, one intermediate node is associated with one first RACH configuration, and the first RACH configurations associated with different intermediate nodes can be the same or different. For example, if the first device 101 is in an RRC connected state, the network device 103 can send the first RACH configuration to the first device 101. That is, while the first device 101 is in an RRC connected state, the network device 103 can configure the first RACH configuration for the first device 101, and the first device 101 can initiate random access to the network device 103 through the first RACH configuration to request the first resource.

[0162] In step S3203, the first device 101 sends the second data to the network device 103 on the uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0163] In some embodiments, the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission, and these uplink resources can accommodate second data and / or a header of the second data. The first device 101 determines these uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data, and then the first device 101 can send the second data to the network device 103 on these uplink resources. The relevant description of these uplink resources for new transmission can be found in the description in step S3202 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0164] In step S3204, if the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers SR.

[0165] In some embodiments, a first device 101 receives first data or a first request sent by a second device 102, determines whether the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission, and if the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, the first device 101 triggers a request SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission, but these uplink resources cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, the first device 101 triggers a request SR. "The uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data" can be understood in some embodiments as: the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data; or, the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the header of the second data; or, the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate both the second data and the header of the second data.

[0166] For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission and the uplink resources used for new transmission can accommodate the second data, then the first device 101 can determine the uplink resources used for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data; if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission but the uplink resources used for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data, then the first device 101 triggers SR.

[0167] For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission, and the uplink resources used for new transmission can accommodate the header of the second data, then the first device 101 can determine the uplink resources used for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data; if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission, but the uplink resources used for new transmission cannot accommodate the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers SR.

[0168] For example, if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission, and the uplink resources used for new transmission can accommodate the second data and the header of the second data, then the first device 101 can determine the uplink resources used for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data; if the first device 101 has uplink resources that can be used for new transmission, but the uplink resources used for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers SR.

[0169] In step S3205, the first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration. The SR is used to request the first resource.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first resource is used to send the second data. In some embodiments, the first SR configuration can be understood as being configured by network device 103, and the first SR configuration may include SR resources used to send SR. For example, when first device 101 receives first data or a first request sent by second device 102, first device 101 determines whether there are uplink resources for new transmission. If first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then first device 101 triggers an SR. First device 101 can send an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration configured by network device 103. When network device 103 receives the SR, it can send the first resource to first device 101, so that first device 101 can send the second data on the first resource.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration can be the SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device 102. For example, a new parameter, such as iot-SchedulingRequestID (IoT scheduling request identifier), can be defined. The ScheduledRequestId associated with this iot-SchedulingRequestID can be used to indicate the first SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device 102. Specifically, this first SR configuration is the SR configuration associated with IoT data. Alternatively, the defined parameter can be named under other names, which are not specifically limited in this disclosure.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources. For example, the first SR configuration may be configured per (each or a single) intermediate node, and the first SR configuration may include a set of PUCCH resources. For example, the set of PUCCH resources may be distributed across different BWPs and cells. At most one PUCCH resource is configured for the first SR configuration on a BWP. For example, one intermediate node is associated with one first SR configuration, and the first SR configurations associated with different intermediate nodes may be the same or different. For example, if the first device 101 is in an RRC (Radio Resource Control) connected state, the network device 103 can send the first SR configuration to the first device 101. That is, if the first device 101 is in an RRC connected state, the network device 103 can configure the first SR configuration for the first device 101, and the first device 101 can send an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0173] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration can be any available SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101. For example, network device 103 configures one or more SR configurations for first device 101. When first device 101 receives first data or a first request sent by second device 102, first device 101 can determine one or more SR configurations associated with it, and determine any one of these one or more SR configurations as the first SR configuration. This allows first device 101 to send an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration can be any SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101, where the SR resource arrives earliest. For example, the first device has multiple SR configurations, where the SR resources are ordered in ascending or descending order of arrival time. The first SR configuration can be the SR configuration where the SR resource arrives earliest among these multiple SR configurations. For example, network device 103 configures one or more SR configurations for first device 101. When first device 101 receives first data or a first request from second device 102, first device 101 can determine that the SR configuration with the earliest arrival of the SR resource among the one or more SR configurations associated with it is the first SR configuration. That is, first device 101 determines the SR configuration with the earliest arrival of the SR resource as the first SR configuration, so that first device 101 can send an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource.

[0175] In step S3206, the first device 101 sends the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource.

[0176] In some embodiments, when a first device 101 receives first data or a first request from a second device 102, it determines whether the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission. If the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, the first device 101 triggers a Service Request (SR). The first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through a first SR configuration configured by the network device 103. Upon receiving the SR, the network device 103 can send first resources to the first device 101. The first device 101 then sends the second data to the network device 103 on the first resources, and correspondingly, the network device 103 receives the second data sent by the first device 101 on the first resources.

[0177] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3201 to S3206. For example, steps S3201 + S3202 + S3203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3201 + S3204 + S3205 + S3206 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S3201 + S3205 + S3206 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0178] In some embodiments, steps S3204, S3205 and S3206 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0179] In some embodiments, steps S3202 and S3203 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0180] In some embodiments, steps S3202, S3203 and S3204 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0181] In some embodiments, other optional implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3B.

[0182] Figure 3C is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3C, the communication method involved in this embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0183] In step S3301, the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0184] The optional implementation of step S3301 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] In step S3302, if the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission and the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data, then the first device 101 determines the uplink resources for new transmission as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0186] The optional implementation of step S3302 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3202 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] In step S3303, the first device 101 sends the second data to the network device 103 on the uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0188] The optional implementation of step S3303 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3203 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0189] In step S3304, if the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers SR.

[0190] The optional implementation of step S3304 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3204 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0191] In step S3305, the first device 101 determines that it has a first SR configuration. The first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration. The SR is used to request a first resource.

[0192] In some embodiments, if the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource available for the new transmission, and / or the uplink resource available for the new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers an SR, then the first device 101 can determine whether there is a first SR configuration for requesting the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that it has a first SR configuration, then the first device 101 can send an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration to request the first resource, so that the first device 101 can send the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource. The optional implementation of the above step "the first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration" and the optional implementation of the above "first SR configuration" can be found in the optional implementation of the above step S3205 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0193] For example, the first SR configuration can be an SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device. Specifically, the first SR configuration is an SR configuration associated with IoT data. If the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers an SR, then the first device 101 can determine whether it has the first SR configuration to request the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that it has the first SR configuration, then the first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration. The SR is used to request the first resource.

[0194] For example, the first SR configuration can be any available SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101. If first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from network device 103. If first device 101 triggers an SR, then first device 101 can determine whether it has the first SR configuration to request the first resource. If first device 101 determines that it has the first SR configuration, then first device 101 sends an SR to network device 103 through the first SR configuration, and the SR is used to request the first resource.

[0195] For example, the first SR configuration is the earliest SR configuration that the network device 103 configures for the first device 101, where the SR resource arrives first. If the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for the new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource for the new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers an SR, then the first device 101 can determine whether it has the first SR configuration to request the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that it has the first SR configuration, then the first device 101 sends an SR to the network device 103 through the first SR configuration, and the SR is used to request the first resource.

[0196] In step S3306, the first device 101 determines that the first device 101 does not have a first SR configuration and triggers random access RACH.

[0197] In some embodiments, if the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource available for the new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource available for the new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers a Random Access Request (SR) to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers the SR, it can determine whether there is a first SR configuration for requesting the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that it does not have the first SR configuration, then the first device 101 triggers a Random Access Request (RACH) to request the first resource via the RACH, so that the first device 101 can send the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource.

[0198] For example, the first SR configuration can be an SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device. Specifically, the first SR configuration is an SR configuration associated with IoT data. If the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for new transmission, and / or the uplink resource for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers an SR, then the first device 101 can determine whether there is such a first SR configuration to request the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that there is no such first SR configuration, then the first device 101 triggers a random access protocol (RACH).

[0199] For example, the first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by network device 103 for first device 101. If first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from network device 103. If first device 101 triggers an SR, then first device 101 can determine whether the first SR configuration exists for requesting the first resource. If first device 101 determines that it does not have the first SR configuration, then first device 101 triggers a random access protocol (RACH).

[0200] For example, the first SR configuration is the earliest SR configuration that the network device 103 configures for the first device 101, where the SR resource arrives first. If the first device 101 determines that there is no uplink resource for the new transmission, and / or that the uplink resource for the new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, then the first device 101 triggers an SR to request the first resource from the network device 103. If the first device 101 triggers an SR, then the first device 101 can determine whether the first SR configuration exists for requesting the first resource. If the first device 101 determines that the first SR configuration does not exist, then the first device 101 triggers a Random Access RACH.

[0201] In step S3307, the first device 101 initiates random access to the network device 103 through the first RACH configuration, and the random access is used to request the first resource.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first resource can be used to send the second data. In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration can be understood as the configuration of network device 103. For example, when the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102, it determines whether the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission. If the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, the first device 101 triggers SR. If the first device 101 does not have the first SR configuration, the first device 101 triggers random access RACH and initiates random access through the first RACH configuration to request the first resource from network device 103, so that the first device 101 can send the second data on the first resource.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration described above can be the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device 102. For example, a new parameter, such as iot-Rachconfig (IoT Random Access Channel Configuration), can be defined. This iot-Rachconfig is used to configure the dedicated RACH resources used by the first data or the first request of the second device 102. Specifically, the first RACH configuration is the RACH configuration associated with IoT data.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration described above can be configured at the intermediate node level. For example, the first RACH configuration can be configured per (each or a single) intermediate node. For instance, one intermediate node is associated with one first RACH configuration, and the first RACH configurations associated with different intermediate nodes can be the same or different. For example, if the first device 101 is in an RRC connected state, the network device 103 can send the first RACH configuration to the first device 101. That is, while the first device 101 is in an RRC connected state, the network device 103 can configure the first RACH configuration for the first device 101, and the first device 101 can initiate random access to the network device 103 through the first RACH configuration to request the first resource.

[0205] In step S3308, the first device 101 sends the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource.

[0206] In some embodiments, when a first device 101 receives first data or a first request from a second device 102, it determines whether the first device 101 has uplink resources for new transmission. If the first device 101 does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the header of the second data, the first device 101 triggers a Service Request (SR). If the first device 101 does not have a first SR configuration (the first SR configuration can be the SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request from the second device, or any available SR configuration configured by the network device 103 for the first device 101, or the SR configuration with the earliest arriving SR resource among any SR configurations configured by the network device 103 for the first device 101), the first device 101 triggers a Random Access Response (RACH) and initiates random access through the first RACH configuration to request the first resource from the network device 103. After determining the first resource, the first device 101 can send the second data to the network device 103 on the first resource, and correspondingly, the network device 103 receives the second data sent by the first device 101 on the first resource.

[0207] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3301 to S3308. For example, steps S3301 + S3302 + S3303 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3301 + S3304 + S3305 + S3308 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S3301 + S3304 + S3306 + S3307 + S3308 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S3301 + S3307 + S3308 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0208] In some embodiments, steps S3304, S3305, S3306, S3307, and S3308 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0209] In some embodiments, steps S3302, S3303, S3306, and S3307 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0210] In some embodiments, steps S3302, S3303, and S3305 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0211] In some embodiments, steps S3302, S3303, S3304, S3305, and S3306 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0212] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3C may be referred to.

[0213] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which can be executed by a first device 101, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0214] Step S4101: Receive first data or first request sent by the second device 102.

[0215] The optional implementation of step S4101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0216] Step S4102: Send second data to network device 103 on the first resource. The second data includes the first data or the first request mentioned above.

[0217] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a first resource configuration sent by a network device, the first resource configuration being used to configure a first resource.

[0218] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first resource based on pre-configuration.

[0219] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a first resource based on protocol specifications.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0222] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending an SR to the network device through a first scheduling request SR configuration configured by the network device, wherein the SR is used to request a first resource and the first resource is used to send second data.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first SR is configured as the SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0224] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

[0225] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

[0226] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is the SR configuration whose SR resource arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

[0227] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining that the first device does not have uplink resources for the new transmission, and / or that the uplink resources for the new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data; and triggering a scheduling request (SR).

[0228] In some embodiments, the method further includes: initiating random access to the network device through a first random access channel (RACH) configured by the network device, wherein the random access is used to request a first resource and the first resource is used to send second data.

[0229] In some embodiments, the first RACH is configured as the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0231] In some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: determining that the first device does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or that the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the subheader of the second data; triggering a scheduling request (SR); determining that the first device does not have a first SR configuration; and triggering a random access protocol (RACH).

[0232] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining that the first device has uplink resources for new transmission, and that the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate second data and / or a subheader of the second data; and determining the uplink resources for new transmission as uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

[0233] Optional implementations of the method on the first device 101 side involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in the description of the relevant steps on the first device 101 side in the embodiments shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C above, and will not be repeated here.

[0234] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a network device 103, and the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0235] Step S5101: Receive second data sent by the first device 101 on the first resource. The second data includes first data or a first request, which is sent by the second device 102.

[0236] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a first resource configuration to a first device, the first resource configuration being used to configure a first resource.

[0237] In some embodiments, the first resource is a periodic resource.

[0238] In some embodiments, the first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0239] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving an SR sent by a first device 101 through a first scheduling request SR configuration, wherein the SR is used to request a first resource, and the first resource is used to send second data.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first SR is configured as a dedicated SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device.

[0241] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

[0242] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

[0243] In some embodiments, the first SR configuration is the SR configuration whose SR resource arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

[0244] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a random access initiated by a first device 101 through a first random access channel RACH, wherein the random access is used to request a first resource and the first resource is used to send second data.

[0245] In some embodiments, the first RACH is configured as the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

[0246] In some embodiments, the first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

[0247] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second data sent by the first device 101 on uplink resources, wherein the uplink resources are uplink resources in the first device 101 used for new transmission, and the uplink resources used for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data.

[0248] Optional implementations of the method on the network device 103 side involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in the relevant descriptions of the network device 103 side in the embodiments shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C above, which will not be repeated here.

[0249] Figure 6 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to a communication system 100, and the above method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0250] In step S6101, the first device 101 receives the first data or the first request sent by the second device 102.

[0251] The optional implementation of step S6101 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0252] In step S6102, the first device 101 sends second data to the network device 103 on the first resource. The second data includes the first data or the first request.

[0253] The optional implementation of step S6102 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] In step S6103, network device 103 receives the second data sent by the first device on the first resource.

[0255] The optional implementation of step S6103 can be found in the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0256] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method described in the embodiments of the first device side, network device side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0257] It is worth noting that this disclosure proposes a resource request method in IoT scenarios, which solves the problem of how to enable intermediate nodes to quickly send the data or data request of IoT devices to the base station when receiving data or data requests from IoT devices in the communication architecture shown in Figure 2.

[0258] In some embodiments, a first resource is configured or pre-configured for an intermediate node, and the intermediate node sends data and / or data requests from IoT devices on the first resource.

[0259] For example, the first resource can be configured or pre-configured; another possible implementation is that the first resource is defined by the protocol. Optionally, the first resource can be a periodic resource. Optionally, the first resource can be a time-frequency domain resource. Optionally, the first resource is a dedicated resource used to transmit data and / or data requests received by intermediate nodes from IoT devices. For example, the first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity (per intermediate node), and the intermediate node is in RRC connected state. For example, the IoT data can be data actively sent by the IoT device. The IoT data request can be a data request sent by the IoT device, indicating that the IoT device has data to be actively sent.

[0260] In some embodiments, a first SR configuration is defined for requesting uplink resources, which are used by intermediate nodes to send received IoT data / data requests to network devices.

[0261] For example, a new parameter, iot-SchedulingRequestID, is defined, which is associated with a ScheduledRequestId to indicate the first SR configuration associated with IoT data / data requests.

[0262] For example, this first SR configuration is a per-intermediate-node configuration. This first SR configuration may contain a set of PUCCH resources. The intermediate nodes are in RRC linked state.

[0263] For example, when an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request (carried by an SRB or MAC CE), if there is uplink resource available for the new transmission and that uplink resource can accommodate the IoT data and / or data request, the intermediate node will send the received IoT data and / or data request through that uplink resource. Otherwise, the intermediate node triggers an SRB, which requests uplink resource to send the IoT data and / or data request. The configuration of the first SRB associated with the intermediate node is the corresponding configuration of this triggered SRB.

[0264] In some embodiments, an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or data requests, and the intermediate node requests uplink resources through any SR configuration to send the received IoT data and / or data requests.

[0265] For example, when an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request, if there is uplink resource available for the new transmission, and that uplink resource can accommodate the IoT data and / or data request, the intermediate node sends the received IoT data and / or data request through that uplink resource. Otherwise, the intermediate node triggers a Service Request (SR), which requests uplink resource to send the IoT data and / or data request. Any SR configuration associated with the intermediate node can serve as the corresponding configuration for this triggered SR.

[0266] In some embodiments, when an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request, the intermediate node sends the received IoT data and / or data request to the uplink resource via the earliest arriving SR configuration request of the SR resource.

[0267] For example, when an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request, if there is uplink resource available for the new transmission and that uplink resource can accommodate the IoT data and / or data request, the intermediate node sends the received IoT data and / or data request through that uplink resource. Otherwise, the intermediate node triggers a Service Request (SR), which requests uplink resource to send the IoT data and / or data request. When an intermediate node triggers an SR, it uses the earliest arriving SR configuration from its associated SR configurations as the corresponding configuration for that triggered SR. In other words, the intermediate node sends the triggered SR using the SR configuration with the earliest arriving SR resource.

[0268] In some embodiments, a first RACH resource is defined, through which intermediate nodes request uplink resources. These uplink resources are used by the intermediate nodes to send received IoT data / data requests to network devices.

[0269] For example, a new parameter, iot-Rachconfig, is defined, which carries the first RACH resource used by IoT data / data requests.

[0270] For example, the first RACH resource configuration is the configuration per intermediate node.

[0271] In some embodiments, an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request, and the intermediate node requests uplink resources through a first RACH resource to send the received IoT data and / or data request.

[0272] For example, when an intermediate node receives IoT data and / or a data request, if there is uplink resource available for the new transmission and that uplink resource can accommodate the IoT data and / or data request, the intermediate node sends the received IoT data and / or data request through that uplink resource. Otherwise, the intermediate node triggers a First SR. If there is no first SR configuration or no available SR configuration (i.e., the intermediate node has no SR configuration), the intermediate node triggers a Relay Request (RACH) and initiates a Relay Request through the first RACH resource to request uplink resource to send the received IoT data and / or data request.

[0273] This disclosure also provides embodiments of an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the first device in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods.

[0274] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0275] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with information 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 relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using 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 configuring the hardware circuit 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. Furthermore, 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), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0276] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7A, the first device 7100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 7101, a processing module 7102, etc.

[0277] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7101 is configured to receive first data or a first request sent by the second device, wherein the first request is used to request the transmission of the first data; the transceiver module 7101 is further configured to send second data to the network device on the first resource, wherein the second data includes the first data or the first request; wherein the second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0278] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S3101, S3103, S3201, S3203, S3205, S3206, S3301, S3303, S3305, S3307, S3308, but not limited thereto) executed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S3102, S3202, S3204, S3302, S3304, S3306, but not limited thereto) executed by the first device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Regarding the first device 7100 in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0279] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7B, the network device 7200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 7201, a processing module 7202, etc.

[0280] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 7201 is configured to receive second data sent by the first device on the first resource. The second data includes first data or a first request. The first request is used to request the sending of the first data. The first data or the first request is sent by the second device. The second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

[0281] Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device 103 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device 103 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. Regarding the network device 7200 in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0282] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0283] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0284] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 8100 can be a first device (such as an intermediate node, for example, a relay, an IAB, a terminal, a repeater, etc.), a network device (such as an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 8100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0285] As shown in Figure 8A, the communication device 8100 includes one or more processors 8101. The processor 8101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 8100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 8101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 8100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0286] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more transceivers 8103. When the communication device 8100 includes one or more transceivers 8103, the transceivers 8103 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S3101, S3103, S3201, S3203, S3205, S3206, S3301, S3303, S3305, S3307, S3308, but not limited thereto), and the processor 8101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S3102, S3202, S3204, S3302, S3304, S3306, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceivers may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, terms such as transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, and interface can be used interchangeably; terms such as transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit can be used interchangeably; and terms such as receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit can be used interchangeably.

[0287] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more memories 8102 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 8102 may be located outside the communication device 8100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 8100 may include one or more interface circuits 8104. Optionally, the interface circuits 8104 are connected to the memories 8102 and can be used to receive data from the memories 8102 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 8102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 8104 can read data stored in the memories 8102 and send the data to the processor 8101.

[0288] The communication device 8100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a first device, but the scope of the communication device 8100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 8100 may not be limited by FIG8A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0289] Figure 8B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 8200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 8100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 8200 shown in Figure 8B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0290] Chip 8200 includes one or more processors 8201. Chip 8200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0291] In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more interface circuits 8202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more memories 8203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 8203 may be located outside of chip 8200. Optionally, interface circuit 8202 is connected to memory 8203, and interface circuit 8202 can be used to receive data from memory 8203 or other devices, and interface circuit 8202 can be used to send data to memory 8203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 8202 can read data stored in memory 8203 and send the data to processor 8201.

[0292] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 8202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S3101, S3103, S3201, S3203, S3205, S3206, S3301, S3303, S3305, S3307, S3308, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 8202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 8202 performing data interaction between the processor 8201, the chip 8200, the memory 8203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 8201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S3102, S3202, S3204, S3302, S3304, S3306, but not limited thereto).

[0293] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device 8100, cause the communication device 8100 to perform 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 not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0294] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 8100, causes the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0295] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0296] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0297] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0298] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0299] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a first device, and the method includes: Receive first data or a first request sent by the second device, wherein the first request is used to request the sending of the first data; Send second data to a network device on a first resource, the second data including the first data or the first request; The second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a first resource configuration sent by the network device, the first resource configuration being used to configure the first resource; or... The first resource is determined based on pre-configuration; or... The first resource is determined based on the agreement.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first resource is a periodic resource.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

5. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device sends an SR to the network device through a first scheduling request (SR) configuration, the SR being used to request the first resource, and the first resource being used to send the second data.

6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is the SR configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

8. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is the SR configuration that arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 5-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: It is determined that the first device does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data; Trigger a scheduling request (SR).

11. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device initiates random access by configuring a first random access channel (RACH) to the network device, wherein the random access is used to request the first resource, and the first resource is used to send the second data.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The first RACH configuration is the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

13. The method as described in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: It is determined that the first device does not have uplink resources for new transmission, and / or the uplink resources for new transmission cannot accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data; Trigger a scheduling request (SR); It was determined that the first device did not have a first SR configuration; Trigger random access RACH.

15. The method according to any one of claims 5-9 and 11-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: It is determined that the first device has uplink resources for new transmission, and the uplink resources for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data; The uplink resources used for the new transmission are determined as the uplink resources for transmitting the second data.

16. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Receive second data sent by the first device on the first resource, the second data including first data or a first request, the first request being used to request the sending of the first data, the first data or the first request being sent by the second device; The second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first resource configuration to the first device, the first resource configuration being used to configure the first resource.

18. The method as described in claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The first resource is a periodic resource.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16-18, characterized in that, The first resource is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

20. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first device receives an SR (Schedule Request) sent via a first scheduling request SR configuration, wherein the SR is used to request the first resource. One resource is used to send the second data.

21. The method as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is a dedicated SR configuration associated with the first data or first request of the second device.

22. The method as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity, and the first SR configuration includes one or more PUCCH resources.

23. The method as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is any available SR configuration configured by the network device for the first device.

24. The method as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The first SR configuration is the SR configuration that arrives earliest among any available SR configurations configured by the network device for the first device.

25. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives a random access request initiated by the first device through a first random access channel (RACH), wherein the random access request is used to request the first resource and the first resource is used to send the second data.

26. The method as described in claim 25, characterized in that, The first RACH configuration is the RACH configuration associated with the first data or the first request of the second device.

27. The method as described in claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, The first RACH configuration is configured at the intermediate node granularity.

28. The method according to any one of claims 16-25, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives the second data sent by the first device on an uplink resource, wherein the uplink resource is an uplink resource in the first device used for new transmission, and the uplink resource used for new transmission can accommodate the second data and / or the sub-header of the second data.

29. A first device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive first data or a first request sent by the second device, wherein the first request is used to request the sending of the first data; The transceiver module is further configured to send second data to the network device on the first resource, the second data including the first data or the first request; The second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

30. A network device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive second data sent by the first device on the first resource, the second data including the first data or the first... The request, wherein the first request is used to request the sending of the first data, the first data or the first request is sent by the second device; The second device is an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and the first device is an intermediate node of the second device.

31. A communication system, characterized in that, include: The first device is configured to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-15; A network device is configured to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 16-28.

32. A communication device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The communication device is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-15 and 16-28.

33. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method according to any one of claims 1-15 and 16-28.

34. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the communication device, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-15, 16-28.

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