Communication method, system and related device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method, a system and a related device. The method comprises: a network node determines that an A-IoT device meets a charging condition, and sends a first message, the first message comprising first control information, and the first control information being used for instructing the A-IoT device to collect energy. Thus, the A-IoT device uses an energy collector to collect radio frequency energy, and uses an energy storage device to store the radio frequency energy. In this way, when the remaining energy of the A-IoT device is insufficient, the radio frequency energy is provided for the A-IoT device by means of the network node, and the A-IoT device is instructed to collect energy, such that the A-IoT device can effectively collect and store energy, and the A-IoT device can continue operating by using the collected energy, thus helping to maintain normal communication with network nodes, improving the availability of A-IoT devices, and improving stability and sustainability of communication systems.

Description

Communication methods, systems and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410680769.6, filed on May 28, 2024, entitled "Communication Method, System and Related Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, system and related equipment. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has attracted widespread attention in the field of wireless communication. It is anticipated that more and more "things" will be interconnected to improve productivity and enhance the comfort of life. To further reduce the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices, hundreds or even trillions of IoT devices can be deployed for various applications, adding value to the entire value chain. Typically, batteries are not manually replaced or recharged to power all IoT devices, as this would lead to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even security risks in some use cases, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries.

[0004] Most existing wireless communication devices are battery-powered, requiring manual replacement or charging. Automation and digitalization across industries have opened up many new markets, necessitating new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or energy-storage devices that do not require manual replacement or charging. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is investigating IoT use cases, traffic scenarios, device limitations, and identifying new potential service requirements and key performance indicators (KPIs) for harnessing ambient energy. 3GPP is considering devices without batteries or with limited energy storage capabilities (e.g., using capacitors) and powered by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other energy source deemed suitable.

[0005] Considering the limited size and complexity required for practical applications of battery-free devices without energy storage capacity or devices with limited energy storage capacity that do not require manual replacement or charging, the output power of energy harvesters is typically from 1 μW (microwatts) to several hundred μW. Existing cellular devices, with peak power consumption exceeding 10 mW, may not be suitable for energy harvesting.

[0006] An example type of application is asset identification, which currently relies primarily on barcodes and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in most industries. The main advantages of these two technologies are the extremely low complexity and small size of the tags. However, the limited reading range of a few meters often requires handheld scanning, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming operations, or RFID portals / gates, resulting in high deployment costs. Furthermore, the lack of interference management schemes leads to severe interference and capacity issues among RFID readers, especially in dense deployments. RFID struggles to support seamless coverage across large-scale networks.

[0007] In summary, the currently proposed Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) technology enables IoT services that utilize energy harvested from the environment to power devices, which can also be called A-IoT devices. A-IoT devices typically have low power consumption and possess some energy storage capacity, reducing the energy storage requirements. For example, A-IoT devices may not have batteries, or may have capacitors or batteries with limited storage capacity. In practical applications, A-IoT devices can utilize configured energy harvesters to collect energy, such as radio frequency energy, solar energy, and wind energy, and store the collected energy, such as by converting the collected energy into electrical energy for storage. This stored energy can then be used to power the entire A-IoT device and support its operation.

[0008] However, in real-world applications, the energy available in the environment is usually limited, which means that A-IoT devices can typically collect less energy, making it easy for them to fail to operate continuously due to insufficient stored energy.

[0009] Therefore, how to enable A-IoT devices to store enough energy to stay awake has become an important problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0010] This application provides a communication method, system, and related equipment, with the aim of enabling A-IoT devices to effectively collect and store energy from the environment, improving the availability of A-IoT devices, and enhancing the stability and sustainability of A-IoT communication systems.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0012] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applied to an A-IoT (Environmental Internet of Things) device, the A-IoT device including an energy harvester and an energy storage device, the method including: the A-IoT device acquiring a first message, the first message including first control information, the first control information being used to instruct the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting; thereby, the A-IoT device uses the energy harvester to collect radio frequency energy and uses the energy storage device to store radio frequency energy.

[0013] In this way, when the remaining energy of an A-IoT device is insufficient, the A-IoT device can collect radio frequency energy after receiving the first message. This allows the A-IoT device to continue operating using the collected energy, which helps maintain normal communication with network nodes, improves the availability of A-IoT devices, and enhances the stability and sustainability of the communication system.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first message includes a control field carrying first control information; or, the first message includes a preamble carrying the first control information; or, the first message includes both a control field and a preamble, with the control field carrying a portion of the first control information and the preamble carrying another portion of the first control information. Thus, by carrying first control information for instructing A-IoT devices to perform energy harvesting at different locations within the first message, the A-IoT devices can harvest radio frequency energy in a timely manner, thereby improving the availability of the A-IoT devices.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first control information includes an activation flag and an energy harvesting duration. The activation flag activates the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting, and the energy harvesting duration indicates the duration for which the A-IoT device will harvest energy. Thus, the A-IoT device can initiate the energy harvesting process based on the activation flag and collect sufficient energy to maintain its operation based on the energy harvesting duration, thereby improving the availability of the A-IoT device.

[0016] In one possible implementation, different types of A-IoT devices correspond to different energy harvesting durations. Thus, by differentiating the control of different types of A-IoT devices, their energy harvesting requirements can be met.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the radio frequency energy originates from the radio frequency signal of the network node. Therefore, before acquiring the first message, the method further includes: the A-IoT device sending a notification message, which includes second control information used to request the network node to charge the A-IoT device. In this way, the A-IoT device can actively request the network node to charge it, ensuring that the A-IoT device can collect energy in a timely manner, thereby ensuring that the A-IoT device has sufficient energy to maintain operation and improving the availability of the A-IoT device.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the second control information is further used to indicate the remaining energy stored in the A-IoT device, or the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time. The remaining number of interactions includes the number of times the A-IoT device can transmit data to the network node, and the estimated charging time indicates the duration for which the A-IoT device requests the network node to charge the A-IoT device. Thus, by actively reporting the remaining energy, remaining number of interactions, or estimated charging time to the network node, the A-IoT device can facilitate the network node in determining the charging time for the A-IoT device. This not only ensures that the A-IoT device collects sufficient energy but also avoids energy waste caused by the network node providing excessive radio frequency energy.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the second control information is carried in the control field or preamble of the notification message; alternatively, part of the second control information is carried in the control field of the notification message, and another part of the second control information is carried in the preamble of the notification message. Thus, by carrying the second control information at different locations in the notification message, A-IoT devices can collect radio frequency energy in a timely manner to improve their availability.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the A-IoT device acquiring a second message, the second message being used to deactivate the energy harvesting of the A-IoT device.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first control information is further used to indicate the wake-up time or sleep time of the A-IoT device. During the wake-up time, the A-IoT device receives downlink communication data, and during the sleep time, it performs energy harvesting. In this way, under the instruction of the network node, the A-IoT device can complete the energy harvesting and communication process at different time periods, allowing the network node to perform differentiated control and processing of the A-IoT device to ensure stable communication between the network node and the A-IoT device.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first message includes a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message or a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) message.

[0023] Secondly, this application provides a communication method applied to a network node, the method comprising: determining that an A-IoT (Environmental Internet of Things) device meets charging conditions; sending a first message, the first message including first control information, the first control information being used to instruct the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting; and sending a radio frequency signal, the radio frequency signal being used to charge the A-IoT device.

[0024] In this way, when the remaining energy of the A-IoT device is insufficient, the network node provides radio frequency energy to the A-IoT device and instructs the A-IoT device to harvest energy. This enables the A-IoT device to effectively harvest and store energy, so that the A-IoT device can continue to operate using the harvested energy. This helps maintain normal communication with the network node, improves the availability of the A-IoT device, and enhances the stability and sustainability of the communication system.

[0025] In one possible implementation, before the network node sends the first message, the method further includes: the network node receiving an indication message, which instructs the A-IoT device to be charged. Thus, the network node can perform the charging process for the A-IoT device upon receiving instructions from other network nodes, ensuring the availability of the A-IoT device.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the first message includes a control field carrying first control information; or, the first message includes a preamble carrying the first control information; or, the first message includes both a control field and a preamble, with the control field carrying a portion of the first control information and the preamble carrying another portion of the first control information. Thus, by carrying first control information for instructing A-IoT devices to perform energy harvesting at different locations within the first message, the A-IoT devices can harvest radio frequency energy in a timely manner to improve their availability.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the first control information includes an activation flag and an energy harvesting duration. The activation flag activates the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting, and the energy harvesting duration indicates the duration for which the A-IoT device will harvest energy. Thus, the network node can use the first control information to instruct the A-IoT device to initiate the energy harvesting process and specify the duration of energy harvesting. This allows the A-IoT device to collect sufficient energy to maintain operation, thereby improving its availability.

[0028] In one possible implementation, before the network node sends the first message, the method further includes: the network node determining the device type of the A-IoT device and the representative use case corresponding to the A-IoT device; and determining the energy harvesting duration corresponding to the A-IoT device based on the device type of the A-IoT device and the representative use case corresponding to the A-IoT device. In this way, by implementing differentiated control for different types of A-IoT devices and those implementing different representative use cases, the energy harvesting needs of different types of A-IoT devices can be met.

[0029] In one possible implementation, before the network node sends the first message, the method further includes: the network node determining the device type of the A-IoT device and the corresponding duty cycle of the A-IoT device, where the duty cycle is the ratio between the running time and sleep time of the A-IoT device; and determining the energy harvesting duration corresponding to the A-IoT device based on the device type and duty cycle. Thus, by implementing differentiated control for different types of A-IoT devices with different duty cycles, the energy harvesting needs of different types of A-IoT devices can be met.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the network node sends a first message, which includes sending the first message when the number of data interactions between the network node and the A-IoT device reaches a threshold corresponding to the number of interactions with the A-IoT device. In this way, the network node can determine that the A-IoT device has low energy storage when it determines that the number of data interactions is high, and trigger charging of the A-IoT device. This allows the A-IoT device to collect radio frequency energy in a timely manner to improve its availability.

[0031] In one possible implementation, before the network node sends the first message, the method further includes: the network node receiving a notification message, the notification message including second control information, the second control information being used to request the network node to charge the A-IoT device. Thus, the network node can trigger the charging process for the A-IoT device when the A-IoT device requests charging, enabling the A-IoT device to collect radio frequency energy in a timely manner to improve its availability.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the second control information is further used to indicate the remaining energy stored in the A-IoT device, or the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time. The remaining number of interactions includes the number of times the A-IoT device can transmit data to the network node, and the estimated charging time indicates the duration for which the A-IoT device requests the network node to charge the A-IoT device. Before the network node sends the first message, the method further includes: the network node determining the energy collection duration corresponding to the A-IoT device based on the remaining energy, or the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time. Thus, the network node can determine the charging duration for the A-IoT device based on the remaining energy, remaining number of interactions, or estimated charging time actively reported by the A-IoT device. This not only ensures that the A-IoT device collects sufficient energy but also avoids energy waste caused by the network node providing excessive radio frequency energy.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the second control information is carried in the control field or preamble of the notification message; alternatively, part of the second control information is carried in the control field of the notification message, and another part of the second control information is carried in the preamble of the notification message. Thus, by carrying the second control information at different locations in the notification message, A-IoT devices can collect radio frequency energy in a timely manner to improve their availability.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: a network node sending a second message for deactivating energy harvesting of the A-IoT device.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first control information is further used to indicate the wake-up time or sleep time of the A-IoT device. During the wake-up time, the A-IoT device receives downlink communication data, and during the sleep time, it harvests energy. In this way, the network node can control the A-IoT device to perform different operations at different times, achieving differentiated control and processing of the A-IoT device to ensure stable communication between the network node and the A-IoT device.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the first message includes a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message or a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) message.

[0037] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method applied to an A-IoT (Environmental Internet of Things) device. The method includes: during a first time period when the A-IoT device is in a sleep state, the A-IoT device receives at least one communication message and performs energy harvesting and storage based on the radio frequency signal corresponding to the at least one communication message; during a second time period when the A-IoT device is in a wake-up state, the A-IoT device receives at least one communication message, wherein the at least one communication message received during the second time period is used for downlink data communication between the network node and the A-IoT device, and the at least one communication message received during the first time period carries the same data content as the at least one communication message received during the second time period.

[0038] In this way, by continuously sending multiple identical communication messages, network nodes can ensure downlink data communication with A-IoT devices while simultaneously charging the A-IoT devices, thereby improving the communication stability between A-IoT devices and network nodes.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the A-IoT device enters a sleep state when its stored remaining energy is below a first energy threshold, and enters a wake-up state when its stored remaining energy is above a second energy threshold and the power of the received radio frequency signal exceeds a power threshold, where the second energy threshold is greater than the first energy threshold. Alternatively, the A-IoT device enters a wake-up state when its stored remaining energy is above the second energy threshold and the power of the received radio frequency signal exceeds a power threshold, and enters a sleep state when it is awake but has not received downlink data for a duration longer than a preset duration. In this way, the A-IoT device can perform different processing procedures at different times, which not only ensures downlink data communication with the A-IoT device but also enables energy harvesting, thereby improving the communication stability between the A-IoT device and the network node.

[0040] Fourthly, this application provides a communication method applied to a network node. The method includes: generating communication messages; and continuously sending multiple communication messages within a specified time period. The specified time period includes a first time period in which the A-IoT (Ambient Internet of Things) device is in a sleep state and a second time period in which the A-IoT device is in a wake-up state. The communication messages sent during the first time period are used to charge the A-IoT device, and the communication messages sent during the second time period are used for downlink data communication with the A-IoT device. In this way, by continuously sending multiple identical communication messages, the network node can ensure downlink data communication with the A-IoT device while simultaneously charging the A-IoT device, thereby improving the communication stability between the A-IoT device and the network node.

[0041] Fifthly, this application provides a network node, which includes a transceiver and a processor; wherein the transceiver is configured to perform receiving and transmitting operations in the method described in the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, or to perform receiving and transmitting operations in the method described in the fourth aspect; the processor is configured to perform other operations in the method described in the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect besides the receiving and transmitting operations, or to perform other operations in the method described in the fourth aspect besides the receiving and transmitting operations.

[0042] Sixthly, this application provides an A-IoT (Environmental Internet of Things) device, which includes a transceiver and a processor; wherein the transceiver is configured to perform receiving and transmitting operations in the method described in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect, or to perform receiving and transmitting operations in the method described in the third aspect or any embodiment of the third aspect; the processor is configured to perform other operations in the method described in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect besides the receiving and transmitting operations, or to perform other operations in the method described in the third aspect or any embodiment of the third aspect besides the receiving and transmitting operations.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication system comprising an A-IoT (Environmental Internet of Things) device and a network node, wherein the A-IoT device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any embodiment thereof, or to perform the method described in the third aspect or any embodiment thereof; and the network node is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any embodiment thereof, or to perform the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0044] Eighthly, this application provides a computer storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed, implements any of the communication methods provided in the first to fourth aspects of this application.

[0045] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to implement any of the communication methods provided in the first to fourth aspects of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 2a is a schematic diagram of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0048] Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of the structure of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0049] Figure 2c is a schematic diagram of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0050] Figure 2d is a schematic diagram of the structure of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0051] Figure 2e is a schematic diagram of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0052] Figure 2f is a schematic diagram of the structure of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0053] Figure 2g is a schematic diagram of another exemplary communication system provided in this application;

[0054] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the format of the notification message sent by A-IoT device 2 to network node 1;

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the message format of message 1 sent by network node 1 to A-IoT device 2;

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the energy consumption of A-IoT device 2 when it is in wake-up and sleep states;

[0058] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network node provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another network node structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to be a limitation of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more," unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "one or more" refers to one, two, or more; "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0063] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0064] The "multiple" mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to two or more. It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be construed as indicating or implying order.

[0065] The embodiments of this application are applied to communication systems, which may be fifth-generation 5G New Radio (5G NR) systems, or new communication systems that will emerge in the future development of communication.

[0066] An example of a communication system is shown in Figure 1, which includes a network node 1 and an A-IoT device 2.

[0067] In the embodiments provided in this application, network node 1 can be any device located on the network side and having wireless transceiver capabilities, including but not limited to: base stations (gNodeB or gNB) or transmission receiving points / transmission reception points (TRPs) in new radio (NR). Network node 1 can be: macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small cells, relay stations, some sector antennas on base stations, or balloon stations, etc. Network node 1 can include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission reception points (TRPs). Network node 1 can also be a radio controller, centralized unit (CU), and / or distributed unit (DU) in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario.

[0068] Alternatively, network node 1 can be a reader that can communicate with A-IoT device 2 by transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals.

[0069] Furthermore, in the communication system described in Figure 1, network node 1 can be configured with a carrier wave (CW) device capable of generating a CW signal (also a radio frequency signal) as an excitation signal. This excitation signal can be used for uplink transmission of A-IoT device 2 by backscattering on an externally provided carrier wave to achieve communication between A-IoT device 2 and network node 1. Additionally, the CW device can also generate a CW2D signal (a radio frequency signal) for charging A-IoT device 2.

[0070] In this scenario, network node 1 (reader) can proactively send only downlink R2D signals (containing downlink data), enabling A-IoT device 2 to demodulate and decode the R2D signals to obtain the downlink data. In this case, there is no need to send CW signals. R2D stands for Reader to Device communication, meaning network node 1 sends signals to A-IoT device 2.

[0071] Alternatively, network node 1 can proactively send only downlink CW signals (without data) to activate A-IoT device 2, enabling it to send uplink D2R signals (containing uplink data) to network node 1 using this activation signal. In this case, A-IoT device 2 does not receive downlink R2D signals. Here, D2R stands for Device to Reader communication, meaning A-IoT device 2 sends signals to network node 1.

[0072] Alternatively, network node 1 can actively send downlink R2D signals (containing downlink data) and downlink CW signals (not containing data), enabling A-IoT device 2 to receive the downlink R2D signals, demodulate and decode them to obtain downlink data, and activate A-IoT device 2 using the CW signals, allowing it to send uplink D2R signals (containing uplink data) using the excitation signal. The order of sending the R2D and CW signals is arbitrary and can be achieved using time-division multiplexing and / or frequency-division multiplexing.

[0073] Alternatively, network node 1 can proactively send only downlink CW2D signals (without data) to charge A-IoT device 2, in which case there is no uplink D2R data transmission.

[0074] A-IoT device 2 refers to a device that operates in the environmental Internet of Things and has a certain energy storage capacity, such as a sensor, locator, indoor storage device, indoor controller, etc., without limitation.

[0075] In the communication system shown in Figure 1, network node 1 can communicate with A-IoT device 2. Typically, A-IoT device 2 maintains its wake-up state and communicates with network node 1 using energy collected and stored from the environment. However, A-IoT device 2 has limited energy storage, which can easily lead to it being unable to continue communicating with network node 1 once its energy is depleted. In real-world applications, the energy in the environment where A-IoT device 2 is located is usually scarce. This means that when A-IoT device 2's stored energy is insufficient, it cannot effectively collect and store energy from the environment, potentially causing network node 1 to be unable to communicate with A-IoT device 2 for an extended period.

[0076] Based on this, in the communication system provided in this application, network node 1 can be charged in a timely manner by sending radio frequency signals to ensure normal communication between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2.

[0077] In practice, network node 1 can determine whether A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions. For example, it can estimate whether the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2 is below a threshold based on factors such as the number of interactions with A-IoT device 2, channel conditions, and backscatter power / transmit power. After determining that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, network node 1 sends a message to A-IoT device 2. This message can be used to instruct A-IoT device 2 to perform energy harvesting (EH). That is, network node 1 can control A-IoT device 2 to harvest energy by sending a message. Correspondingly, A-IoT device 2 is equipped with an energy harvester. At this time, A-IoT device 2 can use this energy harvester to collect radio frequency energy, i.e., it achieves radio frequency energy harvesting (RF-EH). Meanwhile, network node 1 can use its internal CW device to send radio frequency signals, such as the CW2D signal shown in Figure 1, to provide radio frequency energy to A-IoT device 2. A-IoT device 2 can then collect radio frequency energy using an energy harvester and store the collected radio frequency energy using an energy storage device configured on A-IoT device 2, for example, by converting the radio frequency energy into electrical energy and storing it in the energy storage device.

[0078] Thus, when the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2 is insufficient, radio frequency energy is provided to A-IoT device 2 through the above method, and A-IoT device 2 is instructed to collect energy. This enables A-IoT device 2 to effectively collect and store energy, so that A-IoT device 2 can continue to operate using the collected energy. This helps maintain normal communication with network node 1, improves the availability of A-IoT device 2, and enhances the stability and sustainability of the communication system.

[0079] It is worth noting that the communication system shown in Figure 1 is only an example. In the communication system shown in Figure 1, network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 can transmit data to each other, and network node 1 uses a CW device to send a CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2. In practical applications, the communication system can also have other structures. Below, with reference to Figures 2a to 2g, various other possible communication systems are described by example.

[0080] Referring to Figure 2a, the communication system shown in Figure 2a includes network node 1, A-IoT device 2, and network node 3. Network node 1 can send downlink communication data to A-IoT device 2 and use a CW device to send a CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2; A-IoT device 2 can send uplink data communication to network node 3. The implementation of network node 1 and network node 3 is similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0081] Referring to Figure 2b, the communication system shown in Figure 2b includes network node 1, A-IoT device 2, and CW device. That is, the CW device is deployed separately from network node 1. In this case, network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 can transmit data to each other. Furthermore, network node 1 can instruct the CW device to send a CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2. For example, network node 1 can control the CW device to send a CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2. For instance, network node 1 can control the CW device to send a high-power, high-bandwidth CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2.

[0082] Referring to Figure 2c, the communication system shown in Figure 2c includes a network node 1 and an A-IoT device 2. The A-IoT device 2 can communicate with the network node 1 without an excitation signal, for example, the A-IoT device 2 can be configured with a power amplifier. In this case, the radio frequency signal sent by the network node 1 to the A-IoT device 2, such as the R2D signal in Figure 2c, can be used for data transmission with the A-IoT device 2, and can also be used to charge the A-IoT device 2.

[0083] Referring to Figure 2d, the communication system shown in Figure 2d includes network node 1, network node 3, network node 4, and A-IoT device 2. Network node 1 is equipped with a CW device. Network node 1 can send downlink communication data to A-IoT device 2 and use the CW device to send CW2D signals to charge A-IoT device 2; A-IoT device 2 can send uplink data communication to network node 3. Both network node 1 and network node 3 can interact with network node 4.

[0084] For example, network node 1 and network node 3 can be readers / readers, or they can be user equipment (UE). The UE can take various forms, such as mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, vehicle-mounted terminal devices, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, wearable terminal devices, etc. The UE may also be referred to as an intermediate node, terminal device, access terminal device, vehicle-mounted terminal, industrial control terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal device, mobile device, UE terminal equipment, terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, UE agent, or UE device, etc. The terminal device can be a fixed terminal device or a mobile terminal device.

[0085] Network node 4 can be any device located on the network side and equipped with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as a base station.

[0086] Referring to Figure 2e, the communication system shown in Figure 2e includes network node 1, network node 3, and A-IoT device 2. Network node 1 is configured with a CW device. Network node 1 can send downlink communication data to A-IoT device 2 and use the CW device to send CW2D signals to charge A-IoT device 2; A-IoT device 2 can send uplink data communication to network node 3. Network node 1 can interact with network node 3. In this case, network node 1 can be a reader or a UE, and network node 3 can be a base station.

[0087] Referring to Figure 2f, the communication system shown in Figure 2f includes network node 1, network node 3, A-IoT device 2, and CW device, meaning network node 1 and the CW device are deployed separately. Network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 can transmit data to each other, and network node 1 can instruct the CW device to send a CW2D signal to charge A-IoT device 2. Network node 1 can also interact with network node 3. In this case, network node 1 can be a reader or a UE, and network node 3 can be a base station.

[0088] Referring to Figure 2g, the communication system shown in Figure 2g includes network node 1, network node 3, and A-IoT device 2. A-IoT device 2 can communicate with network node 1 without an excitation signal. The radio frequency signal sent by network node 1 to A-IoT device 2, such as the R2D signal in Figure 2g, can be used for data transmission with A-IoT device 2 and for charging A-IoT device 2. Network node 1 can interact with network node 3. In this case, network node 1 can be a reader or a user interface (UE), and network node 3 can be a base station.

[0089] Besides the communication system described above, the communication system can also include other architectures. For example, the communication system shown in Figure 1 is illustrated using a single A-IoT device as an example. In other possible communication systems, a greater number of A-IoT devices can be included, such as sensors and locators, all of which can function as A-IoT devices. This application does not limit the specific architecture of the communication system.

[0090] The method for charging or harvesting energy for A-IoT devices provided in this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, an example application to the communication system shown in Figure 1 is provided below with reference to Figure 3.

[0091] Referring to Figure 3, a communication method provided by an embodiment of this application is illustrated. As shown in Figure 3, the communication method includes the following steps:

[0092] S301: Network node 1 determines that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions.

[0093] In practical applications, network node 1 can perform a charging process for A-IoT device 2, ensuring that A-IoT device 2 has sufficient energy to maintain operation and communicate with network node 1. Specifically, network node 1 can monitor whether A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, and if it determines that the charging conditions are met, it will perform the charging process for A-IoT device 2.

[0094] In this embodiment, the following implementation examples are provided for network node 1 to determine that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions.

[0095] In the first implementation example, when A-IoT device 2 requests network node 1 to charge A-IoT device 2, network node 1 determines that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, that is, it determines that A-IoT device 2 needs to be charged.

[0096] In a specific implementation, the A-IoT device 2 can send a notification message to the network node 1. The notification message includes control information 2, which is used to request the network node 1 to charge the A-IoT device 2.

[0097] Among them, the capabilities of A-IoT devices 2 vary depending on the type of device, therefore, the implementation methods for sending notification messages by A-IoT devices 2 are different.

[0098] When A-IoT device 2 does not have a power amplifier, it can belong to either type 1 or type 2a. A-IoT device 2 typically needs to perform backscattering on an externally provided carrier wave to achieve data interaction with network node 1. That is, A-IoT device 2 receives downlink data (such as configuration data for A-IoT device 2) from network node 1 based on the excitation signal sent by network node 1, and sends uplink data (such as detection results, positioning results, and service data) to network node 1 based on the excitation signal sent by network node 1. Typically, A-IoT devices of type 1 have lower power consumption, with peak power consumption around 1 μW (microwatts); A-IoT devices of type 2a have relatively higher power consumption, with peak power consumption reaching the hundreds of microwatts level. Therefore, during the process of sending uplink data to network node 1, A-IoT device 2 can add control information 2 to the sent message to request charging from network node 1 while interacting with network node 1 for service data. The message sent by A-IoT device 2 in this case is the aforementioned notification message.

[0099] For example, the control information 2 carried in the notification message may be a request flag, which may occupy 1 bit. When the request flag is 1, it indicates that the A-IoT device 2 requests energy harvesting (i.e., requests network node 1 to charge the A-IoT device 2); when the request flag is 0, it indicates that the A-IoT device 2 does not request energy harvesting. For example, the control information may be carried through an acknowledgement (ACK) in the notification message. Furthermore, since different types of A-IoT devices can store different amounts of energy, the control information 2 may also include the remaining energy of the A-IoT device 2. Alternatively, the control information 2 may also include the device type of the A-IoT device 2, which may occupy 2 bits, so that the network node 1 can determine the start time, duration, duration of charging, power, etc., of the A-IoT device based on its device type. Alternatively, the control information 2 may also include the identifier (ID) of the A-IoT device 2 and the identifier of the group to which the A-IoT device 2 belongs, which may be called the group ID, etc., without limitation.

[0100] The notification message sent by A-IoT device 2 can be in the format shown in Figure 4, including a D2R preamble, a D2R control field, PDRCH data, and a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC). This format can be predefined in the standard. D2R stands for Device to Reader communication. In the communication system shown in Figure 1, D2R represents uplink communication, i.e., communication between A-IoT device 2 and network node 1. In this topology, network node 1 can be a reader. In the communication system shown in Figure 2d, network node 1 acts as an intermediate node, and D2R represents communication between A-IoT device 2 and the intermediate node. In this case, the intermediate node can be a reader. The D2R preamble is used by network node 1 to detect the wireless signal sent by A-IoT device 2 and for time synchronization. The D2R control field can carry control information 2, used to instruct A-IoT device 2 to request energy harvesting. PDRCH data is used to carry service data sent by A-IoT device 2 to network node 1. PDRCH refers to the physical channel between the A-IoT device and the reader. CRC can be used to verify the correctness and integrity of the transmitted data.

[0101] In practical applications, the format of the notification message can also be other formats predefined in the standard. Furthermore, message 2 can also be located in other positions within the notification message. For example, control information 2 can be carried in the D2R preamble, thus the notification message may not include the D2R control field. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, when the D2R preamble carries control information 2 in the notification message, the D2R control field can carry other information. Or, the D2R preamble and D2R control field in the notification message can jointly carry control information 2, as shown in Figure 4; for example, the D2R preamble carries a portion of the control information in control information 2 (such as a request flag), and the D2R control field carries another portion of the control information in control information 2 (such as the device type, device identifier, group identifier, etc. of the A-IoT device 2).

[0102] Furthermore, before A-IoT device 2 sends a notification message, network node 1 can add control information to the message including downlink data sent to A-IoT device 2. This control information can be used to control the sending of messages (such as notification messages) from A-IoT device 2 to network node 1. The control information may include the device type of A-IoT device 2, the identifier of network node 1, and reporting instructions, such as instructing A-IoT device 2 to report its remaining energy to network node 1. The control information can be located anywhere within the message. Therefore, A-IoT device 2 can send a corresponding notification message to network node 1 based on this control information, such as reporting its remaining energy in the notification message according to the reporting instructions in the control information.

[0103] When A-IoT device 2 has a power amplifier, it can be of type 2b. A-IoT device 2 can actively send uplink signals to network node 1, or it can perform backscattering on an externally provided carrier to achieve data interaction with network node 1. Typically, type 2b A-IoT devices have relatively high power consumption, such as peak power consumption reaching the microwatt level. Therefore, when A-IoT device 2 has insufficient remaining energy (e.g., remaining energy is below the energy threshold), it can send a notification message to network node 1. This notification message can be, for example, a medium access control element (MAC-CE) message, the format of which can be predefined in the standard. Alternatively, A-IoT device 2 with a power amplifier can also carry this control information 2 during the uplink data transmission to network node 1, as indicated in Figure 4 above; there are no limitations on this.

[0104] In the second implementation example, network node 1 can determine whether A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions based on the number of data interactions between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2.

[0105] In practice, each time network node 1 performs a business data interaction with A-IoT device 2, it can count the number of interactions. The count value represents the number of data interactions between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2. Furthermore, when this number of interactions exceeds a threshold for A-IoT device 2, network node 1 determines that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging requirements, meaning it needs to be charged. This is because A-IoT device 2 has a limited energy storage capacity, typically only enough to support a limited number of data interactions (e.g., 5) between it and network node 1. Therefore, when network node 1 determines that the number of data interactions with A-IoT device 2 has reached the threshold, it can determine that A-IoT device 2 has low remaining energy and needs to be charged to replenish its energy.

[0106] Different A-IoT devices have varying energy storage capabilities and consume different amounts of energy per data interaction. Therefore, network node 1 can configure different charging thresholds for different types of A-IoT devices and even different A-IoT devices of the same type, so that network node 1 can charge the A-IoT devices in a timely manner using the configured charging thresholds. For example, when A-IoT device 2 is a type 1 device used for indoor inventory, network node 1 can configure the charging threshold for A-IoT device 2 to be 5; when A-IoT device 2 is a type 1 device used for sensor monitoring, network node 1 can configure the charging threshold for A-IoT device 2 to be 2, and so on.

[0107] In practical applications, network node 1 can also determine whether A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions based on the remaining number of interactions, combined with at least one of the following: channel conditions between A-IoT device 2 and network node 1, backscatter power of radio frequency signals, and transmission power.

[0108] In the third implementation example, network node 1 can estimate the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2, and when the estimated remaining energy is less than the energy threshold corresponding to A-IoT device 2, it determines that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, that is, it determines that A-IoT device 2 needs to be charged.

[0109] It is understandable that the operation of A-IoT device 2 requires the energy stored on it. Therefore, A-IoT device 2 will gradually consume energy during operation. Thus, network node 1 can estimate the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2 based on the rate at which A-IoT device 2 consumes energy and the time since A-IoT device 2 last charged. When the estimated remaining energy is less than the energy threshold, network node 1 determines that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions.

[0110] In the fourth implementation example, network node 1 can periodically charge A-IoT device 2. If the interval between the current time and the end time of the last charging reaches the period duration, network node 1 can determine that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, that is, determine that A-IoT device 2 needs to be charged, and start the subsequent charging process for A-IoT device 2.

[0111] In practical applications, network nodes can also use other implementation methods to determine whether A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, such as combining or transforming the methods mentioned above. For example, network node 1 can combine the second and third implementation examples mentioned above to comprehensively estimate the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2, and determine that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions when the remaining energy is less than the energy threshold.

[0112] For ease of explanation, this embodiment takes the example of network node 1 determining that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions.

[0113] S302: Network node 1 sends message 1 to A-IoT device 2, which includes control information 1, which instructs A-IoT device 2 to perform energy harvesting.

[0114] In practical applications, after determining that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, network node 1 may not immediately initiate the charging process for A-IoT device 2. For example, when A-IoT device 2 requests network node 1 to charge it (such as by sending the aforementioned notification message), network node 1 may delay in initiating the charging process for A-IoT device 2 due to excessive load. Therefore, A-IoT device 2 can initiate the energy harvesting process under the control of network node 1.

[0115] In practice, network node 1 can send message 1 to A-IoT device 2 to facilitate the control of A-IoT device 2 to start energy harvesting. Specifically, the control information 1 in message 1 can be used to instruct A-IoT device 2 to start energy harvesting. The control information 1 can be carried at any position in message 1.

[0116] For example, the format of message 1 sent by network node 1 to A-IoT device 2 can be as shown in Figure 5, and this format can be predefined in the standard. Message 1 includes an R2D preamble, an R2D / D2R control field, PRDCH data, and a CRC. R2D stands for Reader to Device communication. The R2D preamble is used by A-IoT device 2 to detect the wireless signal sent by network node 1 and for time synchronization. The R2D / D2R control field can carry control information 1, used to instruct A-IoT device 2 to perform energy harvesting, or it can also be used to control the uplink data sent by A-IoT device 2 to network node 1. The PRDCH data carries the service data sent by network node 1 to A-IoT device 2. PRDCH refers to the physical channel between the reader and the AIoT device; that is, network node 1 uses the PRDCH channel to send message 1 to A-IoT device 2. The CRC can be used to verify the correctness and integrity of the transmitted data. In practical applications, the format of message 1 can also be other formats predefined in the standard.

[0117] For example, control information 1 may include an activation flag and an energy harvesting duration, where the activation flag may occupy one bit. When the activation flag is 1, it activates the A-IoT device 2 to perform energy harvesting; when the activation flag is 0, it instructs the A-IoT device 2 not to perform energy harvesting. The energy harvesting duration indicates the duration for which the A-IoT device 2 performs energy harvesting, that is, the duration for which network node 1 continuously charges the A-IoT device 2. Thus, upon receiving message 1, the A-IoT device 2 can determine to start the energy harvesting process based on the activation flag in message 1 (activation flag is 1), and determine the time period for continuously performing the energy harvesting operation based on the energy harvesting duration in message 1 (during which the A-IoT device 2 collects and stores energy).

[0118] Furthermore, control information 1 may also include other types of information. For example, control information 1 may also include the device type to which A-IoT device 2 belongs, the identifier of A-IoT device 2, the identifier of the group to which A-IoT device 2 belongs, etc. Accordingly, A-IoT device 2 can verify whether the A-IoT device instructed by network node 1 to start energy harvesting is A-IoT device 2 based on the received device type, identifier of A-IoT device 2, group identifier, etc.

[0119] Alternatively, control information 1 may also include information for controlling the A-IoT device 2 to send messages to network node 1. For example, control information 1 may also include the identifier of the network node, so as to indicate which network node in the communication network the A-IoT device 2 should communicate with subsequently. For example, in the communication system shown in Figure 2a, message 1 may also include the identifier of network node 3, to instruct the A-IoT device 2 to send uplink data to network node 3. Furthermore, control information 1 may also include a reporting instruction, so as to instruct the A-IoT device 2 to carry its remaining power in the message sent to network node 1. Additionally, control information 1 may include the time domain resources, frequency domain resources, code domain resources, etc., used by the A-IoT device 2 to send messages to network node 1.

[0120] In other implementations, control information 1 can be located not only in the R2D / D2R control field of message 1, but also in other locations, such as the R2D preamble. In this case, the R2D / D2R control field can carry other types of information. Alternatively, if the R2D preamble in message 1 carries control information 1, message 1 may not include the R2D / D2R control field. Or, the R2D preamble and the R2D / D2R control field in message 1 can jointly carry control information 1; that is, the R2D preamble carries part of the information in control information 1 (such as the activation flag and the duration of energy harvesting), and the R2D / D2R control field carries another part of the information in control information 1 (the device type of A-IoT device 2, the identifier of A-IoT device 2, the identifier of the group to which A-IoT device 2 belongs, etc.).

[0121] As examples, message 1 could specifically be a downlink control information (DCI) message, such as a DCI message in a new format defined in the standard. Alternatively, message 1 could be a MAC-CE message, or other types of messages; there are no limitations on this.

[0122] In real-world applications, different A-IoT devices have varying energy storage capabilities. Therefore, the charging duration for different A-IoT devices can differ for network node 1. This avoids using a uniform charging duration, which could lead to insufficient energy storage for some A-IoT devices or unnecessary charging by network node 1. To this end, before sending message 1, network node 1 can determine the energy collection duration for A-IoT device 2.

[0123] This embodiment provides several non-limiting implementation methods for network node 1 to determine the duration of energy harvesting for A-IoT device 2.

[0124] In the first implementation, network node 1 can be configured with a mapping relationship between device information and energy harvesting duration. This device information may include one or more of the following: the device type of A-IoT device 2, the identifier of A-IoT device 2, and the identifier of the group to which A-IoT device 2 belongs. Different types of A-IoT devices may correspond to different energy harvesting durations; different A-IoT devices of the same type may correspond to the same or different energy harvesting durations; A-IoT devices belonging to different groups may correspond to the same or different energy harvesting durations; or different A-IoT devices belonging to the same group may correspond to the same or different energy harvesting durations. Therefore, after determining that A-IoT device 2 meets the charging conditions, network node 1 can first determine the device information of A-IoT device 2, such as parsing the device information from notification messages sent by A-IoT device 2. Then, network node 1 can look up the pre-configured mapping relationship based on the device information to determine the energy harvesting duration corresponding to the A-IoT device 2, so that network node 1 can send message 1 including the energy harvesting duration to the A-IoT device 2.

[0125] In the second implementation example, network node 1 can obtain the device type of A-IoT device 2 and its corresponding representative use case. The representative use case refers to a specific application instance of the device in A-IoT, such as instances for implementing indoor inventory, commands, sensors, or positioning, without limitation. In practical applications, A-IoT devices of different types, and even A-IoT devices of the same type implementing different representative use cases, typically have different energy storage capabilities. Therefore, network node 1 can determine the energy harvesting duration for A-IoT device 2 by looking up a pre-configured mapping relationship based on its device type and corresponding representative use case. For example, the energy harvesting duration for a type 1 A-IoT device could be 10 seconds (s); for a type 2a A-IoT device, it could be 50 seconds; and for a type 2b A-IoT device, it could be 100 seconds. For example, for A-IoT devices of type 1 used to implement indoor inventory instances, the corresponding energy harvesting duration can be 2.5s, and for A-IoT devices of type 1 used to implement sensor instances, the corresponding energy harvesting duration can be 1s.

[0126] In the third implementation example, network node 1 can obtain the current remaining energy of A-IoT device 2. For example, the notification message sent by A-IoT device 2 to network node 1 can carry the remaining energy of A-IoT device 2, so that network node 1 can calculate the energy collection duration corresponding to A-IoT device 2 based on the remaining energy.

[0127] In the fourth implementation example, network node 1 can obtain the remaining number of interactions of A-IoT device 2. This remaining number of interactions refers to the number of times A-IoT device 2 can transmit data to network node 1 with its remaining energy, which is also the number of uplink communications between A-IoT device 2 and network node 1. For example, A-IoT device 2 can carry the remaining number of interactions in a notification message sent to network node 1, specifically by using a negative acknowledgement (NACK) in the notification message to indicate the remaining number of interactions. Thus, network node 1 can determine whether A-IoT device 2 needs to be charged based on this remaining number of interactions. For example, if the remaining number of interactions is greater than a threshold value for A-IoT device 2, network node 1 can determine that charging A-IoT device 2 is not necessary; conversely, if the remaining number of interactions is less than or equal to the threshold value, network node 1 can determine that charging A-IoT device 2 is necessary.

[0128] Furthermore, when it is determined that A-IoT device 2 needs to be charged, network node 1 can calculate the energy harvesting duration corresponding to A-IoT device 2 based on the remaining number of interactions. For example, the energy consumed by A-IoT device 2 in performing one uplink communication with network node 1 is Q, and the time required for A-IoT device 2 to store energy Q during the charging process by network node 1 is T. Then, network node 1 can calculate the difference m between the maximum number of uplink communication interactions that A-IoT device 2 can support with network node 1 when fully charged and the remaining number of interactions of A-IoT device 2. Thus, network node 1 can determine the charging duration (i.e., the energy harvesting duration) for A-IoT device 2 as m*T.

[0129] In the fifth implementation example, network node 1 can obtain the estimated charging time of A-IoT device 2. This estimated charging time is used to indicate the duration for which A-IoT device 2 requests network node 1 to charge it. For example, A-IoT device 2 can carry the estimated charging time in a notification message sent to network node 1, specifically by using an acknowledgment (ACK) in the notification message to indicate the estimated charging time. Therefore, network node 1 can charge A-IoT device 2 according to this estimated charging time. At this point, network node 1 can determine that the energy harvesting duration corresponding to A-IoT device 2 can be the estimated charging time, or the energy harvesting duration can be greater than or less than the estimated charging time; there is no limitation on this.

[0130] In the sixth implementation example, network node 1 can determine the energy harvesting duration of A-IoT device 2 based on its duty cycle. The duty cycle is the ratio between the duration A-IoT device 2 is in wake-up mode (runtime) and the duration it is in sleep mode (sleep time), as shown in Figure 6. When awake, A-IoT device 2 can communicate uplink or downlink with network node 1 (or other devices), resulting in high energy consumption. When in sleep mode, A-IoT device 2 can harvest energy, gradually accumulating energy within itself, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, network node 1 can determine the device type of A-IoT device 2 and its corresponding duty cycle, and determine the energy harvesting duration based on this. Different device types of A-IoT devices can correspond to different duty cycles, or different A-IoT devices of the same device type can correspond to the same or different duty cycles. The duty cycle for each type of A-IoT device, or the duty cycle for each type of A-IoT device, can be pre-configured by network node 1, or defined in the communication standard protocol, etc.

[0131] In this way, A-IoT device 2 can perform the energy harvesting process in sleep mode, and can avoid excessive radio frequency energy in the environment that could cause A-IoT device 2 to be falsely woken up or cause false alarms.

[0132] In practical applications, in addition to the various exemplary implementations mentioned above, network node 1 can also determine the energy harvesting duration corresponding to A-IoT device 2 in other ways, such as by transforming or combining the above implementations. For example, network node 1 can calculate the energy harvesting duration corresponding to A-IoT device 2 based on the remaining energy reported by A-IoT device 2, the type of A-IoT device 2, and its identifier.

[0133] It is understood that the above description is based on the example of control information 1 including the duration of energy collection. In other embodiments, the control information may not include the duration of energy collection, such as only including the activation flag. In this way, the network node 1 and the A-IoT device 2 can complete the charging process based on the default duration of energy collection. That is, the network node 1 can charge the A-IoT device 2 for the same duration each time.

[0134] S303: Network node 1 sends an radio frequency signal to charge A-IoT device 2.

[0135] In this embodiment, A-IoT device 2 can harvest energy from radio frequency signals. Therefore, network node 1 can not only control A-IoT device 2 to start harvesting energy, but also send radio frequency signals to provide radio frequency energy to the environment where A-IoT device 2 is located, so that A-IoT device 2 can harvest and store radio frequency energy.

[0136] In this context, network node 1 can use CW devices to send radio frequency signals based on specific frequencies, power, modulation and coding schemes, or bandwidths to charge A-IoT devices 2. Furthermore, for different A-IoT devices, the frequency, power, modulation and coding scheme, or bandwidth used by network node 1 to send radio frequency signals can be the same or different.

[0137] It is worth noting that this embodiment uses the example of a CW device configured in network node 1. In other embodiments, when the CW device is deployed outside of network node 1, network node 1 can send control signals to the CW device so that the CW device generates radio frequency signals for charging A-IoT device 2.

[0138] S304: A-IoT device 2 uses an energy harvester to collect radio frequency energy.

[0139] In practice, the energy harvester can use components such as antennas to capture radio frequency (RF) signals and convert them into electrical signals, which can be alternating current (AC) signals. Then, the energy harvester can use an internal rectifier circuit to convert the AC signals into direct current (DC) signals. Furthermore, the energy harvester can also be equipped with a filter circuit to filter out noise, fluctuations, and other contaminants from the DC signal.

[0140] In this way, A-IoT device 2 can use an energy harvester to collect radio frequency energy and further convert the collected energy into electrical energy.

[0141] The duration of energy harvesting by A-IoT device 2 can be determined based on the energy harvesting duration in message 1 received by A-IoT device 2. That is, A-IoT device 2 can start collecting radio frequency energy and start timing when it receives message 1. When the duration of collecting radio frequency energy (i.e., the timing duration) reaches the energy harvesting duration, A-IoT device 2 can stop running the energy harvester and the energy process ends.

[0142] S305: A-IoT device 2 utilizes an energy storage device to store radio frequency energy.

[0143] The energy storage device, which stores radio frequency energy, specifically refers to the storage of electrical energy obtained after converting radio frequency energy. For example, the energy storage device may be a capacitor or other device capable of storing electrical energy.

[0144] It is worth noting that this embodiment uses the example of an energy harvester converting collected radio frequency energy into electrical energy. In other embodiments, the A-IoT device 2 can also use an energy storage device to convert radio frequency energy into electrical energy and then store the converted electrical energy; this is not limited. Alternatively, the energy storage device can convert the radio frequency energy into other forms of energy for storage, such as kinetic energy, potential energy, chemical energy, etc., and the A-IoT device 2 can subsequently convert the stored other forms of energy into electrical energy to support communication with network node 1.

[0145] In this way, A-IoT device 2 can harvest and store energy under the control of network node 1 and provide radio frequency signals, and can continue to operate using the newly harvested energy. This helps A-IoT device 2 maintain normal communication with network node 1, thereby improving the availability of A-IoT device 2 and enhancing the stability and sustainability of A-IoT communication system.

[0146] In practical applications, A-IoT device 2 can switch between wake-up and sleep states based on a set duty cycle, as shown in Figure 6. Based on this, if network node 1 can determine the duty cycle of A-IoT device 2 in advance (e.g., by parsing the duty cycle from a message pre-sent by A-IoT device 2), network node 1 can determine the time period during which A-IoT device 2 is in the wake-up state and send message 1 to A-IoT device 2 during that time period. Furthermore, when A-IoT device 2 switches from the wake-up state to the sleep state, network node 1 can send radio frequency signals during the sleep state period to charge A-IoT device 2. In this way, network node 1 can perform differentiated control and processing on A-IoT device 2 based on its different states at different times, ensuring stable communication between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2.

[0147] Alternatively, network node 1 can specify the wake-up and sleep times for A-IoT device 2, allowing data communication or energy harvesting between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 within the specified timeframe. For example, the control information 1 in message 1 sent by network node 1 to A-IoT device 2 can indicate the wake-up or sleep time of A-IoT device 2, or the wake-up duration and sleep duration. The control information 1 can also include the start and end times of the wake-up (or sleep) time, or the duration of the wake-up (or sleep) time. In this way, network node 1 can send radio frequency signals to A-IoT device 2 during the sleep time, enabling A-IoT device 2 to harvest and store energy based on these signals. Furthermore, network node 1 can send downlink data to A-IoT device 2 (and A-IoT device 2 can send uplink data to network node 1) during the wake-up time to achieve data communication with A-IoT device 2. Upon receiving message 1, A-IoT device 2 can use a running clock to keep track of time and switch between wake-up and sleep states based on the timing result.

[0148] Furthermore, while the energy harvesting of A-IoT device 2 is active, network node 1 can also deactivate the energy harvesting of A-IoT device 2.

[0149] In a specific implementation, network node 1 can send message 2 to A-IoT device 2, as shown in Figure 3. Upon receiving message 2, A-IoT device 2 can then activate its energy harvesting. For example, the R2D preamble or R2D / R2D control field in message 2 may include an activation flag, and this activation flag has a value of 0. Therefore, network node 1 can use the activation flag with a value of 0 in message 2 to indicate that energy harvesting should be deactivated.

[0150] Alternatively, network node 1 may not need to send message 2 to A-IoT device 2. Accordingly, A-IoT device 2 can automatically enter a deactivation state after completing energy harvesting, thereby reducing data interaction between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 and reducing resource consumption.

[0151] In practical applications, network node 1 can also charge A-IoT device 2 in the above manner so that A-IoT device 2 has enough energy to stay awake and communicate with network node 1 for a long time.

[0152] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 above, the communication and charging process between network node 1 and A-IoT device 2 is illustrated by the example of network node 1 separately sending message 1 and radio frequency signals for charging A-IoT device 2. Message 1 and the radio frequency signals for charging can be different signals, such as having different powers. In other embodiments, network node 1 can also achieve communication and charging with A-IoT device 2 by sending downlink signals to A-IoT device 2 multiple times. This will be illustrated below with reference to Figure 7.

[0153] Referring to Figure 7, a flowchart of another communication method is shown. As shown in Figure 7, this method may specifically include:

[0154] S701: Network node 1 generates a communication message.

[0155] S702: Network node 1 sends this communication message multiple times consecutively within a specified time period.

[0156] In real-world applications, network node 1 may not be aware of the duty cycle of A-IoT device 2, or the time periods during which A-IoT device 2 is active or dormant. Therefore, when network node 1 sends a communication message (for transmitting downlink data) to A-IoT device 2, A-IoT device 2 may be in a wake-up state or a dormant state. If A-IoT device 2 is in a dormant state when network node 1 sends message 1, this will cause A-IoT device 2 to fail to receive downlink data.

[0157] Therefore, in this embodiment, network node 1 can send the same communication message multiple times consecutively within a specified time period, where the duration of the specified time period is longer than the duration of the A-IoT device 2's sleep state. In this way, the A-IoT device 2 can typically receive at least one communication message sent by network node 1 while in a wake-up state. Simultaneously, when the A-IoT device 2 is in a sleep state, it can utilize the radio frequency signal corresponding to the received communication message to collect and store energy. The method steps executed by the A-IoT device 2 will be described below.

[0158] S703: During the first time period when the A-IoT device 2 is in a sleep state, receive at least one communication message and perform energy harvesting and storage based on the radio frequency signal corresponding to the at least one communication message.

[0159] S704: During a second time period when the A-IoT device 2 is in a wake-up state, at least one communication message is received, and the at least one communication message received during the second time period is used for downlink data communication between the network node 1 and the A-IoT device 2.

[0160] The specified time period includes a first period when A-IoT device 2 is in sleep mode and a second period when A-IoT device 2 is in wake-up mode. During the sleep mode, A-IoT device 2 stores energy; during the wake-up mode, it performs downlink data communication with network node 1, specifically by parsing downlink data from received communication messages. In this way, network node 1, by continuously sending multiple identical communication messages, can simultaneously ensure data communication with A-IoT device 2 and charge A-IoT device 2, thus improving the communication stability between A-IoT device 2 and network node 1.

[0161] As a first implementation example, A-IoT device 2 remains awake when its remaining energy is greater than energy threshold 1, and monitors for communication messages transmitted via the PRDCH channel. Upon detecting a communication message, A-IoT device 2 can perform communication with network node 1 based on the message. Since the operation of A-IoT device 2 consumes its stored energy, it enters a sleep state when its remaining energy is determined to be less than or equal to energy threshold 1. At this time, if A-IoT device 2 receives the radio frequency signal corresponding to the communication message, it can harvest and store energy based on the signal. When the remaining energy stored in A-IoT device 2 is sufficient to support data communication with network node 1, such as when its remaining energy exceeds energy threshold 2, A-IoT device 2 can re-enter the wake-up state when it detects that the power of the radio frequency signal exceeds a power threshold. Here, energy threshold 2 is greater than energy threshold 1.

[0162] As a second implementation example, when A-IoT device 2 enters the wake-up state, it monitors for the presence of communication messages transmitted through the PRDCH channel for a fixed duration. If a message is received, A-IoT device 2 can perform communication with network node 1 based on the message; otherwise, it can enter a sleep state. In this sleep state, if A-IoT device 2 receives a radio frequency (RF) signal, it can harvest and store energy based on the signal until it is fully charged or the stored energy reaches an energy threshold 2, which is no greater than the energy stored when fully charged. If the stored energy exceeds the energy threshold 2 or the device is fully charged, A-IoT device 2 can re-enter the wake-up state when it detects an RF signal with power exceeding a power threshold.

[0163] The embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 7 above are illustrated using the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example. In other communication systems, such as the communication system shown in Figure 2e, the communication system may include multiple network nodes, so that network node 1 can charge the A-IoT device 2 under the instruction of other network nodes. This will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0164] Referring to Figure 8, a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application is shown. The communication method shown in Figure 8 is applied to the communication system described in Figure 2b, and the method specifically includes the following steps.

[0165] S801: Network node 3 sends instruction message 1 to network node 1, which is used to instruct the A-IoT device 2 to be charged.

[0166] At this time, network node 3 can be a base station, and network node 1 can be a reader or UE, etc.

[0167] In this embodiment, the charging process for the A-IoT device 2 can be triggered by network node 3. The specific implementation of how network node 3 determines whether A-IoT device 2 needs charging can be found in the description of the relevant aspects of network node 1 determining to charge A-IoT device 2 in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0168] For example, indication message 1 may include a charging flag bit. The charging flag bit may be one bit and may be used to indicate whether charging is in progress. For instance, when the charging flag bit is 1, it indicates charging; when the charging flag bit is 0, it indicates no charging.

[0169] In practical applications, network node 1 can connect to multiple A-IoT devices, and network node 3 can instruct network node 1 to charge a single A-IoT device, or simultaneously instruct multiple A-IoT devices to be charged. Therefore, when network node 3 determines to charge only A-IoT device 2, instruction message 1 can also include the identifier of A-IoT device 2 and a unicast identifier to indicate that network node 1 is currently only charging A-IoT device 2, and to indicate that instruction message 1 sent to network node 1 is a unicast message.

[0170] When network node 3 determines to charge multiple A-IoT devices (including A-IoT device 2), the instruction message 1 may further include the identifiers of the multiple A-IoT devices, or it may include a full identifier, which is used to indicate all A-IoT devices connected to network node 1. Furthermore, the instruction message 1 may also include a multicast identifier. Therefore, network node 1 can send messages to the multiple A-IoT devices corresponding to their respective identifiers or the full identifiers, based on the multicast identifier, to execute the charging process for those multiple A-IoT devices.

[0171] S802: Network node 1 sends message 1 to A-IoT device 2, which includes control information 1, which instructs A-IoT device 2 to perform energy harvesting.

[0172] In this embodiment, after receiving the instruction message 1, network node 1 can determine that at least one A-IoT device, including A-IoT device 2, meets the charging conditions, and perform the corresponding charging process for the at least one A-IoT device.

[0173] The method by which network node 1 sends message 1 to A-IoT device 2 can be found in the relevant description in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0174] S803: Network node 1 sends an radio frequency signal to charge A-IoT device 2.

[0175] When network node 3 instructs network node 1 to charge only A-IoT device 2, the instruction message 1 sent by network node 1 may carry a unicast identifier in addition to the control information 1 described in the above embodiments.

[0176] When network node 3 instructs network node 1 to charge multiple A-IoT devices simultaneously, network node 1 can also send corresponding messages to other A-IoT devices that need charging according to the multicast identifier in instruction message 1, so as to notify other A-IoT devices to start energy harvesting. Alternatively, network node 1 can broadcast message 1 according to instruction message 1 to instruct all A-IoT devices connected to network node 1 to start energy harvesting.

[0177] Since multiple A-IoT devices connected to network node 1 are in the same environment, the radio frequency signals sent by network node 1 can not only charge the A-IoT devices themselves, but also charge other A-IoT devices. That is, radio frequency energy can also be captured and stored for other A-IoT devices that have started energy harvesting, thereby enabling simultaneous charging of multiple A-IoT devices.

[0178] S804: A-IoT device 2 uses an energy harvester to collect radio frequency energy.

[0179] S805: A-IoT device 2 utilizes an energy storage device to store radio frequency energy.

[0180] The specific implementation methods of steps S802 to S805 can be found in the descriptions of steps S802 to S805 in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0181] Furthermore, when the message 1 sent by network node 1 includes an activation flag bit, and the activation flag bit is used to indicate the activation of energy harvesting of A-IoT device 2, network node 3 can instruct network node 1 to deactivate the energy harvesting of A-IoT device 2 after A-IoT device 2 has finished charging.

[0182] In a specific implementation, network node 3 can send instruction message 2 to network node 1. Instruction message 2 includes a charging flag and the identifier of A-IoT device 2. The charging flag in instruction message 2 is used to indicate that charging is not required. After receiving instruction message 2, network node 1 can send message 2 to A-IoT device 2. The activation flag in message 2 is used to indicate that energy harvesting of A-IoT device 2 is deactivated, as shown in Figure 8.

[0183] The hardware implementation of network nodes will be further described below, with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

[0184] Referring to Figure 9, a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a network node is shown. The network node shown in Figure 9 includes at least one processor 111, at least one memory 112, at least one transceiver 113, at least one network interface 114, and one or more antennas 115. The processor 111, memory 112, transceiver 113, and network interface 114 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 115 is connected to the transceiver 113. The network interface 114 is used to enable the network node to connect to other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 114 may include a network interface between the network node and network nodes in the core network, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the network node and other network nodes, such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0185] Specifically, the processor 111 shown in Figure 9 can perform the network node processing actions in the above method, the memory 112 can perform the storage actions in the above method, the transceiver 113 and the antenna 115 can perform the air interface transmission and reception actions in the above method, and the network interface 114 can perform the interaction actions with network nodes or other network nodes in the above method.

[0186] The processor in this application embodiment, such as processor 111, may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, etc., which are various computing devices that run software. Each computing device may include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing. The processor may be a separate semiconductor chip or integrated with other circuits into a single semiconductor chip. For example, it may be integrated with other circuits (such as encoding / decoding circuits, hardware acceleration circuits, or various bus and interface circuits) to form a SoC (System-on-a-Chip), or it may be integrated as a built-in processor in an ASIC. The ASIC with the integrated processor may be packaged separately or packaged together with other circuits. In addition to including cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing, the processor may further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), PLDs (programmable logic devices), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0187] The memory in the embodiments of this application may include at least one of the following types: read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions; random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices capable of storing information and instructions; or electrically erasable programmable-only memory (EEPROM). In some scenarios, the memory may also be a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0188] The memory 112 can exist independently and be connected to the processor 111. Optionally, the memory 112 can be integrated with the processor 111, for example, integrated into a single chip. The memory 112 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 111. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 111. For example, the processor 111 executes the computer program code stored in the memory 112 to implement the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0189] Transceiver 113 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between network nodes and other devices. Transceiver 113 can be connected to antenna 115. Transceiver 113 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 115 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 113 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to the processor 111 so that the processor 111 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 113 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 111, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 115. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of the downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of the upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0190] Figure 10 illustrates another implementation example of the network node provided in this application embodiment. The network node can be a mobile phone, specifically, such as a mobile phone. Taking a mobile phone as an example, the network node may include a processor 310, an external memory interface 320, an internal memory 321, a display screen 330, a camera 340, antenna 1, antenna 2, a mobile communication module 350, and a wireless communication module 360, etc.

[0191] It is understood that the structure illustrated in this embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation on the network node. In other embodiments, the network node may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0192] Processor 310 may include one or more processing units, such as: application processor (AP), modem processor, graphics processing unit (GPU), image signal processor (ISP), controller, time-frequency codec, digital signal processor (DSP), baseband processor, and / or neural network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0193] It is understood that the interface connection relationships between the modules illustrated in this embodiment are merely illustrative and do not constitute a structural limitation on the network nodes. In other embodiments of this application, the network nodes may also adopt different interface connection methods or combinations of multiple interface connection methods as described in the above embodiments.

[0194] The external storage interface 320 can be used to connect an external storage card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the network node. The external storage card communicates with the processor 310 through the external storage interface 320 to perform data storage functions. For example, music, time and frequency files can be saved on the external storage card.

[0195] Internal memory 321 can be used to store executable program code, including instructions. Processor 310 executes various functional applications and data processing of the network node by running the instructions stored in internal memory 321. Internal memory 321 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, at least one application program required for a function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.), etc. The data storage area may store data created during the use of the network node (such as time-frequency stream data), etc. Furthermore, internal memory 321 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, universal flash storage (UFS), etc. Processor 310 executes various functions and data processing of the network node by running instructions stored in internal memory 321 and / or instructions stored in memory located within the processor.

[0196] The wireless communication function of the network node can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 350, wireless communication module 360, modem processor and baseband processor, etc.

[0197] Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in a network node can be used to cover one or more communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be reused to improve antenna utilization. For example, antenna 1 can be reused as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antennas can be used in conjunction with tuning switches.

[0198] The mobile communication module 350 can provide solutions for wireless communication applications including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G on network nodes. The mobile communication module 350 may include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 350 can receive electromagnetic waves via antenna 1, and perform filtering, amplification, and other processing on the received electromagnetic waves before transmitting them to a modem processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 350 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem processor and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 350 may be housed in processor 310. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 350 and at least some modules of the processor 310 may be housed in the same device.

[0199] In some embodiments, the network node initiates or receives call requests via the mobile communication module 350 and the antenna 1.

[0200] Furthermore, an operating system runs on top of the aforementioned components. Examples include iOS, Android, and Windows operating systems. Applications can be installed and run on this operating system. Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, explanations and beneficial effects of any of the network node components described above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0201] Furthermore, this application embodiment also provides an A-IoT device, which may include a transceiver and a processor; wherein the transceiver is used to perform the receiving and transmitting operations in the above method. The processor is used to perform other operations in the above method besides the receiving and transmitting operations. For example, the processor may include an energy harvester and an energy storage device, wherein the energy harvester can perform the energy harvesting action of the A-IoT device in the above method, and the energy storage device can perform the energy storage action of the A-IoT device in the above method.

[0202] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform the communication method described in the above embodiments.

[0203] Furthermore, this application also provides a computer program product, which, when executed by one or more computing devices, allows the computing devices to execute any of the aforementioned communication methods. The computer program product can be a software installation package; when any of the aforementioned communication methods is required, the computer program product can be downloaded and executed on a computer.

[0204] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware, or it can be implemented by special-purpose hardware including application-specific integrated circuits, special-purpose CPUs, special-purpose memory, special-purpose components, etc. Generally, any function performed by a computer program can be easily implemented by corresponding hardware, and the specific hardware structure used to implement the same function can also be diverse, such as analog circuits, digital circuits, or special-purpose circuits. However, for this application, software program implementation is more often the preferred implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, such as a computer floppy disk, USB flash drive, mobile hard disk, ROM, RAM, magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, training equipment, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0205] 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.

[0206] The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, training device, or data center to another website, computer, training device, or data center 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 may be any available medium that a computer can store or a data storage device such as a training device 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., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs)).

[0207] The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, the A-IoT device including an energy harvester and an energy storage device, and the method includes: Obtain a first message, the first message including first control information, the first control information being used to instruct the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting; Radio frequency energy is collected using the energy harvester described above; The radio frequency energy is stored using the energy storage device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first message includes a control field, and the control field carries the first control information; Alternatively, the first message may include a preamble, the preamble carrying the first control information; Alternatively, the first message may include a control field and a preamble, wherein the control field carries part of the information in the first control information and the preamble carries another part of the information in the first control information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first control information includes an activation flag and an energy harvesting duration. The activation flag is used to activate the A-IoT device to harvest energy, and the energy harvesting duration is used to indicate the duration for which the A-IoT device harvests energy.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Different types of A-IoT devices correspond to different energy harvesting durations.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The radio frequency energy originates from the radio frequency signals of the network nodes; Before obtaining the first message, the method further includes: A notification message is sent, the notification message including second control information, the second control information being used to request the network node to charge the A-IoT device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second control information is also used to indicate the remaining energy stored in the A-IoT device, or the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time. The remaining number of interactions includes the number of times the A-IoT device supports transmitting data to the network node, and the estimated charging time is used to indicate the duration for which the A-IoT device requests the network node to charge the A-IoT device.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second control information is carried in the control field or preamble of the notification message; Alternatively, some information from the second control information may be carried in the control field of the notification message, and another part of the second control information may be carried in the preamble of the notification message.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain a second message, which is used to deactivate the energy harvesting of the A-IoT device.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first control information is also used to indicate the wake-up time or sleep time of the A-IoT device, wherein the A-IoT device receives downlink communication data during the wake-up time and performs energy harvesting during the sleep time.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first message includes Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages or Media Access Control (MAC-CE) messages.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network node, and the method includes: Ensure that the environmental A-IoT devices meet the charging requirements; Send a first message, the first message including first control information, the first control information being used to instruct the A-IoT device to perform energy harvesting; A radio frequency signal is transmitted, which is used to charge the A-IoT device.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Before sending the first message, the method further includes: Obtain an instruction message, which is used to instruct the A-IoT device to be charged.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first message includes a control field, and the control field carries the first control information; Alternatively, the first message may include a preamble, the preamble carrying the first control information; Alternatively, the first message may include a control field and a preamble, wherein the control field carries part of the information in the first control information and the preamble carries another part of the information in the first control information.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first control information includes an activation flag and an energy harvesting duration. The activation flag is used to activate the A-IoT device to harvest energy, and the energy harvesting duration is used to indicate the duration for which the A-IoT device harvests energy.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before sending the first message, the method further includes: Determine the device type of the A-IoT device and the representative use case corresponding to the A-IoT device; The energy harvesting duration corresponding to the A-IoT device is determined based on the device type to which the A-IoT device belongs and the representative use case corresponding to the A-IoT device.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before sending the first message, the method further includes: Determine the device type of the A-IoT device and the duty cycle corresponding to the A-IoT device, wherein the duty cycle is the ratio between the running time and the sleep time of the A-IoT device; The energy harvesting duration corresponding to the A-IoT device is determined based on the device type of the A-IoT device and the duty cycle.

17. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Sending the first message includes: When the number of data interactions between the network node and the A-IoT device reaches the threshold number corresponding to the A-IoT device, the first message is sent.

18. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Before sending the first message, the method further includes: A notification message is obtained, the notification message including second control information, the second control information being used to request the network node to charge the A-IoT device.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second control information is also used to indicate the remaining energy stored in the A-IoT device, or the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time. The remaining number of interactions includes the number of times the A-IoT device supports transmitting data to the network node, and the estimated charging time is used to indicate the duration for which the A-IoT device requests the network node to charge the A-IoT device. Before sending the first message, the method further includes: The energy collection duration of the A-IoT device is determined based on the remaining energy, the remaining number of interactions, or the estimated charging time.

20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second control information is carried in the control field or preamble of the notification message; Alternatively, some information from the second control information may be carried in the control field of the notification message, and another part of the second control information may be carried in the preamble of the notification message.

21. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: A second message is sent, which is used to deactivate the energy harvesting of the A-IoT device.

22. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first control information is also used to indicate the wake-up time or sleep time of the A-IoT device, wherein the A-IoT device receives downlink communication data during the wake-up time and performs energy harvesting during the sleep time.

23. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 22, characterized in that, The first message includes Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages or Media Access Control (MAC-CE) messages.

24. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) devices, and the method includes: During the first time period when the A-IoT device is in a sleep state, at least one communication message is received, and energy is harvested and stored based on the radio frequency signal corresponding to the at least one communication message; During a second time period when the A-IoT device is in a wake-up state, at least one communication message is received. The at least one communication message received during the second time period is used for downlink data communication between the network node and the A-IoT device. The at least one communication message received during the first time period carries the same data content as the at least one communication message received during the second time period.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The A-IoT device enters a sleep state when the stored remaining energy is lower than a first energy threshold, and enters a wake-up state when the stored remaining energy is higher than a second energy threshold and the power of the received radio frequency signal exceeds a power threshold, wherein the second energy threshold is greater than the first energy threshold. Alternatively, the A-IoT device may enter a wake-up state when the remaining stored energy is higher than a second energy threshold and the power of the received radio frequency signal exceeds a power threshold, and the A-IoT device may enter a sleep state when it is in a wake-up state and has not received downlink data for a duration longer than a preset duration.

26. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network node, and the method includes: Generate communication messages; Multiple communication messages are continuously sent within a specified time period, which includes a first time period in which the A-IoT device is in a sleep state and a second time period in which the A-IoT device is in a wake-up state. The communication messages sent during the first time period are used to charge the A-IoT device, and the communication messages sent during the second time period are used to conduct downlink data communication with the A-IoT device.

27. A network node, characterized in that, include: A transceiver for performing the receiving and transmitting operations in any one of claims 11-23, 26; A processor for performing operations other than the receiving operation and the sending operation in the method according to any one of claims 11-23 and 26.

28. An environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver for performing the receiving and transmitting operations in the method of any one of claims 1-10 and 24-25; A processor for performing operations other than the receiving operation and the sending operation in the method of any one of claims 1-10 and 24-25.

29. A communication system, characterized in that, The invention includes an environmental Internet of Things (A-IoT) device and a network node, wherein the A-IoT device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-10 and 24-25, and the network node is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 11-23 and 26.

30. A computer storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed, implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

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