Communication method and related device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a related device. In the method, a first device sends a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is used for transmitting data, the second signal is used for being modulated by a second device to obtain a third signal, the third signal is a feedback signal of response data, and the second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of a third device. On the basis of the solution, the second signal sent by the first device to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but is also used for CFO calibration of the third device, that is, data transmission of the second device and the CFO calibration of the third device are realized by means of the second signal, so as to meet the communication requirements of both the second device and the third device, thereby improving the communication efficiency.

Description

A communication method and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411181097.0, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on August 26, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Related Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the widespread adoption of machine-type communication (MTC) and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems, an increasing number of IoT devices have been deployed in people's lives. To further popularize IoT, it is necessary to use smaller batteries or even eliminate battery limitations altogether, or to design a method to reduce the power consumption of radio transceivers, thereby overcoming the limitations of cost, size, and power consumption in IoT devices.

[0004] Currently, Ambient IoT (A-IoT) devices are mainly divided into active and passive types based on their ability to actively generate or transmit carrier signals. Active A-IoT devices can use the energy stored in their own energy storage modules to transmit wireless communication signals, while passive A-IoT devices mainly rely on obtaining energy from external radio frequency signals and communicating through backscattered radio frequency signals, ultimately achieving ultra-low power consumption or even zero power consumption. Furthermore, due to mismatch issues or Doppler shift between the local crystal oscillators of the transmitting and receiving sides, the transmitting side needs to send known training symbols to the receiving side. The receiving side estimates the carrier frequency offset (CFO) based on the phase change of the received training symbols and then achieves final CFO calibration through CFO compensation. Since passive A-IoT devices cannot actively generate carriers, they are not involved in the CFO issue, while active A-IoT devices are subject to the CFO problem.

[0005] However, in communication scenarios involving both passive and active A-IoT devices, a CFO calibration signal is often introduced into the downlink signal, which reduces the communication efficiency of passive A-IoT devices that do not require CFO calibration. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related equipment. The second signal sent to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal realizes the data transmission of the second device and the CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second device and the third device and improving communication efficiency.

[0007] This application provides a communication method, which is executed by a first device, or by a component of the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. In this first aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described executed by a first device. In this method, the first device sends a first signal for transmitting data. The first device also sends a second signal, which is modulated by the second device to obtain a third signal. The third signal is a feedback signal in response to the data, and the second signal is further used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration by the third device.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, the second signal sent by the first device to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second and third devices and improving communication efficiency.

[0009] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second device is a passive A-IoT device and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0010] In this possible implementation, the first device does not need to send a dedicated calibration signal separately for the active A-IoT device. The active A-IoT device can perform CFO calibration by multiplexing the carrier signal sent by the first device to the passive A-IoT device.

[0011] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first device may also receive a third signal sent by the second device. The first device may also receive a fourth signal sent by the third device.

[0012] The interval between the transmission time of the third signal and the end time of the first signal is the first interval, the interval between the transmission time of the fourth signal and the end time of the first signal is the second interval, and the fourth signal is a feedback signal that responds to the first signal after CFO calibration; the first interval is less than or equal to the second interval.

[0013] In this possible implementation, by limiting the interval between the third signal and the fourth signal, the time for the third device to perform CFO calibration can be fully considered.

[0014] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first device may also send instruction information to the third device, the instruction information being used to instruct the second signal for CFO calibration of the third device.

[0015] In this possible implementation, the second signal can also be used for CFO calibration of a third device by indicating the information, thereby reducing the overhead of sending an additional dedicated calibration signal to the third device. The second signal can meet the needs of multiple types of devices.

[0016] A second aspect of this application provides a communication method, which is executed by a second device, or by a component (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) of the second device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device. In this second aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a second device. In this method, the second device receives a first signal transmitted by a first device; the second device receives a second signal transmitted by the first device, the second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal in response to the first signal, the second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration by the third device, and the second device transmits the third signal to the first device.

[0017] Based on the above scheme, the second signal sent by the first device to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second and third devices and improving communication efficiency.

[0018] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the above method is applied to a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0019] In this possible implementation, the first device does not need to send a dedicated calibration signal separately for the active A-IoT device. The active A-IoT device can perform CFO calibration by multiplexing the carrier signal sent by the first device to the passive A-IoT device.

[0020] A third aspect of this application provides a communication method, which is executed by a third device, or by a component (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) of the third device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the third device. In this third aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a third device. In this method, the third device receives a first signal transmitted by a first device; the third device receives a second signal transmitted by the first device, the second signal being modulated by the second device to obtain a third signal, the third signal being a response data signal, and the second signal also being used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration by the third device; the third device performs CFO calibration based on the second signal.

[0021] Based on the above scheme, the second signal sent by the first device to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second and third devices and improving communication efficiency.

[0022] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the above method is applied to an active A-IoT device, and the second device is a passive A-IoT device.

[0023] In this possible implementation, the first device does not need to send a dedicated calibration signal separately for the active A-IoT device. The active A-IoT device can perform CFO calibration by multiplexing the carrier signal sent by the first device to the passive A-IoT device.

[0024] Alternatively, in one possible implementation of the third aspect, the aforementioned third device may also receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate that the second signal is used for CFO calibration.

[0025] In this possible implementation, the second signal can also be used for CFO calibration of a third device by indicating the information, thereby reducing the overhead of sending an additional dedicated calibration signal to the third device. The second signal can meet the needs of multiple types of devices.

[0026] This application provides a fourth aspect of a communication method, which is executed by a first device, or by a component of the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. In this fourth aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a first device. In this method, the first device sends a calibration signal and a first signal to a third device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device; the first signal is used to transmit data, and a preset interval exists between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0027] Based on the above scheme, a dedicated calibration signal is introduced for CFO calibration. This signal directly or indirectly indicates the time interval between the first signal and the calibration signal (or, in other words, directly or indirectly indicates the position of the calibration signal). Compared to existing technologies that carry the calibration signal in the preamble of the first signal, sending the calibration signal before the first signal can be considered, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of CFO estimation or calibration.

[0028] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first device may also send indication information to the third device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time domain position of the calibration signal.

[0029] In this possible implementation, the third device is informed of the time-domain information of the calibration signal through indication information, so as to obtain the correct calibration signal and improve the CFO calibration efficiency.

[0030] This application provides a communication method, which is executed by a third device, or by some components of the third device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the third device. In this fifth aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a third device. In this method, the third device receives a calibration signal and a first signal sent by a first device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device; the first signal is used to transmit data; a preset interval exists between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal; and the third device performs CFO calibration based on the calibration signal.

[0031] Based on the above scheme, a dedicated calibration signal is introduced for CFO calibration. This signal directly or indirectly indicates the time interval between the first signal and the calibration signal (or, in other words, directly or indirectly indicates the position of the calibration signal). Compared to existing technologies that carry the calibration signal in the preamble of the first signal, sending the calibration signal before the first signal can be considered, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of CFO estimation or calibration.

[0032] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the fifth aspect, the third device may also receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time domain position of the calibration signal.

[0033] In this possible implementation, the third device is informed of the time-domain information of the calibration signal through indication information, so as to obtain the correct calibration signal and improve the CFO calibration efficiency.

[0034] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a first device, or a component of the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. The first device may refer to an access network device or a core network device, etc., and the communication device includes a transceiver unit.

[0035] The transceiver unit is used to send a first signal, which is used to transmit data.

[0036] The transceiver unit is also used to transmit a second signal, which is modulated by the second device to obtain a third signal. The third signal is a feedback signal for response data, and the second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

[0037] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the sixth aspect, the second device described above is a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0038] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the sixth aspect, the transceiver unit described above is further configured to receive a third signal sent by the second device; the interval between the transmission time of the third signal and the end time of the first signal is a first interval.

[0039] The transceiver unit is also used to receive a fourth signal sent by a third device. The interval between the transmission time of the fourth signal and the end time of the first signal is the second interval. The fourth signal is a feedback signal that responds to the first signal after being calibrated by CFO.

[0040] The first interval is less than or equal to the second interval.

[0041] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the sixth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to send indication information to the third device, the indication information being used to indicate that the second signal is used for CFO calibration of the third device.

[0042] A seventh aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a second device, or a component of a second device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device. The second device may refer to a terminal device, a passive tag, or a semi-passive tag, etc., and the communication device includes a transceiver unit.

[0043] A transceiver unit is used to receive a first signal sent by a first device.

[0044] The transceiver unit is also used to receive a second signal sent by the first device. The second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal in response to the first signal. The second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

[0045] The transceiver unit is also used to send a third signal to the first device.

[0046] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the seventh aspect, the second device described above is a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0047] The eighth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a third device, or a component of a third device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a third device. The third device may refer to a terminal device, an active tag, or an active terminal, etc., and the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0048] A transceiver unit is used to receive a first signal sent by a first device.

[0049] The transceiver unit is also used to receive a second signal sent by the first device. The second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal, which is a response data signal. The second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

[0050] The processing unit is used to perform CFO calibration based on the second signal.

[0051] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the eighth aspect, the third device is an active A-IoT device and the second device is a passive A-IoT device.

[0052] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the eighth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate that the second signal is used for CFO calibration.

[0053] The ninth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a first device, or a component of the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. The first device may refer to an access network device or a core network device, etc., and the communication device includes a transceiver unit.

[0054] The transceiver unit is used to send a calibration signal and a first signal to a third device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device, and the first signal is used to transmit data. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0055] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the ninth aspect, the aforementioned transceiver unit is further configured to send indication information to a third device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time-domain position of a calibration signal.

[0056] The tenth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a third device, or a component of a third device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a third device. The third device may refer to a terminal device, an active tag, or an active terminal, etc., and the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0057] The transceiver unit is used to receive a calibration signal and a first signal sent by the first device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device, and the first signal is used to transmit data. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0058] The processing unit is used to perform CFO calibration based on the calibration signal.

[0059] Optionally, in one possible implementation of the tenth aspect, the transceiver unit described above is further configured to receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time domain position of a calibration signal.

[0060] The eleventh aspect of this application provides a communication device, including at least one processor coupled to at least one memory; the at least one memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to enable the device to implement any of the possible implementations of the first to fifth aspects.

[0061] The twelfth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and at least one input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any of the possible implementations of the first to fifth aspects above.

[0062] The thirteenth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a communication device that implements any of the possible embodiments of the sixth aspect, the seventh aspect, and the eighth aspect, or includes a communication device that implements any of the possible embodiments of the ninth and tenth aspects.

[0063] The fourteenth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fifth aspects above.

[0064] The fifteenth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0065] The sixteenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to fifth aspects described above.

[0066] In one possible design, the chip system may further include at least one memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to at least one processor.

[0067] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects six through sixteen can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through five above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0068] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0069] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0070] Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0071] Figure 2A is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0072] Figure 2B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0073] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0074] Figure 4 is a structural example diagram of the first signal involved in this application;

[0075] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the time intervals involved in this application;

[0076] Figure 6 is another flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0077] Figure 7A is an example diagram showing the timing relationship between the first signal and the calibration signal involved in this application;

[0078] Figure 7B is another example of the timing relationship between the first signal and the calibration signal involved in this application;

[0079] Figure 8A is another example of the timing relationship between the first signal and the calibration signal involved in this application;

[0080] Figure 8B is another example of the timing relationship between the first signal and the calibration signal involved in this application;

[0081] Figures 9 to 12 are several schematic diagrams of the communication equipment provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0082] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, a brief introduction of the relevant terms in this application is given below.

[0083] 1. Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT)

[0084] A-IoT primarily focuses on low-power / ultra-low-power research for IoT. Currently, A-IoT scenarios mainly include active A-IoT devices and passive A-IoT devices.

[0085] Passive A-IoT devices, also known as passive tags, semi-passive tags, or passive terminals, cannot actively generate or transmit carrier signals. In other words, passive A-IoT devices primarily rely on obtaining energy from external radio frequency signals and communicate through backscattered radio frequency signals, ultimately achieving ultra-low power consumption or even zero power consumption.

[0086] Active A-IoT devices can actively generate or transmit carrier signals. In other words, active A-IoT devices can be called active tags or active terminals, and can use the energy stored in their own energy storage modules to complete the transmission of wireless communication signals.

[0087] Optionally, passive A-IoT devices may include the following first type of A-IoT devices and second type of A-IoT devices.

[0088] The first type of A-IoT device has at least one of the following characteristics: it does not support uplink and downlink amplification, and the uplink is transmitted in a backscattering manner based on an externally provided carrier.

[0089] The second type of A-IoT device has at least one of the following characteristics: it supports uplink or downlink amplification, and the uplink is transmitted in a backscattering manner based on an externally provided carrier.

[0090] Active A-IoT devices can also be called third-class A-IoT devices. Third-class A-IoT devices have at least one of the following characteristics: support for uplink or downlink amplification, and uplink transmission is based on an internally generated carrier.

[0091] For example, the first type of A-IoT device can also be called a type 1 device, the second type of A-IoT device can also be called a type 2a device, and the third type of A-IoT device can also be called a type 2b device.

[0092] For example, taking a passive A-IoT device as a passive tag, the energy for the passive tag's operation is provided by the reader. For instance, part of the energy of the continuous wave (CW) transmitted by the reader is used for internal processing such as encoding / decoding and modulation / demodulation of the passive tag. Furthermore, this continuous wave also serves as a carrier wave to carry uplink information from the passive tag. Taking a semi-passive A-IoT device as an example, it may include a battery internally. Internal processing such as encoding / decoding and modulation / demodulation can be powered by the battery, but it still requires the reader's continuous wave as a carrier wave. Unless otherwise specified, the tags in the following embodiments of this application refer to passive tags or semi-active tags.

[0093] The readers / writers mentioned above are devices with read and write capabilities; for example, they can be devices that read or write tag information. Alternatively, a reader / writer can be understood as a device that communicates with tags. Readers / writers can perform operations such as selecting, inventorying, and accessing tags. The selection operation is used to select one or a group of tags for inventorying and accessing. The inventory operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer identifying tags. The access operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer interacting with tags. Tags need to be identified by the reader / writer before they can be accessed.

[0094] For ease of description, in the following embodiments of this application, the first device refers to a reader / writer, the second device refers to a passive tag or a semi-active tag, and the third device refers to a semi-active tag or an active tag.

[0095] 2. Configuration and Pre-configuration

[0096] This application uses both configuration and pre-configuration. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal via messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine communication parameters or resources for transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0097] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0098] 3. In this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication information as indicating A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0099] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, it can be implemented through direct instruction, such as through the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also be implemented indirectly by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. Alternatively, only a part of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0100] The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of RRC signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, MAC CE; physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0101] 4. In the embodiments of this application, "sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information sending and receiving can be information interaction between RAN nodes and terminals, such as information interaction between a base station and a terminal; information sending and receiving can also be information interaction between two RAN nodes, such as information interaction between a CU and a DU; information sending and receiving can also be information interaction between different modules within a device, such as information interaction between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or information interaction between a base station chip and other modules in the base station. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, such as a baseband chip outputting information to a radio frequency chip, and "receiving" can be understood as the "input" of a chip interface.

[0102] 5. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0103] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and in the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / methods / implementations within each embodiment can be combined according to their inherent logical relationships to form new embodiments, implementation methods, methods, or implementation approaches. The following embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0104] To facilitate understanding of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the system architecture of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. It is understood that the system architecture described in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the solutions of the embodiments of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0106] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, or a future radio access system as defined in 3GPP. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0107] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminal devices access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (such as 110a in Figure 1A), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as 110b in Figure 1A), and can also be relay nodes or donor nodes.

[0108] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminal devices achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RANC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0109] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes.

[0110] In addition, RAN nodes can also be called network devices, which are devices deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. The name of the network device may differ in systems employing different radio access technologies, such as eNB or eNodeB (Evolutionary NodeB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE). Network devices can also be radio controllers in Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenarios. Network devices can also be base station equipment in future 5G networks or network devices in future evolved PLMN networks. Network devices can also be wearable devices or vehicle-mounted devices. Network devices can also be Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs). Furthermore, in a network architecture, network devices can include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN devices including both CU and DU nodes. For ease of description, a base station will be used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0111] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminal devices can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminal devices, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0112] Base stations and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminal equipment.

[0113] The roles of base stations and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1A can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal device 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0114] Communication between base stations and terminal devices, between base stations, and between terminal devices can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0115] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal device can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal device, or by a device that includes terminal device functions.

[0116] As can be understood, RAN100, as previously described, includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120).

[0117] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1B, comprising a RAN node 110 and multiple terminal devices (120A and 120B in Figure 1B). In this case, a single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to one or more terminal devices.

[0118] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1C, comprising multiple RAN nodes (110A, 110B, and 110C in Figure 1C) 110 and a terminal device 120. In this case, the multiple RAN nodes can simultaneously transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal device.

[0119] It should be noted that the methods and apparatus provided in this application can be applied to at least one of the following scenarios: cellular communication and direct terminal communication, cellular communication and vehicle networking, direct terminal communication, wireless Fidelity (WiFi) communication, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0120] The A-IoT scenario has been briefly described above. The following is a description of the A-IoT scenario involved in this application.

[0121] Please refer to Figure 2A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an A-IoT scenario applied in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2A, the communication system includes a first device 201, an intermediate device 202, and a second device 203.

[0122] The first device 201 can communicate with the second device 203 through the intermediate device 202.

[0123] The first device 201 can also be referred to as a network device, specifically including: core network equipment and / or access network equipment. The second device 203 can be understood as the passive A-IoT device in the aforementioned definition.

[0124] When the first device 201 is a core network device, the first device 201 includes at least one of the following: in a 4th generation (4G) network, a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), a serving gateway (S-GW), a policy and charging rules function (PCRF), a public data network gateway (PDN gateway, P-GW), etc.; in a 5G network, network elements such as an AMF, a user plane function (UPF), or a session management function (SMF). Furthermore, this core network device may also include other core network devices in 5G networks, next-generation networks of 5G networks, and future networks.

[0125] When the first device 201 is an access network device, the first device 201 can specifically be a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects terminal devices to a wireless network, also known as a base station. Currently, some examples of RAN devices include: next-generation base stations, transmission reception points (TRPs), evolved Node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), Node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved Node Bs, or home Node Bs (HNBs)), base band units (BBUs), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access points (APs), etc. Additionally, in a network architecture, network devices can include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN devices including both CU and DU nodes.

[0126] In some implementations, the first device 201 may also include satellites, aircraft, drones, and ground station equipment connected to satellites, aircraft, drones, etc.

[0127] Specifically, the first device 201 can send configuration information (e.g., carried in scheduling messages and / or indication messages) to the intermediate device 202 / second device 203. The intermediate device 202 / second device 203 further performs network configuration based on this configuration information, thereby aligning the network configurations of the intermediate device 202 / second device 203 with those of the terminal device. Alternatively, the network configurations of the first device 201 and the intermediate device 202 / second device 203 can be aligned through preset network configurations in both devices. In particular, "alignment" means that when there are interactive messages between the first device 201 and the intermediate device 202 / second device 203, their understanding of the carrier frequency for transmitting and receiving interactive messages, the determination of the interactive message type, the meaning of the field information carried in the interactive message, or other configurations of the interactive message is consistent.

[0128] In this application embodiment, the device used to implement the function of the first device 201 can be the first device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the first device 201 in implementing that function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the first device 201. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the first device is used as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment. Furthermore, in other possible cases, the first device 201 can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form adopted by the first device 201. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0129] Intermediate device 202 refers to an intermediate device capable of enabling wireless communication between the first device 201 and the second device 203. The intermediate device 202 may include at least one of the following: NR legacy UE, relay node for A-IoT, or CW node, etc.

[0130] Optionally, the second device 203 refers to a device with read or storage capabilities, but without the ability to generate carrier signals (e.g., a passive A-IoT device). For example, the first device 201 and / or the intermediate device 202 can be called a reader / writer, and the second device 203 can be called a tag. The reader / writer can perform operations such as select, inventory, and access on the tags. The select operation is used to select one or a group of tags for inventory and access. The inventory operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer identifying the tag. The access operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer interacting with the tag. The tag needs to be identified by the reader / writer before it can be accessed. The intermediate device 202 can be used for at least one of the following: generating CW signals, sending R2D signals to the second device 203, and receiving D2R signals from the second device 203.

[0131] The second device 203 may include at least one of the following: a user equipment for machine-type communications. The terminal device may be an NR terminal device or a terminal device supporting a wake-up receiver. The terminal device may include two receivers: a main receiver and a wake-up receiver (WUR). The main receiver may be turned off or set to deep sleep. When the main receiver is on, it can be used for data transmission and reception. The wake-up receiver (WUR) can also be understood as a secondary receiver, a low-power receiver, or an ultra-low-power wake-up receiver. The secondary receiver is capable of ultra-low-power listening for wake-up signals. Upon receiving a wake-up signal, the secondary receiver can trigger the main receiver to wake up. Furthermore, the second device 203 may be a low-power terminal device, containing only a low-power receiver or supporting only low-power transmission and / or reception functions.

[0132] It is understood that Figure 2A is merely an example with only one device. In practical applications, this communication system can include a larger number of first devices, second devices, and third devices. For example, one first device can communicate with one or more second devices. One second device can communicate with one or more third devices. One first device can communicate with multiple third devices through one or more second devices.

[0133] In this communication system, the first device communicates with the third device through the second device, or in other words, the second device assists the third device in communicating with the first device. The second device can also be called an intermediate device (e.g., an intermediate UE). The functions of the second device include, but are not limited to: transmitting data signals, receiving data signals, and transmitting carrier signals for the third device to use.

[0134] Please refer to Figure 2B, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an A-IoT scenario applied in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2B, the communication system includes a first device 201 and a third device 204.

[0135] The description of the first device 201 can be found in Figure 2A. The architecture shown in Figure 2B differs from that in Figure 2A in that the third device 204 can communicate directly with the first device 201. In contrast, the second device 203 in Figure 2A requires modulation via CW provided by the intermediate device 202 before transmitting signals to the first device 201. Alternatively, the third device 204 can be understood as an active A-IoT device as described in the aforementioned explanation.

[0136] Optionally, the third device 204 refers to a device with read or storage capabilities and the ability to generate carrier signals (e.g., an active A-IoT device). For example, the first device 201 can be called a reader / writer, and the third device 204 can be called a tag. The reader / writer can perform operations such as select, inventory, and access on the tags. The select operation is used to select one or a group of tags for inventory and access. The inventory operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer identifying the tag. The access operation can be understood as the process of the reader / writer interacting with the tag. The tag needs to be identified by the reader / writer before it can be accessed.

[0137] The third device 204 may be the terminal device in Figure 1A above, or a device with higher power consumption than the second device 203 in Figure 2A, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0138] It is understood that Figures 2A and 2B above only describe the scenarios of passive A-IoT devices and active A-IoT devices separately. In practical applications, Figures 2A and 2B can also be combined. That is, the communication system can include not only the first device 201, intermediate device 202, and second device 203 in Figure 2A, but also the third device 204 in Figure 2B, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0139] It is understood that Figure 2B is only an example with one device per device. In practical applications, the communication system may include a larger number of first and third devices. For example, one first device may communicate with one or more third devices.

[0140] Currently, A-IoT devices are mainly divided into active and passive types based on their ability to actively generate or transmit carrier signals. Active A-IoT devices can use the energy stored in their own energy storage modules to transmit wireless communication signals, while passive A-IoT devices primarily rely on obtaining energy from external radio frequency signals and communicating through backscattered radio frequency signals, ultimately achieving ultra-low power consumption or even zero power consumption. Furthermore, due to mismatch issues or Doppler shift between the local crystal oscillators of the transmitting and receiving sides, the transmitting side needs to send known training symbols to the receiving side. The receiving side estimates the CFO (Concurrent Frequency Shift) value based on the phase change of the received training symbols, and then achieves final CFO calibration through CFO compensation. Since passive A-IoT devices cannot actively generate carrier signals, they are not involved in the CFO issue, while active A-IoT devices do have a CFO problem.

[0141] However, in communication scenarios involving both passive and active A-IoT devices, a CFO calibration signal is often introduced into the downlink signal, which reduces the communication efficiency of passive A-IoT devices that do not require CFO calibration.

[0142] This application provides a communication method and related equipment. The second signal sent to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal realizes the data transmission of the second device and the CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second device and the third device and improving communication efficiency.

[0143] Please refer to Figure 3, a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application embodiment. This method may include steps 301 to 306. Steps 301 to 306 can be executed by a communication device, or by some components of the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device's functions. The following description uses execution by a communication device as an example. The processing performed by a single execution entity in steps 301 to 306 can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, when the communication device is a first device, such as an access network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, and RU. As another example, when the first device is a core network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0144] The first device, the second device, and the third device can be the devices described in Figures 1A to 2B above, and will not be repeated here.

[0145] Step 301: The first device sends a first signal.

[0146] The first device sends a first signal to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the first signal sent by the first device. This first signal is used to transmit data.

[0147] Similarly, the first device sends a first signal to the third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the first signal sent by the first device.

[0148] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the action of the first device sending a signal or indication information to other devices can be direct transmission or transmission through an intermediate device, etc., and the specific method is not limited here. For example, the first device sending a first signal to the second device can be either the first device sending the first signal to the second device through an intermediate device or the first device sending the first signal directly to the second device.

[0149] The first device may transmit the first signal via broadcast or unicast. Different devices may receive the same or different first signals. Furthermore, the number of the first device, second device, and third device may be one or more, without limitation here.

[0150] Optionally, the first signal is used for data transmission, which can be understood as the first signal being used by the first device to read data from other devices, write data, store data, etc. The first signal may include at least one of the following: a preamble, control information, data, an end indicator bit, a postamble, etc. The preamble is used for synchronization between the first device and other devices (e.g., a second or third device). The control information may include at least one of the following: a reader ID, a device ID, a chip length, a data type, a message type, a time-domain resource indicator, a frequency-domain resource indicator, the number of repetitions of the first signal, the period of the first signal, etc. The chip length may include a high-level length and / or a low-level length, etc.

[0151] For example, Figure 4 shows an example of a first signal, in which the first signal includes a preamble, a postamble, etc.

[0152] Understandably, in some scenarios, the first device can be understood as a reader, and the second or third device can be understood as a tag or device. Correspondingly, the first signal can be understood as an R2T or R2D signal.

[0153] For example, the second device can be understood as a device of type 1 and / or type 2a as explained in the foregoing terminology, and the third device can be understood as a device of type 2b as explained in the foregoing terminology.

[0154] Step 302: The first device sends a second signal.

[0155] The first device sends a second signal to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the second signal sent by the first device. This second signal is used by the second device to perform information modulation to obtain a third signal.

[0156] Similarly, the first device sends a second signal to the third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the second signal sent by the first device. This second signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal is used not only for information modulation by the first device but also for CFO calibration by the third device. It can also be understood that the second signal is a carrier signal used for CFO calibration.

[0157] The method by which the first device sends the second signal can be broadcast or unicast, etc., without being limited here. Furthermore, the second signal received by different types of devices is the same. Alternatively, it can be understood that the second signal sent by the first device is used not only for information modulation by the second device, but also for CFO calibration by the third device.

[0158] Furthermore, let's first explain CFO and CFO calibration. Generally, CFO arises primarily due to two reasons: First, the mismatch between local crystal oscillators in transceivers. For A-IoT systems, the inherent low-cost, low-power design of active A-IoT devices often results in poor crystal oscillator stability, leading to CFO issues. Second, Doppler shift, primarily considered in highly mobile scenarios where CFO occurs. CFO causes phase shift in the time-domain signal and frequency difference in the frequency-domain signal, affecting the system's demodulation performance. Therefore, active A-IoT devices can overcome the problems caused by CFO through CFO calibration, which relies on CFO estimation. Specifically, the transmitter sends known training symbols to the receiver, which estimates the CFO magnitude based on the phase change of the received training symbols, and then achieves final CFO calibration through CFO compensation.

[0159] Optionally, the second device is a passive A-IoT device (e.g., type 1 or 2a), and the third device is a passive A-IoT device (e.g., type 2b).

[0160] For example, consider a first device comprising a type 1 A-IoT device and / or a type 2a A-IoT device, and a second device comprising a type 2b device. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first device communicates simultaneously with both active and passive A-IoT devices, and the second signal can be used not only for information modulation of the passive A-IoT device but also for CFO calibration of the active A-IoT device.

[0161] Since passive A-IoT devices need to communicate using CW (Content Message) sent by other devices (such as network devices or intermediate devices), active A-IoT devices need to perform CFO (Content Optimization) compensation using known training signals to achieve CFO calibration. The second signal sent in this step of this application not only satisfies the CW requirement of passive A-IoT devices but also the CFO calibration requirement of active A-IoT devices. Alternatively, it can be understood that the CW sent by the first device to the passive A-IoT device is also used for CFO calibration of the active A-IoT device. In this way, scheduling of multiple types of A-IoT devices can be achieved with a single transmission of the second signal, and the communication overhead caused by introducing an additional CFO calibration signal can be reduced. This improves the efficiency of communication between active and passive A-IoT devices.

[0162] Step 303: The second device modulates information based on the second signal.

[0163] After receiving the second signal, the second device can perform information modulation based on the second signal to obtain the third signal.

[0164] Optionally, since the second device does not have carrier generation capability, the second device modulates the data to be reported onto the second signal to obtain the third signal, thereby realizing the reporting of data.

[0165] Step 304: The second device sends a third signal to the first device. This step is optional.

[0166] Optionally, after acquiring the third signal, the second device sends the third signal to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the third signal sent by the second device.

[0167] Furthermore, the third signal can be understood as a feedback signal to the first signal, or a feedback signal to a read operation or write operation in the first signal, etc.

[0168] It is understandable that, corresponding to the first signal mentioned above, the third signal can also be understood as a D2R signal.

[0169] Optionally, the interval between the transmission time of the third signal and the end time of the first signal is the first interval.

[0170] Step 305: The third device performs CFO calibration based on the second signal.

[0171] After receiving the second signal, the third device performs CFO calibration based on the second signal.

[0172] Specifically, the third device estimates the size of the CFO by analyzing the phase change of the received second signal. This allows for CFO calibration through CFO compensation.

[0173] Furthermore, the first device can also instruct the third device to perform CFO calibration using the second signal. This instruction can be direct or indirect.

[0174] For example, the first device may also send an instruction message to the third device, which is used to instruct the second signal to be used for CFO calibration of the third device.

[0175] For example, the first device indirectly indicates whether the second signal is used for CFO calibration of the third device through the service type or other fields of the first signal. For instance, if the service type of the first signal is A, then the second signal is used for CFO calibration of the third device. If the service type of the first signal is not A, then the second signal is not used for CFO calibration of the third device.

[0176] Step 306: The third device sends a fourth signal to the first device. This step is optional.

[0177] Optionally, after performing CFO calibration using the second signal, the third device compensates for the signal to be transmitted using the CFO to obtain the fourth signal, and then sends the fourth signal to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the fourth signal sent by the third device.

[0178] Furthermore, the fourth signal can be understood as a feedback signal to the first signal, or a feedback signal to read or write operations in the first signal, etc.

[0179] It is understandable that, corresponding to the first signal mentioned above, the fourth signal can also be understood as a D2R signal.

[0180] Optionally, the interval between the transmission time of the fourth signal and the end time of the first signal is the second interval. The first interval is less than or equal to the second interval. That is, since the second signal is used not only for modulation of the second device but also for CFO calibration of the third device, the second interval is greater than the first interval to adequately account for the time required for CFO calibration by the third device.

[0181] For example, the first interval and the second interval can be shown in Figure 5, where it can be seen that the second interval is larger than the first interval.

[0182] Furthermore, the communication method provided in this embodiment has various forms. For example, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 301 and 302. Another example is that the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 301 to 303. Yet another example is that the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 301 to 304. Yet another example is that the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 301 to 305. Yet another example is that the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 301 to 306, and so on.

[0183] Based on the above scheme, on the one hand, the second signal can satisfy not only the CW requirement of passive A-IoT devices but also the CFO calibration requirement of active A-IoT devices. That is, the second signal can meet the needs of multiple types of devices. Alternatively, it can be understood that the CW sent by the first device to the passive A-IoT device is also used for the CFO calibration of the active A-IoT device. In this way, not only can the scheduling of multiple types of A-IoT devices be achieved with a single transmission of the second signal, but the communication overhead caused by introducing an additional CFO calibration signal can also be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of communication between active and passive A-IoT devices. On the other hand, by limiting the corresponding intervals between the third and fourth signals, the time for the third device to perform CFO calibration can be fully considered.

[0184] The aforementioned embodiment in Figure 3 describes the communication method in scenarios involving multiple types (e.g., active and passive) of A-IoT devices. The following describes the communication method in a scenario involving a single type of A-IoT device.

[0185] Please refer to Figure 6, a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application embodiment. This method may include steps 601 to 604. Steps 601 to 604 can be executed by a communication device, or by some components of the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the communication device's functions. The following description uses execution by a communication device as an example. The processing performed by a single execution entity in steps 601 to 604 can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, when the communication device is a first device, such as an access network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU, DU, and RU. As another example, when the first device is a core network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0186] The first device and the third device can be the devices described in Figures 1A to 2B above, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] Step 601: The first device sends a calibration signal to the third device.

[0188] The first device sends a calibration signal to the third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the calibration signal sent by the first device. This calibration signal is used for the CFO calibration of the third device.

[0189] Understandably, in some scenarios, the first device can also be understood as a reader, and the third device can be understood as a tag or device. For example, the third device can be understood as a device of type 2b as explained in the aforementioned terminology.

[0190] Step 602: The first device sends a first signal to the third device.

[0191] The first device sends a first signal to the third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the first signal sent by the first device. The first signal can be understood as an R2T or R2D signal.

[0192] The first device may transmit the first signal via broadcast or unicast. Different devices may receive the same or different first signals. Furthermore, the number of the first device, second device, and third device may be one or more, without limitation here.

[0193] Optionally, the first signal is used for data transmission, which can be understood as the first signal being used by the first device to read data from other devices, write data, store data, etc. The first signal may include at least one of the following: a preamble, control information, data, an end indicator bit, a postamble, etc. The preamble is used for synchronization between the first device and other devices (e.g., a second or third device). The control information may include at least one of the following: a reader ID, a device ID, a chip length, a data type, a message type, a time-domain resource indicator, a frequency-domain resource indicator, the number of repetitions of the first signal, the period of the first signal, etc. The chip length may include a high-level length and / or a low-level length, etc.

[0194] For example, Figure 4 shows an example of a first signal, in which the first signal includes a preamble, a postamble, etc.

[0195] It should be noted that in this embodiment, there is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal. This preset interval can be predefined, or it can be notified or indicated through the Physical Random Access Channel (PRDCH), etc., and is not limited here.

[0196] The preset interval can be a time interval greater than or equal to 0. For example, when the preset interval is 0, it can be understood that the calibration signal is at the end of the first signal, or that the transmission time of the calibration signal is adjacent to the time domain of the postcode in the first signal. Alternatively, when the preset interval is not 0, the transmission time of the calibration signal can be before or after the first signal, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0197] Alternatively, this can be understood as sending a calibration signal before D2R (i.e., the first signal) to ensure timely and efficient CFO calibration. Alternatively, a calibration signal can be sent after D2R, with the start time (i.e., time domain position) of the calibration signal transmission indicated by the indication information carried in the first signal, additional indication information, or predefined information, thereby improving the efficiency of the third device in receiving the calibration signal.

[0198] For example, two example diagrams with a preset interval of 0 can be shown in Figure 7A and Figure 7B. Figure 7A is an example diagram where the transmission time of the calibration signal is at the end of the first signal, and Figure 7B is an example diagram where the end time of transmitting the calibration signal is before the transmission time of the first signal, or it can be understood that the end time of transmitting the calibration signal is the transmission time of the first signal.

[0199] For example, two example diagrams with a preset interval not equal to 0 can be shown in Figure 8A and Figure 8B. Figure 8A shows an example where the end time of transmitting the calibration signal is before the transmission time of the first signal, and there is a preset interval greater than 0 between the end time of the calibration signal and the transmission time of the first signal. Figure 8B shows an example where the end time of transmitting the first signal is before the transmission time of the calibration signal, and there is a preset interval greater than 0 between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0200] Optionally, the first device also sends indication information to the third device. Accordingly, the third device receives the indication information sent by the first device. This indication information is used to indicate the aforementioned preset interval, or to indicate the time-domain position of the calibration signal (e.g., indicating whether the calibration signal is before, after, or within the first signal, etc.).

[0201] The indication information can be carried in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or the PRDCH, etc., and the specific method is not limited here.

[0202] Step 603: The third device performs CFO calibration based on the calibration signal.

[0203] After receiving the calibration signal, the third device can perform CFO calibration based on the calibration signal.

[0204] Specifically, the third device estimates the size of the CFO by analyzing the phase change of the received second signal. This allows for CFO calibration through CFO compensation.

[0205] Step 604: The third device sends a fourth signal to the first device. This step is optional.

[0206] Optionally, after the third device performs CFO calibration using the calibration signal, it compensates the signal to be transmitted using the CFO to obtain the fourth signal. It then sends the fourth signal to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the fourth signal sent by the third device.

[0207] Furthermore, the fourth signal can be understood as a feedback signal to the first signal, or a feedback signal to read or write operations in the first signal, etc.

[0208] It is understandable that, corresponding to the first signal mentioned above, the fourth signal can also be understood as a D2R signal.

[0209] Furthermore, the communication method provided in this embodiment has various forms. For example, the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 601 to 603. Another example is that the communication method provided in this embodiment includes steps 601 to 604. Of course, the method provided in this embodiment may also include a step of the first device sending indication information to the third device, etc., and is not specifically limited here. The indication information is used to indicate the aforementioned preset interval, or to indicate the time domain position of the calibration signal (e.g., indicating whether the calibration signal is before, after, or in the first signal, etc.).

[0210] This embodiment can be understood as follows: in scenarios where an active A-IoT device exists, the active A-IoT device does not rely on CW for calibration, but instead introduces a dedicated calibration signal for CFO calibration. It directly or indirectly indicates the time interval between the first signal and the calibration signal (or, in other words, directly or indirectly indicates the position of the calibration signal). Compared to existing technologies that carry the calibration signal in the preamble of the first signal, this embodiment can, on the one hand, consider sending the calibration signal before the first signal, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of CFO estimation or calibration. On the other hand, it can also carry the calibration signal at the end of the first signal, and through indication, enable the active A-IoT device to obtain the time-domain information of the calibration signal, thus acquiring the correct calibration signal and improving CFO calibration efficiency.

[0211] The communication methods in the embodiments of this application have been described above. The communication devices in the embodiments of this application are described below. Please refer to Figure 9, which shows an embodiment of the communication device 900 in this application. This communication device 900 can implement the functions of the first device, second device, or third device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 900 can be a communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the communication device, such as a chip. The communication device 900 includes a transceiver unit 901. Alternatively, the communication device 900 includes a transceiver unit 901 and a processing unit 902.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the first device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, and in this case, the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0213] The transceiver unit 901 is used to send a first signal, which is used to transmit data.

[0214] The transceiver unit 901 is also used to transmit a second signal, which is used by the second device to modulate a third signal. The third signal is a feedback signal for response data, and the second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

[0215] Optionally, the second device is a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0216] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is further configured to receive a third signal sent by the second device; the interval between the transmission time of the third signal and the end time of the first signal is a first interval.

[0217] The transceiver unit 901 is also used to receive a fourth signal sent by a third device. The interval between the transmission time of the fourth signal and the end time of the first signal is a second interval. The fourth signal is a feedback signal that responds to the first signal after being calibrated by CFO.

[0218] The first interval is less than or equal to the second interval.

[0219] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to send indication information to a third device, the indication information being used to indicate that the second signal is used for CFO calibration of the third device.

[0220] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0221] In this embodiment, the second signal sent by the transceiver unit 901 to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second device and the third device and improving communication efficiency.

[0222] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the second device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0223] Transceiver unit 901 is used to receive a first signal sent by the first device;

[0224] The transceiver unit 901 is also used to receive a second signal sent by the first device. The second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal in response to the first signal. The second signal is also used by the third device for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration.

[0225] The transceiver unit 901 is also used to send a third signal to the first device.

[0226] Optionally, the second device is a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

[0227] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the second device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0228] In this embodiment, the second signal sent by the transceiver unit 901 to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second device and the third device and improving communication efficiency.

[0229] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the third device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0230] Transceiver unit 901 is used to receive a first signal sent by the first device;

[0231] The transceiver unit 901 is also used to receive a second signal sent by the first device. The second signal is used by the second device to modulate and obtain a third signal. The third signal is a response data signal. The second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

[0232] Processing unit 902 is used to perform CFO calibration based on the second signal.

[0233] Optionally, the third device is an active A-IoT device, and the second device is a passive A-IoT device.

[0234] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate that the second signal is used for CFO calibration.

[0235] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0236] In this embodiment, the second signal sent by the transceiver unit 901 to the second device is not only used for signal modulation of the second device, but also for CFO calibration of the third device. That is, the second signal enables data transmission of the second device and CFO calibration of the third device, thereby taking into account the communication needs of the second device and the third device and improving communication efficiency.

[0237] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the first device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2B and Figures 6 to 8B, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0238] The transceiver unit 901 is used to send a calibration signal and a first signal to the third device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device, and the first signal is used to transmit data. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0239] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also used to send indication information to a third device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time domain position of the calibration signal.

[0240] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2B and Figures 6 to 8B, and will not be repeated here.

[0241] In this embodiment, a dedicated calibration signal is introduced for CFO calibration. This signal directly or indirectly indicates the time interval between the first signal and the calibration signal (or, in other words, directly or indirectly indicates the position of the calibration signal). Compared to the prior art, which carries the calibration signal in the preamble of the first signal, sending the calibration signal before the first signal can improve the timeliness and efficiency of CFO estimation or calibration.

[0242] In another possible implementation, the communication device 900 is the third device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2B and Figures 6 to 8B, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0243] The transceiver unit 901 is used to receive a calibration signal and a first signal sent by the first device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device, and the first signal is used to transmit data. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the transmission time of the calibration signal.

[0244] Processing unit 902 is used to perform CFO calibration based on calibration signals.

[0245] Optionally, the transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate a preset interval or to indicate the time domain position of the calibration signal.

[0246] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2B and Figures 6 to 8B, and will not be repeated here.

[0247] In this embodiment, a dedicated calibration signal is introduced for CFO calibration. This signal directly or indirectly indicates the time interval between the first signal and the calibration signal (or, in other words, directly or indirectly indicates the position of the calibration signal). Compared to the prior art, which carries the calibration signal in the preamble of the first signal, sending the calibration signal before the first signal can improve the timeliness and efficiency of CFO estimation or calibration.

[0248] Please refer to Figure 10, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1000 provided in this application. The communication device 1000 includes a logic circuit 1001 and an input / output interface 1002. The communication device 1000 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0249] The transceiver unit 901 shown in Figure 9 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1002 in Figure 10. The input / output interface 1002 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 902 shown in Figure 9 can be the logic circuit 1001 in Figure 10.

[0250] The logic circuit 1001 and the input / output interface 1002 can also perform other steps performed by the first device, the second device or the third device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0251] Optionally, the logic circuit 1001 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0252] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0253] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0254] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any group of the above chips or processors.

[0255] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows the communication device 1100 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1100 can be the communication device that serves as the second or third device in the above embodiments.

[0256] The present invention is a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1100, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1101 and a communication port 1102.

[0257] In Figure 9, the transceiver unit 901 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1102 in Figure 11. The communication port 1102 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1102 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0258] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1103 and a bus. In embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1101 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1100.

[0259] Furthermore, the processor 1101 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of the various components shown in Figure 11. For example, the number of processors 1101, the number of communication ports 1102, and the number of memory 1103 can each be one or more, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0261] It should be noted that the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the second or third device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the technical effects corresponding to the second or third device. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 11 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0262] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1200 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1200 can be the communication device that serves as the first device in the above embodiments. The structure of the communication device can be referred to the structure shown in Figure 12.

[0263] The communication device 1200 includes at least one processor 1211 and at least one network interface 1214. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1212, at least one transceiver 1213, and one or more antennas 1215. The processor 1211, memory 1212, transceiver 1213, and network interface 1214 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1215 is connected to the transceiver 1213. The network interface 1214 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1214 may include a network interface between the communication device and a core network device, such as an S1 interface; the network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0264] In Figure 9, the transceiver unit 901 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1214 in Figure 12. The network interface 1214 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1214 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0265] The processor 1211 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used to control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. The processor 1211 in Figure 12 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the communication device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0266] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1212 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1211. Optionally, the memory 1212 can be integrated with the processor 1211, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1212 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1211. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1211.

[0267] Figure 12 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual communication devices, there can be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0268] Transceiver 1213 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between communication devices and terminals. Transceiver 1213 can be connected to antenna 1215. Transceiver 1213 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1215 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1213 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1211 so that processor 1211 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1213 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1211, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1215. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0269] The transceiver 1213 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0270] It should be noted that the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the first device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the technical effects corresponding to the first device. The specific implementation of the communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0271] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the terminal by the base station; or, the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the base station by the terminal. For example, when the first device is a terminal, the terminal sending indication information can be understood as the process of the terminal's chip outputting indication information.

[0272] When the aforementioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station module receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the terminal to the base station; or, the base station module sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the base station to the terminal. Here, the base station module can be the baseband chip of the base station, or a DU (Distributed Unit) or other modules. The DU can be a DU under an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture. For example, when the first device is a base station, the base station sending indication information can be understood as the process of the base station's chip outputting indication information.

[0273] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a terminal chip that specifically performs the steps described above as a second device. The terminal chip includes: a higher-layer protocol processor, a physical layer protocol processor, and a baseband hardware processor.

[0274] The high-level protocol processor is used to implement at least one of the following: implement high-level protocol (L2 / L3) processing, support ASN.1 and other encoding and decoding functions, support standard air interface encryption and decryption, integrity protection algorithms, etc.

[0275] The physical layer protocol processor is used to implement at least one of the following: implement physical layer processing, complete downlink network search, time-frequency tracking, measurement, channel estimation, demodulation and decoding, and uplink coding, modulation and time-frequency offset adjustment.

[0276] The baseband hardware processor is used to perform at least one of the following: complete the secure boot and secure startup of the baseband system, and complete protocol layer processing (L1 / L2 / L3), etc.

[0277] The above description of the terminal chip was from the processor's perspective; the following description will offer another perspective from the subsystem's viewpoint. A terminal communication chip may consist of a baseband subsystem, a radio frequency (RF) subsystem, a power supply subsystem, and peripherals (storage, external interfaces). The baseband subsystem is responsible for at least one of the following: application layer processing, external interface functions, and L3 / L2 / L1 communication protocol processing. The RF subsystem is responsible for at least one of the following: the RF front-end and antenna convert spatial electromagnetic waves into electrical signals, and perform the necessary amplification and filtering functions to achieve excellent coverage; it connects with the baseband to perform frequency conversion and nonlinear distortion correction of analog signals. The power supply subsystem is responsible for at least one of the following: providing power management functions for the communication baseband chip.

[0278] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0279] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0280] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first signal, which is used to transmit data; A second signal is sent, which is used by the second device to modulate a third signal. The third signal is a feedback signal in response to the data. The second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second device is a passive A-IoT device, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the third signal sent by the second device; the interval between the sending time of the third signal and the ending time of the first signal is the first interval; The system receives a fourth signal sent by the third device. The interval between the sending time of the fourth signal and the ending time of the first signal is a second interval. The fourth signal is a feedback signal that responds to the first signal after being calibrated by the CFO. The first interval is less than or equal to the second interval.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send an instruction message to the third device, the instruction message being used to instruct the second signal to be used for the CFO calibration of the third device.

5. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first signal sent by the first device; The second signal sent by the first device is received, and the second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal in response to the first signal. The second signal is also used by the third device for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration. The third signal is sent to the first device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method is applied to passive A-IoT devices, and the third device is an active A-IoT device.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first signal sent by the first device; The device receives a second signal sent by the first device. The second signal is used by the second device to modulate a third signal, which is a signal in response to the data. The second signal is also used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device. The CFO calibration is performed based on the second signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method is applied to an active A-IoT device, and the second device is a passive A-IoT device.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives an indication message sent by the first device, the indication message being used to indicate that the second signal is used for the CFO calibration.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: A calibration signal and a first signal are sent to a third device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device, and the first signal is used for data transmission. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the sending time of the calibration signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The instruction information is sent to the third device, the instruction information being used to indicate the preset interval or the time domain position of the calibration signal.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The device receives a calibration signal and a first signal sent by a first device. The calibration signal is used for carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration of the third device. The first signal is used for data transmission. There is a preset interval between the end time of the first signal and the sending time of the calibration signal. The CFO calibration is performed based on the calibration signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives indication information sent by the first device, the indication information being used to indicate the preset interval or the time domain position of the calibration signal.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules / units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, or modules / units for performing the method as described in claim 5 or 6, or modules / units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 9, or modules / units for performing the method as described in claim 10 or 11, or modules / units for performing the method as described in claim 12 or 13.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

17. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first device, a second device, and a third device, wherein the first device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, the second device is used to perform the method as described in claim 5 or claim 6, and the third device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 9.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first device and a third device, wherein the first device is used to perform the method as described in claim 10 or claim 11, and the third device is used to perform the method as described in claim 12 or claim 13.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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