Methods and apparatuses for determining chip width, devices, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of the Internet of Things. Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for determining a chip width, devices, and a storage medium. A method comprises: sending first information to an Internet of Things device, the first information being used for determining a first chip width, and the first chip width being a chip width corresponding to data information. Thus, the Internet of Things device can use the first chip width different from a chip width corresponding to control information, thereby making data transmission more flexible.

Description

Method, device and equipment for determining chip width, and storage medium TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of Internet of Things, and particularly relate to a method, device and equipment for determining chip width, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] In related technologies, a physical channel in an Internet of Things communication transmission scenario can carry control information and data information. However, the chip width corresponding to the control information part and the chip width corresponding to the data information part are usually different.

[0003] In the case where the chip width corresponding to the control information part has been indicated, how to further determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part is a problem that has not been solved yet.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a method, device and equipment for determining chip width, and a storage medium. The technical solutions are as follows.

[0006] In one aspect, a method for determining chip width is provided by embodiments of the present application, and the method is executed by a network device or an intermediate node, and the method comprises the following steps.

[0007] sending first information to an Internet of Things device, wherein the first information is used to determine a first chip width, and the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

[0008] In another aspect, a method for determining chip width is provided by embodiments of the present application, and the method is executed by an Internet of Things device, and the method comprises the following steps.

[0009] receiving first information, wherein the first information is used to determine a first chip width, and the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

[0010] In another aspect, a device for determining chip width is provided by embodiments of the present application, and the device comprises the following.

[0011] a sending module, configured to send first information to an Internet of Things device, wherein the first information is used to determine a first chip width, and the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

[0012] In another aspect, a device for determining chip width is provided by embodiments of the present application, and the device comprises the following.

[0013] a receiving module, configured to receive first information, wherein the first information is used to determine a first chip width, and the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

[0014] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device, comprising:

[0015] a processor;

[0016] a transceiver connected to the processor;

[0017] a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor;

[0018] wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the chip width determination method according to any of the above aspects.

[0019] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an intermediate node, comprising:

[0020] a processor;

[0021] a transceiver connected to the processor;

[0022] a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor;

[0023] wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the chip width determination method according to any of the above aspects.

[0024] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an Internet of Things device, comprising:

[0025] a processor;

[0026] a transceiver connected to the processor;

[0027] a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor;

[0028] wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the chip width determination method according to any of the above aspects.

[0029] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is configured to be executed by a processor to implement the chip width determination method.

[0030] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running on a communication device, the chip is configured to implement the chip width determination method.

[0031] In an aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium; a processor of a communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, so that the communication device implements the above-mentioned method for determining chip width.

[0032] In an aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the above-mentioned method for determining chip width.

[0033] The technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present application can include the following beneficial effects:

[0034] By sending the first information to the Internet of Things device, the Internet of Things device can accurately determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part. The Internet of Things device can use a first chip width different from the chip width corresponding to the control information part, so that the data transmission is more flexible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by the related art;

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of radio frequency energy harvesting provided by the related art;

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a backscatter communication process provided by the related art;

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of resistance load modulation provided by the related art;

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by the related art;

[0040] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by the related art;

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an OOK signal provided by the related art;

[0042] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining chip width provided by the related art;

[0043] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method for determining chip width provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a method for determining chip width provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of a method for determining chip width provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of a first time interval provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of a first signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG. 15 shows a schematic diagram of a first signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG. 16 shows a schematic diagram of a first signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG. 17 shows a schematic diagram of a clock acquisition signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG. 19 shows a schematic diagram of a clock acquisition signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG. 20 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG. 21 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG. 22 shows a schematic diagram of a clock acquisition signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG. 23 shows a schematic diagram of a clock acquisition signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG. 24 shows a schematic diagram of a second time interval according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG. 25 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG. 26 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG. 27 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG. 28 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG. 29 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 30 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG. 31 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG. 32 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG. 33 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG. 34 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 35 shows a structural block diagram of a chip width determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 36 shows a structural block diagram of a chip width determination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG. 37 shows a structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the drawings. The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, and the examples are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all the embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work on the basis of the embodiments in the present application also fall within the scope of protection of the present application. The terms used in the present disclosure are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used in the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein means and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the present disclosure to describe various information, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one type of information from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein can be interpreted as "when" or "upon determining" or "in response to determining".

[0073] Firstly, the related technologies involved in the embodiments of the present application are introduced:

[0074] · Zero-power communication:

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 provided by the related art, which includes a network device 120 and a zero-power device 140.

[0076] The network device 120 is configured to send a wireless energizing signal, a downlink communication signal to the zero-power device 140, and receive a backscatter signal of the zero-power device 140. The zero-power device 140, also referred to as an ambient power enabled IoT device or an Ambient power enabled IoT device or an Ambient IoT device or an AMP device, includes an energy harvesting module 141, a backscatter communication module 142, and a low-power computing module 143. The energy harvesting module 141 can harvest energy carried by radio waves (wireless signals) in space to drive the low-power computing module 143 of the zero-power device 140 and implement backscatter communication. After the zero-power device 140 obtains energy, it can receive control signaling of the network device 120 and send data to the network device 120 based on the backscatter mode according to the control signaling. The data sent can come from data (such as an identity or pre-written information, such as the production date, brand, and manufacturer of a product) stored in the zero-power device 140 itself. In some embodiments, the zero-power device 140 can also be referred to as a passive IoT device.

[0077] The zero-power device 140 can also include a sensor module 144 and a memory 145. The sensor module 144 can include various sensors, and the zero-power device 140 can report data collected by various sensors based on the zero-power mechanism. The memory 145 is configured to store some basic information (such as an article identifier) or obtain environmental temperature, environmental humidity, and other sensor data.

[0078] The zero-power device 140 does not need a battery itself, and the low-power computing module 143 can implement simple signal demodulation, decoding, or encoding, modulation, and other simple operation work, so the zero-power module only needs a very simple hardware design, making the zero-power device 140 very low in cost and very small in size.

[0079] The network device 120 includes but is not limited to a cellular network device, such as a 5G / 6G network device, a base station device; a WiFi / WLAN network device, such as an access point (AP), a router, a mobile access point, and the like, such as a mobile phone.

[0080] The zero-power device 140 includes, but is not limited to, a handheld device, a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, an Internet of Things device, and the like. The zero-power device 140 can be at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an electronic book reader, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a television, a game console, an Augmented Reality (AR) terminal, a Virtual Reality (VR) terminal, a Mixed Reality (MR) terminal, a wearable device, a handle, an electronic tag, a controller, and the like.

[0081] Next, the key technologies of zero-power communication are introduced.

[0082] Radio frequency energy harvesting (Radio Frequency Power Harvesting);

[0083] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of radio frequency energy harvesting provided by the related art. Radio frequency energy harvesting is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. Radio frequency (RF) is used to induce electromagnetic induction, and a capacitor C and a load resistor R L are connected in parallel to achieve the collection of spatial electromagnetic wave energy and obtain the energy required to drive the zero-power device to work, such as driving a low-power demodulation module, a modulation module, a sensor, and memory reading. Therefore, the zero-power device does not need a traditional battery.

[0084] Back scattering communication (Back Scattering);

[0085] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a back scattering communication process provided by the related art. The zero-power device 140 receives a wireless signal carrier 131 transmitted by a transmit module (Transmit, TX) 121 of the network device 120 using an amplifier (AMPlifier, AMP) 122, and modulates the wireless signal carrier 131. The zero-power device 140 uses a logic processing module 147 to load information to be transmitted, and uses an energy harvesting module 141 to collect radio frequency energy. The zero-power device 140 radiates the modulated reflected signal 132 using an antenna 146. This information transmission process is called back scattering communication. A receive module (Receive, RX) 123 of the network device 120 receives the modulated reflected signal 132 using a low noise amplifier (Low Noise Amplifier, LNA) 124. Back scattering and load modulation are inseparable. Load modulation adjusts and controls the circuit parameters of the oscillation circuit of the zero-power device 140 according to the beat of the data stream, so that the size of the electronic tag impedance and other parameters change, and the modulation process is completed.

[0086] The load modulation technique mainly includes resistance load modulation and capacitance load modulation. FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of resistance load modulation provided by the related art. In the resistance load modulation, the load resistance R L A parallel third resistance R3 is connected, and the switch S based on the binary coded control is turned on or off, which causes the voltage on the circuit to change, and the load resistance R L The first capacitor C1 is kept in parallel connection with the load resistance R L The second resistance R2 is kept in series connection, and the second resistance R2 is kept in series connection with the first inductor L1. The first inductor L1 is coupled with the second inductor L2, and the second inductor L2 is kept in series connection with the second capacitor C2. Amplitude shift keying (ASK) can be achieved, that is, the amplitude of the backscatter signal of the zero-power device is adjusted to realize the modulation and transmission of the signal. Similarly, in the capacitance load modulation, the on-off of the capacitor can realize the change of the circuit resonance frequency, and realize frequency shift keying (FSK), that is, the working frequency of the backscatter signal of the zero-power device is adjusted to realize the modulation and transmission of the signal.

[0087] The zero-power device modulates the incoming signal by means of load modulation, and realizes the process of backscatter communication. The zero-power device has the following advantages: it does not actively transmit signals, so it does not need a complex radio frequency link, such as a power amplifier (PA) and a radio frequency filter; it does not need to actively generate high-frequency signals, so it does not need a high-frequency crystal oscillator; by means of backscatter communication, the signal transmission does not consume the energy of the zero-power device itself.

[0088] Next, the classification of the zero-power device is introduced:

[0089] Based on the energy source and use mode of the zero-power device, the zero-power device can be divided into the following types:

[0090] · Passive zero-power device;

[0091] The zero-power device does not need to be equipped with a battery. When the zero-power device approaches a network device, the zero-power device is in the near field formed by the antenna radiation of the network device. Exemplarily, the network device is a reader / writer of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. Therefore, the antenna of the zero-power device generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, and the induced current drives the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. The zero-power device realizes demodulation of a forward link signal and modulation of a backward link signal. For a backscatter link, the zero-power device can use backscatter or active transmission with extremely low power to transmit a signal. The passive zero-power device does not need a built-in battery to drive, and is a truly zero-power device. The passive zero-power device does not need a battery, and the radio frequency circuit and the baseband circuit are very simple, for example, without an LNA, a PA, a crystal oscillator, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and the like. The passive zero-power device has many advantages, such as small size, light weight, very low price, long service life, and the like.

[0092] · a semi-passive zero-power device;

[0093] The semi-passive zero-power device does not need to be equipped with a conventional battery. The radio frequency energy harvesting module can harvest radio wave energy, and the harvested energy can be stored in an energy storage unit, exemplarily a capacitor. The energy storage unit can drive the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device after obtaining the energy. The zero-power device realizes demodulation of a forward link signal and modulation of a backward link signal. For a backscatter link, the zero-power device can use backscatter or active transmission with extremely low power to transmit a signal.

[0094] The semi-passive zero-power device does not need to be equipped with a built-in battery to drive, and the energy used in work is derived from the radio energy harvested by the radio frequency energy harvesting module, and is a truly zero-power device. The semi-passive zero-power device inherits many advantages of the passive zero-power device, such as small size, light weight, very low price, long service life, and the like.

[0095] · an active zero-power device;

[0096] Some zero-power devices used in some scenarios can also be active zero-power devices, which can have a built-in battery. The battery is used to drive the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power device. It can realize the demodulation of the forward link signal and the modulation of the backward link signal, etc. But for the backscatter link, the zero-power device can use backscatter or low-power active transmission to transmit signals. Therefore, the zero-power of the active zero-power device mainly reflects that the signal transmission of the back link does not need to consume the power of the zero-power device itself, but uses the backscatter mode. In the active zero-power device, the built-in battery supplies power to the RFID chip, increases the read-write distance of the tag, and improves the reliability of communication. Therefore, it can be applied in some scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance, reading delay, etc.

[0097] Next, the classification of zero-power devices based on the type of transmitter is introduced:

[0098] · Zero-power device based on backscatter;

[0099] This type of zero-power device uses the backscatter mode described above for uplink data transmission. This type of zero-power device does not have an active transmitter with active transmission, but only has a backscatter transmitter. Therefore, when this type of zero-power device transmits uplink data, the network device needs to provide a carrier, and the zero-power device performs backscatter based on the carrier to realize uplink data transmission.

[0100] · Zero-power device based on active transmitter;

[0101] This type of zero-power device uses an active transmitter with active transmission capability for uplink data transmission, so this type of zero-power device can use its own active transmitter to transmit uplink data when transmitting uplink data, without the need for the network device to provide a carrier. The active transmitter suitable for the zero-power device can be, for example, an ultra-low-power ASK transmitter, an ultra-low-power FSK transmitter, etc. Based on the current implementation, the overall power consumption of such a transmitter can be reduced to 400-600 microwatts when transmitting a 100-microwatt signal.

[0102] · Zero-power device with both backscatter and active transmitter;

[0103] This type of zero-power device can support both backscatter and active transmitter. The zero-power device can determine whether to use backscatter or active transmitter for active transmission based on different situations (such as different power situations, different available environmental energy situations), or based on the scheduling of the network device.

[0104] · Cellular passive Internet of Things:

[0105] The cellular Internet of Things is booming, and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has standardized Internet of Things technologies such as Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Machine-Type Communications (MTC), RedCap, etc. However, there are still many Internet of Things communication needs that cannot be met in some scenarios, for example:

[0106] · Severe communication environment;

[0107] Some Internet of Things scenarios may face extreme environments such as high temperature, extremely low temperature, high humidity, high pressure, high radiation, or high-speed motion. For example, ultra-high voltage substations, high-speed train track monitoring, high-cold environment monitoring, industrial production lines, etc. In these scenarios, limited by the working environment of the conventional power supply, the Internet of Things terminal device will not work. In addition, the extreme working environment is also not conducive to the maintenance of the Internet of Things terminal device, such as replacing the battery.

[0108] · Extremely small size terminal form requirement;

[0109] Some Internet of Things communication scenarios, such as food traceability, commodity circulation, and smart wearable devices, require terminals to have extremely small sizes to facilitate their use in these scenarios. For example, Internet of Things terminal devices used for commodity management in the circulation link usually use the form of electronic tags, which are embedded in commodity packaging in a very small form. For another example, lightweight wearable Internet of Things terminal devices can meet user needs while improving user experience.

[0110] · Extremely low-cost Internet of Things communication needs;

[0111] Many Internet of Things communication scenarios require Internet of Things terminal devices to be low-cost enough to improve their competitiveness relative to other alternative technologies. For example, in logistics or warehousing scenarios, in order to facilitate the management of a large number of circulating goods, Internet of Things terminal devices can be attached to each item, thereby completing the precise management of the entire logistics process and cycle through communication between the Internet of Things terminal device and the logistics network. These scenarios require Internet of Things terminal devices to be competitive enough in price.

[0112] Zero-power IoT, also known as ambient power enabled IoT or Ambient IoT or AMP, or passive IoT. Ambient IoT device refers to an IoT device that is powered by various ambient energy, such as wireless radio frequency energy, light energy, solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy, and the like. Such a device can have no energy storage capability or very limited energy storage capability (such as using a capacitor with a capacity of tens of microfarads). Compared with existing IoT devices, Ambient IoT devices have many advantages such as no conventional battery, no maintenance, small size, low complexity, low cost, long service life, and the like. Ambient IoT devices can be widely used in various industries, such as logistics for vertical industries, intelligent warehousing, smart agriculture, energy and power, industrial Internet, and the like. Ambient IoT devices can also be applied to smart wearable devices, smart home devices, and the like.

[0113] Zero-power IoT can be used in at least the following four scenarios:

[0114] (1) Object recognition, such as logistics, production line product management, and supply chain management;

[0115] (2) Environmental monitoring, such as temperature, humidity, and harmful gas monitoring of working environment and natural environment;

[0116] (3) Positioning, such as indoor positioning, intelligent search, and production line article positioning;

[0117] (4) Intelligent control, such as intelligent control of various appliances in a smart home (turning on / off an air conditioner and adjusting temperature) and intelligent control of various facilities in an agricultural greenhouse (automatic irrigation and fertilization).

[0118] Next, Ambient IoT devices based on ambient energy are introduced:

[0119] In a new radio (NR) system and a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, battery-free and low-cost devices can support low-cost and large-scale deployment and maintenance-free of IoT devices. The current standard is studying how to support ambient IoT devices in the NR system and the WiFi system, referred to as ambient IoT, AMP IoT device, which obtains the required energy for work from ambient energy collection. The source of ambient energy can be wireless signals, solar energy, thermal energy, and the like. Such devices are similar to passive or semi-passive devices in zero-power communication.

[0120] In the research project on Ambient IoT devices, Ambient IoT devices are roughly divided into three device types: device A, device B and device C, each with corresponding complexity and communication capabilities.

[0121] • Device A: no energy storage capability, cannot transmit independent signals, i.e., uses backscattering transmission mode;

[0122] • Device B: has energy storage capability, cannot transmit independent signals, i.e., uses backscattering transmission mode can amplify the backscattering signal using stored energy;

[0123] • Device C: has energy storage capability, can transmit independent signals, i.e., has active transmission capability.

[0124] Among them, device A has the lowest complexity and power consumption, which can be as low as 1 μW, but its communication distance is limited, generally only a few meters. Device A needs a network device to provide a carrier signal for backscattering transmission. Device C generally has a large-capacity capacitor to store energy from the environment, and the power consumption can support several hundred μW, which can support active signal emission and has a larger communication distance. Device C does not need a network device to provide a carrier signal because it can actively emit signals. The complexity and power consumption of device B are between device A and device C.

[0125] In addition, there can be multiple types of environmental energy harvesting supported by zero-power terminals, such as wireless radio frequency, solar energy, thermal energy, and mechanical energy. Among them, zero-power terminals based on wireless radio frequency energy harvesting may need a network to provide a wireless radio frequency energy signal.

[0126] Next, the topology structure of the Internet of Things device under the 5G network is introduced:

[0127] In some embodiments, the topology structure 1 is shown in FIG. 5. In the topology structure 1, the Internet of Things device 130 directly communicates with the network device 120. The communication between the network device 120 and the Internet of Things device 130 includes data and / or signals. It should be noted that in the communication structure shown in the topology structure 1, there can be data and / or signals sent by the first network device to the first Internet of Things device, and the data and / or signals sent by the first Internet of Things device are received by the second network device, i.e., the network device and the Internet of Things device are not necessarily one-to-one.

[0128] In some embodiments, the topology 2 is shown in FIG. 6. In the topology 2, the Internet of Things device 130 communicates with the intermediate node 110 in a bidirectional manner. In the topology 2, the intermediate node 110 can be a relay device, an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) node, a relay terminal, a repeater, etc. The intermediate node 110 transmits data and / or signals between the network device 120 and the Internet of Things device 130.

[0129] In some embodiments, the above FIG. 1, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 respectively show different structural diagrams of the communication system provided by the embodiments of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication system shown in FIG. 6 is taken as an example for illustration. The communication system includes a network device 120, an intermediate node 110 and an Internet of Things device 130. Among them:

[0130] The network device 120 in the present application provides a wireless communication function, and the network device 120 includes but is not limited to: an Evolved Node B (eNB), a Radio Network Controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a Base Station Controller (BSC), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a home base station (for example, a Home Evolved Node B, or a Home Node B, HNB), a Baseband Unit (BBU), an Access Point (AP) in a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a Transmission Point (TP), or a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP), etc., and can also be a Next Generation Node B (gNB) or a transmission point (TRP or TP) in a 5G mobile communication system, or an antenna panel of one or a group (including multiple antenna panels) of base stations in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a Baseband Unit (BBU) or a Distributed Unit (DU), etc., or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point in a Beyond Fifth Generation (B5G) mobile communication system, a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, or the like. thA base station and the like in a 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a core network (CN), a fronthaul, a backhaul, a radio access network (RAN), a network slice, and the like, or a serving cell, a primary cell (Pcell), a primary secondary cell (PSCell), a special cell (SpCell), a secondary cell (Scell), a neighboring cell, and the like of a terminal device.

[0131] The intermediate node 110 in the present application can also be referred to as a relay device. The intermediate node 110 can also be understood as a terminal device, or referred to as a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, a user apparatus. The intermediate node 110 includes but is not limited to handheld devices, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, and Internet of Things devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, e-book readers, laptop computers, desktop computers, televisions, game consoles, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), augmented reality (AR) terminals, virtual reality (VR) terminals, and mixed reality (MR) terminals, wearable devices, game controllers, electronic tags, controllers, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical treatment, wireless terminals in smart grid, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart city, wireless terminals in smart home, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television set top boxes (STBs), customer premise equipment (CPE), and the like.

[0132] The intermediate node 110 and the network device 120 communicate with each other through a certain air interface technology, such as a Uu interface. For example, there are two communication scenarios between the intermediate node 110 and the network device 120: uplink communication scenario and downlink communication scenario. Among them, the uplink communication refers to the intermediate node 110 sending signals to the network device 120; the downlink communication refers to the network device 120 sending signals to the intermediate node 110.

[0133] The Internet of Things device 130 in the present application can also be referred to as an Ambient IoT device, and can also be referred to as a zero-power device. In the related art, there is bidirectional communication between the intermediate node 110 and the Internet of Things device 130. The intermediate node 110 transmits a carrier wave to the Internet of Things device 130, and transmits data and / or signals to the Internet of Things device 130, and receives data and / or signals reflected by the Internet of Things device 130.

[0134] In some embodiments, the Internet of Things device 130 can also directly communicate with the network device 120.

[0135] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node can also be understood as a reader (Reader) in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) query process, and the Internet of Things device can also be understood as an electronic tag (Tag).

[0136] In the related art, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a signal to the Internet of Things device, which can be understood as the reader (reader) side transmitting a signal to the Internet of Things device (device) side, or referred to as Reader-to-Device (R2D) transmission. The Internet of Things device transmits a signal to the network device or the intermediate node, which can be understood as the Internet of Things device (device) side transmitting a signal to the reader (reader) side, or referred to as Device-to-Reader (D2R) transmission.

[0137] In some embodiments, the R2D transmission includes two parts: a timing acquisition signal and a physical channel. The timing acquisition signal can be understood as a preamble of the R2D transmission, and the physical channel is used to carry control information and / or data information. The control information and / or data information are modulated using On Off Keying (OOK) when transmitted. The timing acquisition signal includes at least two parts: a start-indicator and a clock-acquisition part. The start-indicator is used to indicate the start of the R2D, and the clock-acquisition part is used to provide OOK chip synchronization information. It can be understood that the Internet of Things device can obtain the OOK chip width used by the physical channel by receiving the timing acquisition signal.

[0138] Next, the OOK chip duration is introduced:

[0139] In the R2D transmission, considering the simple structure of the Internet of Things device and the low complexity of the receiver, only the simplest OOK modulation in the ASK modulation is considered. From the baseband signal, the modulated OOK signal has only two output waveforms: low level (off) or high level (on), corresponding to bit-0 and bit-1, respectively. The receiving end (Internet of Things device) can receive through a simple envelope detector. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the OOK chip duration refers to the pulse width of a chip, such as the pulse width of the low level (off) chip corresponding to bit-0 or the pulse width of the high level (on) chip corresponding to bit-1.

[0140] In some embodiments, a chip can also be understood as a bit / symbol. An OOK chip can be understood as an OOK chip. The chip width described in the embodiments of the present application can also be understood as the OOK chip width corresponding to an OOK chip.

[0141] In some embodiments, considering the existing additional Cyclic Prefix (CP)-Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system transmitter of the network device, the R2D transmission supports OFDM-based OOK modulation, i.e., supports transmitting M OOK chips on 1 OFDM symbol, without increasing the complexity of the transmitter. M is a positive integer. Exemplarily, OOK-1 and OOK-4 are included.

[0142] For OOK-1: In this mode, one OFDM symbol carries one OOK chip, i.e., one OFDM symbol carries 1 bit information, which can be 0 or 1.

[0143] For OOK-4: In this mode, one OFDM symbol carries M OOK chips, i.e., one OFDM symbol carries M bit information, which can be 0 or 1.

[0144] It should be noted that when M = 1, the OOK-4 modulation mode described above can also be implemented as an OOK-1 modulation mode.

[0145] In the related art, the length of one OFDM symbol is determined, for example, when the subcarrier spacing is 15 KHz, the length of one OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP). At this time, when the size of M is determined, the OOK chip width can be determined. For example, assuming that M = 4, the 15 KHz OFDM symbol length is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP), and the width of one chip is about 66.7 / 4 ≈ 16.7 microseconds.

[0146] In some embodiments, the physical channel in the R2D transmission can be used to carry both control information and data information. Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 8, the transmission adjacent to the random access preamble is the control information part. That is, the random access preamble can indicate the chip width corresponding to the control information part. In this case, it is generally considered that the chip width corresponding to the data information part and the chip width corresponding to the control information part are the same.

[0147] However, in the actual transmission process, the chip width corresponding to the control information part and the chip width corresponding to the data information part can be different, and how to further determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part is still a problem to be solved. The embodiment of the present application provides a method for determining the chip width, which can determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part, so that the data transmission is more flexible.

[0148] FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of a method for determining a chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a network device or an intermediate node, and the method comprises:

[0149] Step 220: The network device or the intermediate node sends first information to the IoT device.

[0150] The first information is used to determine a first chip width, and the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part. The chip width corresponding to the data information part refers to a pulse width of one chip in the data information part.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first information is sent by the network device or the intermediate node to the IoT device. The first information is used to instruct the IoT device to determine the first chip width.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first information comprises first control information and / or a clock acquisition signal. The first control information carries a first information field used to determine the first chip width. An interval length between two adjacent level flips in the clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

[0153] In some embodiments, the data information part corresponds to a control information part. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first information is used to indicate a chip width corresponding to a data information part after a control information part.

[0154] By sending the first information to the IoT device, the IoT device can accurately determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part. The IoT device can use the first chip width different from the chip width corresponding to the control information part, so as to make the data transmission more flexible.

[0155] For the first information comprising the first control information:

[0156] Based on the above embodiment shown in FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 10, the above step 220 can be replaced by the following sub-steps:

[0157] Step 221: The network device or the intermediate node sends the first control information to the IoT device.

[0158] The first control information comprises a first information field, and the first information field is used to determine the first chip width.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first control information is associated with data information. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first control information is carried in a control information part, and the data information is carried in a data information part. The control information part is associated with the data information part.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first information field includes at least one bit. Or, the first information field is an information field of at least one bit. For example, the first information field includes X bits. X is a positive integer.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first information field determines the first chip width in the following at least one way:

[0162] Way one: the first information field directly indicates the first number, the first number is the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol in the data information part, and the first chip width is equal to the quotient of the length of one OFDM symbol and the first number;

[0163] Way two: the first information field indirectly indicates the first number, the first number is the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol in the data information part, and the first chip width is equal to the quotient of the length of one OFDM symbol and the first number;

[0164] Way three: the first information field indirectly indicates the first proportion coefficient, the first proportion coefficient is the ratio of the first chip width and the second chip width, the second chip width is the chip width corresponding to the control information part, and the first chip width is equal to the product of the first proportion coefficient and the second chip width;

[0165] Way four: the first information field indirectly indicates the second proportion coefficient, the second proportion coefficient is the ratio of the first number and the second number, the first number is the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol in the data information part, the second number is the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol in the control information part, the first number is equal to the product of the second proportion coefficient and the second number, and the first chip width is equal to the quotient of the length of one OFDM symbol and the first number.

[0166] For way one:

[0167] In some embodiments, the first information field is used to indicate the first number, and the first number is used to determine the first chip width. For example, the first number is M, and M is a positive integer. Directly indicating the first number enables the Internet of Things device to directly determine the first chip width as soon as possible based on the first number.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the first number. Optionally, the first number is directly equal to the value of the first information field. Or, the first number is equal to the value of the first information field plus one. For example, assuming that the first information field is 001, the first number is 1 (or M=1). Or, the first number is 2 (M=2).

[0169] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the first quantity, which can also be understood as that the value of X bits is directly used to indicate the first quantity. Optionally, the value of X is related to the maximum value of the first quantity. For example, represents rounding up. X represents the number of bits in the first information field, and M represents the first quantity.

[0170] For example, assuming that the maximum value of M is 8, X = 3, that is, the first information field is a 3-bit information field.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first chip width is determined based on the first symbol length and the first quantity. The first symbol length refers to the length of one OFDM symbol. Generally, it is considered that the length of one OFDM symbol is determined, such as the length of one OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP) when the subcarrier spacing is 15 KHz. At this time, when the first quantity is determined, the first chip width can be determined. The first chip width is equal to the quotient of the first symbol length and the first quantity. For example, assuming that the first quantity is 4 and the length of the 15 KHz OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP), the first chip width is about 66.7 / 4 ≈ 16.7 microseconds.

[0172] For mode two:

[0173] In some embodiments, the first information field is used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first quantity, and the first quantity is used to determine the first chip width. By indirectly indicating the first quantity through the index value corresponding to the first quantity, compared with directly indicating the first quantity in the above-mentioned mode one, it is beneficial to reduce signaling waste. For example, when the maximum value of the first quantity is large enough, if the above-mentioned mode one is adopted, the number of bits in the first information field will also be large. For example, assuming that the first quantity includes 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and the maximum value is 32, the number of bits in the first information field is 5. At this time, nearly four-fifths of the bit combination in the first information field is not enabled, that is, nearly four-fifths of the bit combination in the first information field is wasted.

[0174] In some embodiments, there is a mapping relationship between the first quantity and the index value corresponding to the first quantity. Optionally, the mapping relationship is predefined.

[0175] Optionally, the first quantity and the index value of the first quantity are in one-to-one mapping relationship. For example, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0176] Table 1

[0177] Optionally, the first quantity and the index value corresponding to the first quantity are in a one-to-many mapping relationship. The same first quantity can correspond to multiple index values, which is beneficial to increase the flexibility of configuration. For example, the first quantity can combine with other parameters to form different configuration modes. At this time, the same first quantity can correspond to different index values after combining with different parameters to form different configurations. For example, as shown in Table 2:

[0178] Table 2

[0179] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first quantity. Optionally, the index value corresponding to the first quantity is directly equal to the value of the first information field. For example, assuming that the first information field is 000, the index value corresponding to the first quantity is 0.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first quantity, which can also be understood as that the value of X bits is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first quantity. Optionally, the value of X is related to the maximum value of the index value corresponding to the first quantity. However, since the index value starts from 0, the value of X is greater than or equal to 0. represents the upward rounding. X represents the number of bits in the first information field, index1 represents the index value corresponding to the first quantity, and the value of index1 is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first chip width is determined based on the first symbol length and the first quantity. The first symbol length refers to the length of one OFDM symbol. Generally, it is considered that the length of one OFDM symbol is determined, such as the length of one OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP) when the subcarrier spacing is 15 KHz. At this time, when the first quantity is determined, the first chip width can be determined. The first chip width is equal to the quotient of the first symbol length and the first quantity. For example, assuming that the first quantity is 4, the length of 15 KHz OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP), and the first chip width is about 66.7 / 4≈16.7 microseconds.

[0182] For mode three:

[0183] In some embodiments, the value of the first information field is used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first proportion coefficient, and the first proportion coefficient is used to calculate the first chip width. The first proportion coefficient is the ratio of the first chip width and the second chip width, and the second chip width is the chip width corresponding to the control information part.

[0184] It should be noted that the third mode is an implementation mode based on the second chip width known by the Internet of Things device. As shown in FIG. 8, the Internet of Things device determines the chip width corresponding to the control information part by receiving a random access preamble, so that the Internet of Things device can correctly receive the control information.

[0185] In some embodiments, there is a mapping relationship between the first scale factor and the index value corresponding to the first scale factor. Optionally, the mapping relationship is predefined. Optionally, the first scale factor and the index value of the first scale factor are in a one-to-one mapping relationship. As shown in Table 3 below, for example:

[0186] Table 3

[0187] In some embodiments, the optional value of the first scale factor is predefined.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first scale factor. Optionally, the index value corresponding to the first scale factor is directly equal to the value of the first information field. As an example, assuming that the first information field is 000, the index value corresponding to the first scale factor is 0.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first scale factor, which can also be understood as that the value of X bits is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the first scale factor. Optionally, the value of X is related to the maximum value of the index value corresponding to the first scale factor. However, since the index value starts from 0, the value of X is greater than or equal to 0. The above formula represents the upward rounding. X represents the number of bits in the first information field, index2 represents the index value corresponding to the first scale factor, and the value of index2 is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first chip width is determined based on the first scale factor and the second chip width. As an example, assuming that the first scale factor is 2 / 3 and the second chip width is 15 microseconds, the first chip width = (2 / 3) * 15 = 10 microseconds.

[0191] For the fourth mode:

[0192] In some embodiments, the value of the first information field is used to indicate the index value corresponding to the second scale factor, the second scale factor is used to calculate the first number, and the first number is used to calculate the first chip width. The second scale factor is the ratio of the first number to the second number, the first number refers to the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol of the data information part, and the second number refers to the number of OOK chips carried on one OFDM symbol of the control information part.

[0193] It should be noted that the fourth mode is an implementation mode based on the second quantity known by the Internet of Things device. The second quantity is used to determine the chip width corresponding to the control information part.

[0194] In some embodiments, there is a mapping relationship between the second scale factor and the index value corresponding to the second scale factor. Optionally, the mapping relationship is predefined. Optionally, there is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the second scale factor and the index value of the second scale factor. For example, as shown in Table 4 below:

[0195] Table 4

[0196] In some embodiments, the optional values of the second scale factor are predefined.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the second scale factor. Optionally, the index value corresponding to the second scale factor is directly equal to the value of the first information field. For example, assuming that the first information field is 000, the index value corresponding to the second scale factor is 0.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information field is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the second scale factor, which can also be understood as that the value of X bits is directly used to indicate the index value corresponding to the second scale factor. Optionally, the value of X is related to the maximum value of the index value corresponding to the second scale factor. However, since the index value starts from 0, the value of X is greater than or equal to 1. represents the upward rounding. X represents the number of bits in the first information field, index3 represents the index value corresponding to the second scale factor, and the value of index3 is an integer greater than or equal to 0.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first chip width is determined based on the first symbol length and the first quantity. The first symbol length refers to the length of one OFDM symbol. Generally, it is considered that the length of one OFDM symbol is determined, such as the length of one OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP) when the subcarrier spacing is 15 KHz. At this time, when the first quantity is determined, the first chip width can be determined. The first chip width is equal to the quotient of the first symbol length and the first quantity.

[0200] For example, assuming that the second scale factor is 1 / 2 and the second quantity is 8, the first quantity = (1 / 2)*8 = 4. The length of the 15 KHz OFDM symbol is 66.7 microseconds (not including CP), and then the first chip width is about 66.7 / 4 ≈ 16.7 microseconds.

[0201] In some embodiments, when the first information field is default, the first chip width is considered to be equal to the second chip width, i.e., the chip width corresponding to the data information part is the same as the chip width corresponding to the control information part.

[0202] In summary, the method provided in the embodiments enables the IoT device to accurately determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part by sending the first control information to the IoT device. The IoT device can use the first chip width which is different from the chip width corresponding to the control information part, thereby making the data transmission more flexible.

[0203] In some embodiments, in the case where the network device or the intermediate node indicates the IoT device to determine the first chip width by sending the first control information to the IoT device, the IoT device can not be able to simultaneously perform control information decoding and data information receiving due to its low processing capability. Based on this, the network device or the intermediate node can send the data information after a time interval after sending the first control information.

[0204] FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width provided in an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a network device or an intermediate node, and the method further includes:

[0205] Step 320: The network device or the intermediate node sends data information to the IoT device after the first time interval.

[0206] It should be noted that the basic time unit of the transmission of various types of information in the embodiments of the present application is an OFDM symbol. Optionally, the OFDM symbol is an OFDM symbol including a CP.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the first time interval corresponds to S OFDM symbols, and S is a positive integer. That is, the first time interval corresponds to an integer number of OFDM symbols.

[0208] In some embodiments, the start position of the first time interval is equal to the end position of the control information part, or the start position of the first time interval is after the end position of the control information part.

[0209] In some embodiments, the end position of the second time interval is equal to the start position of the data information part, or the end position of the second time interval is before the start position of the data information part.

[0210] Referring to the introduction of the OOK chip duration, both the control information part and the data information part in the R2D transmission need to be OOK modulated, although the M values used by the control information part and the data information part can be different, the transmission signal corresponding to the control information part and the transmission signal corresponding to the data information part are both time domain signals generated in units of OFDM symbols, and therefore the control information part and the data information part both include an integer number of OFDM symbols. At the same time, in order to avoid mutual interference between the Internet of Things communication transmission and the NR Uu transmission, both the control information part and the data information part are transmitted starting from the boundary of the OFDM symbol defined by NR, that is, the end position of the control information part and the start position of the data information part are both boundaries of the NR OFDM symbol, and therefore the interval between the control information part and the data information part is also limited to an integer number of OFDM symbols.

[0211] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to at least one of: a device type of the Internet of Things device; a bit quantity of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value being used to indicate a minimum value of the third quantity; and a second threshold value, the second threshold value being used to indicate a maximum value of the third quantity.

[0212] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a device type of the Internet of Things device. That is, the value of S is related to the device type of the Internet of Things device. The value of the third quantity is inversely proportional to the processing capability of the Internet of Things device. In the case that the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is strong, the value of the third quantity is small; in the case that the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is weak, the value of the third quantity is large. Since different Internet of Things devices have different device types, the receiver processing capability is also different, and the time for decoding the control information is also different. For example, when the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is strong, the control information can be decoded in a short time, and at this time the first time interval can be set to be short. When the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is weak, a long time is needed to decode the control information, and at this time the first time interval can be set to be long.

[0213] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a bit quantity of the control information. That is, the value of S is related to the bit quantity of the control information. The value of the third quantity is proportional to the bit quantity of the control information. In the case that the bit quantity of the control information is large, the value of the third quantity is large; in the case that the bit quantity of the control information is small, the value of the third quantity is small. For example, when the bit quantity of the control information is large, the Internet of Things device needs to spend a long time to decode the control information, and at this time the first time interval can be set to be long. When the bit quantity of the control information is small, the Internet of Things device only needs to spend a short time to decode the control information, and at this time the first time interval can be set to be short.

[0214] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a first threshold. That is, the value of S is related to the first threshold. Optionally, the value of the third quantity is greater than or equal to the first threshold. This condition limits the first time interval to be not too short, so that the Internet of Things device has enough time to decode the control information. Optionally, the first threshold is predefined.

[0215] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a second threshold. That is, the value of S is related to the second threshold. Optionally, the value of the third quantity is less than or equal to the second threshold. This condition limits the first time interval to be not too long, for the following two reasons: first, the Internet of Things device communicates by storing environmental energy (such as radio frequency energy, light energy, etc.), and the energy storage capacity is limited. If the first time interval is too long, the Internet of Things device may run out of stored energy in a long standby state, and cannot perform subsequent reception of data information; second, the typical business scenario of Internet of Things communication is a device inventory scenario, and a network device or intermediate node may need to inventory a large number of Internet of Things devices. If there is no data interaction between the network device or intermediate node and a certain Internet of Things device for a long time, the Internet of Things device may misinterpret that the inventory process has ended and switch to a non-receiving state. Therefore, the maximum value of the first time interval needs to be limited. Optionally, the second threshold is predefined.

[0216] For example, as shown in FIG. 12, after the network device or intermediate node transmits the first control information, it transmits data information to the Internet of Things device after a first time interval.

[0217] It should be noted that the step 320 is performed after the step 221.

[0218] In summary, the method provided by the embodiment enables the Internet of Things device to have time to correctly decode the control information, and then receive subsequent data information based on the accurate first chip width, which is conducive to improving the stability of data transmission.

[0219] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the first time interval. That is, the first time interval is an empty time interval.

[0220] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the first time interval. For example, the network device or intermediate node transmits a first signal in the first time interval.

[0221] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a network device or intermediate node, and the method further includes:

[0222] Step 420: The network device or the intermediate node transmits a first signal in the first time interval.

[0223] In some embodiments, the first signal is a high level signal; or, the first signal is a low level signal; or, the level of the first signal is the same as the level of the last chip in the control information.

[0224] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a high level signal in the first time interval. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the network device or the intermediate node transmits an “analog-on” signal in the first time interval. That is, the network device or the intermediate node does not stop transmitting in the first time interval after transmitting the control information.

[0225] Optionally, the first signal is a simple high level signal, or the first signal is a high level signal after OOK modulation.

[0226] In some embodiments, when the first signal is a high level signal after OOK modulation, whether the OOK modulation information is generated in the manner of OOK-1 or OOK-4, it is necessary to ensure that each chip in the first time interval is a high level (on) chip. That is, it is necessary to ensure that the bits to be modulated for generating the first signal are all 1. It is noted here that it is not necessary to fill a certain number of bit-1 after the original data bits and then perform OOK modulation to generate the first signal, because the original data bits will still generate bit-0 after linear coding. For example, in the case of OOK-1, one OOK chip is transmitted per OFDM symbol, and each OFDM symbol in the first time interval transmits a high level (on) chip.

[0227] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a low level signal in the first time interval. For example, the network device or the intermediate node transmits an “analog-off” signal in the first time interval. That is, the network device or the intermediate node does not stop transmitting in the first time interval after transmitting the control information.

[0228] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a first signal in the first time interval, and the level of the first signal is the same as the level of the last chip in the control information.

[0229] Optionally, in the case where the level of the last chip in the control information is a high level, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a high level signal in the first time interval. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, if the last chip in the control information is a high level (on) chip, the network device or the intermediate node transmits an “analog-on” signal in the first time interval.

[0230] Optionally, in the case that the level of the last chip in the control information is low, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a low-level signal in the first time interval. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, if the last chip of the control information is an off chip, the network device or the intermediate node transmits an analog-off signal in the first time interval.

[0231] In some embodiments, the level of the first signal transmitted in the first time interval is constant. In this way, the IoT device cannot detect a level flip in the first time interval, because:

[0232] Reason 1: Linear coding is usually used in R2D transmission, such as Manchester coding. In this case, bit-0 corresponds to chip 10 (bit-0->chips{10}), and bit-1 corresponds to chip 01 (bit-1->chips{01}). That is, no matter whether the original bit is bit-0 or bit-1, a level flip will occur in the two chips after linear coding. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, “10” is a falling edge, and “01” is a rising edge. The IoT device decodes data by detecting a level flip. If a falling edge is detected, it is determined that bit-0 is received. If a rising edge is detected, it is determined that bit-1 is received.

[0233] Reason 2: From the control information part, the IoT device can not know the specific number of control information bits. When there is a first time interval between the control information part and the data information part, the IoT device cannot determine when to stop receiving and start decoding. The IoT device receives the control information by detecting a level flip. When no level flip is detected within a certain time, the IoT device can determine that the control information has been transmitted and start decoding.

[0234] Reason 3: From the data information part, when the IoT device decodes the chip width of the data information part, it needs to start receiving the data information, but cannot determine the exact time when the data information part starts to be transmitted. It can only determine the time when the data information part starts to be transmitted by detecting a level flip. Therefore, a level flip cannot occur in the above-mentioned first time interval, otherwise the IoT device will make a mistake.

[0235] It should be noted that the above step 420 is executed after step 221 and before step 320.

[0236] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment enables the IoT device to accurately distinguish the decoding time and the receiving time by transmitting the first signal in the first time interval, thereby avoiding the IoT device from making a mistake.

[0237] The first information comprises a clock acquisition signal.

[0238] Based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the step 220 can be replaced by the following sub-steps, as shown in FIG. 18.

[0239] Step 222: The network device or the intermediate node sends a clock acquisition signal to the IoT device.

[0240] The clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

[0241] It should be understood that the IoT device receiver has the ability to detect level flipping and the ability to sample the received signal. After receiving and sampling the signal according to its own clock, the IoT device can determine the chip width according to the number of sampling points within the two detected level flips, combined with the sampling frequency. The chip width is equal to the product of the number of sampling points and the acquisition frequency. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, assuming that Y sampling points are sampled within the time interval of two level flips, the chip width can be understood as the time length corresponding to Y sampling points.

[0242] In the related art, the random access preamble sequence (preamble) of the R2D transmission includes a clock acquisition part (clock-acquisition part) for indicating the chip width of the subsequent physical channel transmission, which can be used to indicate the chip width of the control information part. In the embodiments of the present application, the network device or the intermediate node can send a clock acquisition part-2 (clock-acquisition part2) for indicating the chip width of the data information part. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the network device or the intermediate node can send the clock acquisition part-2 (clock-acquisition part2) for indicating the chip width of the data information part after sending the control information to the IoT device. Or, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, the network device or the intermediate node carries the clock acquisition part (clock-acquisition part) and the clock acquisition part-2 (clock-acquisition part2) at the same time when sending the random access preamble sequence (preamble) to the IoT device. The clock acquisition part (clock-acquisition part) is used to indicate the chip width of the control information part, and the clock acquisition part-2 (clock-acquisition part2) is used to indicate the chip width of the data information part.

[0243] In some embodiments, the clock acquisition signal corresponds to a fourth number of OFDM symbols. The fourth number is a positive integer. For example, the clock acquisition signal corresponds to one OFDM symbol.

[0244] Referring to the introduction part of the OOK chip duration, both the control information part and the data information part in the R2D transmission need to be modulated by OOK, although the M values used by the control information part and the data information part can be different, the transmission signal corresponding to the control information part and the transmission signal corresponding to the data information part are both time domain signals generated in units of OFDM symbols, so the control information part and the data information part both include an integer number of OFDM symbols. At the same time, in order to avoid mutual interference between the Internet of Things communication transmission and the NR Uu transmission, both the control information part and the data information part are transmitted from the boundary of the OFDM symbol defined by NR, that is, the end position of the control information part and the start position of the data information part are both boundaries of the NR OFDM symbol, therefore, the clock acquisition signal used to indicate the chip duration of the control information part and the data information part should also correspond to an integer number of OFDM symbols.

[0245] In some embodiments, the clock acquisition signal includes at least two level flips, and the interval length between adjacent two level flips in the at least two level flips is equal to the first chip duration. Generally, the adjacent two level flips are flips in different directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, assuming that the clock acquisition signal corresponds to one OFDM symbol (including CP), the data information part adopts OOK-4 modulation and the number of OOK chips is 2, and one OFDM symbol does not include CP and is about 66.7 microseconds, wherein the CP is a repetition at the end of the OFDM symbol. The interval length T2 between the adjacent two level flips is 66.7 / 2 = 33.35 microseconds, and the length of T1+T3 is also equal to 66.7 / 2 = 33.35 microseconds. It should be noted that, in order to avoid the level flip caused by adding the CP, T3 needs to be greater than or equal to the length of the CP, and T1 needs to be greater than 0.

[0246] In some embodiments, the clock acquisition signal corresponds to two level flip formats. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the first level flip format is a falling edge + a rising edge. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, the second level flip format is a rising edge + a falling edge.

[0247] In some embodiments, the format of the clock acquisition signal is related to the level of the last chip in the control information. Optionally, in the case that the level of the last chip in the control information is a high level, the first level flip format is adopted. Optionally, in the case that the level of the last chip in the control information is a low level, the second level flip format is adopted.

[0248] To sum up, the method provided in this embodiment enables the IoT device to determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part by sending the clock acquisition signal to the IoT device, so that the IoT device can sample the clock acquisition signal. The IoT device can use a first chip width different from the chip width corresponding to the control information part, so as to make the data transmission more flexible.

[0249] In some embodiments, the control information sent by the network device or the intermediate node to the IoT device can carry an information field for indicating the data information. Since the processing capability of the IoT device is low, the IoT device can not be able to simultaneously perform control information decoding and data information receiving. Based on this, the network device or the intermediate node can send the information related to the data information after sending the control information, with an interval. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, the network device or the intermediate node sends the clock acquisition signal after sending the control information to the IoT device, with a second time interval.

[0250] FIG. 25 shows a flowchart of a method for determining the chip width provided in an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the network device or the intermediate node, and the step 222 can be replaced by the following sub-steps:

[0251] Step 222-1: The network device or the intermediate node sends the clock acquisition signal after sending the control information to the IoT device, with a second time interval.

[0252] It should be noted that the basic time unit of the transmission of various types of information in the embodiments of the present application is the OFDM symbol. Optionally, the OFDM symbol is the OFDM symbol including the CP.

[0253] In some embodiments, the second time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols.

[0254] In some embodiments, the starting position of the second time interval is equal to the ending position of the control information part, or the starting position of the second time interval is after the ending position of the control information part.

[0255] In some embodiments, the ending position of the second time interval is equal to the starting position of the clock acquisition signal part, or the ending position of the second time interval is before the starting position of the clock acquisition signal part.

[0256] Referring to the introduction of the OOK chip duration, both the control information part and the data information part in the R2D transmission need to be modulated by OOK, although the M values used by the control information part and the data information part can be different, the transmission signal corresponding to the control information part and the transmission signal corresponding to the data information part are both time-domain signals generated in units of OFDM symbols, and therefore the control information part and the data information part both include an integer number of OFDM symbols. At the same time, in order to avoid mutual interference between the Internet of Things communication transmission and the NR Uu transmission, both the control information part and the data information part are transmitted starting from the boundary of the OFDM symbol defined by NR, that is, the end position of the control information part and the start position of the data information part are both boundaries of the NR OFDM symbol, and therefore the interval between the control information part and the data information part is also limited to an integer number of OFDM symbols.

[0257] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to at least one of the following: a device type of the Internet of Things device; a bit quantity of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value being used to indicate a minimum value of the third quantity; and a second threshold value, the second threshold value being used to indicate a maximum value of the third quantity.

[0258] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a device type of the Internet of Things device. The third quantity is inversely proportional to a processing capability of the Internet of Things device. When the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is strong, the third quantity is small; when the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is weak, the third quantity is large. Because different Internet of Things devices have different device types, the receiver processing capabilities are also different, and the time for decoding the control information is also different. For example, when the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is strong, the control information can be decoded in a short time, and at this time, the second time interval can be set to be short. When the processing capability of the Internet of Things device is weak, a long time is needed to decode the control information, and at this time, the second time interval can be set to be long.

[0259] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a bit quantity of the control information. The third quantity is proportional to the bit quantity of the control information. When the bit quantity of the control information is large, the third quantity is large; when the bit quantity of the control information is small, the third quantity is small. For example, when the bit quantity of the control information is large, the Internet of Things device needs to spend a long time to decode the control information, and at this time, the second time interval can be set to be long. When the bit quantity of the control information is small, the Internet of Things device only needs to spend a short time to decode the control information, and at this time, the second time interval can be set to be short.

[0260] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a first threshold. Optionally, the third quantity is greater than or equal to the first threshold. This condition limits the second time interval to be not too short, so that the IoT device has enough time to decode the control information. Optionally, the first threshold is predefined.

[0261] In some embodiments, the third quantity is related to a second threshold. Optionally, the third quantity is less than or equal to the second threshold. This condition limits the second time interval to be not too long, for the following two reasons: first, the IoT device communicates by storing environmental energy (such as radio frequency energy, optical energy, etc.), and the energy storage capacity is limited. If the second time interval is too long, the IoT device may run out of stored energy in a long standby state, and cannot perform subsequent reception of data information; second, the typical business scenario of IoT communication is a device inventory scenario, and a network device or intermediate node may need to inventory a large number of IoT devices. If there is no data interaction between the network device or intermediate node and a certain IoT device for a long time, the IoT device may misinterpret that the inventory process has ended and switch to a non-receiving state. Therefore, the maximum value of the second time interval needs to be limited. Optionally, the second threshold is predefined.

[0262] In summary, the method provided by the embodiment allows the IoT device to have time to correctly decode the control information, and then receive subsequent data information based on the decoded information, which is beneficial to improve the stability of data transmission.

[0263] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the second time interval. That is, the second time interval is an empty waiting time interval.

[0264] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the second time interval. For example, the network device or intermediate node transmits a first signal in the second time interval.

[0265] FIG. 26 shows a flowchart of a method for determining the chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a network device or intermediate node, and the method further includes:

[0266] Step 520: The network device or intermediate node transmits a first signal in the second time interval.

[0267] In some embodiments, the first signal is a high-level signal; or, the first signal is a low-level signal; or, the level of the first signal is the same as the level of the last chip in the control information.

[0268] In some embodiments, the network device or intermediate node transmits a high-level signal in the second time interval.

[0269] Optionally, the first signal is a simple high level signal, or the first signal is a high level signal after OOK modulation.

[0270] In some embodiments, when the first signal is a high level signal after OOK modulation, it is required to ensure that each chip in the second time interval is an on-chip, no matter whether the OOK modulation information is generated in OOK-1 or OOK-4. That is, it is required to ensure that the bits to be modulated for generating the first signal are all 1. It is noted here that it is not required to fill a certain number of bit-1 after the original data bits and then perform OOK modulation to generate the first signal, because the original data bits will still generate bit-0 after linear coding. For example, in OOK-1, one OOK chip is transmitted in each OFDM symbol, and each OFDM symbol in the second time interval transmits an on-chip.

[0271] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a low level signal in the second time interval. For example, the network device or the intermediate node transmits an analog-off signal in the second time interval. That is, the network device or the intermediate node does not stop transmitting in the second time interval after transmitting the control information.

[0272] In some embodiments, the network device or the intermediate node transmits the first signal with the same level as the last chip in the control information in the second time interval.

[0273] Optionally, in the case that the level of the last chip in the control information is a high level, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a high level signal in the second time interval.

[0274] Optionally, in the case that the level of the last chip in the control information is a low level, the network device or the intermediate node transmits a low level signal in the second time interval.

[0275] In some embodiments, the level of the first signal transmitted in the second time interval is constant. Thus, it can be ensured that the Internet of Things device does not detect a level flip in the second time interval, because:

[0276] Reason 1: Linear coding is usually used in R2D transmission, such as Manchester coding. In which, bit-0 corresponds to chips 10 (bit-0 -> chips {10}), and bit-1 corresponds to chips 01 (bit-1 -> chips {01}). That is, no matter whether the original bit is bit-0 or bit-1, the level inversion will inevitably occur in the two chips after linear coding. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, “10” is a falling edge, and “01” is a rising edge. The Internet of Things device decodes data by detecting level inversion. If a falling edge is detected, it is judged that bit-0 is received. If a rising edge is detected, it is judged that bit-1 is received.

[0277] Reason 2: From the perspective of the control information part, the Internet of Things device can not know the specific number of control information bits. When there is a second time interval between the control information part and the data information part, the Internet of Things device cannot determine when to stop receiving and start decoding. The Internet of Things device receives control information by detecting level inversion. When no level inversion is detected within a certain time, the Internet of Things device can judge that the control information has been transmitted at this time, and start decoding.

[0278] Reason 3: From the perspective of the data information part, when the Internet of Things device decodes the chip width of the data information part, it needs to start receiving data information, but cannot determine the accurate time of the start of the transmission of the data information part. It can only determine the time of the start of the transmission of the data information part by detecting level inversion. Therefore, the phenomenon of level inversion cannot occur in the above-mentioned second time interval, otherwise it will cause the Internet of Things device to make a mistake.

[0279] In summary, the method provided by the embodiment enables the Internet of Things device to accurately distinguish the decoding time and the receiving time by transmitting the first signal in the second time interval, thereby avoiding the Internet of Things device from making a mistake.

[0280] FIG. 27 shows a flowchart of a method for determining chip width provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by an Internet of Things device, and the method comprises:

[0281] Step 620: The Internet of Things device receives first information.

[0282] The first information is used to determine the first chip width, and the first chip width is the chip width corresponding to the data information part. The chip width corresponding to the data information part refers to the pulse width of a chip in the data information part.

[0283] In some embodiments, the first information is sent by a network device or an intermediate node to the Internet of Things device. The first information is used to instruct the Internet of Things device to determine the first chip width.

[0284] In some embodiments, the first information comprises first control information and / or a clock acquisition signal. The first control information carries a first information field used to determine the first chip width. The interval length between two adjacent level flips in the clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

[0285] In some embodiments, the data information part corresponds to the control information part.

[0286] The first information is received by the IoT device, which enables the IoT device to accurately determine the chip width corresponding to the data information part. The IoT device can use a first chip width different from the chip width corresponding to the control information part, thereby making the data transmission more flexible.

[0287] For the first information comprising first control information:

[0288] Based on the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 27, as shown in FIG. 28, the above step 620 can be replaced by the following sub-steps:

[0289] Step 621: The IoT device receives the first control information.

[0290] For example, the implementation of the first control information is described in the above step 221.

[0291] In some embodiments, in the case where the network device or the intermediate node indicates the IoT device to determine the first chip width by sending the first control information to the IoT device, the IoT device may, due to its low processing capability, be unable to simultaneously perform control information decoding and data information receiving. Based on this, the network device or the intermediate node can send the data information after a period of time after sending the first control information.

[0292] FIG. 29 shows a flowchart of a method for determining a chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by an IoT device, and the method further comprises:

[0293] Step 720: The IoT device receives the data information after the first time interval.

[0294] For example, the implementation of the first time interval is described in the above step 320.

[0295] It should be noted that the above step 720 is performed after step 621.

[0296] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the first time interval. That is, the first time interval is an empty time interval.

[0297] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the first time interval. For example, the network device or the intermediate node transmits the first signal in the first time interval.

[0298] FIG. 30 shows a flowchart of a method for determining the chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the IoT device, and the method further includes:

[0299] Step 820: The IoT device receives the first signal in the first time interval.

[0300] For example, the implementation of the first signal is described in the step 420 above.

[0301] It is noted that the step 820 above is performed after the step 621 and before the step 720.

[0302] For the first information including the clock acquisition signal:

[0303] Based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, the step 620 above can be replaced by the following sub-steps as shown in FIG. 31:

[0304] Step 622: The IoT device receives the clock acquisition signal.

[0305] For example, the implementation of the clock acquisition signal is described in the step 222 above.

[0306] In some embodiments, the control information transmitted by the network device or the intermediate node to the IoT device can carry an information field for indicating the data information. Since the processing capability of the IoT device is low, it can not be able to simultaneously perform the control information decoding and the data information receiving. Based on this, the network device or the intermediate node can transmit the information related to the data information after the transmission of the control information, with an interval of a time period.

[0307] FIG. 32 shows a flowchart of a method for determining the chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the IoT device, and the step 622 above can be replaced by the following sub-steps:

[0308] Step 622-1: The IoT device receives the clock acquisition signal with an interval of a second time period after the reception of the control information.

[0309] For example, the implementation of the second time period is described in the step 222-1 above.

[0310] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the second time interval. That is, the second time interval is an empty time interval.

[0311] In some embodiments, the signal transmission exists in the second time interval. For example, the network device or the intermediate node transmits the first signal in the second time interval.

[0312] FIG. 33 shows a flowchart of a method for determining the chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the IoT device, and the method further includes:

[0313] Step 920: The IoT device receives the first signal in the second time interval.

[0314] For example, the implementation of the first signal is described in detail in step 520.

[0315] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIG. 9 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 27 can be combined to implement a new embodiment. As shown in FIG. 34, the method is jointly performed by the network device and the IoT device, or jointly performed by the intermediate node and the IoT device, and the method includes:

[0316] Step 1: The network device or the intermediate node sends first information to the IoT device;

[0317] The detailed implementation is described in step 220.

[0318] Step 2: The IoT device receives the first information;

[0319] The detailed implementation is described in step 620.

[0320] FIG. 35 shows a structural block diagram of a device for determining the chip width according to an example embodiment of the present application. The device includes:

[0321] The sending module 3510 is configured to send first information to the IoT device.

[0322] The first information is used to determine the first chip width, and the first chip width is the chip width corresponding to the data information part.

[0323] In some embodiments, the first information is sent by the network device or the intermediate node to the IoT device. The first information is used to instruct the IoT device to determine the first chip width.

[0324] In some embodiments, the first information includes first control information and / or a clock acquisition signal. The first control information carries a first information field used to determine the first chip width. The interval length between adjacent two level flips in the clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

[0325] In some embodiments, the data information part corresponds to the control information part. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first information is used to indicate the chip width corresponding to the data information part after the control information part.

[0326] In an embodiment, the first information comprises first control information.

[0327] The sending module 3510 is further configured to send the first control information to the IoT device.

[0328] In an embodiment, the first control information is as described above with reference to step 221.

[0329] The sending module 3510 is further configured to send data information to the IoT device after the first time interval.

[0330] In an embodiment, the first time interval is as described above with reference to step 320.

[0331] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the first time interval. That is, the first time interval is an empty time interval.

[0332] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the first time interval.

[0333] The sending module 3510 is further configured to transmit a first signal in the first time interval.

[0334] In an embodiment, the first signal is as described above with reference to step 420.

[0335] In an embodiment, the first information comprises a clock acquisition signal.

[0336] The sending module 3510 is further configured to send the clock acquisition signal to the IoT device.

[0337] In an embodiment, the clock acquisition signal is as described above with reference to step 222.

[0338] The sending module 3510 is further configured to send the clock acquisition signal after sending the control information to the IoT device, with a second time interval.

[0339] In an embodiment, the second time interval is as described above with reference to step 222-1.

[0340] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the second time interval. That is, the second time interval is an empty time interval.

[0341] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the second time interval.

[0342] The sending module 3510 is further configured to transmit a first signal in the second time interval.

[0343] In an embodiment, the first signal is as described above with reference to step 520.

[0344] FIG. 36 shows a structural block diagram of a chip width determination apparatus according to an example embodiment of the present application. The apparatus includes:

[0345] The receiving module 3610 is configured to receive first information.

[0346] The first information is used to determine a first chip width, which is a chip width corresponding to the data information part.

[0347] In some embodiments, the first information is sent by a network device or an intermediate node to the IoT device. The first information is used to instruct the IoT device to determine the first chip width.

[0348] In some embodiments, the first information includes first control information and / or a clock acquisition signal. The first control information carries a first information field used to determine the first chip width. The interval length between two adjacent level flips in the clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

[0349] In some embodiments, the data information part corresponds to the control information part.

[0350] For the first information including the first control information:

[0351] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive the first control information.

[0352] For example, the implementation of the first control information is detailed in step 221 above.

[0353] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive the data information after the first time interval.

[0354] For example, the implementation of the first time interval is detailed in step 320 above.

[0355] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the first time interval. That is, the first time interval is an empty time interval.

[0356] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the first time interval.

[0357] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive a first signal in the first time interval.

[0358] For example, the implementation of the first signal is detailed in step 420 above.

[0359] For the first information including the clock acquisition signal:

[0360] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive the clock acquisition signal.

[0361] For example, the implementation of the clock acquisition signal is shown in step 222.

[0362] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive the clock acquisition signal at a second time interval after receiving the control information.

[0363] For example, the implementation of the second time interval is shown in step 222-1.

[0364] In some embodiments, there is no signal transmission in the second time interval. That is, the second time interval is an empty time interval.

[0365] In some embodiments, there is signal transmission in the second time interval.

[0366] The receiving module 3610 is further configured to receive a first signal in the second time interval.

[0367] For example, the implementation of the first signal is shown in step 520.

[0368] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments is only used as an example to illustrate the division of the above functional modules, and in actual applications, the above functions can be completed by different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0369] FIG. 37 shows a structural schematic diagram of a communication device (an Internet of Things device or a network device or an intermediate node) according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can include a processor 6801, a receiver 6802, a transmitter 6803, a memory 6804, and a bus 6805.

[0370] The processor 6801 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 6801 performs various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0371] The receiver 6802 and the transmitter 6803 can be implemented as a transceiver 6806, which can be a communication chip.

[0372] The memory 6804 is connected to the processor 6801 through the bus 6805. The memory 6804 can be used to store computer programs, and the processor 6801 is configured to execute the computer programs to implement each step performed by the Internet of Things device or the network device or the intermediate node in the above method embodiments.

[0373] Moreover, the memory 6804 can be realized by any type of volatile or nonvolatile storage devices, or a combination thereof, including, but not limited to, a RAM (Random-Access Memory) and a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory or other solid-state storage technology, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Video Disc), or other optical storage, a magnetic cassettes, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices.

[0374] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used for being executed by a processor of an Internet of Things device or a network device or an intermediate node to realize each step in the chip width determination method.

[0375] In some embodiments, the computer readable storage medium can include a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a RAM (Random-Access Memory), a SSD (Solid State Drives) or an optical disc, etc. Wherein, the random access memory can include a ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0376] The embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, wherein the chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running on a communication device, is used for realizing each step in the chip width determination method.

[0377] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product or a computer program, wherein the computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer readable storage medium, a processor of a communication device reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, to realize each step in the chip width determination method.

[0378] Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in the one or more examples described above, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions can be stored in a computer readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes computer storage medium and communication medium, and the communication medium includes any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

[0379] The above description is merely illustrative of the exemplary embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method of determining chip width, characterized by, The method is performed by a network device or an intermediate node, and the method comprises: sending first information to an Internet of Things device, the first information being used to determine a first chip width, the first chip width being a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information comprises first control information. The sending of the first information to the Internet of Things device comprises: sending the first control information to the Internet of Things device, the first control information comprising a first information field, the first information field being used to determine the first chip width.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first information field is used to indicate a first number or an index value corresponding to the first number, the first number being used to determine the first chip width.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first chip width is determined based on a first symbol length and the first number.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first information field is used to indicate an index value corresponding to a first proportionality coefficient, the first proportionality coefficient being used to determine the first chip width.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first chip width is determined based on the first proportionality coefficient and a second chip width, the second chip width being a chip width corresponding to a control information part.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first information field is used to indicate an index value corresponding to a second proportionality coefficient, the second proportionality coefficient being used to determine a first number, the first number being used to determine the first chip width.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first chip width is determined based on a first symbol length and the first number.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that, After the sending of the first control information to the Internet of Things device, the method further comprises: sending the data information to the Internet of Things device after a first time interval.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, a value of the third number is related to at least one of: a device type of the Internet of Things device; a bit number of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value being used to indicate a minimum value of the third number; a second threshold value, the second threshold value being used to indicate a maximum value of the third number.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The method further comprises: transmitting a first signal in the first time interval; wherein: the first signal is a high-level signal; or, the first signal is a low-level signal; or, a level of the first signal is the same as a level of a last chip in the control information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information comprises a clock acquisition signal. The sending of the first information to the Internet of Things device comprises: sending the clock acquisition signal to the Internet of Things device, the clock acquisition signal being used to determine the first chip width.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the clock acquisition signal corresponds to a fourth number of OFDM symbols.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein The clock acquisition signal comprises at least two level flips, and a length of an interval between two adjacent level flips in the at least two level flips is equal to the first chip width.

16. The method of any of claims 13-15, wherein, a format of the clock acquisition signal is related to a level of a last chip in the control information.

17. The method of any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein, The sending of the clock acquisition signal to the Internet of Things device comprises: The clock acquisition signal is sent after the sending of the control information to the Internet of Things device by a second time interval.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, the second time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, a value of the third number is related to at least one of: a device type of the Internet of Things device; a bit number of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value is used to indicate a minimum value of the third number; a second threshold value, the second threshold value is used to indicate a maximum value of the third number.

20. The method of any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, The method further comprises: transmitting a first signal in the second time interval; wherein: the first signal is a high level signal; or, the first signal is a low level signal; or, a level of the first signal is the same as a level of a last chip in the control information.

21. A method of determining chip width, characterized by, The method is performed by an Internet of Things device, and the method comprises: receiving first information, the first information is used to determine a first chip width, the first chip width is a chip width corresponding to a data information part.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The first information comprises first control information. The receiving of the first information comprises: receiving the first control information, the first control information comprises a first information field, the first information field is used to determine the first chip width.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first information field is used to indicate a first number or an index value corresponding to the first number, the first number is used to determine the first chip width.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, the first chip width is determined based on a first symbol length and the first number.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first information field is used to indicate an index value corresponding to a first proportion coefficient, the first proportion coefficient is used to determine the first chip width.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, the first chip width is determined based on the first proportion coefficient and a second chip width, the second chip width is a chip width corresponding to a control information part.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein, the first information field is used to indicate an index value corresponding to a second proportion coefficient, the second proportion coefficient is used to determine a first number, the first number is used to determine the first chip width.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein, the first chip width is determined based on a first symbol length and the first number.

29. The method of any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein, The method further comprises, after the receiving of the first control information: receiving the data information after a first time interval.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols. The third number is determined based on at least one of the following:

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, a device type of the IoT device; a bit number of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value is used to indicate a minimum value of the third number; a second threshold value, the second threshold value is used to indicate a maximum value of the third number. The method further comprises:

32. The method of any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein, receiving a first signal in the first time interval; wherein: the first signal is a high level signal; or, the first signal is a low level signal; or, a level of the first signal is the same as a level of a last chip in the control information. The first information comprises a clock acquisition signal.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein, The receiving the first information comprises: receiving the clock acquisition signal, the clock acquisition signal is used to determine the first chip width.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the clock acquisition signal corresponds to a fourth number of OFDM symbols.

35. The method of claim 33 or 34, wherein the clock acquisition signal comprises at least two level flips, and a length of an interval between two adjacent level flips in the at least two level flips is equal to the first chip width.

36. The method of any of claims 33 to 35, wherein a format of the clock acquisition signal is related to a level of a last chip in the control information. The receiving the clock acquisition signal comprises: receiving the clock acquisition signal in a second time interval after receiving the control information.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the second time interval corresponds to a third number of OFDM symbols. The third number is determined based on at least one of the following:

37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein, a device type of the IoT device; a bit number of the control information; a first threshold value, the first threshold value is used to indicate a minimum value of the third number; a second threshold value, the second threshold value is used to indicate a maximum value of the third number.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving a first signal in the second time interval; wherein: the first signal is a high level signal; or, the first signal is a low level signal; or, a level of the first signal is the same as a level of a last chip in the control information.

40. The method of any one of claims 37-39, wherein, The apparatus comprises: a sending module, configured to send, to an IoT device, first information, the first information being used to determine a first chip width, the first chip width being a chip width corresponding to a data information part. The apparatus comprises: a receiving module, configured to receive first information, the first information being used to determine a first chip width, the first chip width being a chip width corresponding to a data information part. The network device comprises:

41. An apparatus for determining chip width, comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the method for determining a chip width according to any of claims 1 to 20.

42. An apparatus for determining chip width, comprising: The intermediate node comprises: ​ 43. A network device, comprising: ​ ​ ​ 44. An intermediate node, characterized by ​ a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

45. An Internet of Things device comprising: The Internet of Things device comprises: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 21 to 40.

46. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used by the processor to implement the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 40.

47. A chip, comprising: The chip comprises programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running on the communication device, the chip is used to implement the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 40.

48. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium; the processor of the communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, so that the communication device implements the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 40.

49. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor of the communication device to implement the chip width determination method according to any one of claims 1 to 40.

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