Device and method for supporting slotted aloha for ambient IoT communication in wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device and method for supporting slotted ALOHA for ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) communication in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for supporting enhanced slotted ALOHA schemes for ambient IoT system in ambient IoT communication.

Description

Device and method for supporting slotted Aloha for ambient IoT communication in a wireless communication system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for supporting slotted ALOHA for Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) communication in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for supporting enhanced slotted ALOHA schemes for ambient IoT systems.

[0002]

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication services, such as voice and data. Typically, wireless communication systems are multiple access systems that support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmission power). Examples of multiple access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA).

[0004]

[0005] To solve the above-described problems, the present disclosure provides a device and method for supporting slotted ALOHA for Ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) communication in a wireless communication system.

[0006] The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0007]

[0008] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a method performed by a first device is provided, comprising: receiving a first signal from a second device, the first signal being associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions; determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; receiving a second signal from the second device; decreasing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; and transmitting a first message of random access based on a specific access occasion from among the plurality of access occasions when the second value decreased by the first value is less than the first value.

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, comprising: a transceiver; at least one processor; and at least one memory operably connectable to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a first signal from a second device, the first signal being associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions; determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; receiving a second signal from the second device; decreasing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; and transmitting a first message of random access based on a specific access occasion from one of the plurality of access occasions if the second value decreased by the first value is less than the first value.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a control device for controlling a first device is provided, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory operably connected to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions for performing operations based on being executed by the at least one processor, the operations comprising: receiving a first signal from a second device, the first signal being associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions; determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; receiving a second signal from the second device; decreasing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; and transmitting a first message of random access based on a specific access occasion among the plurality of access opportunities when the second value decreased by the first value is less than the first value.

[0011] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors, perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving a first signal from a second device, the first signal being associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions; determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; receiving a second signal from the second device; decreasing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; and transmitting a first message of random access based on a specific access occasion from one of the plurality of access occasions when the second value decreased by the first value is less than the first value.

[0012]

[0013] To solve the above-described problems, the present disclosure may provide a device and method for supporting slotted ALOHA for ambient Internet of Things (Ambient IoT) communication in a wireless communication system.

[0014]

[0015] The accompanying drawings are intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure and, together with detailed descriptions, may provide embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the technical features of the present disclosure are not limited to specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined with each other to form new embodiments. Reference numerals in each drawing may indicate structural elements.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of physical channels used in a system applicable to the present disclosure and a general signal transmission method using the same.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless frame structure used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an example of a slot structure used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a slot structure of a wireless frame used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology in which a base station and an A-IoT device are directly connected in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology in which a base station and an A-IoT device are connected through an intermediate node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology supported by an auxiliary node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology supported by an auxiliary node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology in which a terminal and an A-IoT device are directly connected in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of power consumption according to the operating state of an energy harvesting-based device with energy storage capability in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device energy state according to an operating state of an energy harvesting-based device having energy storage capability in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=3, Y=1) using slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=5, Y=2, N=2) using enhanced slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=3, Y=2, N=2) using enhanced slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation process of a first device in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a first device and a second device in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0032]

[0033] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, “A or B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” In other words, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, “A or B” may be interpreted as “A and / or B.” For example, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, “A, B or C” may mean “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any combination of A, B and C.”

[0034] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a slash ( / ) or a comma may mean "and / or." For example, "A / B" may mean "A and / or B." Accordingly, "A / B" may mean "only A," "only B," or "both A and B." For example, "A, B, C" may mean "A, B, or C."

[0035] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” Furthermore, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, the expressions “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of A and / or B” may be interpreted as equivalent to “at least one of A and B.”

[0036] Additionally, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, “at least one of A, B and C” can mean “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any combination of A, B and C.” Additionally, “at least one of A, B or C” or “at least one of A, B and / or C” can mean “at least one of A, B and C.”

[0037] Additionally, parentheses used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may mean "for example." Specifically, when indicated as "control information (PDCCH)", "PDCCH" may be proposed as an example of "control information." In other words, "control information" in various embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to "PDCCH", and "PDDCH" may be proposed as an example of "control information." Furthermore, even when indicated as "control information (i.e., PDCCH)", "PDCCH" may be proposed as an example of "control information."

[0038] Technical features individually described in a single drawing in various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented individually or simultaneously.

[0039]

[0040] Common signal transmission methods in 3GPP

[0041] Physical channels and general signal transmission

[0042] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of physical channels used in a system applicable to the present disclosure and a general signal transmission method using these channels. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates physical channels used in a 3GPP system and general signal transmission.

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates the physical channels and typical signal transmission used in the 3GPP system. In a wireless communication system, a terminal receives information from a base station via the downlink (DL), and the terminal transmits information to the base station via the uplink (UL). The information transmitted and received between the base station and the terminal includes data and various control information, and various physical channels exist depending on the type and purpose of the information they transmit and receive.

[0044] When a terminal is powered on again from a powered-off state or newly enters a cell, it performs an initial cell search operation, such as synchronizing with the base station (S11). To this end, the terminal receives the PSCH (Primary Synchronization Channel) and SSCH (Secondary Synchronization Channel) from the base station to synchronize with the base station and obtain information such as the cell ID (cell identity). In addition, the terminal can obtain broadcast information within the cell by receiving the PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) from the base station. In addition, the terminal can receive the DL RS (Downlink Reference Signal) during the initial cell search phase to check the downlink channel status.

[0045] A terminal that has completed initial cell search can obtain more specific system information by receiving a PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) and a corresponding PDSCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) (S12).

[0046] Thereafter, the terminal may perform a random access procedure to complete connection to the base station (S13-S16). Specifically, the terminal may transmit a preamble via a physical random access channel (PRACH) (S13) and receive a random access response (RAR) for the preamble via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a corresponding PDSCH (S14). Thereafter, the terminal may transmit a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) using scheduling information in the RAR (S15) and perform a contention resolution procedure such as a PDCCH and a corresponding PDSCH (S16).

[0047] A terminal that has performed the above-described procedure can then perform PDCCH / PDSCH reception (S17) and PUSCH / PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) transmission (S18) as general uplink / downlink signal transmission procedures. Control information that the terminal transmits to the base station is referred to as UCI (Uplink Control Information). UCI includes HARQ ACK / NACK (Hybrid Automatic Repeat and reQuest Acknowledgement / Negative-ACK), SR (Scheduling Request), CSI (Channel State Information), etc. CSI includes CQI (Channel Quality Indicator), PMI (Precoding Matrix Indicator), RI (Rank Indication), etc. UCI is generally transmitted through PUCCH, but can be transmitted through PUSCH when control information and data must be transmitted simultaneously. In addition, the terminal can aperiodically transmit UCI through PUSCH according to a request / instruction of the network.

[0048]

[0049] OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) Numerology

[0050] The new RAT system uses OFDM transmission scheme or a similar transmission scheme. The new RAT system may follow OFDM parameters different from those of LTE. Alternatively, the new RAT system may follow the existing LTE / LTE-A numerology but have a larger system bandwidth (e.g., 100 MHz). Alternatively, a single cell may support multiple numerologies. That is, UEs operating under different numerologies can coexist within a single cell.

[0051]

[0052] Radio frame structure

[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a wireless frame used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0054] In NR, uplink and downlink transmissions are organized into frames. A radio frame is 10 ms long and is defined by two 5 ms half-frames (HF). Each half-frame is defined by five 1 ms subframes (SF). A subframe is divided into one or more slots, and the number of slots in a subframe depends on the subcarrier spacing (SCS). Each slot contains 12 or 14 OFDM(A) symbols, depending on the cyclic prefix (CP). When a regular CP is used, each slot contains 14 symbols. When an extended CP is used, each slot contains 12 symbols. Here, the symbols can include OFDM symbols (or CP-OFDM symbols), SC-FDMA symbols (or DFT-s-OFDM symbols).

[0055] Table 1 illustrates that when CP is normally used, the number of symbols per slot, the number of slots per frame, and the number of slots per subframe vary depending on the SCS.

[0056] SCS (15*2^u)N slot symb N frame,u slot N subframe,u slot 15KHz (u=0)1410130KHz (u=1)1420260KHz (u=2)14404120KHz (u=3)14808240KHz (u=4)1416016

[0057] N slot symb is the number of symbols in the slot. N frame,u slotis the number of slots in the frame. N subframe,u slot is the number of slots within a subframe.

[0058]

[0059] Table 2 illustrates that when extended CP is used, the number of symbols per slot, the number of slots per frame, and the number of slots per subframe vary depending on the SCS.

[0060] SCS (15*2^u)N slot symb N frame,u slot N subframe,u slot 60KHz (u=2)12404

[0061] NR supports multiple numerologies (or subcarrier spacings (SCS)) to support various 5G services. For example, an SCS of 15 kHz supports wide areas in traditional cellular bands; an SCS of 30 kHz / 60 kHz supports dense urban areas, lower latency, and wider carrier bandwidth; and an SCS of 60 kHz or higher supports bandwidths greater than 24.25 GHz to overcome phase noise.

[0062] The NR frequency band can be defined by two types of frequency ranges (FR1, FR2). The numerical values ​​of the frequency ranges can be changed, and for example, the two types of frequency ranges (FR1, FR2) can be as shown in Table 3 below. For convenience of explanation, among the frequency ranges used in the NR system, FR1 can mean the "sub 6 GHz range", and FR2 can mean the "above 6 GHz range" and can be called millimeter wave (mmW).

[0063] Frequency Range designationCorresponding frequency rangeSubcarrier SpacingFR1450MHz - 6000MHz15, 30, 60kHzFR224250MHz - 52600MHz60, 120, 240kHz

[0064] As described above, the numerical value of the frequency range of the NR system can be changed. For example, FR1 may include a band from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz, as shown in Table 4 below. That is, FR1 may include a frequency band above 6 GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.). For example, the frequency band above 6 GHz (or 5850, 5900, 5925 MHz, etc.) included within FR1 may include an unlicensed band. The unlicensed band may be used for various purposes, such as for vehicular communications (e.g., autonomous driving).

[0065] Frequency Range designationCorresponding frequency rangeSubcarrier SpacingFR1410MHz - 7125MHz15, 30, 60kHzFR224250MHz - 52600MHz60, 120, 240kHz

[0066] In an NR system, OFDM(A) numerologies (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.) may be set differently between multiple cells that are merged into a single terminal. Accordingly, the (absolute time) interval of a time resource (e.g., SF, slot, or TTI) (conveniently referred to as TU (Time Unit)) consisting of the same number of symbols may be set differently between the merged cells.

[0067]

[0068] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an example of a slot structure used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0069] A slot contains multiple symbols in the time domain. For example, a slot contains 7 symbols for a regular CP, but 6 symbols for an extended CP. A carrier contains multiple subcarriers in the frequency domain. A Resource Block (RB) is defined as multiple (e.g., 12) consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. A Bandwidth Part (BWP) is defined as multiple consecutive (P)RBs in the frequency domain, and can correspond to a single numerology (e.g., SCS, CP length, etc.). A carrier can contain up to N (e.g., 5) BWPs. Data communication is performed through activated BWPs, and only one BWP can be activated for a single terminal. Each element in the resource grid is referred to as a Resource Element (RE), to which one complex symbol can be mapped.

[0070]

[0071] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a slot structure of a wireless frame used in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0072] Fig. 4 is an exemplary system, illustrating the slot structure of a frame of an NR system.

[0073] The frame structure of NR is characterized by a self-contained structure in which a DL control channel, DL or UL data, and UL control channel can all be included in a single slot unit, as shown in the example of FIG. 4. At this time, DL data scheduling information, UL data scheduling information, etc. can be transmitted in the DL control channel, and ACK / NACK information for DL ​​data, CSI information (modulation and coding scheme information, MIMO transmission-related information, etc.), scheduling requests, etc. can be transmitted in the UL control channel. In FIG. 4, a time gap for DL-to-UL or UL-to-DL switching may exist between the control region and the data region. In addition, some of DL control / DL data / UL data / UL control may not be configured within a single slot. Or, the order of each channel configuring a single slot may be different. (For example, DL control / DL data / UL control / UL data or UL control / UL data / DL control / DL data, etc.)

[0074]

[0075] Ambient IoT communication (Rel-18)

[0076] The Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) may be a new type / segment of devices that operate solely on energy harvested from the surrounding environment. For example, A-IoT could refer to a new type of Internet of Things device that is powered by various energy sources harvested from the surrounding environment, such as radio waves, light, motion, and heat. Table 5 presents examples of A-IoT use cases.

[0077] Inventory: Smart labeling / identification in warehouse, supply chain, airport shipping, manufacturing, logistics, retail, etc. Sensor: Environment sensing in smart farm, smart city, smart home, smart grid, etc. Positioning: Location tracking and ranging in indoor / outdoor for assets, products, personal item tracking, etc. Command: Actuator, device activation / deactivation, electronic labeling, etc.

[0078]

[0079] The following shows IoT communication-related issues discussed in 3GPP RAN.

[0080] This study targets at a new 3GPP IoT technology, suitable for deployment in a 3GPP system, which relies on ultra-low complexity devices with ultra-low power consumption for the very-low end IoT applications.

[0081] The study shall provide clear differentiation, i.e. addressing use cases and scenarios that cannot otherwise be fulfilled based on existing 3GPP LPWA IoT technology e.g. NB-IoT including with reduced peak Tx power.

[0082]

[0083] In terms of energy storage, the study will consider the following device characteristics:

[0084] - Pure batteryless devices with no energy storage capability at all, and completely dependent on the availability of an external source of energy

[0085] - Devices with limited energy storage capability that do not need to be replaced or recharged manually.

[0086] Device categorization based on corresponding characteristics (e.g. energy source, energy storage capability, passive / active transmission, etc.) may be discussed during the study, in relation with the relevant use cases.

[0087] The device's peak power consumption shall be limited by its practical form factor for the intended use cases, and shall consider its energy source.

[0088]

[0089] Identify the suitable deployment scenarios and their characteristics, at least for the use cases / services agreed in SA1's "Study on Ambient power-enabled internet of Things", comprising among at least the following aspects:

[0090] - Indoor / outdoor environment

[0091] - Basestation characteristics, e.g. macro / micro / pico cell-based deployments

[0092] - Connectivity topologies, including which node(s), e.g., basestation, UE, relay, repeater, etc. can communicate with target devices

[0093] - TDD / FDD and frequency bands in licensed or unlicensed spectrum

[0094] - Coexistence with UEs and infrastructure in frequency bands for existing 3GPP technologies

[0095] - Device originated and / or device terminated traffic assumption

[0096]

[0097] NOTE: There can be more than one deployment scenario identified for a use case, and a deployment scenario may be common to more than one use case.

[0098] NOTE: Where more than one deployment scenario is identified for a use case, the trade-offs between them should also be studied.

[0099] NOTE: The study shall not prioritize deployment aspects that should be coordinated with SA, e.g., public or private network, with or without CN connection.

[0100] NOTE: A representative use case can be studied for a group of use cases that have similar requirements.

[0101]

[0102] Formulate a set of RAN design targets based on the identified deployment scenarios and their characteristics for the relevant use cases, at least including:

[0103] - Power consumption

[0104] - Complexity

[0105] - Coverage

[0106] - Data rate

[0107] - Positioning accuracy

[0108]

[0109] NOTE: The requirements from SA1 on the relevant use cases shall be taken into consideration.

[0110] NOTE: The study shall aim to provide better coverage compared to existing non-3GPP technologies for the relevant use cases.

[0111] NOTE: Other RAN design targets in relation to connection density, mobility, security, latency, reliability, etc. may be discussed, if necessary for the relevant use cases.

[0112] NOTE: Detailed definitions of the RAN design targets should be discussed during the study.

[0113]

[0114] Compare and assess the feasibility of meeting the design targets for relevant use cases on the basis of the deployment scenario(s) appropriate to it, and identify assumptions on required functionality to be supported.

[0115] NOTE: This is not to require a detailed WG-level of analysis.

[0116]

[0117] Note: This study shall target for an IoT segment well below the existing 3GPP IoT technologies, e.g. NB-IoT, eMTC, RedCap, etc.

[0118] This study shall not aim to replace existing 3GPP LPWA technologies.

[0119]

[0120] For example, active signal generation and / or backscattering may be among the communication technologies considered to achieve low-power operation of A-IoT devices. For example, backscattering is a technique widely used in radio frequency identification (RFID), which allows devices to communicate with a network by reflecting incident waves after modulating them with information to be transmitted. For example, the device may be powered by the incident RF signal or by stored energy.

[0121] For example, IoT devices can be classified into various device types, such as passive, semi-passive, and active, depending on how they store energy and generate transmission signals. For example, a passive device does not have an energy storage device (e.g., a capacitor) and can communicate based on backscatter communication technology. For example, a semi-passive device has an energy storage device and can communicate using backscatter communication technology with the help of the energy storage device. For example, an active device has an energy storage device and can actively generate signals using active RF components and the stored energy to communicate. For example, in the present disclosure, the following three types of IoT devices can be considered. For example, device A can be a device without energy storage and without independent signal generation (e.g., a device that supports backscatter transmission). For example, device B can be a device with energy storage and without independent signal generation (e.g., a device that supports backscatter transmission). In this case, for example, the use of stored energy may involve amplification of the reflected signal. For example, device C may be a device with energy storage and independent signal generation (e.g., a device with an active RF component for transmission).

[0122] For example, the following basic topologies may be considered to support A-IoT devices in indoor and outdoor scenarios. For example, the basic topologies may include direct connections between base stations and A-IoT devices, connections between base stations and intermediate nodes and A-IoT devices, connection support by auxiliary nodes, and / or connections between terminals and A-IoT devices. The basic topologies proposed in this disclosure are merely examples, and the proposals in this disclosure may be extended / applied to other topologies.

[0123]

[0124] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology (topology 1) in which a base station and an A-IoT device are directly connected in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0125] The embodiment of FIG. 5 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0126] Referring to FIG. 5, the A-IoT device can communicate directly and bidirectionally with the base station. For example, communication between the base station and the A-IoT device may include A-IoT data and / or signals. For example, the A-IoT data and / or signals may be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel). In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the base station transmitting to the A-IoT device and the base station receiving from the A-IoT device may be different. For example, in the topology 1, the base station and the A-IoT device in a micro-cell environment may communicate directly with each other. For example, the base station may be located at a co-site with a base station equipped with existing 3GPP technology.

[0127]

[0128] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology (topology 2) in which a base station and an A-IoT device are connected through an intermediate node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0129] The embodiment of FIG. 6 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 6, an A-IoT device can bidirectionally communicate with an intermediate node between the device and a base station. Here, for example, the intermediate node can be an A-IoT-capable relay, an IAB node, a terminal, a repeater, etc. For example, the intermediate node can transmit A-IoT data and / or signals between the base station and the A-IoT device. For example, the A-IoT data and / or signals can be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel). In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the intermediate node transmitting to the A-IoT device and the intermediate node receiving from the A-IoT device can be different. For example, in the topology 2, an intermediate node can exist between a base station in a macro-cell environment and the A-IoT device. For example, the base station can be located at a co-site with a base station equipped with an existing 3GPP technology. For example, intermediate nodes may be limited to terminals, and intermediate nodes may be located indoors.

[0131]

[0132] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology (topology 3) supported by an auxiliary node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0133] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology (topology 3) supported by an auxiliary node in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0134] The embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0135] Referring to Fig. 7, an auxiliary node may be supported for downlink reception. For example, an A-IoT device may transmit data / signals to a base station, and the A-IoT device may receive data / signals from the auxiliary node. Referring to Fig. 8, an auxiliary node may be supported for uplink transmission. For example, an A-IoT device may receive data / signals from a base station, and the A-IoT device may transmit data / signals to an auxiliary node. Here, for example, the auxiliary node may be an A-IoT-capable relay, an IAB node, a terminal, a repeater, etc.

[0136]

[0137] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a topology (topology 4) in which a terminal and an A-IoT device are directly connected in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0138] The embodiment of FIG. 9 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0139] Referring to FIG. 9, the A-IoT device can communicate bidirectionally with the terminal. For example, communication between the terminal and the A-IoT device may include A-IoT data and / or signals. For example, the A-IoT data and / or signals may be transmitted or received based on a control channel and / or a data channel (e.g., a shared channel).

[0140] For example, transmission by an A-IoT device may be performed over a frequency division duplexing (FDD) spectrum (e.g., an FDD UL spectrum).

[0141]

[0142] Ambient IoT solutions SI (Rel-19)

[0143] A study item titled "Study on solutions for Ambient IoT (Internet of Things) in NR" was approved in 3GPP NR Release 19. Specifically, the study item will be conducted in 3GPP NR Release 19 based on the following:

[0144]

[0145] The following is an excerpt from 3GPP Draft RP-234058.

[0146] This study targets a further assessment at RAN WG-level of Ambient IoT, a new 3GPP IoT technology, suitable for deployment in a 3GPP system, which relies on ultra-low complexity devices with ultra-low power consumption for the very-low end IoT applications.

[0147] The study shall provide clear differentiation, i.e. addressing use cases and scenarios that cannot otherwise be fulfilled based on existing 3GPP LPWA IoT technology e.g. NB-IoT including with reduced peak Tx power.

[0148]

[0149] General Scope

[0150] The definitions provided in TR 38.848 are taken into this SI, and the following are included in the exclusive general scope:

[0151]

[0152] A. The overall objective shall be to study a harmonized air interface design with minimized differences (where necessary) for Ambient IoT to enable the following devices:

[0153]

[0154] i. ~1 μW peak power consumption, has energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, neither DL nor UL amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission is backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally.

[0155]

[0156] ii. ≤ a few hundred μW peak power consumption, has energy storage, initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) up to 10X ppm, both DL and / or UL amplification in the device. The device's UL transmission may be generated internally by the device, or be backscattered on a carrier wave provided externally.

[0157]

[0158] X is to be decided in WGs.

[0159] Coverage design goal: Maximum distance of 10-50 m ("...a range that WGs can sub-select within") for indoor devices according to TR 38.848.

[0160] For Topologies 1 & 2 (UE as intermediate node under NW control) per TR 38.848, with no RRC states, no mobility (i.e. at least no cell selection / re-selection -like function), no HARQ, no ARQ.

[0161] NOTE 1: It is to be understood that "≤ a few hundred μW" means WGs are not tasked with setting a particular value, and that it will be for WG discussions to determine if a presented design with corresponding power consumption satisfies the "≤ a few hundred μW" requirement.

[0162]

[0163] B. Deployment Scenarios with the following characteristics, referenced to the tables in Clause 4.2.2 of TR 38.848:

[0164]

[0165] Deployment Scenario 1 (Topology 1): Basestation and coexistence characteristics: Micro-cell, co-site.

[0166] Deployment scenario 2 (Topology 2): Using a UE as an intermediate node under network control. Basestation and coexistence characteristics: Macro-cell, co-site.

[0167] The location of the intermediate node is indoor.

[0168] C. FR1 licensed spectrum in FDD.

[0169] D. Spectrum deployment in-band to NR, in guard-band to LTE / NR, in standalone band(s).

[0170] E. Traffic types DO-DTT, DT, with focus on rUC1 (indoor inventory) and rUC4 (indoor command).

[0171]

[0172] From RAN#104, the study will assess whether the harmonized air interface design (per bullet 'A' above) can address the DO-A (Device-originated autonomous) use case.

[0173] Only to identify which part(s) of the harmonized air interface design (per bullet 'A' above) is / are not sufficient for the DO-A use case.

[0174] Transmission from Ambient IoT devices (including backscattering when used) can occur at least in UL spectrum.

[0175]

[0176] The following objectives are set within the General Scope:

[0177]

[0178] 1. Evaluation assumptions

[0179] a) Conclude at least the following aspects of design targets left to WGs in Clause 5 (RAN design targets) of TR 38.848 [RAN1]:

[0180]

[0181] Clause 5.3: Applicable maximum distance target value(s)

[0182] Clause 5.6: Refine the definition of latency suitable for use in RAN WGs

[0183] Clause 5.8: 2D distribution of devices

[0184] b) Define necessary further evaluation assumptions of deployment scenarios for coverage and coexistence evaluations [RAN1, RAN4].

[0185] c) Identify basic blocks / components of possible Ambient IoT device architectures, taking into account state of the art implementations of low-power low-complexity devices which meet the RAN design target for power consumption and complexity. [RAN1].

[0186] d) Define link budget calculation for coverage, including whether / how to model carrier wave from node(s) inside or outside the connectivity topology.

[0187]

[0188] NOTE: Assessment performance of the design targets is conducted within the study of feasibility and necessity of proposals in the following objectives, e.g., by inspection of reference implementations in the field, simulations, and analytically.

[0189] NOTE: Strive to minimize evaluation cases in RAN1.

[0190]

[0191] 2. Study necessary and feasible solutions for Ambient IoT as prescribed in the General Scope.

[0192] Determining which functions, procedures, etc. are needed and not needed, and ensuring at least the required functionalities in Section 6.2 of TR 38.848.

[0193] Study of positioning in Rel-19 is RAN3-led, limited to functionalities which would have no, or minimal, specification impact.

[0194] Note: this does not imply any decision relating to WI creation.

[0195] Study the feasibility and required functionalities for proximity determination.

[0196] Coordination with SA3 is required for privacy aspects.

[0197] RAN1-led:

[0198] For the Ambient IoT DL and UL, study the following items:

[0199] Frame structure, synchronization and timing, random access

[0200] Numerologies, bandwidths, and multiple access

[0201] Waveforms and modulations

[0202] Channel coding

[0203] Downlink channel / signal aspects

[0204] Uplink channel / signal aspects

[0205] Scheduling and timing relationships

[0206] Study necessary characteristics of carrier-wave waveform for a carrier wave provided externally to the Ambient IoT device, including for interference handling at Ambient IoT UL receiver and at NR basestation.

[0207] For Topology 2, no difference in physical layer design from Topology 1.

[0208] RAN2-led:

[0209] Study and decide which functions are needed for an Ambient IoT compact protocol stack and lightweight signaling procedure to enable DO-DTT and DT data transmission, and study those functions.

[0210] example:

[0211] Paging

[0212] Random access

[0213] Data transmission, including necessary radio resource control aspects, respecting the limitation in the General Scope

[0214] Interactions with upper layers

[0215] For functionalities not listed above, they are studied only if found essential.

[0216] RAN3-led:

[0217] Identify necessary impacts on signaling and procedures for CN-RAN interface to enable:

[0218] Paging

[0219] Device context management

[0220] Data transport

[0221] Identify RAN architecture aspects, including whether support for split architecture is necessary.

[0222] Identify potential solutions for locating an Ambient IoT device with no specification impact, e.g., reusing existing user location report, or minimal specification impact to convey location information to core network.

[0223] RAN4-led:

[0224] Coexistence study of Ambient IoT and NR / LTE.

[0225] RF requirements study for Ambient IoT:

[0226] Ambient IoT BS transmission and reception

[0227] Ambient IoT Device, as per the General Scope, transmission and reception

[0228] Intermediate node (UE), as per the General Scope, transmission and reception

[0229] RAN2 and RAN3 are expected to identify RAN-CN functional split in coordination with SA2.

[0230]

[0231] Note: This study shall target for an IoT segment well below the existing 3GPP IoT technologies, e.g., NB-IoT, eMTC, RedCap, etc.

[0232] This study shall not aim to replace existing 3GPP LPWA technologies.

[0233]

[0234] For example, as in the 3GPP Draft RP-234058, the types of A-IoT devices can be divided into two as follows. For example, a Type 1 device has a maximum power consumption of approximately 1 uW, can store energy, has no amplification function, and can transmit by backscattering a carrier wave (CW) provided from the outside (e.g., a reader such as a base station or a terminal, or a separate node). For example, a Type 2 device has a maximum power consumption of approximately several hundred uW, can store energy, has an amplification function, and can transmit by backscattering a carrier wave (CW) provided from the outside (e.g., a reader such as a base station or a terminal, or a separate node) or using a signal generated internally by itself.

[0235] For example, in addition to the above-described classification methods, the type / class of A-IoT devices can be distinguished based on parameters associated with device characteristics (e.g., presence / capacity of energy storage, energy / power consumption, presence / capacity of amplification, presence / capacity of BPF (band-pass filter), supported DL / UL transmission method(s), etc.) or a combination of parameters. Here, for example, BPF capability can be distinguished by 3-dB bandwidth of supported BPF, sharpness, etc., and UL transmission methods can be distinguished by, for example, backscatter UL transmission, UL transmission by internal signal generation, etc.

[0236] In addition, the type / class of A-IoT devices can be subdivided based on parameters associated with the device characteristics (e.g., presence / capacity of energy storage, level of energy / power consumption, presence / capacity of amplification, presence / capacity of band-pass filter (BPF), supported DL / UL transmission method(s), etc.) or a combination of parameters. For example, the above-described Type 2 device can be classified into Type 2a if it performs transmission by backscattering a carrier wave (CW) provided from the outside (e.g., a reader such as a base station or terminal or a separate node), and Type 2b if it performs transmission using a signal generated internally by itself. In this case, Type 2a and 2b can be the same in that they have a maximum power consumption of approximately several hundred microwatts, are capable of energy storage, and have an amplification function.

[0237] For example, some types / classes of A-IoT devices (e.g., Device B, Device C, Type 1 devices, and / or Type 2 devices) may have energy storage capabilities (e.g., capacitors or charging batteries) for the following purposes:

[0238] - Stable energy security at the time of reception / transmission

[0239] - Operation of low-power communication modules through energy storage in low RF energy states

[0240] For example, the minimum RF reception sensitivity for operation of a low-power communication module may be -20 dBm, and the minimum reception sensitivity for energy harvesting may be -20 dBm. In this case, if the reception power of the A-IoT device ranges between -30 and -20 dBm, communication may not be possible without a capacitor, but communication may be possible after a charging time with a capacitor.

[0241] - Energy harvested from different energy sources (e.g. solar, thermal, wind, kinetic, etc.) is accumulated in a single capacitor and used to operate a low-power communication module at a desired time.

[0242]

[0243] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of power consumption according to the operating state of an energy harvesting-based device with energy storage capability in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0244] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device energy state according to an operating state of an energy harvesting-based device having energy storage capability in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0245] The embodiments of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 can be combined with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0246] Referring to FIG. 11, S1 may be a sleep state, S2 may be an active state, and P1 and P2 may be power consumption in S1 and S2, respectively. For example, the active state may mean a state in which the device consumes power to perform operations such as receiving / transmitting for communication and sensing, and the sleep state may be a state in which it is not an active state.

[0247] Fig. 10 may represent a device energy state corresponding to Fig. 11. Referring to Fig. 10, the E1 value and the E2 value may vary depending on the device (type / class), and the device may report information related to the E1 value and / or information related to the E2 value to R and / or the base station as capability parameters. For example, the E2 value may be defined as an energy value in a buffered state, and the E1 value may be defined as a minimum energy value required in an active state.

[0248] For example, a transition from S1 to S2 may be possible only when the device energy state value is E2 or has reached E2. For example, a transition from S1 to S2 may be possible when the device energy state value is greater than E1 (i.e., in the range between E1 and E2). The embodiments of FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate examples in which a transition from S1 to S2 is performed when the device energy state value is E2 or has reached E2.

[0249] For example, A-IoT devices may require externally provided CW for backscatter transmission. For example, CW may be used to power A-IoT devices or as CW for downlink transmission, regardless of the transmission mode (e.g., backscatter transmission or internally generated transmission).

[0250] For example, CW waveforms can be supported in various types. For example, the CW waveform type can be a single-tone CW waveform type or a more complex multi-tone CW waveform type. For example, single-tone CW can be advantageous over multi-tone CW in terms of the multiplexing capacity of tags or readers and in terms of interference because it uses fewer resources. On the other hand, multi-tone CW has advantages such as being able to transfer more energy when transmitting CW in DL, and also securing greater coverage from a single device.

[0251] Considering the advantages of these different CW waveform types, multiple CW waveform types can be supported in the A-IoT system, and the base station / IN / AN / UE can configure the CW waveform type. For example, one or more CW waveform types supported in the A-IoT communication system can be configured / defined in advance, and the base station / IN / AN / UE can select one of the one or more supported CW waveform types and transmit it to the A-IoT device. For example, the base station / IN / AN / UE can configure / instruct / indicate the selected CW waveform type to the A-IoT device in the form of a command / message transmitted as a preamble / frame-sync or payload.

[0252] For example, the present disclosure may propose at least one of the following for A-IoT communication: frame structure, synchronization and timing, random access, numerology, bandwidth, multiple access, waveforms, modulation, channel coding, channel / signal aspects, scheduling and timing relationships, and / or required characteristics of carrier waveforms for carriers provided external to the A-IoT device (including interference handling at the A-IoT device UL receiver and the NR base station). For example, the present disclosure may propose at least one of the following for A-IoT communication: paging, random access, data transmission including required radio resource control aspects to comply with general range limitations, interaction with upper layers (e.g., RRC layer, non-access stratum (NAS) layer, application layer, etc.), device context management, data transmission, coexistence of A-IoT and 6G / NR / LTE, and / or RF requirements for A-IoT.

[0253]

[0254] Technical terms used in this disclosure

[0255] - SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0256] - MIB: Master Information Block

[0257] - RMSI: Remaining Minimum System Information

[0258] - FR1: Frequency Range 1. Refers to the frequency range below 6 GHz (e.g., 450 MHz to 6000 MHz).

[0259] - FR2: Frequency Range 2. Refers to the millimeter wave (mmWave) range above 24 GHz (e.g., 24250 MHz to 52600 MHz).

[0260] - BW: Bandwidth

[0261] - BWP: Bandwidth Part

[0262] - RNTI: Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0263] - CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check

[0264] - SIB: System Information Block

[0265] - SIB1: SIB1 for NR devices = RMSI (Remaining Minimum System Information). Broadcasts information necessary for NR terminals to connect to the cell.

[0266] - CORESET (COntrol REsource SET): Time / frequency resource for NR terminal to attempt candidate PDCCH decoding

[0267] - CORESET#0: CORESET for Type0-PDCCH CSS set for NR devices (configured in MIB)

[0268] - Type0-PDCCH CSS set: a search space set in which an NR UE monitors a set of PDCCH candidates for a DCI format with CRC scrambled by a SI-RNTI

[0269] - MO: PDCCH Monitoring Occasion for Type0-PDCCH CSS set

[0270] - SIB1-R: (additional) SIB1 for reduced capability NR devices. May be limited to cases where it is generated as a separate TB from SIB1 and transmitted on a separate PDSCH.

[0271] - CORESET#0-R: CORESET#0 for reduced capability NR devices

[0272] - Type0-PDCCH-R CSS set: a search space set in which a redcap UE monitors a set of PDCCH candidates for a DCI format with CRC scrambled by a SI-RNTI

[0273] - MO-R: PDCCH Monitoring Occasion for Type0-PDCCH CSS set

[0274] - Cell defining SSB (CD-SSB): SSB containing RMSI scheduling information among NR SSBs

[0275] Non-cell defining SSB (non-CD-SSB): An SSB that is placed in the NR sync raster but does not contain RMSI scheduling information for the corresponding cell for measurement purposes. However, it may contain information indicating the location of the cell defining SSB.

[0276] - SCS: subcarrier spacing

[0277] - SI-RNTI: System Information Radio-Network Temporary Identifier

[0278] - Camp on: "Camp on" is the UE state in which the UE stays on a cell and is ready to initiate a potential dedicated service or to receive an ongoing broadcast service.

[0279] - TB: Transport Block

[0280] - RSA (Redcap standalone): Redcap device 또는 service만 지원하는 cell.

[0281] - SIB1(-R)-PDSCH: SIB1(-R)을 전송하는 PDSCH

[0282] - SIB1(-R)-DCI: SIB1(-R)-PDSCH를 scheduling하는 DCI. DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by SI-RNTI.

[0283] - SIB1(-R)-PDCCH: SIB1(-R)-DCI를 전송하는 PDCCH

[0284] - FDRA: Frequency Domain Resource Allocation

[0285] - TDRA: Time Domain Resource Allocation

[0286] - RA: Random Access

[0287] - MSGA: preamble and payload transmissions of the random access procedure for 2-step RA type.

[0288] - MSGB: response to MSGA in the 2-step random access procedure. MSGB may consist of response(s) for contention resolution, fallback indication(s), and backoff indication.

[0289] - RO-N: RO (RACH Occasion) for normal UE 4-step RACH and 2-step RACH (if configured)

[0290] - RO-N1, RO-N2: When a separate RO is set for normal UE 2-step RACH, it is divided into RO-N1 (4-step) and RO-N2 (2-step).

[0291] - RO-R: RO (RACH Occasion) set separately from RO-N for redcap UE 4-step RACH and 2-step RACH (if configured)

[0292] - RO-R1, RO-R2: When separate ROs are set for redcap UE 2-step RACH, they are distinguished as RO-R1 (4-step) and RO-R2 (2-step).

[0293] - PG-R: MsgA-Preambles Group for redcap UEs

[0294] - RAR: Random Access Response

[0295] - RAR window: the time window to monitor RA response(s)

[0296] - FH: Frequency Hopping

[0297] - iBWP: initial BWP

[0298] - iBWP-DL(-UL): initial DL(UL) BWP

[0299] - iBWP-DL(-UL)-R: (separate) initial DL(UL) BWP for RedCap

[0300] - CS: Cyclic shift

[0301] - NB: Narrowband

[0302] - TO: Traffic Offloading

[0303] - mMTC; massive Machine Type Communications

[0304] - eMBB: enhanced Mobile Broadband Communication

[0305] - URLLC: Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communication

[0306] - RedCap: Reduced Capability

[0307] - eRedCap: enhanced RedCap

[0308] - FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

[0309] - HD-FDD: Half-Duplex-FDD

[0310] - DRX: Discontinuous Reception

[0311] - RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0312] - RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0313] - MM: Mobility Management

[0314] - IWSN: Industrial Wireless Sensor Network

[0315] - LPWA: Low Power Wide Area

[0316] - RB: Resource Block

[0317] - CCE: Control Channel Element

[0318] - AL: Aggregation Level

[0319] - PRG: Physical Resource-block Group

[0320] - DFT-s-OFDM: DFT-spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0321] - PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel

[0322] - A-PBCH: Additional PBCH

[0323] - BD: blind detection

[0324] - EPRE: Energy Per RE

[0325] - SNR: Signal-to-Noise Ratio

[0326] - TDM: Time Division Multiplexing

[0327] - FDM: Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0328] - DMRS: DeModulation Reference Signal

[0329] - TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0330] - PCI: Physical layer Cell ID

[0331] - EH: Energy Harvesting

[0332] - EH device: A device that operates based on EH. It can include all of Device A / B / C being discussed in 3GPP. In addition, although this disclosure primarily considers RF EH, an EH device does not necessarily have to be RF EH-based.

[0333] - ES: Energizing Signal. A signal / channel transmitted by a base station / IN / AN / UE for the purpose of supplying RF energy to a device operating on RF-based energy harvesting. (Modulated) CW, NR / LTE DL / UL signals, etc. can be ES, and a dedicated signal / channel for ES can also be designed and supported.

[0334] - ET: Energy Transfer

[0335] CW: Carrier wave. Ambient IoT devices supporting backscattering-based UL transmission transmit information by modulating and backscattering "externally provided" CW. Ambient IoT devices supporting independent signal generation-based UL transmission transmit information by modulating "internally generated" CW. Unless otherwise specified, "externally provided" CW for backscattering is assumed. CW can be used as an energizing signal (ES) for RF energy transfer.

[0336] - CWN: Carrier Wave Node. A node that provides the CW. It may be a base station / IN / AN / UE, and there may be a separate CWN for CW provision purposes.

[0337] - R: Reader / interrogator. This is a standard RFID term. In the 3GPP Ambient IoT context, readers can include gNB / eNB, intermediate / assisting nodes, and UEs, depending on the topology. Furthermore, Ambient IoT is not limited to 4G / 5G communication systems, and can include base stations, intermediate / assisting nodes, and UEs in next-generation communication systems. This can also refer to Ambient IoT readers.

[0338] - T: Tag / ambient IoT device. RFID standard term. In this disclosure, it can be interchanged with EH device, and in the 3GPP Ambient IoT context, it mainly refers to Ambient IoT device, Device A / B / C.

[0339] - D: Ambient IoT device (may have the same meaning as T above)

[0340] - R→T: Reader-to-Tag or Reader-to-Tag communication link. If the base station or intermediate / assisting node is the reader, it may have the same meaning as DL or forward link.

[0341] - R2D: R-to-D link (can mean the same thing as R→T. Can also be written as R→D.)

[0342] - CW2D: CWN-to-D link (CW node to Ambient IoT device link)

[0343] - T→R: Tag-to-Reader or Tag-to-Reader communication link. When the base station or intermediate / assisting node is the reader, it may have the same meaning as UL or reverse / backward link.

[0344] - D2R: It can have the same meaning as T→R. It can be written as D→R.

[0345] - R↔T: Includes cases of R→T and T→R, or R→T or T→R. It may be the case that both R→T and T→R apply.

[0346] - R↔D: Includes cases of R2D and D2R, or R2D or D2R. This may apply to both R2D and D2R. (This may have the same meaning as R↔T.)

[0347] - RF-EH: RF energy harvesting

[0348] - PRDCH: Physical R2D CHannel (may be written as PR2DCH). A physical channel for R2D communication.

[0349] - PDRCH: Physical D2R CHannel (may be denoted as PD2RCH). Physical channel for D2R communication.

[0350] - BS: Base Station

[0351] - IN: Intermediate node. In Topology 2 (BS ↔ IN ↔ Ambient IoT device), IN acts as the reader. Relay, IAB, UE, repeater, etc. can be IN.

[0352] - AN: Assisting node. It can assist DL transmission in Topology 3-1 (BS → AN → Ambient IoT device → BS), or assist UL transmission in Topology 3-2 (BS → Ambient IoT device → AN → BS). Relay, IAB, UE, repeater, etc. can be AN.

[0353] - UE: User Equipment. In the case of LTE, NR, or next-generation communication systems, it refers to the LTE, NR, or next-generation communication system UE / terminal, respectively. It is a general wireless communication terminal type that is distinct from Ambient IoT devices or Device A / B / C. In Topology 4 (UE ↔ Ambient IoT device), the UE acts as the reader.

[0354] - Device: Unless otherwise stated, and when used alone, refers to EH device, Ambient IoT device, or Device A / B / C indiscriminately.

[0355] - AmIoT: Ambient IoT (=A-IoT)

[0356] - F-gap: Frequency gap

[0357] - T-gap: Time gap

[0358] - TD: Time Domain

[0359] - FD: Frequency Domain

[0360] - PEI: Paging Early Indication

[0361] - LP-WUS: Low-Power Wake-Up Signal

[0362] - LP-SS: Low-Power Synchronization Signal

[0363] - RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0364] - ESRP: ES Received Power. This may refer to RSRP measured using ES. It may have the same meaning as ES-RSRP.

[0365] - PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0366] - EH circuit: A circuit that performs EH operations. An EH device can be viewed as containing an EH circuit in component form.

[0367] - PHR: Power Headroom Report

[0368] - EHR: Energy Headroom Report

[0369] - BPF: Band-Pass Filter

[0370] - SM: Subcarrier Modulation

[0371]

[0372] The methods proposed in this disclosure can be commonly applied to topology 1 (topology 1 (indoor BS + indoor Ambient IoT device)) and topology 2 (topology 2 (outdoor BS + indoor intermediate UE + indoor Ambient IoT device)), and UE1 as a gNB and IN is conveniently named as a reader. In addition, the invention can be extended to cases where a reader receiving a BSS can directly generate and transmit a CW, or where a node transmitting a CW is a separate node from the reader.

[0373] The Ambient IoT BS (base station) (e.g., reader) used in the present disclosure may be a gNB in ​​topology 1 and a specific UE in topology 2. Additionally, the Ambient IoT device (e.g., tag) used in the present disclosure may be interpreted as an Ambient IoT device in both topology 1 and / or topology 2.

[0374] Meanwhile, this disclosure proposes preamble, midamble, and postamble design methods that can be used for Ambient IoT transmission and reception. In this disclosure, the term "x-amble" is used to refer to all three: preamble, midamble, and postamble. Specifically, the preamble refers to transmission at the very beginning of a specific D2R or R2D transmission, the midamble refers to the middle, and the postamble refers to transmission at the very end.

[0375] Meanwhile, the preamble, midamble, and postamble mentioned in the present disclosure may be transmitted together with D2R, R2D transmission (e.g., PDRCH, PRDCH), or may be transmitted by being included in the corresponding D2R, R2D transmission.

[0376]

[0377] Composition and Method of the Invention

[0378] In this disclosure, '()' can be interpreted as both excluding the content within () and including the content within the parentheses.

[0379] In this disclosure, ' / ' may mean including all of the contents separated by / (and) or including only some of the contents separated by / (or).

[0380] ALOHA, a random access method for wireless communication developed at the University of Hawaii, allows transmitting terminals to transmit data and, if a collision occurs, retransmits the data. While the initial ALOHA scheme allowed terminals the freedom to transmit data at any time, it suffered from a high collision rate. While simple to implement, the initial ALOHA scheme suffered from frequent collisions and reduced efficiency as traffic increased.

[0381] Slotted ALOHA, an improved version of this, divides time into fixed slots and restricts each terminal to transmit data only at the beginning of each slot, thereby reducing the probability of collision and improving channel efficiency. This reduces collisions only when data packets completely overlap, halving the probability of collisions and doubling the maximum channel efficiency (i.e., throughput).

[0382] This random access method, based on the ALOHA family, can be effectively utilized in environments with a large number of terminals and intermittent data transmission, such as Ambient IoT. Since each sensor or device does not constantly transmit data, but only sends small amounts when necessary, communication is simple and efficient, even at the risk of collisions.

[0383]

[0384] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=3, Y=1) using slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0385] This disclosure proposes additional methods that can be considered when applying slotted ALOHA operation to an A-IoT system. The term "slot" used in this disclosure refers to a slot considered in slotted ALOHA operation, which can have variable lengths in the time domain depending on the reader's settings / instructions. An example of a device performing random access using slotted ALOHA is illustrated in Figure 12.

[0386]

[0387] [Method #1] How to cover multiple slots within an inventory round with a single command

[0388] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=5, Y=2, N=2) using enhanced slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0389] As a first method, we can consider covering multiple slots within an inventory round with a single command. For example, if the reader sets / indicates the Q value, the total number of slot counters that the reader can consider within an inventory round is 2. Q=M can be defined, and in this situation, the reader can consider an action of allocating N slots (N) through a specific Query (or Query Rep or Query adjust, etc.) command. At this time, the N value can be predefined in the standard specification, or can be separately set / indicated by the reader. In addition, the time occupied by the N slots can be indicated by the reader through the Query (or Query Rep or Query adjust, etc.) command (independently for each slot, or with the same value for all slots), or can be predefined in the standard specification. Afterwards, the device can be set to decrease the slot number counter by N when it receives a Query Rep from the reader. This method has the advantage of reducing the overhead of the reader having to send a Query (or Query Rep or Query adjust, etc.) command for each slot. Meanwhile, in order for the device to decrease the slot number counter within the N slots, the slot counter can be set to decrease for every timer of a preset / fixed size. Alternatively, the device can be defined to determine when to decrement the slot number counter by receiving a D2R / R2D signal / channel from another device transmitting / receiving in the slot. Additionally, if the reader / device has no more to transmit / receive in a specific slot among N slots, a method can be considered in which the reader transmits an additional command (e.g., sub-Query rep) to indicate that the slot occupancy time has ended earlier than the preset / indicated time and that the next slot has begun. The proposed method is illustrated in FIG. 13.

[0390]

[0391] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a random access (RA) process (assuming X=3, Y=2, N=2) using enhanced slotted ALOHA in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0392] In the example of Fig. 14, if N slots are covered by a specific command, and a specific device is considered to transmit and receive with the reader within each slot, as another example, if N slot numbers are defined by a specific Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) command, the devices that have selected slot number counters corresponding to the N can be defined to transmit msg1 first by TDM in slot number order. After that, the reader can also be defined to transmit msg2 by TDM in slot number order, and msg3 / 4 can also be set to be transmitted and received by TDM in slot number order. The proposed method is illustrated in Fig. 14. At this time, since device 1 selected slot number counter 3 and device 2 selected slot number counter 2, when the first Query rep is received, each slot number counter changes to 1 and 0, and it can be defined to transmit in the N (N=2) slots allocated by the corresponding Query rep. However, since the slot number counter of device 2 is 0 and the slot number counter of device 1 is 1, we can see that device 2 transmits msg1 first and then device 1 TDMs and transmits msg1.

[0393] Meanwhile, when the slot number counter value of the devices becomes 0, the action of transmitting is set as the default, but in a specific situation, if the value N in the received Query rep is greater than or equal to the slot number counter value of the device, the device can be defined to transmit in one of the N slots set by the Query rep. At this time, the slot number counter value of the device can be set to decrease for each preset / fixed size timer to determine which slot to transmit in among the N slots, and the device can be defined to transmit when the slot number counter value becomes 0. If the value N is greater than the slot number counter that the device had, the device decreases the slot number counter until it becomes 0, transmits msg1, completes the RACH procedure, and then sets the slot number counter in the next slot to the largest value that the device can have (e.g., FFFF) or the largest value that can be selected by the Q value indicated by the reader (e.g., 2). Q -1) can be defined as set.

[0394]

[0395] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented in a manner that enhances and applies to the random access procedure of the 3GPP standard. Specifically, the reader used in the present disclosure may correspond to a base station (eNodeB / gNB) of a 3GPP system, and the device may correspond to a user equipment (UE).

[0396] In the present disclosure, the slot number counter selected by the terminal may be mapped to the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resource or its index selected by the UE for random access in the 3GPP standard. In this case, the total number of slots M may be interpreted as the pool size of the entire PRACH resource set by the base station through system information (e.g., SIB2).

[0397] The core component of embodiments of the present disclosure, the operation of allocating N slots via a single Query Rep command, serves as a groundbreaking improvement to the 3GPP standard procedure. This can be implemented by allowing the base station to grant access or update the status of N consecutive PRACH resource groups via a single enhanced RAR or new downlink control information (DCI), instead of transmitting a random access response (RAR) for each individual PRACH resource. This significantly reduces the overhead of the base station having to transmit a control signal for each resource.

[0398] Therefore, the operation of the terminal decreasing the slot number counter by N after receiving the Query Rep corresponds to the process of the base station recognizing that it has completed processing N PRACH resource groups and calculating that its own PRACH transmission order is approaching. The terminal can specify the operation by transmitting the random access preamble (i.e., Msg1) when its own 'slot number counter' value becomes 0 or is included in the range of N, i.e., when the PRACH resource selected by it belongs to the group activated by the base station.

[0399] Furthermore, the embodiment of FIG. 14 is implemented in a group-based contention resolution manner in which, when a base station allocates N PRACH resources to one Query Rep, multiple terminals that have selected the resources sequentially (time division multiplexing, TDM) transmit preambles through their respective PRACH resources, thereby further increasing the efficiency and speed of the random access procedure.

[0400]

[0401] [Method #2] How to have the reader dictate the speed at which slot numbers decrease with a specific command within an inventory round.

[0402] Next, we can consider a method in which multiple slots (e.g., N) within an inventory round are covered with a single command, and the reader sets / indicates the corresponding N value for each specific command or each specific inventory round. For example, the reader may set / indicate the slot index value N covered by the Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) command, or a default value for N may be defined in advance, and the reader may set / indicate the change amount (e.g., ±1 or ±k, where the k value is separately indicated) through the Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) command. In this case, the N value may be predefined in the spec, but may also be set / indicated separately by the reader. In addition, the time occupied by the multiple slots may be indicated by the reader through the Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) command (independently for each slot, or with the same value for all slots), or may be predefined in the spec. Afterwards, the device can be configured to decrease the slot number counter by N (±k) units when receiving a Query Rep from the reader. The proposed method can be configured / instructed by device type or energy state / status / storage (size).

[0403] Additionally, the reader may consider sending a specific command (e.g., Final Call command) to check if there are devices that have not yet transmitted in a specific inventory round because their slot number counter has not yet reached 0. Devices receiving this command can be configured to immediately attempt to transmit msg1 by setting their slot number counter to 0. Alternatively, the reader may consider setting the Q value to infinite (or the slot number counter to infinite) via a Query command after completing a specific inventory round and before starting a new inventory round. This action can be defined as an action to notify devices when the reader cannot complete an inventory round, i.e., when it needs to perform another operation (e.g., transmit or receive with the NR system).

[0404]

[0405] [Method #3] How to call devices with multiple slot number counters with a specific command within an inventory round

[0406] Consider a situation where the number of devices participating in an inventory round is small and the Q value is relatively large, so that the slot number counters selected by the devices hardly overlap and are widely spaced. In this case, a method can be considered in which the reader calls devices with multiple slot number counters to the corresponding slots at once through a specific Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) command. For example, devices with one of m slot number counters (e.g., k, k+1, k+2, k, k+m) can be defined to transmit msg1 simultaneously after a specific command. To do this, the reader needs to set / indicate the starting point (e.g., k) and / or the total number (e.g., m) of the slot number counters called through this command. The devices receiving this can be configured to decide whether to transmit msg1 based on their respective slot number counter values. In other words, if the reader calls the slot number counter of each device, the slot number counter value can be immediately set to 0 and msg1 can be transmitted immediately.

[0407] Additionally, when defining command values ​​in advance in the spec, it may be desirable to define frequently used commands such as Query (or Query Rep or Query Adjust, etc.) with the shortest length.

[0408]

[0409] The above suggested methods can be set / applied independently, but it is also possible to set / apply multiple suggested methods in combination.

[0410] In the above proposed methods, the timing values ​​defined in advance and / or set / indicated by the reader may be set in units of chip(s) / codeword(s) / NR OFDM(s) symbol / NR slot, or may be set / indicated in units of the corresponding time unit after defining a time unit for Ambient IoT (e.g., Tc), or may be set / indicated in units of the corresponding time unit, or may be set / indicated in multiples of the corresponding time unit, etc.

[0411]

[0412] [Description of the first device (Ambient IoT device / UE) claim]

[0413] The embodiments described below are specifically described with reference to FIG. 15 in terms of the operation of the first device (Ambient IoT device or UE). The methods described below are distinguished for convenience of explanation, and it is understood that some components of one method may be substituted for or combined with some components of another method, as long as they are not mutually exclusive.

[0414] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation process of a first device in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0415] In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the first device may correspond to an Ambient IoT device or a UE (User Equipment), and the second device may correspond to a base station or an IN (Integration Node) or AN (Access Node).

[0416] At step S1510, the first device receives a first signal associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions from the second device.

[0417] At step S1520, the first device determines a second value associated with an access occasion counter.

[0418] At step S1530, the first device receives a second signal from the second device.

[0419] At step S1540, the first device reduces the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal.

[0420] In step S1550, if the second value reduced by the first value is less than the first value, the first device transmits a first message of random access based on one specific access opportunity among the plurality of access opportunities.

[0421]

[0422] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first message may be a first message (message 1, Msg1) of a random access procedure.

[0423] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific connection opportunity may be a connection opportunity corresponding to a specific order determined based on a count number of the connection opportunity counter among the plurality of connection opportunities.

[0424] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the plurality of connection opportunities may be allocated within a pool of 2^(third value) total connection opportunities based on a third value set by a signal received from the second device.

[0425] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the time occupied by the plurality of connection opportunities may be set independently or may be set to be the same for all.

[0426] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first message may be one of a plurality of first messages transmitted in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner based on the order of counter numbers of connection opportunity counters of the plurality of first devices including the first device.

[0427] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiment of FIG. 15 may further include the step of receiving, from a second device, a second message that is time division multiplexed (TDMed) with the first message. The second message may be a second message (message 2, Msg2) of a random access procedure.

[0428]

[0429] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first device is provided in a wireless communication system. The first device includes a transceiver and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to perform the operating method of the first device according to FIG. 15.

[0430]

[0431] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus for controlling a first device in a wireless communication system is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory operably connected to the at least one processor. The at least one memory may be configured to store instructions for performing an operating method of the first device according to FIG. 15 based on instructions executed by the at least one processor.

[0432]

[0433] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (CRM) storing one or more instructions are provided. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors, perform operations, and the operations may include a method of operating a first device according to FIG. 15.

[0434]

[0435] Wireless devices applicable to the present disclosure

[0436] Below, examples of wireless devices to which various embodiments of the present disclosure are applied are described.

[0437] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a first device and a second device in a system applicable to the present disclosure.

[0438] The first device (1600) may include a processor (1610), an antenna unit (1620), a transceiver (1630), and a memory (1640).

[0439] The processor (1610) performs baseband-related signal processing and may include a higher layer processing unit (1611) and a physical layer processing unit (1615). The higher layer processing unit (1611) may process operations of a MAC layer, an RRC layer, or higher layers. The physical layer processing unit (1615) may process operations of a PHY layer. For example, when the first device (1600) is a base station device in base station-to-terminal communication, the physical layer processing unit (1615) may perform uplink reception signal processing, downlink transmission signal processing, etc. For example, when the first device (1600) is a first terminal device in terminal-to-terminal communication, the physical layer processing unit (1615) may perform downlink reception signal processing, uplink transmission signal processing, sidelink transmission signal processing, etc. In addition to performing baseband-related signal processing, the processor (1610) may also control the overall operation of the first device (1600).

[0440] The antenna unit (1620) may include one or more physical antennas, and when it includes multiple antennas, it may support MIMO transmission and reception. The transceiver (1630) may include an RF (Radio Frequency) transmitter and an RF receiver. The memory (1640) may store information processed by the processor (1610), and software, an operating system, applications, etc. related to the operation of the first device (1600), and may also include components such as a buffer.

[0441] The processor (1610) of the first device (1600) may be configured to implement the operation of the base station in the base station-to-terminal communication (or the operation of the first terminal device in the terminal-to-terminal communication) in the embodiments described in the present disclosure.

[0442]

[0443] The second device (1650) may include a processor (1660), an antenna unit (1670), a transceiver (1680), and a memory (1690).

[0444] The processor (1660) performs baseband-related signal processing and may include a higher layer processing unit (1661) and a physical layer processing unit (1665). The higher layer processing unit (1661) may process operations of a MAC layer, an RRC layer, or higher layers. The physical layer processing unit (1665) may process operations of a PHY layer. For example, when the second device (1650) is a terminal device in base station-terminal communication, the physical layer processing unit (1665) may perform downlink reception signal processing, uplink transmission signal processing, etc. For example, when the second device (1650) is a second terminal device in terminal-to-terminal communication, the physical layer processing unit (1665) may perform downlink reception signal processing, uplink transmission signal processing, sidelink reception signal processing, etc. In addition to performing baseband-related signal processing, the processor (1660) may also control the overall operation of the second device (1660).

[0445] The antenna unit (1670) may include one or more physical antennas, and when including multiple antennas, may support MIMO transmission and reception. The transceiver (1680) may include an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. The memory (1690) may store information processed by the processor (1660), and software, an operating system, applications, etc. related to the operation of the second device (1650), and may also include components such as a buffer.

[0446] The processor (1660) of the second device (1650) may be configured to implement operations of the terminal in base station-to-terminal communication (or operations of the second terminal device in terminal-to-terminal communication) in the embodiments described in the present disclosure.

[0447] In the operation of the first device (1600) and the second device (1650), the same explanations given for the base station and the terminal (or the first terminal and the second terminal in the terminal-to-terminal communication) in the examples of the present disclosure may be applied, and any duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0448]

[0449] Here, the wireless communication technology implemented in the device (1600, 1650) of the present disclosure may include various other wireless communication technologies as well as LTE, NR, and 6G.

[0450]

[0451] The claims described in the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined in various ways. For example, the technical features of the method claims of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the device claims of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined and implemented as a method. Furthermore, the technical features of the method claims of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined and implemented as a device, and the technical features of the method claims of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined and implemented as a method.

Claims

1. In a method performed by a first device, A step of receiving a first signal associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions from a second device; A step of determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; A step of receiving a second signal from the second device; A step of reducing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; Including a step of transmitting a first message of random access based on one specific access opportunity among the plurality of access opportunities when the second value reduced by the first value is less than the first value. method.

2. In paragraph 1, The above first message is the first message (message 1, Msg1) of the random access procedure. method.

3. In paragraph 1, The above specific connection opportunity is a connection opportunity corresponding to a specific order determined based on the count number of the connection opportunity counter among the multiple connection opportunities. method.

4. In paragraph 1, The above multiple connection opportunities are allocated within a pool of 2^(third value) total connection opportunities based on a third value set by a signal received from the second device. method.

5. In paragraph 1, The time occupied by the above multiple connection opportunities is set independently or is set to be the same for all. method.

6. In paragraph 1, The first message is one of a plurality of first messages transmitted in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner based on the order of counter numbers of connection opportunity counters of the plurality of first devices including the first device. method.

7. In paragraph 1, further comprising the step of receiving a second message time division multiplexed (TDMed) with the first message from a second device, The second message above is the second message (message 2, Msg2) of the random access procedure. method.

8. In the first device, Transmitter and receiver; at least one processor; and At least one memory operably connectable to said at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, perform operations; The above actions are: A step of receiving a first signal associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions from a second device; A step of determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; A step of receiving a second signal from the second device; A step of reducing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; Including a step of transmitting a first message of random access based on one specific access opportunity among the plurality of access opportunities when the second value reduced by the first value is less than the first value. First device.

9. In paragraph 8, The above first message is the first message (message 1, Msg1) of the random access procedure. First device.

10. In paragraph 8, The above specific connection opportunity is a connection opportunity corresponding to a specific order determined based on the count number of the connection opportunity counter among the multiple connection opportunities. First device.

11. In paragraph 8, The above multiple connection opportunities are allocated within a pool of 2^(third value) total connection opportunities based on a third value set by a signal received from the second device. First device.

12. In paragraph 8, The time occupied by the above multiple connection opportunities is set independently or is set to be the same for all. First device.

13. In paragraph 8, The first message is one of a plurality of first messages transmitted in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner based on the order of counter numbers of connection opportunity counters of the plurality of first devices including the first device. First device.

14. In paragraph 8, The above operations further include: receiving, from a second device, a second message time division multiplexed (TDMed) with the first message; The second message above is the second message (message 2, Msg2) of the random access procedure. First device.

15. In a control device that controls the first device, at least one processor; and comprising at least one memory operably connected to at least one of the processors; The at least one memory stores instructions for performing operations based on being executed by the at least one processor, The above actions are: A step of receiving a first signal associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions from a second device; A step of determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; A step of receiving a second signal from the second device; A step of reducing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; Including a step of transmitting a first message of random access based on one specific access opportunity among the plurality of access opportunities when the second value reduced by the first value is less than the first value. controller.

16. In paragraph 15, The above first message is the first message (message 1, Msg1) of the random access procedure. controller.

17. In paragraph 15, The above specific connection opportunity is a connection opportunity corresponding to a specific order determined based on the count number of the connection opportunity counter among the multiple connection opportunities. controller.

18. In paragraph 15, The above multiple connection opportunities are allocated within a pool of 2^(third value) total connection opportunities based on a third value set by a signal received from the second device. controller.

19. In paragraph 15, The time occupied by the above multiple connection opportunities is set independently or is set to be the same for all. controller.

20. In one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more instructions, The one or more instructions perform operations based on being executed by one or more processors, The above actions are: A step of receiving a first signal associated with a first value for a plurality of access occasions from a second device; A step of determining a second value associated with an access occasion counter; A step of receiving a second signal from the second device; A step of reducing the second value by the first value based on reception of the second signal; Including a step of transmitting a first message of random access based on one specific access opportunity among the plurality of access opportunities when the second value reduced by the first value is less than the first value. Computer readable medium.

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