Method and apparatus for reporting device energy state information for low-power communication in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting higher data transmission rates, connections between more devices, and the like such as those of ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency and ultra-connection. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a low-power communication system in which an apparatus having no battery or having only a capacitor-level energy storage capability is capable of operating. The present disclosure relates to operations of a reader and a device in a wireless communication system. The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus enabling a device to generate an indicator that includes energy status information of the device, and report same to a reader such that the reader can acquire information about the availability of the device. The method performed by an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device in a communication system, according to one embodiment of the disclosure, comprises the steps of: receiving, from a reader, information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message through a reader-to-device (R2D) message; acquiring, on the basis of preset configuration information, an energy status indication that indicates an energy status of the AIoT device; and, on the basis of the information for the D2R message, transmitting, to the reader, the D2R message including the energy status indication.

Description

Method and device for reporting device energy status information for low-power communication in a wireless communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal, a base station, and a low-power communication device in a communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and device for a low-power communication device to verify its own availability for communication with a terminal or base station and transmit information about this to the terminal or base station.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technology defines a wide frequency band to enable fast transmission speeds and new services, and can be implemented not only in the sub-6GHz frequency band such as 3.5 gigahertz (3.5GHz), but also in the ultra-high frequency band called millimeter wave (mmWave) such as 28GHz and 39GHz ('Above 6GHz'). In addition, for 6G mobile communication technology, which is called the system after 5G communication (Beyond 5G), implementation in the terahertz band (for example, the 3 terahertz (3THz) band at 95GHz) is being considered to achieve a transmission speed that is 50 times faster than 5G mobile communication technology and an ultra-low latency time that is reduced to one-tenth.

[0003] In the early stages of 5G mobile communication technology, the goal is to support services and satisfy performance requirements for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). These include beamforming and massive MIMO to mitigate path loss of radio waves in ultra-high frequency bands and increase the transmission distance of radio waves, support for various numerologies (such as operation of multiple subcarrier intervals) and dynamic operation of slot formats for efficient use of ultra-high frequency resources, initial access technology to support multi-beam transmission and wideband, definition and operation of BWP (Bidth Part), new channel coding methods such as LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) codes for large-capacity data transmission and Polar Code for reliable transmission of control information, and L2 pre-processing (L2). Standardization has been made for network slicing, which provides dedicated networks specialized for specific services, and pre-processing.

[0004] Currently, discussions are underway to improve and enhance the initial 5G mobile communication technology in consideration of the services that 5G mobile communication technology was intended to support, and physical layer standardization is in progress for technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) to help autonomous vehicles make driving decisions and increase user convenience based on their own location and status information transmitted by vehicles, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) for the purpose of system operation that complies with various regulatory requirements in unlicensed bands, NR terminal low power consumption technology (UE Power Saving), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), which is direct terminal-satellite communication to secure coverage in areas where communication with terrestrial networks is impossible, and Positioning.

[0005] In addition, standardization of wireless interface architecture / protocols is in progress for technologies such as intelligent factories (Industrial Internet of Things, IIoT) to support new services through linkage and convergence with other industries, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) that provides nodes for expanding network service areas by integrating wireless backhaul links and access links, Mobility Enhancement technology including Conditional Handover and Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover, and 2-step random access (2-step RACH for NR) that simplifies random access procedures. Standardization is also in progress for system architecture / services such as 5G baseline architecture (e.g., Service-based Architecture, Service-based Interface) for grafting Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) that provides services based on the location of the terminal.

[0006] Once such 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, an explosive increase in connected devices will be connected to the communication network, necessitating enhanced functionality and performance of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operation of these connected devices. To this end, new research will be conducted on improving 5G performance and reducing complexity, supporting AI services, supporting metaverse services, and drone communications by utilizing eXtended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to efficiently support Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).

[0007] In addition, the development of these 5G mobile communication systems includes new waveforms to ensure coverage in the terahertz band of 6G mobile communication technology, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), Array Antenna, and Large Scale Antenna, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas to improve the coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional spatial multiplexing technology using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology, as well as full duplex technology to improve the frequency efficiency and system network of 6G mobile communication technology, satellite, AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and AI-based communication technology that realizes system optimization by internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources to provide services with complexity that exceeds the limits of terminal computing capabilities. It can serve as a basis for the development of next-generation distributed computing technologies that can be realized by utilizing them.

[0008] As described above, with the development of wireless communication systems, various services can be provided, and thus, methods for providing these services smoothly are required.

[0009] The present disclosure may be directed to providing a device and method capable of effectively providing a service in a mobile communication (or wireless communication) system.

[0010] The technical problems to be achieved in various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be considered by a person having ordinary skill in the art from various embodiments of the present disclosure described below.

[0011] In a mobile communication (or wireless communication) system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a low-power communication device (hereinafter referred to as a device) can report information about its energy status to a base station or terminal. This energy status information may include various information that can directly or indirectly infer the energy status of the device. The device can configure the energy status information according to the method of expressing the energy status information and transmit it to the terminal or base station. The base station can receive the energy status information reported by the device, determine the availability of the devices, and perform appropriate scheduling based on the information.

[0012] A method for processing a signal by a device in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include the steps of: receiving a first signal from a leader; processing the received first signal; generating an indicator indicating energy status information of the device based on the processing; and transmitting a second signal including the generated indicator to the leader.

[0013] A method performed by an ambient internet of things (AIoT) device in a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include the steps of: receiving information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message from a reader through a reader-to-device (R2D) message; obtaining an energy status indication indicating an energy status of the AIoT device based on preset configuration information; and transmitting the D2R message including the energy status indication to the reader based on information for the D2R message.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset configuration information includes information about a specific time threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that transmission of a next D2R message after transmission of the D2R message is possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that transmission of a next D2R message after transmission of the D2R message is not possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information on a specific energy level threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is greater than or equal to the specific energy level threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is less than the specific energy level threshold.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information on a specific energy harvesting threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, and the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that a total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is greater than or equal to the specific energy harvesting threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that a total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is less than the specific energy harvesting threshold.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information comprises a plurality of specific time thresholds. , wherein the energy status indication is N bits, N is a natural number greater than 1, and the energy status indication indicating a value of 0 indicates that the transmission of the next D2R message after the transmission of the D2R message is a specific time threshold. After that, the energy status indication indicating that it is possible by the AIoT device and indicating the value of k indicates that the transmission of the next D2R message after the transmission of the D2R message is a specific time threshold. After that, it is possible by the above AIoT device and a specific time threshold Afterwards, the AIoT device indicates that it is impossible, The above energy status indication indicating the value of the D2R message is transmitted after a specific time threshold of the next D2R message. Even after that, it is possible to indicate that it is impossible by the AIoT device.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information on a plurality of specific energy level thresholds, the energy status indication is N bits, N is a natural number greater than 1, and the energy status indication indicating a specific value may indicate that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is included in a specific section among a plurality of sections identified based on the plurality of specific energy level thresholds.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information on a plurality of specific energy harvesting thresholds, the energy status indication is N bits, N is a natural number greater than 1, and the energy status indication indicating a specific value may indicate that a total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is included in a specific section among a plurality of sections identified based on the plurality of specific energy level thresholds.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include a step of receiving information for a next D2R message from the leader via an R2D message, when the energy state of the AIoT device indicated by the energy state indication corresponds to the AIoT device being capable of transmitting a next D2R message after transmitting the D2R message.

[0021] An ambient internet of things (AIoT) device of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transceiver; and a processor connected to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: receive information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message from a reader via a reader-to-device (R2D) message; obtain an energy status indication indicating an energy status of the AIoT device based on preset configuration information; and transmit the D2R message including the energy status indication to the reader based on information for the D2R message.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset configuration information includes information about a specific time threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that transmission of a next D2R message after transmission of the D2R message is possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that transmission of a next D2R message after transmission of the D2R message is not possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information on a specific energy level threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIot device before or after transmission of the D2R message is greater than or equal to the specific energy level threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIot device before or after transmission of the D2R message is less than the specific energy level threshold.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset information includes information about a specific energy harvesting threshold, the energy status indication is 1 bit, and the energy status indication indicating a first value may indicate that a total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIot device is greater than or equal to the specific energy harvesting threshold, and the energy status indication indicating a second value may indicate that a total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIot device is less than the specific energy harvesting threshold.

[0025] A method performed by a reader in a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of transmitting information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message to an ambient internet of things (AIoT) device through a reader-to-device (R2D) message; receiving the D2R message related to the information for the D2R message from the AIoT device; and obtaining an energy status indication indicating an energy status of the AIoT device from the D2R message, wherein the energy status indication may be based on preset configuration information.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include a step of determining whether to transmit information for a D2R message following the D2R message to the AIoT device based on an energy state of the AIoT device indicated by the energy state indication.

[0027] In a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a reader includes a transceiver; and a processor connected to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: transmit information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message to an ambient internet of things (AIoT) device via a reader-to-device (R2D) message; receive the D2R message related to the information for the D2R message from the AIoT device; and obtain an energy status indication indicating an energy status of the AIoT device from the D2R message, wherein the energy status indication may be based on preset configuration information.

[0028] The various embodiments of the present disclosure described above are only some of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and various embodiments reflecting the technical features of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be derived and understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art based on the detailed description to be described below.

[0029] The disclosed embodiment can provide a device and method capable of effectively providing a service in a mobile communication system.

[0030] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a low-power device and a leader transmitting and receiving signals in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the amount of energy possessed by a low-power device over time in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a low-power device including its own energy status information in D2R transmission in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a low-power device transmits its energy status information by including it in D2R transmission in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the amount of energy possessed by a low-power device over time in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure receives a signal instructing D2R transmission from a leader, generates its own energy state information, and performs D2R transmission including the same to the leader.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a leader according to one embodiment of the present disclosure receives energy status information from a device, determines availability, and then performs appropriate scheduling based on the information.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a low-power device in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the structure of a leader in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0041] In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical details that are well known in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains and are not directly related to the present disclosure may be omitted. This is to ensure that the gist of the present disclosure is conveyed more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0042] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0043] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals may refer to like elements throughout the specification. In addition, when describing the present disclosure, if a specific description of a related function or configuration is determined to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions of the present disclosure, and may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

[0044] In the present disclosure, a base station is an entity that performs resource allocation of a terminal, and may be at least one of a gNode B, an eNode B, a Node B, a BS (Base Station), a wireless access unit, a base station controller, or a node on a network. The terminal may include a UE (User Equipment), an MS (Mobile Station), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, or a multimedia system capable of performing a communication function. In the present disclosure, downlink (DL) may refer to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a base station to a terminal, and uplink (UL) may refer to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a terminal to a base station. In addition, although the LTE or LTE-A system may be described below as an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background or channel type. For example, the 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G, new radio, NR) developed after LTE-A may be included here, and the 5G below may also be a concept that includes existing LTE, LTE-A, and other similar services. In addition, the present disclosure may be applied to other communication systems through some modifications within a scope that does not significantly deviate from the scope of the present disclosure, as judged by a person having skilled technical knowledge.

[0045] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flowchart drawings and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment can create a means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0046] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0047] Here, the term '~ unit' used in this embodiment means software or hardware components such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the '~ unit' can perform certain roles. However, the '~ unit' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ unit' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium or may be configured to play one or more processors. Accordingly, as an example, the '~ unit' may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and '~ units' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ units' or further separated into additional components and '~ units'. Additionally, the components and '~parts' may be implemented to activate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card. In addition, in an embodiment, the '~parts' may include one or more processors.

[0048] Wireless communication systems are evolving from providing voice-oriented services in the early days to broadband wireless communication systems that provide high-speed, high-quality packet data services, such as communication standards such as 3GPP's HSPA (High Speed ​​Packet Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution or E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Pro, 3GPP2's HRPD (High Rate Packet Data), UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), and IEEE's 802.16e.

[0049] As a representative example of the above broadband wireless communication system, the LTE system adopts the OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method in the downlink (DL) and the SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) method in the uplink (UL). The uplink refers to a wireless link in which a terminal (User Equipment (UE) or Mobile Station (MS)) transmits data or control signals to a base station (eNode B or base station (BS)), and the downlink may refer to a wireless link in which a base station transmits data or control signals to a terminal. The above multiple access method can distinguish the data or control information of each user by allocating and operating the time-frequency resources for transmitting data or control information to each user so that they do not overlap, that is, so as to achieve orthogonality.

[0050] As a future communication system beyond LTE, 5G communication systems must be able to freely reflect the diverse needs of users and service providers. Therefore, services that simultaneously satisfy these requirements must be supported. Services being considered for 5G communication systems include enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra Reliability Low Latency Communication (URLLC).

[0051] eMBB may aim to provide data rates that are significantly higher than those supported by existing LTE, LTE-A, or LTE-Pro. For example, in a 5G communication system, eMBB may need to support a peak data rate of 20 Gbps in the downlink and a peak data rate of 10 Gbps in the uplink from the perspective of a single base station. Furthermore, 5G communication systems may need to provide both peak data rates and increased user-perceived data rates. To meet these requirements, improvements in various transmission and / or reception technologies, including improved multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) transmission technologies, may be required. Furthermore, while LTE transmits signals using a maximum 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 2 GHz band, 5G communication systems can meet the data rates required by 5G communication systems by using a wider bandwidth than 20 MHz in the 3-6 GHz or higher 6 GHz bands.

[0052] At the same time, mMTC is being considered to support application services such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in 5G communication systems. To efficiently provide the IoT, mMTC may require support for large-scale terminal connections within a cell, improved terminal coverage, improved battery life, and reduced terminal costs. The IoT, which connects various sensors and devices to provide communication functions, may require support for a large number of terminals (e.g., 1,000,000 terminals / km^2) within a cell. Furthermore, terminals supporting mMTC are likely to be located in shadow areas, such as basements, beyond cell coverage due to the nature of the service, which may require broader coverage compared to other services provided by 5G communication systems. Terminals supporting mMTC should be comprised of low-cost terminals, and since frequent battery replacement is unlikely, very long battery lifespans, such as 10 to 15 years, may be required.

[0053] Finally, URLLC refers to cellular-based wireless communication services used for specific mission-critical purposes. Examples include remote control of robots or machinery, industrial automation, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remote health care, and emergency alerts. Therefore, URLLC communications must offer extremely low latency and high reliability. For example, URLLC-enabled services must meet air interface latency requirements of less than 0.5 milliseconds and a packet error rate (PER) of less than 10^-5. Therefore, for URLLC-enabled services, 5G systems must provide shorter Transmit Time Intervals (TTIs) than other services, while simultaneously allocating extensive resources in the frequency band to ensure communication link reliability.

[0054] The three 5G services—eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC—can be multiplexed and transmitted within a single system. To meet the differing requirements of each service, different transmission and / or reception techniques and transmission and / or reception parameters may be used. Of course, 5G is not limited to the three services described above.

[0055] Low-Power Communication: Ambient-IoT

[0056] The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that interconnects various devices via the Internet to exchange data. It is being utilized in diverse fields such as smart homes, industrial automation, healthcare, and smart cities. Most existing IoT devices operate on batteries, requiring periodic replacement or charging. This increases maintenance costs and time for IoT systems, and can be a significant limitation, especially when deployed in large-scale or difficult-to-access locations. Ambient IoT (AIoT) is one of the next evolutionary steps in this IoT technology, a new type of IoT technology that harvests energy from the surrounding environment. AIoT devices can utilize energy harvesting technology to obtain energy from light, radio waves, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source, enabling them to operate for extended periods without battery replacement or charging. Energy harvesters typically operate at 1 μW to several hundred μW, a very low level compared to the 10 mW maximum power required by current commercial communication systems. Accordingly, the need for new low-power communication technologies that can be used in various use cases of AIoT is emerging.

[0057] Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, a leader is an entity that transmits and receives data with a low-power device, and may include a base station or a terminal. In addition, in the following, R2D (reader-to-device) transmission or AIoT downlink (hereinafter, downlink in the present disclosure) may refer to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a leader to a low-power device, and D2R (device-to-reader) transmission or AIoT uplink (hereinafter, uplink in the present disclosure) may refer to a wireless transmission path of a signal transmitted from a low-power device to a leader.

[0058] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a low-power device (102) and a reader (100) transmitting and receiving signals (103, 104) in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The reader can instruct the device to perform D2R transmission (104) through R2D transmission (103) or transmit information necessary for the operation of the device or for updating the status of the device. The device can perform its own status information, report on the instruction of the reader, etc. through D2R transmission (104). An AIoT device (hereinafter referred to as a device) is a device that receives energy through energy harvesting and can use the following two methods to generate a signal to be transmitted to the reader. First, the device can use backscattering communication to generate a signal by reflecting an RF (radio frequency) signal coming from the outside to transmit data. In this case, a signal transmitted to the device for signal transmission from the outside to the reader (i.e., an uplink of the AIoT system) can be referred to as a carrier wave (hereinafter referred to as a CW). CW can be transmitted to the device from an external node outside the device, and the device can generate an uplink signal to be transmitted to the reader by reflecting the signal. In the case of backscattering communication, the device does not include a local oscillator (LO) in its internal structure, and therefore the power consumption and device complexity can be greatly reduced. The device can reflect the signal and encode the information stored in its memory, and the reflected signal can be transmitted to the reader for decoding. Generating the signal directly within the device can be another way to generate the signal to be transmitted to the reader. In this case, the device must generate the signal directly using its internal LO, so greater power consumption and device complexity can be expected compared to the case of using backscattering communication.AIoT devices may also use amplifiers in their transmitters and receivers to improve communication performance.

[0059] Although devices can generate signals for uplink transmission in a variety of ways, to reduce the cost and complexity of system design, it may be appropriate to aim for a harmonized design that can receive signals at the base station reception side regardless of the uplink signal generation method. For example, by designing the signals generated by reflecting CW and those generated internally to share similar signal shapes and transmission techniques, it may be possible to make them be received and interpreted by the receiver using the same algorithm. Therefore, although this document describes a device that generates a signal by reflecting CW, if the signal is generated directly within the device, the generated signal can be designed to have a shape similar to that generated through CW reflection, so that the same reception technique can be applied when the signal is received at the reader side. For example, when generating a signal through CW reflection, the CW signal is a single-tone (frequency) sine wave, and the device can reflect the signal by applying a frequency shift of Δf to the sine wave. When generating signals internally, a sine wave with a single tone can be generated internally on the device and a similar signal can be generated by applying the same frequency shift. Alternatively, a signal can be generated by simulating a signal with frequency shift applied from the signal generation stage. This approach allows the receiver to receive and interpret signals using the same algorithm, regardless of the signal generation method, reducing system complexity and improving overall efficiency.

[0060] AIoT devices collect and acquire energy through energy harvesting and operate using the collected / acquired energy. Therefore, the time it takes for a device to have sufficient energy for a specific operation may depend on various factors, such as the total amount of energy the device possesses, the efficiency or speed of energy harvesting, the distribution of energy sources, or the amount of energy required for the terminal to perform a specific operation. For example, if there are two devices A and B that harvest energy from RF signals, and device A has an abundance of RF signals available for energy harvesting while device B does not, device A may be able to collect energy faster than device B and may take a relatively shorter time to collect sufficient energy to perform a specific operation. Therefore, the time it takes for a device to collect sufficient energy for a specific operation may vary from device to device. Even if implemented to be set the same for each device, the time it takes for a device to collect sufficient energy may vary from device to device due to factors such as the distribution of surrounding energy sources and declining energy harvesting efficiency due to device aging. If a reader instructs a device to perform a specific operation when the device does not have sufficient energy, the device may not be able to perform the operation. For example, if a leader transmits a signal requesting device information and the device receives it, but the device does not have enough energy to generate the signal to transmit to the leader, the device may be unable to perform the action.

[0061] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the amount of energy (201) possessed by a device in an AIoT system over time (200). For example, a device (e.g., a device of a specific device type) may collect energy through energy harvesting when it does not perform an energy-consuming operation, such as transmitting or receiving data. And / or another device (e.g., a device of a different device type from the specific device type) may have a set time for performing energy harvesting, and may collect energy through energy harvesting during the set time and consume energy as standby power at other times. The operation of collecting energy or waiting when the device does not perform an instructed operation (e.g., an energy-consuming operation, such as transmitting or receiving data) is not limited to this example.

[0062] Referring to Figure 2, the device is at a specific energy level E threshold (207) If the device has energy greater than (205), it may be possible to perform a D2R transmission that transmits a signal to the leader. However, the device must be at this energy level E threshold (207) If the device has lower energy than (206), it may not be able to perform the operation. Also, the leader transmits a signal to the device once and then T c It can be assumed that after (202, 208) time passes, enough energy can be collected to perform D2R transmission.

[0063] Under these assumptions, the device performs D2R transmission and T cAfter a certain amount of time (202), the leader can instruct the device to transmit D2R at time t1 (203). In Fig. 2, the delay time taken from the time the signal is transmitted to the actual reception or the processing time within the device and the reader is not diagrammed, but in reality, such delay times may have to be taken into account. The device has energy E at time t1. threshold (207) Since the above is true, D2R transmission can be successfully performed. The energy possessed by the device can be reduced as the device performs D2R transmission (209).

[0064] After the end of the D2R transmission (210), the leader can instruct the device to perform D2R transmission at a time point t2 (204) after a longer time than Tc (208). However, in this case, for example, the density of energy sources around the device may be low, so that only a lower energy harvesting efficiency may be achieved compared to the energy harvesting efficiency when energy was collected at a previous time point. Therefore, even if the leader instructs the device to perform D2R transmission at time t2, the device may not be able to perform it due to insufficient energy. If this problem occurs, smooth information exchange between the leader and the device may not be possible, and the leader may have difficulty in appropriately scheduling the device.

[0065] To prevent this, the leader can constantly monitor the device's energy status, sending a signal to the device indicating a specific action only when it is capable of performing that action. However, this approach can waste resources due to continuous monitoring, and may be difficult to implement in IoT system scenarios where the number of devices to be operated is expected to rapidly increase.

[0066] Accordingly, the present disclosure describes various methods for enabling a device to report its energy status to a leader, thereby enabling the leader to determine the availability of the device and perform efficient scheduling based on the information.

[0067] Unless specifically stated otherwise, in the description of an embodiment of the present disclosure, "below" may be replaced with "less than," and "less than" may be replaced with "below." Unless specifically stated otherwise, in the description of an embodiment of the present disclosure, "above" may be replaced with "above" and "above" may be replaced with "above."

[0068] Although the present disclosure describes the above examples through a number of embodiments, they are not independent and one or more embodiments may be applied simultaneously or in combination.

[0069] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a low-power device including its own energy status information in D2R transmission in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] Example 1: Transmitting a 1-bit indicator along with D2R data

[0071] FIG. 3(a) is a diagram illustrating an example in which a device performs a D2R transmission (302) by including an energy status indicator (301) having a size of at least 1 bit in D2R data (300). The device may transmit its energy status information to a leader by including the energy status indicator in the D2R transmission. In this case, the energy status indicator may include, for example, feedback indicating whether the time required for the device to charge sufficient energy for a specific operation is shorter (less than) or longer (exceeds) a specific time T' (a specific threshold).

[0072] In this case, the specific time T' may be a value set as a default or recorded in the memory of the device, and / or the value to be used by the device may be indicated by the reader at the time of initial connection to the device, or as system information, or as device-specific upper-layer signaling (e.g., signaling corresponding to at least one or a combination of one or more of MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block) or SIB X (X=1, 2,...), RRC (Radio Resource Control), MAC (Medium Access Control) CE (Control Element)). In this case, the information transmitted to the device may be information transmitted by being included in the R2D transmission from the reader. The length of the specific time T' may be predefined / set, or may be set by the reader. If the length of the specific time T' is predefined / set, this may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0073] Additionally, the starting point of measurement for a specific time T' (the starting point for a specific time T') may include various methods, such as the point in time when the reader starts or completes receiving a D2R transmission previously performed by the device, the point in time when the device starts or completes transmitting a D2R transmission, or the point in time when a certain offset is applied from these points. The certain offset may be predefined / set or set by the reader. If the certain offset is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0074] After receiving a D2R transmission including this energy status indicator from the device, if the indicator consists of, for example, 1 bit and indicates 1, the reader can determine that the device will be able to transmit another D2R after a period of time T' has elapsed since transmitting the D2R. Conversely, if the indicator consists of, for example, 1 bit and indicates 0, the reader can determine that the device will not be able to transmit another D2R even after a period of time T' has elapsed since completing the D2R transmission.

[0075] More specifically, for example, the reader may transmit a signal instructing the device to perform a D2R transmission. The instruction signal may be included in an R2D transmission. If the instruction signal is the first transmitted signal when a connection between the reader and the device is not established, the reader may transmit the signal at a default period (T default ) and repeatedly instructing the device to perform D2R transmission until the device generates a D2R transmission. When the device receives the instruction signal and checks the scheduling information of the D2R transmission to prepare for the D2R transmission, the device may indicate the availability of whether it can perform the D2R transmission when a specific time T' has passed after completing the D2R transmission, using an energy status indicator, based on factors such as the energy it possesses, the efficiency of energy harvesting, or the amount of energy required to perform the D2R transmission. At this time, the specific time T' may be a value included in the previous R2D transmission and / or a default value set in the device may be used. Alternatively, T' may be the transmission cycle of the previous R2D transmission, T defaultThe device can transmit the indicator to the reader by including it in the D2R transmission, and the reader can check the energy status information of the device by receiving it. If the device sends 0 as the indicator, the reader can check the energy status information of the device. default Even after the time T has elapsed, it is judged that the operation may not be possible because the energy required for D2R transmission is not maintained, so a period T longer than that time is required. default, new (> T default ) can send a signal to the device to instruct D2R transmission. At this time, the leader T default, new The value can be used continuously, for a certain period of time and then used again as the previous value, and / or until new energy information is received from the device.

[0076] For example, an energy status indicator can indicate information about the total amount of energy currently held by the device. This total energy amount may be before or after the current D2R transmission that the device transmits including the indicator. The energy status indicator included in a D2R transmission may be information about the total amount of energy of the device before / after the corresponding D2D transmission. The device can use at least one bit of the energy status indicator to indicate whether the total amount of energy it holds immediately before performing the corresponding D2R transmission exceeds a specific energy level (a specific threshold). The specific energy level may be determined as a certain percentage (for example, 50%) of the total amount of energy that the tag (device) can hold (for example, the capacitor size of the tag (device)). Information about this specific energy level may be a default value set in the memory of the device or information set by the reader. The specific energy level may be predefined / set or may be set by the reader. If a specific energy level is predefined / set, this may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, if the device has more than 50% of the total energy it can hold, it may indicate '1' as an indicator, otherwise it may indicate '0' and transmit this in the D2R transmission. The reader receives this, checks the energy status information of the device, determines when the device has the availability to perform D2R transmission, and performs appropriate scheduling. At this time, the time point at which the device checks the energy level may be applied at various times, such as immediately before generating the indicator, immediately after transmitting D2R data, or a certain offset time before performing D2R transmission.Alternatively, the device could check its own energy level over a period of time and use the average value to generate an indicator.

[0077] Alternatively, a 1-bit energy status indicator may indicate information about the energy harvesting efficiency or energy harvesting speed of the device. For example, a device may use a 1-bit energy status indicator to indicate whether its energy harvesting efficiency or energy harvesting speed exceeds a certain value (certain threshold). In this case, the energy harvesting efficiency or speed may be expressed as the total amount of energy charged per unit time. Therefore, the device may be able to indicate through a 1-bit indicator whether the total amount of energy charged per unit time is greater than or equal to a certain value. This certain value may be a default value set for the device or information set by the reader. The certain value for the energy harvesting speed may be predefined / set or set by the reader. If the certain value is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, if the amount of energy charged by the device per unit time is greater than a certain value, the value of the indicator can be marked as '1', otherwise, '0' can be marked and transmitted by including it in the D2R transmission. The reader can receive this, check the energy status information of the device, determine at which point the device has the availability to perform D2R transmission, and perform appropriate scheduling. At this time, the point in time when the device checks the harvesting efficiency or speed can be applied at various points in time, such as immediately before generating the indicator, immediately after transmitting D2R data, or a certain offset time before performing the D2R transmission. Alternatively, the device can check its own energy harvesting efficiency or speed for a certain period of time and use the average value thereof to generate the indicator.

[0078] In this example, the availability of whether the device can perform D2R transmission is described, but this can be replaced with other operations that the device can perform. For example, the above procedure can also be defined for operations such as whether the device can perform D2R repeated transmission, whether the device can perform R2D reception longer than a certain length, and whether the device can perform D2R transmission longer than a certain length. A 1-bit energy status indicator can have the advantage of efficiently conveying the device's energy status information to the reader without significantly increasing the length of the D2R transmission.

[0079] Example 2: Transmitting an n-bit (n>1) indicator along with D2R data

[0080] FIG. 3(b) is a diagram illustrating an example in which a device performs a D2R transmission (312) by including an n (n>1) bit indicator (311) in D2R data (310). The device can convey its energy status information to the leader by including the n bit indicator in the D2R transmission. In this case, the n bit indicator can indicate, for example, whether the time required for the device to charge sufficient energy for a specific operation is shorter or longer than a specific time T'.

[0081] In this case, the specific time T' may be a value set as a default for the device or a value that the device is using by the reader instructing the device. The length of the specific time T' may be predefined / set or may be set by the reader. If the length of the specific time T' is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the start time of measuring the specific time T' may be applied in various ways, such as the time when the reader starts or completes receiving the D2R transmission previously performed by the device, the time when the device starts or completes transmitting the D2R transmission, or the time when a certain offset is applied from these time points. The certain offset may be predefined / set or may be set by the reader. If the certain offset is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0082] For example, if a device transmits a two-bit indicator in a D2R transmission, the indicator allows the reader to estimate the range of time it will take for the device to charge enough energy to perform another D2R transmission.

[0083] FIG. 3(c) is a diagram showing three reference times on a time axis (320) when a device uses a 2-bit indicator and indicates its energy state information for three reference times T1 (321), T2 (322), and T3 (323). In this case, the plurality of reference times may be values ​​preset for the device or values ​​instructed by the reader. The reference times may be predefined / set or set by the reader. When the reference times are predefined / set, they may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0084] For example, if the 2-bit indicator is '00', the device may indicate that it has enough energy to perform another D2R transmission after a time equal to T1 has elapsed since performing one D2R transmission. That is, the time it takes for the device to charge enough energy to perform another D2R transmission may be within a range less than T1 (324).

[0085] If the 2-bit indicator is '01', it may indicate that the device may have enough energy to perform another D2R transmission after a time equal to T2 has elapsed after performing one D2R transmission, but may not be able to do so after a time equal to T1. That is, the time it takes for the device to charge up enough energy to perform another D2R transmission may be in the range greater than T1 and less than T2 (325).

[0086] If the 2-bit indicator is '10', it may indicate that the device may have enough energy to perform another D2R transmission after a time equal to T3 after performing one D2R transmission, but may not be able to do so after a time equal to T2. That is, the time it takes for the device to charge up enough energy to perform another D2R transmission may be in the range greater than T2 and less than T3 (326).

[0087] If the 2-bit indicator is '11', it may indicate that the device does not have enough energy to perform another D2R transmission even after a time of T3 has elapsed since performing one D2R transmission. That is, the time it takes for the device to charge enough energy to perform another D2R transmission may be in a range greater than T3 (327).

[0088] The instructions that these two-bit indicators can represent are summarized in Table 1.

[0089] [Table 1]

[0090]

[0091] The leader receives a D2R transmission from the device containing an n-bit indicator, which provides information about the range within which the device will need to recharge energy for another D2R transmission.

[0092] More specifically, for example, the reader may transmit a signal instructing the device to perform a D2R transmission. The instruction signal may be included in an R2D transmission. If the instruction signal is the first transmitted signal when a connection between the reader and the device is not established, the reader may transmit the signal at a default period (T default ) and repeating this until D2R transmission occurs in the device. When the device receives the instruction signal and checks the scheduling information of the D2R transmission to prepare for the D2R transmission, the device can determine the range of time it takes to charge the energy required for another D2R transmission after completing the D2R transmission through factors such as the energy it possesses, the efficiency of energy harvesting, and the amount of energy required to perform the D2R transmission. At this time, the range of time may be a range divided by a value preset in the terminal or a range divided by reference values ​​set by the reader. The device includes the instruction in the D2R transmission and transmits it to the reader, and the reader can receive it to check the energy status information of the device.

[0093] If the device sends 11 with that directive, T default = If T4, the leader indicates that the device is T default Even after the time T has elapsed, it is judged that the operation may not be possible because the energy required for D2R transmission is not maintained, so a period T longer than that time is required.default, new (> T default ) can send a signal to the device to instruct D2R transmission. At this time, the leader T default, new The value can be used continuously, for a certain period of time and then used again as the original value, or until new energy information is received from the device.

[0094] Alternatively, the device can report to the reader the time it takes to charge the energy required to perform another D2R transmission by quantizing it using an n-bit indicator. For example, if a 2-bit indicator is used, the reader can interpret the time it takes the device to charge the energy for another D2R transmission by quantizing it as T'1 when the indicator is 00, T'2 when the indicator is 01, T'3 when the indicator is 10, and T'4 when the indicator is 11. After the device performs a D2R transmission, it can predict the time it takes to charge the energy for another D2R transmission and then select the closest value among {T'1, T'2, T'3, T'4} and transmit the corresponding indicator to the reader to inform the reader of its energy status.

[0095] Alternatively, an n-bit indicator can represent information about the total amount of energy currently held by the device. This total energy may be before or after the current D2R transmission that the device transmits including the indicator. The indicator included in a D2R transmission may be information about the total amount of energy of the device before / after the corresponding D2D transmission. For example, a device can use an n-bit indicator to represent information about which energy interval the total amount of energy it holds right before performing a D2R transmission that will send the indicator belongs to. In this case, the energy level dividing the energy interval can be determined as a certain percentage (for example, 50%) of the total amount of energy that the tag (device) can hold (for example, the capacitor size of the tag (device)). Information about this specific energy level may be a default value set for the device or information set by the reader. The specific energy level may be predefined / set or may be set by the reader. If a specific energy level is predefined / set, this can be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, if the device has energy in the range of 0 to 25% of the total energy amount that it can hold, it can indicate '00' as an indicator, '01' for the range of 25 to 50%, '10' for the range of 50 to 75%, and '11' for the range of 75 to 100%, and include this in the D2R transmission. The reader can receive this, check the energy status information of the device, determine at which point the device has the availability to perform D2R transmission, and perform appropriate scheduling. Alternatively, the total amount of energy that the device currently holds can be quantized into specific energy levels using an n-bit indicator, thereby indicating this to the reader.For example, when using a 2-bit indicator, the reader can interpret the value of the energy held by the device by quantizing it as 0% when the indicator is 00, 35% when the indicator is 01, 70% when the indicator is 10, and 100% when the indicator is 11. When the total energy held by the device is 65.5% of the total energy storage space, the device can quantize and transmit its actual total energy amount to the reader by indicating the indicator as 10. The total energy held by the device can represent a relative value to a specific value or have an absolute number and is not limited to this example. The time point at which the device checks the energy level can be applied at various times, such as immediately before generating the indicator, immediately after transmitting the D2R data, or a certain offset time before performing the D2R transmission. Alternatively, the device can check its own energy level for a certain period of time and generate the indicator using the average value thereof.

[0096] Alternatively, an n-bit indicator may indicate information about the device's energy harvesting efficiency or energy harvesting speed. For example, a device may use an n-bit indicator to provide information about the range within which its energy harvesting efficiency or energy harvesting speed falls. In this case, the energy harvesting efficiency or speed may be expressed as the total amount of energy charged per unit time. Therefore, a device may use an n-bit indicator to indicate within which range the total amount of energy charged per unit time falls, which is defined by a specific value. The specific value that can set the range may be a default value set for the device or information set by the reader. The specific value may be predefined / set or set by the reader. If the specific value is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The time point at which the device checks the harvesting efficiency or speed may be applied at various times, such as immediately before generating the indicator, immediately after transmitting D2R data, or a certain offset time before performing D2R transmission. Alternatively, the device could check its energy harvesting efficiency or speed over a period of time and use the average value to generate an indicator.

[0097] For example, A <B<C 의 관계를 만족하는 3개의 값 A, B, C 에 대하여, 디바이스의 에너지 하베스팅 효율 (X) 은 (1) X<A, (2) A ≤ X < B, (3) B ≤ X < C, (4) C≤X 와 같이 4개의 구간 중 하나에 속할 수 있다. 따라서 2 비트의 지시자를 통해서 디바이스의 에너지 하베스팅 효율이 어느 구간에 속하는지가 지시될 수 있다. 예를 들어, 지시자가 00인 경우에는 (1) 구간을, 지시자가 01 인 경우에는 (2) 구간을, 지시자가 10 인 경우에는 (3) 구간을, 지시자가 11 인 경우에는 (4) 구간을 지시할 수 있다. 리더는 이를 수신하여 디바이스의 에너지 상태 정보를 확인하고, 어느 시점에 디바이스가 D2R 전송을 수행할 수 있는 가용성을 가지는지를 판단하고 적절한 스케줄링을 수행할 수 있다.

[0098] Alternatively, the device may indicate its energy harvesting efficiency or energy harvesting speed to the reader by quantizing it to a specific value using an n-bit indicator. For example, if a 2-bit indicator is used, the reader may interpret the device's energy harvesting efficiency as 0% when the indicator is 00, 35% when the indicator is 01, 70% when the indicator is 10, and 100% when the indicator is 11. The values ​​of the energy harvesting efficiency and speed may represent relative values ​​to a specific value or may have absolute numbers and are not limited to this example.

[0099] In the description of the above embodiments, the mapping relationship between the code point of an n-bit indicator and the information indicated by the code point is an example, and the mapping relationship between information depending on the value of the indicator may change. In addition, the description of the above embodiments mainly exemplifies a case where the indicator is 2 bits, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the bit size of the indicator may change depending on the number of pieces of information that the code point of the indicator can indicate.

[0100] Additionally, an n-bit indicator may be composed of a combination of 1-bit indicators, as in Example 1. For example, a total of 3-bit indicators may be included in a D2R transmission, with each bit indicating the energy status information of the device. In this case, each bit may be a 1-bit indicator defined according to the example of Example 1.

[0101] Example 3: Energy status information indication using signal transmission omission

[0102] FIG. 3(d) is a diagram illustrating an example in which a device performs a D2R transmission (332) including a signal omission section (331) in D2R data (330). The reader can obtain information about the time at which the D2R data is transmitted through control information included in the D2R transmission or a postamble signal that can be transmitted at the end of the D2R transmission. If the D2R data is transmitted only during a section shorter than the length of the D2R data expected by the reader through the control information or the postamble signal and a section in which no signal is transmitted occurs, the reader can interpret this as reporting that the device cannot perform another D2R transmission after a certain period of time T' has elapsed after performing the D2R transmission as in Example 1, or reporting that the amount of energy possessed by the device immediately before or immediately after performing the D2R transmission including the indicator is lower than a certain level, or reporting that the energy harvesting efficiency or speed measured by the device is lower than a certain value. A specific method of interpreting information may follow Example 1. The length of the signal omission interval can correspond to the time required to transmit one or more bits. This signal omission method can have the advantage of allowing the device to reduce the energy consumed for signal transmission while also allowing the device to report its energy status information to the reader.

[0103] Example 4: Transmitting time-step indicators along with D2R data

[0104] A device may be able to report its energy state over time to a leader by transmitting D2R transmissions time-stepped (or sequential) with indicators representing the device's energy state.

[0105] For example, a device may be able to map into a D2R signal whether the total amount of energy it possesses exceeds a certain energy level (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator may be 1) or not (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator may be 0) using three 1-bit indicators immediately before transmitting the D2R signal, during transmitting the D2R signal, or immediately after completing transmitting the D2R signal, and include the same in the D2R signal. In this case, the method of configuring each 1-bit indicator may refer to Embodiment 1, and Embodiment 1 may be followed.

[0106] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a low-power device transmits its energy status information by including it in D2R transmission in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] FIG. 4(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a device performing a D2R transmission (400) including 1-bit indicators (401, 402, 403) corresponding to time-step indicators (or sequential indicators) in D2R data (404, 405).

[0108] For example, a 1-bit indicator (401) transmitted at the beginning of a D2R signal may indicate whether the total amount of energy held by the device immediately before transmitting the D2R exceeds a certain energy level (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator may be 1) or not (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator may be 0). In this case, the certain energy level may be a default value set in the device or a value set by the reader. The certain energy level may be predefined / set or set by the reader. If the certain energy level is predefined / set, it may be predefined / set between the reader and the device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0109] A 1-bit indicator (402) transmitted in the middle of a D2R signal (transmitted during transmission of a D2D signal) can indicate whether the total amount of energy that the device possesses in the middle of the D2R transmission exceeds a certain energy level (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator can be 1) or not (for example, in this case, the value of the indicator can be 0). In this case, the point in time in the middle of the transmission can be a point in time such as after transmission of half (404) of the total data scheduled to be transmitted (after half (404) of the data to be transmitted has been transmitted), but is not limited to this example. After transmission of the 1-bit indicator (402) transmitted in the middle of the D2R signal, transmission of the remaining data (405) can be performed.

[0110] A 1-bit indicator (403) transmitted at the end of the D2R signal may indicate whether the total amount of energy held by the device after completing the corresponding D2R transmission exceeds a certain energy level (e.g., in this case, the value of the indicator may be 1) or not (e.g., in this case, the value of the indicator may be 0). This indicator may be an indicator indicating information about the time it takes for the device to obtain sufficient energy to perform another D2R transmission, as in Example 1, rather than the total amount of energy held by the device, or an indicator about the energy harvesting efficiency of the device, but is not limited to these examples.

[0111] Additionally, these time-step indicators can consist of n bits (n>1) rather than 1 bit each.

[0112] FIG. 4(b) is a diagram illustrating an example in which a device performs a D2R transmission (410) including n-bit indicators (411, 412, 413) corresponding to time-step indicators in D2R data (414, 415). In this case, the method of configuring each n-bit indicator can be followed with reference to Embodiment 2, but the time of generating and / or transmitting each indicator can vary in time steps, such as immediately before, during, or after performing the D2R transmission including the indicators. The time at which the indicators are generated can vary according to various examples and is not limited to the examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the positions of the indicators within the D2R transmission can be divided into the beginning, middle, and end of the signal, or all indicators can be transmitted continuously at the beginning, middle, and end.

[0113] For example, an n-bit indicator (411) transmitted at the beginning of a D2R signal may be transmitted, and after transmission of a portion (414) of the entire data scheduled to be transmitted, an n-bit indicator (412) transmitted in the middle of the D2R signal (during transmission of a D2D signal) may be transmitted. In this case, the point in time in the middle of the transmission may be a point in time such as after transmission of half (414) of the entire data scheduled to be transmitted (after half (414) of the data to be transmitted has been transmitted), and is not limited to this example. After transmission of the n-bit indicator (412) transmitted in the middle of the D2R signal, transmission of the remaining data (415) may be performed. Thereafter, an n-bit indicator (413) transmitted at the end of the D2R signal may be transmitted. Information indicated by each n-bit indicator may be followed with reference to Embodiment 2.

[0114] While this example describes the availability of a device to perform D2R transmissions, this can be replaced by other actions the device can perform. For example, the above procedure can also be defined for actions such as whether the device can perform D2R repeat transmissions, whether the device can perform R2D receptions longer than a certain length, or whether the device can perform D2R transmissions longer than a certain length.

[0115] A 1-bit indicator can have the advantage of efficiently conveying device energy status information to the reader without significantly increasing the length of the D2R transmission. An n-bit indicator (n>1) can have the advantage of conveying device energy status information to the reader in greater detail than a 1-bit indicator. A time-stepped indicator can have the advantage of reporting device energy status information that varies over time to the reader, allowing the reader to obtain additional information about the device's availability and utilize this information for device scheduling.

[0116] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the amount of energy held by a low-power device over time in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the amount of energy (501) held by a device in an AIoT system over time (500).

[0117] Referring to Figure 5, the device is at a specific energy level E threshold (506) If the energy level is greater than (507), it may be possible to perform a D2R transmission that transmits a signal to the leader. However, this energy level E threshold (506) If the device has lower energy than (508), it may not be able to perform the operation. Also, the leader may transmit a signal to the device once and then T cIt can be assumed that after (502) time passes, sufficient energy can be collected to perform D2R transmission.

[0118] Under these assumptions, the device performs D2R transmission and T c After a certain amount of time (502), the leader can instruct the device to transmit D2R at time t1 (504). In Fig. 5, the delay time taken from the time the signal is transmitted to the actual reception or the processing time within the device and the reader is not diagrammed, but in reality, such delay times may have to be taken into account. The device has energy E at time t1. threshold (506) Since the above is true, D2R transmission can be successfully performed. At this time, the device can transmit an indicator containing its energy status information within the D2R transmission. The energy possessed by the device can be reduced as the device performs D2R transmission (509).

[0119] The leader checks the energy status information received from the device, and then sends T after the device transmits D2R. c Even if enough time passes, it may be difficult to have enough energy to perform another D2R transmission. Therefore, the leader may decide to c Not T c, new (503) , after a longer period of time, the device can be instructed to perform a D2R transmission at time t2 (505). Based on the device's energy status report, the leader can determine the device's availability and schedule it appropriately.

[0120] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure generates its own energy state information and performs a D2R transmission including the generated energy state information to the leader after receiving a signal from the leader indicating D2R transmission. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a device includes its own energy state information in a D2R transmission and transmits it to the leader when receiving an R2D transmission including information indicating D2R transmission from the leader.

[0121] The flowchart of FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary method that may be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the method depicted in the flowchart. For example, although depicted as a series of steps, the various steps in each drawing may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In other examples, steps may be omitted or replaced with other steps.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 6, a device can receive an R2D transmission including information indicating a D2R transmission from a leader (601). After determining its own energy status information, the device can generate an indicator indicating the same and report the same to the leader by including it in a D2R transmission (602, 603). The device can receive an R2D transmission from the leader. The R2D transmission can include information for triggering and / or scheduling a D2R transmission. After determining the energy status of the device, the device can generate data for an energy status information field. The device can transmit the energy status information to the leader via a D2R transmission.

[0123] For more specific details on the operation of the device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure described above, reference may be made to the description of one embodiment of the present disclosure described above.

[0124] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a leader according to one embodiment of the present disclosure receives energy status information from a device, determines availability, and then performs appropriate scheduling based on the information.

[0125] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a leader receives a D2R transmission from a device including an indicator indicating their energy status information when transmitting an R2D transmission including information indicating a D2R transmission from the device, determines their availability, and utilizes this in a scheduling strategy.

[0126] The flowchart of FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary method that may be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the method depicted in the flowchart. For example, although depicted as a series of steps, the various steps in each drawing may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in different orders, or occur multiple times. In other examples, steps may be omitted or replaced with other steps.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 7, a leader can instruct a device to perform a D2R transmission through an R2D transmission (701). At this time, the leader can determine the availability of the corresponding device by checking the energy status information indicator included in the D2R transmission received from the device (702, 703). Based on this determination, the leader can determine the availability of a specific operation of the device, thereby establishing an efficient scheduling strategy. The leader can transmit an R2D transmission to the device. The R2D transmission can include information for triggering and / or scheduling a D2R transmission. The leader can receive a D2R transmission from the device. The D2R transmission can include energy status information of the device. The leader can check the availability of the device based on the energy status information of the device, and trigger or schedule a D2R transmission to the device based on the check.

[0128] For more specific details on the operation of the leader according to one embodiment of the present disclosure described above, reference may be made to the description of one embodiment of the present disclosure described above.

[0129] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of a device in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 8, the device may include a transceiver (800, 806), which refers to a device receiver (800) and a device transmitter (806), a memory (804), and a device processing unit (803, or a device control unit or processor). In addition, in the case of a low-power device, an energy collection unit (801) and an energy storage unit (802) may be included to support energy harvesting. When the device receives a CW transmitted from the outside and generates a D2R signal by reflecting it, a backscattering unit (805) required for utilizing backscattering may be included in the device. If the device generates a signal directly internally and generates a D2R signal through it, the additional device may not be included. According to the communication method of the device described above, the device transmitter (806), receiver (800), energy collection unit (901), energy storage unit (802), backscattering unit (805), memory (804), and device processing unit (803) can operate. The device processing unit (803, or processor) can control the operation of the device according to each of the above-described embodiments as well as a combination of at least one embodiment.

[0131] However, the components of the device are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the device may include more or fewer components than the aforementioned components. Furthermore, the transceiver, memory, and processor may be implemented in a single chip.

[0132] The transceiver can transmit and receive signals with the reader. The signals may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies and down-converts the frequency of a received signal. However, this is merely one embodiment of the transceiver, and the components of the transceiver are not limited to the RF transmitter and RF receiver.

[0133] Additionally, the transceiver can receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the processor, and transmit a signal output from the processor through the wireless channel.

[0134] Memory can store programs and data necessary for the device's operation. Furthermore, memory can store control information or data included in signals transmitted and received by the device. Memory can be comprised of a storage medium, such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, CD-ROM, or DVD, or a combination of such storage media. Furthermore, there can be multiple memories.

[0135] Additionally, the processor can control a series of processes to enable the device to operate according to the aforementioned embodiments. For example, there may be multiple processors, and the processors can perform component control operations of the device by executing programs stored in memory.

[0136] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a leader in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The leader may be a device designed solely for a base station, terminal, or low-power communication device in a wireless communication system.

[0137] Referring to FIG. 9, the reader may include a transceiver, which refers to a reader receiver (900) and a reader transmitter (902), a memory (not shown), and a reader processing unit (901, or a reader control unit or processor). According to the communication method of the reader described above, the transceiver units (900, 902), the memory, and the reader processing unit (901) of the reader may operate. The reader processing unit (901, or processor) may control the operation of the reader according to each of the above-described embodiments as well as a combination of at least one embodiment. However, the components of the reader are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the reader may include more or fewer components than the components described above. In addition, the transceiver, the memory, and the processor may be implemented in the form of a single chip.

[0138] A transceiver can transmit and receive signals with a device. The signals may include control information and data. To this end, the transceiver may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of a transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies and down-converts the frequency of a received signal. However, this is merely one embodiment of the transceiver, and the components of the transceiver are not limited to the RF transmitter and RF receiver.

[0139] Additionally, the transceiver can receive a signal through a wireless channel and output it to the processor, and transmit the signal output from the processor through the wireless channel.

[0140] Memory can store programs and data necessary for the reader's operation. Furthermore, memory can store control information or data included in signals transmitted and received by the reader. Memory can be comprised of a storage medium, such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, CD-ROM, or DVD, or a combination of such storage media. Furthermore, there can be multiple memories.

[0141] The processor can control a series of processes to enable the reader to operate according to the embodiments of the present disclosure described above. There may be multiple processors, and the processors can perform component control operations of the reader by executing programs stored in memory.

[0142] The methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0143] When implemented in software, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) may be provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium are configured for execution by one or more processors within an electronic device. The one or more programs include instructions that cause the electronic device to execute methods according to embodiments described in the claims or specification of the present disclosure.

[0144] These programs (software modules, software) may be stored in random access memory, non-volatile memory including flash memory, read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disc storage device, compact disc ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other forms of optical storage device, magnetic cassette. Or, they may be stored in a memory configured as a combination of some or all of these. In addition, each configuration memory may be included in multiple numbers.

[0145] Additionally, the program may be stored on an attachable storage device that is accessible via a communication network, such as the Internet, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide local area network (WLAN), a storage area network (SAN), or a combination thereof. Such a storage device may be connected to a device implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure via an external port. Additionally, a separate storage device on the communication network may be connected to a device implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0146] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, components included in the embodiments are expressed singularly or plurally, depending on the specific embodiment presented. However, the singular or plural expressions are selected to suit the presented situation for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components. Components expressed in plural may be composed of singular elements, or components expressed in singular may be composed of plural elements.

[0147] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification and drawings are merely specific examples to easily explain the technical content of the present disclosure and facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that other modified examples based on the technical concepts of the present disclosure are possible. Furthermore, each of the above embodiments can be combined and operated as needed.

Claims

1. In a method performed by an AIoT (ambient internet of things) device in a communication system, A step of receiving information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message from a reader through a reader-to-device (R2D) message; A step of obtaining an energy status indication indicating the energy status of the AIoT device based on preset setting information; and A method comprising the step of transmitting to the leader through the D2R message including the energy status indication based on information for the D2R message.

2. In paragraph 1, The above preset setting information includes information about a specific time threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that transmission of the next D2R message is possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold after transmission of the D2R message, A method wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that transmission of the next D2R message is not possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold after transmission of the D2R message.

3. In paragraph 1, The above preset information includes information about a specific energy level threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is greater than or equal to the specific energy level threshold, A method wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is less than the specific energy level threshold.

4. In paragraph 1, The above preset information includes information about a specific energy harvesting threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that the total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is greater than or equal to the specific energy harvesting threshold, A method wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that the total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is less than the specific energy harvesting threshold.

5. In paragraph 1, The above preset information includes multiple specific time thresholds. Contains information about, The above energy state indication is N bits, where N is a natural number greater than 1, The above energy status indication indicating a value of 0 indicates that the transmission of the next D2R message after the transmission of the above D2R message is a specific time threshold. Afterwards, it is indicated that it is possible by the above AIoT device, The above energy status indication indicating the value of k is that the transmission of the next D2R message after the transmission of the above D2R message is a specific time threshold. After that, it is possible by the above AIoT device and a specific time threshold Afterwards, the AIoT device indicates that it is impossible, The above energy status indication indicating the value of the D2R message is transmitted after a specific time threshold of the next D2R message. A method for indicating that it is impossible by the AIoT device.

6. In paragraph 1, The above preset information includes information about a plurality of specific energy level thresholds, The above energy state indication is N bits, where N is a natural number greater than 1, A method wherein the energy status indication indicating a specific value indicates that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is included in a specific interval among a plurality of intervals identified based on the plurality of specific energy level thresholds.

7. In paragraph 1, The above preset information includes information about a plurality of specific energy harvesting thresholds, The above energy state indication is N bits, where N is a natural number greater than 1, A method wherein the energy status indication indicating a specific value indicates that the total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is included in a specific section among a plurality of sections identified based on the plurality of specific energy level thresholds.

8. In paragraph 1, A method further comprising the step of receiving information for a next D2R message from the leader via an R2D message, when the energy state of the AIoT device indicated by the energy state indication corresponds to the AIoT device being able to transmit the next D2R message after transmission of the D2R message.

9. In the AIoT (ambient internet of things) device of the communication system, Transmitter and receiver; and A processor connected to the transceiver, the processor comprising: Receive information for a device-to-reader (D2R) message from a reader via a reader-to-device (R2D) message; Obtaining an energy status indication indicating the energy status of the AIoT device based on preset configuration information; and An AIoT device configured to transmit to the leader via the D2R message including the energy status indication based on information for the D2R message.

10. In paragraph 9, The above preset setting information includes information about a specific time threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that transmission of the next D2R message is possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold after transmission of the D2R message, An AIoT device wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that transmission of the next D2R message is not possible by the AIoT device after the specific time threshold after transmission of the D2R message.

11. In paragraph 9, The above preset information includes information about a specific energy level threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIot device before or after transmission of the D2R message is greater than or equal to the specific energy level threshold, An AIoT device wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that the total amount of energy possessed by the AIoT device before or after transmission of the D2R message is less than the specific energy level threshold.

12. In paragraph 9, The above preset information includes information about a specific energy harvesting threshold, The above energy status indication is 1 bit, The energy status indication indicating the first value indicates that the total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIot device is greater than or equal to the specific energy harvesting threshold, An AIoT device wherein the energy status indication indicating the second value indicates that the total amount of energy charged per unit time by the AIoT device is less than the specific energy harvesting threshold.

13. In a method performed by a reader in a communication system, A step of transmitting information for a D2R (device-to-reader) message to an AIoT (ambient internet of things) device via an R2D (reader-to-device) message; A step of receiving the D2R message related to information for the D2R message from the AIoT device; and A method comprising a step of obtaining an energy status indication indicating an energy status of the AIoT device from the D2R message, wherein the energy status indication is based on preset configuration information.

14. In paragraph 13, A method further comprising the step of determining whether to transmit information for a D2R message following the D2R message to the AIoT device based on the energy state of the AIoT device indicated by the energy state indication.

15. In the communication system, for the reader, Transmitter and receiver; and A processor connected to the transceiver, the processor comprising: Transmit information for device-to-reader (D2R) messages to AIoT (ambient internet of things) devices via reader-to-device (R2D) messages; Receiving the D2R message related to information for the D2R message from the AIoT device; and A leader configured to obtain an energy status indication indicating the energy status of the AIoT device from the D2R message, wherein the energy status indication is based on preset configuration information.

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