Communication method, communication apparatus and communication system

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method, a communication apparatus and a communication system. The communication apparatus is applied to a first terminal device, and comprises: a first communication module, wherein the first communication module comprises a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the first communication module is configured to: receive first information sent by a reader, the first information being used for determining message-size-related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, and the reader being arranged on a network device or a second terminal device; and the first communication module communicates with the reader by means of an ambient Internet-of-Things radio.

Description

Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology. BACKGROUND

[0002] From the early era of 2G system to 4G system, the main service object of cellular mobile communication system is mobile phone, i.e. the type of mobile terminal equipment held by people. With the rapid development of mobile Internet and Internet of Things, since the late era of 4G system, the application scenarios considered and supported in the evolution process of cellular mobile communication system are more and more rich, and accordingly more types of Internet of Things device terminal types are supported and landed in actual network deployment and service application, for example, enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) type terminal device, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) type terminal device, reduced capability (RedCap) type terminal device, etc. With the strengthening of the diversity of Internet of Things terminal device types, the cellular mobile system has more and more strong service providing and service ability for vertical industries.

[0003] However, in the massive Internet of Things devices, the field of large number and lower cost Internet of Things terminal devices is still a blank of cellular mobile communication system. In order to be able to provide more robust, more reliable and more complete Internet of Things application solutions, how to support lower cost Internet of Things terminal devices in 3GPP cellular mobile system becomes a problem to be solved.

[0004] The low-cost Internet of Things terminal device in 3GPP cellular mobile system is called ambient Internet of Things device, and the Internet of Things device supporting ambient power is an Internet of Things device powered by energy harvesting, without battery or with limited energy storage capability (such as using capacitor). This device can be called ambient Internet of Things (AIoT) device, passive Internet of Things device, or simply called tag, etc. The device that directly communicates with the AIoT device is called reader (Reader), or interrogator (Interrogator), etc.

[0005] The reader can exist in the network device, so that the AIOT device and the 5G network can directly communicate, without the terminal device (such as user equipment UE) transmitting information between the AIoT device and the 5G network. The reader can also exist in the terminal device, so as to realize ambient Internet of Things indirect network communication, which represents the communication between the ambient Internet of Things device and the 5G network, wherein the UE supporting ambient Internet of Things helps to transmit information between the ambient Internet of Things device and the 5G network.

[0006] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the convenience of clearly and completely describing the technical scheme of the present application and facilitating the understanding of those skilled in the art. The above technical scheme cannot be considered as known to those skilled in the art merely because it is described in the part of the background of the present application.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] Supporting tag-type terminal devices (i.e. AIoT devices) in the 5G system of 3GPP can reuse existing base station deployment and support industry applications based on this type of terminal through existing cellular mobile communication networks, thereby effectively reducing deployment costs and use costs. The 5G system of 3GPP can provide reliable authentication, network coordination, and accurate and stable terminal device management mechanisms, and can also optimize the network based on this to improve system capacity and spectrum use efficiency.

[0009] As a new type of Internet of Things terminal in the 5G system, the cost of tag-type terminal devices is severely limited. The hardware capability of the device is significantly weaker than ordinary smartphones and other Internet of Things type devices. The access (Access Stratum, AS) layer protocol stack of the traditional terminal device can be too complex for the new AIoT device, and the hardware capability cannot support it.

[0010] The present inventors have found that, for the prior art, the access method and data transmission method of the AIoT device are not standardized, so that the AIoT device cannot communicate with the reader and the network. For example, in the random access or data transmission process, how does the AIoT device determine the transport block size (TBS) to perform device-to-reader (D2R) message transmission, such as the transmission of message 1 and / or message 3, is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0011] To solve at least one of the above problems or other similar problems, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, a communication device, and a communication system.

[0012] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, which is applied to a first terminal device, and the device comprises a first communication module, the first communication module comprising a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the first communication module is configured to:

[0013] The first communication module receives first information sent by a reader, the first information being used to determine message size related information of a message of the first terminal device to the reader, and the reader being arranged in a network device or a second terminal device; and

[0014] The first communication module communicates with the reader through an ambient Internet of Things radio.

[0015] According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a communication apparatus is provided, which is applied to a reader, the reader is arranged in a network device or a second terminal device, the communication apparatus comprises a second communication module, the second communication module comprises a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the second communication module is configured to:

[0016] The second communication module sends first information to the first terminal device, the first information is used for the first terminal device to determine message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R); and

[0017] The second communication module communicates with the first terminal device through an environmental IoT radio.

[0018] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application is that the indication of the transport block size related information can support the D2R transmission of the AIoT device, thereby solving the network communication problem of the AIoT device and supporting the AIoT related service.

[0019] Specific embodiments of the application are disclosed herein, and represented in the accompanying drawings, illustrating the principles of the application in a manner that can be employed by those skilled in the art. It is understood that the embodiments of the application are not limited in scope to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Embodiments of the application include many alterations, modifications and equivalents that are within the scope of the claims and their spirit.

[0020] Features described and / or illustrated with respect to one implementation can be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other implementations, in combination with other features in the other implementations, or in place of other features in the other implementations.

[0021] It should be emphasized that the term "comprises / comprising" when used in this specification is taken to mean the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but not the exclusion of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] Elements and features depicted with respect to one drawing or implementation of the embodiments of the present application can be combined with elements and features depicted with respect to one or more other drawings or implementations. Also, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and can be used to designate like components in more than one implementation.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first topology scenario of the present application;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second topology scenario of the present application;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to the first aspect.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader under the first approach;

[0027] Figure 5 is another schematic diagram of the overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader under the first approach;

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader under the second approach;

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the inventory procedure under topology 1 ;

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the inventory procedure under topology 2;

[0031] Figure 9 is another schematic diagram of the communication method of the first aspect embodiment;

[0032] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the command procedure;

[0033] Figure 11 is yet another schematic diagram of the communication method of the first aspect embodiment;

[0034] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the inventory and command procedures;

[0035] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the communication method of the second aspect embodiment of the application;

[0036] Figure 14 is another schematic diagram of the communication method of the second aspect embodiment of the application;

[0037] Figure 15 is yet another schematic diagram of the communication method of the second aspect embodiment of the application;

[0038] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device of an embodiment of the application;

[0039] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a communication device of an embodiment of the application;

[0040] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The foregoing and other features of the present application will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of specific embodiments of the application, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of embodiments of the application, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the application is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments described, but rather, is intended to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0042] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second" and the like are used to distinguish different elements from each other, but do not indicate spatial arrangement or time sequence of the elements, and the elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one and all combinations of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprise", "include", "have" and the like mean the presence of the stated features, elements, elements or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, elements or components.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present application, the singular form "a", "an" and the like includes the plural form, should be understood broadly as "one" or "a kind of", and not limited to the meaning of "one"; in addition, the term "said" should be understood as including both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially according to", and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" can refer to a network that conforms to any communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

[0045] In addition, the communication between devices in the communication system can be carried out according to any stage communication protocol, which can include but is not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), etc., and / or other currently known or to be developed in the future communication protocols.

[0046] In embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device that accesses a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device in a communication system. The network device can include, but is not limited to, the following devices: an integrated access and backhaul node (IAB-node), a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a broadcast transmitter, a mobile management entity (MME), a gateway, a server, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), and the like.

[0047] In embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device that accesses a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device in a communication system. The network device can include, but is not limited to, the following devices: an integrated access and backhaul node (IAB-node), a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a broadcast transmitter, a mobile management entity (MME), a gateway, a server, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), and the like.

[0048] In embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device that accesses a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device in a communication system. The network device can include, but is not limited to, the following devices: an integrated access and backhaul node (IAB-node), a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a broadcast transmitter, a mobile management entity (MME), a gateway, a server, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), and the like.

[0049] In embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device that accesses a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device in a communication system. The network device can include, but is not limited to, the following devices: an integrated access and backhaul node (IAB-node), a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a broadcast transmitter, a mobile management entity (MME), a gateway, a server, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), and the like.

[0050] For another example, in scenarios such as Internet of Things (IoT), a terminal device can also be a machine or an apparatus that performs monitoring or measurement, for example, can include but is not limited to: a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a vehicle-mounted communication terminal, a device to device (D2D) terminal, a machine to machine (M2M) terminal, and the like.

[0051] In addition, the term "network side" or "network device side" refers to the side of the network, which can be a certain base station, or can include one or more network devices as described above. The term "user side" or "terminal side" or "terminal device side" refers to the side of the user or terminal, which can be a certain UE, or can include one or more terminal devices as described above.

[0052] In the following description, the terms "uplink control signal" and "uplink control information (UCI)" or "physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)" can be interchangeable without causing confusion, and the terms "uplink data signal" and "uplink data information" or "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" can be interchangeable;

[0053] The terms "downlink control signal" and "downlink control information (DCI)" or "physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)" can be interchangeable, and the terms "downlink data signal" and "downlink data information" or "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" can be interchangeable.

[0054] In addition, transmitting or receiving a PUSCH can be understood as transmitting or receiving uplink data carried by the PUSCH, transmitting or receiving a PUCCH can be understood as transmitting or receiving uplink information carried by the PUCCH, and transmitting or receiving a PRACH can be understood as transmitting or receiving a preamble carried by the PRACH; the uplink signal can include an uplink data signal and / or an uplink control signal, etc., and can also be referred to as uplink transmission (UL transmission) or uplink information or an uplink channel. Transmitting uplink transmission on an uplink resource can be understood as transmitting the uplink transmission using the uplink resource. Similarly, downlink data / signal / channel / information can be understood accordingly.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present application, the higher layer signaling can be, for example, radio resource control (RRC) signaling; for example, referred to as an RRC message, for example, including an MIB, system information, a dedicated RRC message; or referred to as an RRC IE. The higher layer signaling can also be, for example, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling; or referred to as a MAC CE. However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0056] The scenarios of the embodiments of the present application are described below by way of example, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0057] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first topology scenario of the present application.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1, in the first topology scenario, the environmental IoT device 2 directly communicates with the network device (for example, a base station) 1 in both directions. The communication between the network device 1 and the environmental IoT device 2 includes data and / or signaling related to environmental IoT services. In the topology shown in FIG. 1, the network device 1 that transmits data and / or signaling to the environmental IoT device 2 is the same as the network device 1 that receives data and / or signaling from the environmental IoT device 2; in addition, in the topology shown in FIG. 1, the network device 1 that transmits data and / or signaling to the environmental IoT device 2 can also be different from the network device 1 that receives data and / or signaling from the environmental IoT device 2.

[0059] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a second topology scenario of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, in the second topology scenario, the ambient IoT device 2 communicates with the intermediate node 3 in both directions, and the intermediate node 3 communicates with both the ambient IoT device 2 and the network device (e.g., base station) 1. In the topology shown in Figure 2, the intermediate node 3 can be an ambient IoT capable relay node, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a User Equipment (UE), a repeater, etc. The intermediate node 3 transmits data and / or signaling related to ambient IoT traffic between the network device 1 and the ambient IoT device 2.

[0060] In embodiments of the present application, Ambient IoT, AIoT, ambient Internet of Things, these expressions have the same meaning, and they can be replaced with each other.

[0061] In embodiments of the present application, high layer data, high layer user data, these two expressions have the same meaning, and they can be replaced with each other.

[0062] Embodiments of the first aspect

[0063] For Device to Reader (D2R) data transmission, the physical layer of the AIoT device needs to know the Transport Block Size (TBS) of the Physical Device-to-Reader Channel (PDRCH), so as to indicate the data size that Layer 2 (MAC layer) can transmit, and correctly set the modulation, channel coding, etc. parameters for modulation and coding. The Reader also needs to know the message size of the subsequent D2R data transmission, so as to allocate resources for the corresponding device for D2R transmission.

[0064] The transport block size can also be called high layer (Layer 2, or MAC layer) data size, high layer payload size, information bit size, message size, etc. The transport block size of the D2R message can also be called the size of the device-to-reader response message.

[0065] The access procedure, data transmission procedure of AIoT and the signaling of Radio Access Network (RAN) to core network are designed, so as to support the communication and service of AIoT device to network, which can be common in the first topology and the second topology scenarios.

[0066] To solve the above problems or similar problems, embodiments of a first aspect of the present application provide a communication method. The communication method can support D2R transmission of AIoT devices by indicating information related to the size of the transport block, thereby solving the network communication problem of AIoT devices and supporting AIoT related services.

[0067] In embodiments of the present application, the D2R (Device to Reader) message is a device-to-reader message, which can also be referred to as uplink data; the R2D (Reader to Device) message is a reader-to-device message, which can also be referred to as downlink data.

[0068] The size of the transport block can also be referred to as the size of the high layer (Layer 2 or MAC layer) data, the size of the high layer payload, the size of the information bits, the size of the message, etc. The size of the transport block of the D2R message can also be referred to as the size of the device-to-reader response message.

[0069] In embodiments of the present application, the wireless interface between the AIoT device and the access network node of topology 1 is referred to as the first interface, such as AIoT interface, AIoT Uu, A-Uu, etc. If the intermediate node 3 (such as the second terminal device) has a reader function (such as the topology 2 shown in FIG. 2), the wireless interface between the AIoT-enabled intermediate UE and the AIoT device can also be referred to as the first interface. The reader function refers to the function of communicating with the AIoT device through the AIoT radio, which can be implemented as a general function entity of the network device and the second terminal device, such as RAN-reader entity, or can be an existing function entity aggregated in the network device or the second terminal device.

[0070] The physical layer of the first interface has the following characteristics: for the AIoT device, since it can be a passive device, it must use backscattering to transmit data. The carrier providing backscattering is called the first waveform, which can be a blank carrier, a carrier wave, a continuous wave, a sine wave, a backscattered / backscattering wave, or an uplink wave, etc. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The first waveform is used to provide energy for the AIoT device. The first waveform can be emitted by a device that communicates with the AIoT, such as the base station in topology 1 shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate UE in topology 2 shown in FIG. 2, etc. The first waveform can also be emitted by an independent third-party device.

[0071] For example, the AIoT device sends a signal by backscattering a first waveform. The first waveform is a waveform sent by the network device or a third party device. The first terminal device modulates information to be sent to the network device on the first waveform by adjusting its backscattering circuit, and then backscatters the modulated first waveform.

[0072] For another example, the first terminal device autonomously generates and transmits a second signal. The first terminal device generates a first waveform by itself and transmits information to be sent to the network device modulated on the first waveform.

[0073] In the embodiments of the present application, the first signal and the second signal are both single-carrier signals. Compared with a multi-carrier signal, the modulation (such as using OOK, On-Off Keying modulation) and demodulation complexity of a single-carrier signal is low, and the hardware device capability and precision requirement is also low, effectively reducing the complexity and cost of the terminal device.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present application, the environment Internet of Things device 2 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 can also be recorded as the first terminal device, and the intermediate node 3 of FIG. 2 can also be recorded as the second terminal device.

[0075] In the embodiments of the present application, the network node, such as the AIoT RAN node, corresponding to the network device 1 in FIG. 1, is an AIoT radio providing node connected with an AIoT core network element (AIoT CN) through a second interface (such as an NG interface). The AIoT core network element carries some functions of AIoT as part of the function division between RAN and CN. The intermediate UE reader is a UE providing AIoT radio, corresponding to the intermediate node 2 in FIG. 2, and is connected with the gNB (which can be an AIoT function enhanced gNB, corresponding to the network device 1 in FIG. 2) through an NR Uu interface. The network node (for example, the network device 1) and the intermediate UE can use a common reader function providing AIoT radio. The reader function is in the AIoT RAN node (that is, the reader is arranged in the network device) or in the UE reader (that is, the reader is arranged in the second terminal device).

[0076] Embodiment One

[0077] In embodiment one, the AS (access stratum) layer of the reader to the AIoT device is enhanced, that is, the AS process is enhanced. The reader indicates information related to the D2R message size (that is, the transport block size) to the AIoT device, that is, the first information.

[0078] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the first aspect, as shown in FIG. 3, the communication method comprises:

[0079] 31. The first terminal device receives first information transmitted by the reader, the first information being used to determine message size related information of messages from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being provided in a network device or a second terminal device; and

[0080] 32. The first terminal device communicates with the reader through an ambient IoT radio.

[0081] In embodiments of the present application, the following first method or second method can be used to determine which R2D message is used for indication. The first method and the second method are described below respectively.

[0082] First method:

[0083] The first information is received through a message 0 (Msg0), the first information indicating message size related information of subsequent messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) of the present service.

[0084] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader in the first method, and Fig. 5 is another schematic diagram of an overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader in the first method.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, in the first method, the first terminal device receives first information 304 transmitted by the reader, the first information 304 being used to determine message size related information of messages from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being provided in a network device or a second terminal device. The first terminal device communicates with the reader through an ambient IoT radio.

[0086] In some examples, the message 0 (Msg0) is also referred to as an AIoT paging message or an initial trigger message or an R2D trigger message, and contains message size related information of subsequent D2R messages of the present service.

[0087] In some embodiments, the present service refers to a service or transaction from a core network (as shown in Fig. 5) associated with the message 0 (Msg0), including at least one of an inventory service, a command service and an inventory plus command service, and the service related information is carried by the message 0 (Msg0).

[0088] In some examples, an AS procedure corresponding to a service usually contains a random access procedure and a data transmission procedure of one or more AIoT devices.

[0089] In some embodiments, the message 0 (Msg0) triggers a plurality of first terminal device-to-reader (D2R) messages of the plurality of first terminal devices, the first information 304 indicates a message size that is common for the plurality of first terminal device-to-reader (D2R) messages.

[0090] For example, the same length of the (D2R) message is sent for all the first terminal devices that need to respond, or different message sizes are indicated for different first terminal devices.

[0091] In some examples, if there are multiple subsequent (D2R) messages of the AIoT device in the service, each subsequent (D2R) message size is indicated, for example, for the inventory plus command service, the inventory-related D2R message size is indicated, that is, the device identifier length, and the length of the command response message is also indicated.

[0092] In some embodiments, the subsequent first terminal device-to-reader (D2R) message includes a message 3 (Msg3) or a data transmission message after the message 3 (Msg3), where the message 3 is the first message sent by a certain device to the reader after receiving the message 2 in the random access process (message 1 is the first message sent by the device to the reader in the random access process, and message 2 is the first message sent by the reader after receiving message 1). The message size of the message 3 (Msg3) or the data transmission message after the message 3 (Msg3) includes the size of the high-layer data, and the size of the high-layer data includes at least one of the length of the device identifier and the length of the command response message. This case applies to a 3-step random access process, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0093] The example shown in FIG. 5 applies to a 2-step random access process, for example. In FIG. 5, the subsequent first terminal device-to-reader (D2R) message includes a message 1 (Msg1). The message 0 (Msg0) can indicate the message size of the message 1 (Msg1). The message size of the message 1 (Msg1) in the 2-step includes the size of the high-layer data, for example, the size of the high-layer data includes at least one of the length of the device identifier and the length of the command response message. In some examples, if the message 1 (Msg1) contains a random access identifier, the size of the message 1 (Msg1) is the size (length) of the high-layer data plus the length of the random access identifier. The random access identifier can also be referred to as a random identifier, an AS identifier, or a (access network) temporary identifier, etc., for example, 16 bits.

[0094] Second method:

[0095] In the second method, the first information 304 indicates the next D2R message size related information. For example, the first information 304 indicates the message size related information of the next first terminal device to reader (D2R) message following the reader to device (R2D) message carrying the first information 304.

[0096] In some embodiments, the next first terminal device to reader (D2R) message includes the first first terminal device to reader (D2R) message sent by the first terminal device triggered by the reader to device (R2D) message.

[0097] In some examples, the reader to device (R2D) message triggers D2R messages of multiple first terminal devices, and the D2R message size indicated by the reader can be a common message size (i.e., the same length of D2R message is sent for all first terminal devices that need to respond) or different message sizes can be indicated for different first terminal devices.

[0098] For example, Msg2 contains an indication of the message size of Msg3. This method is suitable for a 3-step random access procedure.

[0099] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the overall access layer procedure between the first terminal device and the reader in the second method. As shown in Fig. 6, Msg2 contains an indication of the message size of Msg3, e.g., the first information 304. In a 3-step random access procedure, Msg2 is usually information echoed from Msgl, e.g., Msg2 contains the same random access identifier as in Msgl, which is used for contention resolution.

[0100] For another example, for the enhancement of the second method, Msg2 contains the random access identifier and the message size of Msg3, and the description of the message size of Msg3 (Msg3) can refer to the description of the message size in the first method.

[0101] The above describes the first method and the second method of the first embodiment.

[0102] In some embodiments of the present application, the message size related information includes an exact message size or a maximum value of a predicted message size.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first information is indicated to the reader by the core network through the second information.

[0104] For example, the first terminal device to reader (D2R) message size related information is visible to the reader in the core network to reader signaling (e.g., the second information).

[0105] In some embodiments, the second information is contained in a service request message, where the service is, for example, inventory, command, etc.

[0106] In some embodiments, the second information includes a size of a response message of the one or more first terminal devices, the response message including feedback or reply, the size of the response message including a size of high layer data. For example, the size of the high layer data includes at least one of a length of a device identification and a size of data read from a memory for a read command (e.g., a “read” command).

[0107] where the high layer refers to an AS layer or above, e.g., a non-AS layer above a medium access control (MAC) layer, an AIoT layer, or an application layer, etc.

[0108] In some examples, different signaling procedures are employed to enhance the signaling between the core network and the access network for different scenarios (e.g., topology 1 and topology 2). The specific signaling procedures can have the following options 1, 2, and 3.

[0109] Option 1:

[0110] In option 1, in the topology 1 scenario, the second information is the response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device, where an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, and the service request message is carried by a next generation interface application protocol (NGAP) signaling.

[0111] For example, the NGAP protocol can be enhanced, e.g., a new IE or field is added in a NGAP message of a service request from the core network to the network node, indicating an expected response message size from an AIoT device. If the specific value of the response message size is not too certain, a maximum value of the expected possible response message size can be indicated. The service request can be an inventory request, a command request, etc. The response message sizes corresponding to different service requests are different.

[0112] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an inventory process under topology 1. As shown in FIG. 7, taking the inventory service as an example, FIG. 7 shows the inventory process message flow from the core network to the AIoT device under the topology 1 scenario. The option 1 enhancement part is, for example, to enhance the first step inventory request. The enhancement process for the third step is referred to the aforementioned method of enhancing the AS process, i.e., the aforementioned first method or the second method.

[0113] In option 1, the core network element of the core network includes: an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), or a network function (NF) supporting the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT), such as AIoTF, or an Application Function (AF).

[0114] Option 2:

[0115] In option 2, in the topology 2 scenario, the second information is the response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device. Among them, the information element (IE) or field in the service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates the expected response message size from the first terminal device, and the service request message is carried through non-access layer (NAS) signaling.

[0116] For example, in the topology 2 scenario, enhanced non-access layer (NAS) signaling, if AIoT data transmission based on NAS procedure is used, the response message size related information (second information) about the AIoT device is sent by the core network to the second device. Similar to the content of option 1, an IE or field is added in the service request of the NAS signaling to indicate the expected response message size from an AIoT device.

[0117] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an inventory process under topology 2. As shown in FIG. 8, taking the inventory service as an example, the inventory process message flow from the core network to the first terminal device under the topology 2 scenario is shown. The enhanced part of option 2 is, for example, to enhance the first step of the inventory request. The enhancement process of the third step is referred to the aforementioned method of enhancing the AS process, that is, the first method or the second method.

[0118] In option 2, the core network element of the core network includes: an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), or a network function (NF) supporting the Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT), such as AIoTF, or an Application Function (AF).

[0119] Option 3:

[0120] In option 3, in the topology 2 scenario, the second information is the response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network as user data to the second terminal device.

[0121] For example, in the topology 2 scenario, using user plane based AIoT data transmission, the core network sends the response message size related information (the second information 306) about the AIoT device to the second terminal device as user data, and the response message size related information is contained in the inventory request message.

[0122] Also referring to FIG. 8, taking the inventory service as an example, the enhanced part of option 3 is to enhance the first step inventory request, and send the inventory request to the second terminal device as user data of the core network to the second terminal device. The enhancement process of the third step is referred to the aforementioned method of enhancing the AS process, i.e., the aforementioned first method or the second method.

[0123] In some examples of option 3, the AIoT core network element can be a user plane function (UPF) or a user plane network function supporting AIoT.

[0124] Next, the detailed design of the enhancement of the aforementioned AS process is described.

[0125] As to how to indicate the size related information (the first information) of the D2R message through the R2D message, i.e., using what signaling to indicate, there can be the following two methods:

[0126] Method 1: the reader uses layer 2 message to indicate. For example, the first information is sent to the first terminal device as a field of a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0127] Method 2: the reader uses layer 1 message to indicate. For example, the first information is sent to the first terminal device as control information in a physical reader-to-device channel (PRDCH).

[0128] In some embodiments, the form of indicating the size related information (the first information) of the D2R message can have the following two schemes:

[0129] Scheme 1: explicit indication, i.e., the first information directly indicates the transport block size (e.g., the number of bytes), this scheme is relatively simple, and can reduce the implementation complexity of the AIoT device;

[0130] In scheme 2, the first information implicitly indicates the message size (i.e., the size of the transport block). Since the size of the transport block is related to the resource allocation, the modulation order, the coding rate, etc., in some examples, the first information can indicate the message size (i.e., the size of the transport block) by at least one of the time domain resource, the frequency domain resource, the modulation order (or the modulation pattern), the code rate, the chip length, the chip rate, the number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and the repetition number.

[0131] For example, the first terminal device obtains the number of information bits by multiplying the number of resource elements in the indicated time-frequency resource by the code rate and the modulation order, and obtains the size of the transport block by quantization. The code rate is, for example, the coding rate of the line coding, and can also be implicitly indicated by the pattern of the line coding. If M-chip is used, the number of information bits is multiplied by M; if repetition transmission is used, the number of information bits is also divided by the repetition number. M can be obtained by dividing the OFDM symbol time by the chip length. The OFDM symbol time refers to the symbol time predefined in the cellular network, for example, the NR system, which is determined by the SCS (Subcarrier Spacing) configured by the system, and is referred to in the prior art. Therefore, the first terminal device can also obtain the number of information bits by multiplying the number of resource elements in the indicated time-frequency resource by the code rate and the modulation order, multiplying the OFDM symbol time, and dividing by the chip length, and obtain the size of the transport block by quantization. The chip rate is the inverse of the chip length, and the above calculation method can also be replaced accordingly. The chip length can also be referred to as the chip duration, which refers to the duration of a chip. The implicit indication form can reuse the resource allocation information (i.e., the D2R scheduling information), reducing the signaling overhead.

[0132] Next, the meaning of the message size (i.e., the size of the D2R message) indicated by the first information 304 in the embodiment one is described.

[0133] The message size indicated by the first information 304 can refer to any one of the following options A, B and C. Among them, option A refers to the size of the high layer data; option B refers to the size of the high layer data plus the size of the media access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, and the size of the media access control control element (MAC CE); and option C refers to the size of the high layer data plus the size of the media access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader.

[0134] Next, options A, B and C are described respectively.

[0135] Option A:

[0136] In option A, the message size indicated by the first information 304 is the size of the upper layer user data. In some examples, the upper layer data size is the size of the response (or feedback, reply) message of the first terminal device.

[0137] For example, the upper layer data size is equal to the device identification length, i.e., the size of the data read out from the memory for a "read" command.

[0138] For another example, the upper layer data size is equal to the size indicated by the second information 306.

[0139] For yet another example, the upper layer data size is set by the reader based on the type of service. For instance, if the type of service is inventory, the reader determines the upper layer user data size according to a predefined or configured device identification length; if the type of service is a "write" command or a "kill", "deactivate" or the like command, the reader judges that the feedback information is an acknowledgement information, and thus infers the size of the upper layer feedback information; if the type of service is a "read" command, the reader can determine the upper layer user data size according to a predefined or configured read operation feedback size.

[0140] In some examples of option A, the physical layer of the first terminal device determines the transport block size according to the upper layer data size (the first information) plus the size of the medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R message); or, the physical layer of the first terminal device determines the transport block size according to the upper layer data size (the first information) plus the size of the medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R message), and the size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0141] In some examples, option A can be used in combination with the explicit indication form (i.e., the above-mentioned scheme 1).

[0142] Option B:

[0143] In option B, the message size indicated by the first information 304 is equal to the size of the upper layer user data plus the size of the MAC header of the D2R message and possibly the size of a MAC CE.

[0144] The possible MAC CE is, for example, an energy status reporting MAC CE.

[0145] In option B, the first terminal device directly obtains the transport block size through the first information 304.

[0146] Option B can be used in combination with the explicit indication form (the above-mentioned scheme 1) or the implicit indication form (the above-mentioned scheme 2).

[0147] Option C:

[0148] In option C, the message size indicated by the first information 304 is equal to the high layer user data size plus the MAC header size of the D2R message. For example, the first terminal device gets the actual transport block size by the first information plus the size of possible MAC CEs.

[0149] Option C is suitable for the case where the reader does not know what MAC CEs the first terminal device will send. For example, option C can be used in combination with the explicit indication form (scheme 1 described above).

[0150] In embodiment one, the message size related information (the first information) can indicate the exact message size (i.e., the transport block size), or can indicate the maximum value of the predicted message size (i.e., the maximum transport block size).

[0151] The physical layer of the first terminal device provides the transport block size or the maximum transport block size to the MAC layer for generating a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) of the corresponding size.

[0152] If the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is the maximum transport block size, in the case where the actual data size that can be transmitted by the media access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size: the media access control (MAC) layer generates a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits; or, the MAC layer does not use padding bits, and the padding bits are generated by the physical layer and put into the PDRCH for transmission.

[0153] Embodiment two

[0154] FIG. 9 is another schematic diagram of the communication method of the first aspect embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the communication method of embodiment two includes:

[0155] 91. The first terminal device sends message size related information of a message (a D2R message) from the first terminal device to a reader to the reader; and

[0156] 92. The first terminal device communicates with the reader through an ambient IoT radio.

[0157] The reader is arranged in a network device or a second terminal device.

[0158] The indication form of the message size related information of the D2R message can be, for example, the implicit indication (scheme 2) of embodiment one.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 9, the communication method further includes:

[0160] 93. The first terminal device receives the scheduling information sent by the reader.

[0161] The reader, upon receiving the message size information of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, allocates resources according to the message size information to generate the scheduling information, and sends the scheduling information to the first terminal device (operation 93).

[0162] In some examples, the scheduling information includes at least one of time domain resources, frequency domain resources, modulation order, code rate, chip length, chip rate, and repetition number, and the first terminal device determines the transport block size through at least one of the time domain resources, the frequency domain resources, the modulation order, the code rate, the chip length, the chip rate, the number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and the repetition number.

[0163] In Embodiment Two, the message size related information can indicate the exact message size (i.e., the transport block size), or can indicate the maximum value of the predicted message size (i.e., the maximum transport block size).

[0164] The physical layer of the first terminal device provides the transport block size or the maximum transport block size to the MAC layer for generating a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) of the corresponding size.

[0165] If the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is the maximum transport block size, in the case where the actual data size that can be transmitted at the media access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size: the media access control (MAC) layer generates a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits; or, the MAC layer does not use padding bits, and the padding bits are generated by the physical layer and put into the PDRCH for transmission.

[0166] In Embodiment Two, in some scenarios, such as the three-step random access scenario, the method of using the AIoT device (i.e., the first terminal device) to report the message size information to enable the reader to obtain the D2R message size related information does not require the participation of the core network, and reduces the signaling overhead from the core network to the access network.

[0167] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a command process, showing the process of implementing a command through a three-step random access process, for illustrating Embodiment Two. FIG. 10 illustrates the command process as an example, and the illustration for the inventory process is similar.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 10, if the Msg0 contains the service type related information (e.g. command type), the first terminal device knows the specific command content after receiving the Msg0 (message 0), and can know the length of the subsequent Msg3 (message 3). The first terminal device can report the message length information of the Msg3 (message 3) when sending the random access identifier in the Msg1 (message 1), corresponding to the operation 91 of FIG. 9, for example, the MAC CE (contained in the Msg1) can be used for reporting. The Msg3 (message 3) is the subsequent D2R message, for example, the device identifier of the first terminal device, or the response message to the command. The first terminal device can prepare the subsequent D2R message after receiving the Msg0 (message 0), for example, the data to be sent is put into the cache. Therefore, the message length information of the Msg3 (message 3) can also be the cache state information, for example, the size of the data in the cache. The reader receives the reported D2R message length information, and performs resource allocation according to the information, and sends the D2R scheduling information to the device as the first information in the Msg2. The first terminal device can determine the transport block size according to the D2R scheduling information.

[0169] Similarly, if there is a subsequent D2R message for data transmission, such as multiple command processes, the size information of the next D2R message can be reported to the reader when sending a certain D2R message, and the current cache state information can also be reported. The reader performs resource allocation for the next D2R transmission according to the reported information.

[0170] Embodiment three

[0171] Embodiment three can be a combination of embodiment one and embodiment two.

[0172] FIG. 11 is another schematic diagram of the communication method of the first aspect embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the communication method of embodiment three comprises:

[0173] 1101, the first terminal device receives the first information sent by the reader, the first information is used to determine the message size related information of the first message from the first terminal device to the reader, and the reader is arranged in the network device or the second terminal device;

[0174] 1102, the first terminal device sends the message size related information of the second message from the first terminal device to the reader to the reader; and

[0175] 1103, the first terminal device communicates with the reader through the environmental Internet of Things radio.

[0176] In embodiment three, the first message is a D2R message, for example, a response message including the inventory process. The second message is also a D2R message, for example, a response message including the command process.

[0177] In some examples of embodiment three, the first information is indicated by the core network to the reader through the second information at some time, and the first information is derived by the reader from the information reported by the first terminal device at some time.

[0178] In embodiment three, the message size related information can indicate the exact message size (i.e., transport block size), or can indicate the maximum value of the predicted message size (i.e., maximum transport block size).

[0179] The physical layer of the first terminal device provides the transport block size or the maximum transport block size to the MAC layer for generating a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) of the corresponding size.

[0180] If the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is the maximum transport block size, in the case that the actual data size that can be transmitted at the media access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size, the media access control (MAC) layer generates a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits; or the MAC layer does not use padding bits, and padding bits are generated by the physical layer and put into the PDRCH for transmission.

[0181] In embodiment three, embodiment one and embodiment two can be combined. For example, in some scenarios, the core network can obtain the response size of the inventory service (device identification length), but can not accurately predict the response message size of the "read" command, so in the process of inventory + command, the response message size of the inventory step can be provided by the core network to the reader (refer to embodiment one), and the response message size of the subsequent command process can be reported by the first terminal device to the reader (refer to embodiment two).

[0182] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an inventory and command process, for illustrating the communication method of embodiment three.

[0183] As shown in FIG. 12, taking the business flow of inventory and command as an example, in step 1, the core network instructs the second information about the device identification length (inventory result) to the reader. The reader instructs the device identification length as the first information to the first terminal device through message 0. The first terminal device determines the transport block size of Msg1 (message 1) based on the first information. The command type is also contained in message 0. The first terminal device uses 2-step random access, and contains the AS identification of the access network and the high layer data (device identification) in Msg1 (message 1), and further contains the command response message size reported by the first terminal device. The reader replies the same AS identification in Msg2 (message 2), and further contains the scheduling information (first information) of the subsequent D2R message. In the subsequent D2R data transmission, the transport block size is determined through the first information.

[0184] The related description of step 2, step 4, step 4b, message 3 and message 4 in FIG. 12 can refer to the related art.

[0185] Embodiments of the second aspect

[0186] The communication method of the embodiments of the present application is applied to the reader, and the reader is arranged in the network device or the second terminal device, and corresponds to the method of the embodiments of the first aspect, and the same content as the embodiments of the first aspect will not be described herein.

[0187] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the communication method of the embodiments of the second aspect of the present application. As shown in FIG. 13, the communication method comprises:

[0188] 1301. The reader sends the first information to the first terminal device, and the first information is used for the first terminal device to determine the message size related information of the message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R).

[0189] 1302. The reader communicates with the first terminal device through the ambient Internet of Things radio.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first information is sent through message 0, and the first information indicates the message size related information of the subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) of the present business.

[0191] In some embodiments, the present business refers to the service from the core network associated with message 0, and the service includes at least one of the inventory service, the command service and the inventory plus command service.

[0192] In some embodiments, message 0 (Msg0) triggers multiple messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) of multiple first terminal devices, and the message size indicated by the first information includes the message size commonly used by the multiple messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R).

[0193] In some embodiments, the subsequent first terminal device to reader (D2R) message comprises a message 3 (Msg3) or a data transmission message after message 3.

[0194] In some embodiments, the message size of the message 3 or the data transmission message after message 3 comprises a size of the higher layer data.

[0195] In some embodiments, the size of the higher layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0196] In some embodiments, the subsequent first terminal device to reader (D2R) message comprises a message 1 (Msg1), wherein the message size of the message 1 comprises a size of the higher layer data.

[0197] In some embodiments, the size of the higher layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information indicates message size related information of a subsequent first terminal device to reader (D2R) message of a reader to device (R2D) message carrying the first information.

[0199] In some embodiments, the subsequent first terminal device to reader (D2R) message comprises a first first terminal device to reader (D2R) message sent by the first terminal device triggered by the reader to device (R2D) message.

[0200] In some embodiments, the message size related information comprises an exact message size, or a maximum value of a predicted message size.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader through second information.

[0202] In some embodiments, the second information is contained in a service request message.

[0203] In some embodiments, the second information comprises a size of a response message of one or more first terminal devices, and the size of the response message comprises a size of the higher layer data.

[0204] In some embodiments, the size of the higher layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a size of data read from a memory in response to a read command.

[0205] In some embodiments, the core network element of the core network comprises: an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), or a Network Function (NF) supporting an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT).

[0206] In some embodiments, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device, wherein an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) signaling.

[0207] In some embodiments, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device, wherein,

[0208] an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0209] In some embodiments, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device as user data.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first information is sent to the first terminal device as a field of a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE); or

[0211] The first information is sent to the first terminal device as control information in a Physical Reader-to-Device Channel (PRDCH).

[0212] In some embodiments, the first information 304 indicates the message size; or

[0213] The first information indicates the message size through at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, and a repetition number, and the first terminal device determines the message size through at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, a number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and a repetition number.

[0214] In some embodiments, the message size refers to:

[0215] a high layer data size; or

[0216] a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE); or

[0217] a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader.

[0218] In some embodiments, the message size refers to a size of high layer data in the case that:

[0219] the physical layer of the first terminal device derives a transport block size from the size of the high layer data plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader; or

[0220] the physical layer of the first terminal device derives a transport block size from the size of the high layer data plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0221] In some embodiments, the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is a maximum transport block size,

[0222] In the case that the actual data size that can be transmitted at the medium access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size, the medium access control (MAC) layer generates a medium access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits.

[0223] FIG. 14 is another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application. As shown in FIG. 14, the communication method comprises:

[0224] 1401. The reader receives message size related information sent by the first terminal device for indicating a message size of a message from the first terminal device to the reader; and

[0225] 1402. The reader communicates with the first terminal device through an ambient IoT radio.

[0226] In some embodiments, the first terminal device reports message length information of message 3 (Msg3) in message 1 (Msg1).

[0227] As shown in FIG. 14, the communication method further comprises:

[0228] 1403. After receiving the message size information of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader performs resource allocation according to the message size information to generate the scheduling information; and

[0229] 1404、The reader sends scheduling information to the first terminal device.

[0230] In some embodiments, the scheduling information comprises at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, and a repetition number, and the first terminal device determines a transport block size through at least one of the time domain resource, the frequency domain resource, the modulation order, the code rate, the chip length, the chip rate, a number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and the repetition number.

[0231] FIG. 15 is another schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the application, as shown in FIG. 15, the communication method comprises:

[0232] 1501、The reader sends first information to the first terminal device, the first information 304 is used by the first terminal device to determine message size related information of a first message from the first terminal device to the reader;

[0233] 1502、The reader receives message size related information of a second message from the first terminal device sent by the first terminal device to indicate the second message from the first terminal device to the reader; and

[0234] 1503、The reader communicates with the first terminal device through an environmental Internet of Things radio.

[0235] In some embodiments, the first message comprises a response message of an inventory process, and the second message comprises a response message of a command process.

[0236] In some embodiments, the first information is indicated by the core network to the reader through the second information.

[0237] Embodiments of the third aspect

[0238] Embodiments of the application provide a communication device applied to a first terminal device. The device may, for example, be a terminal device, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the terminal device, which corresponds to the method applied to the first terminal device in the embodiments of the first aspect, and the same content as the embodiments of the first aspect will not be repeated.

[0239] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 16, the communication device 1600 comprises a first communication module 1601, which comprises a receiver and / or a transmitter.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first communication module 1601 is configured to:

[0241] The first communication module receives first information transmitted by a reader, the first information being used to determine message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being located at a network device or a second terminal device; and

[0242] The first communication module communicates with the reader through an environmental IoT radio.

[0243] In some examples, the first information is received through a message 0, the first information indicating message size related information of a subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) for the present service.

[0244] In some examples, the present service refers to a service from a core network associated with the message 0, the service including at least one of an inventory service, a command service, and an inventory plus command service.

[0245] In some examples, the message 0 triggers a plurality of messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) for a plurality of first terminal devices, the message size indicated by the first information including a message size common to the plurality of messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R).

[0246] In some examples, the subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) includes a message 3 (Msg 3) or a data transmission message after the message 3, wherein the message size of the message 3 or the data transmission message after the message 3 includes a size of high layer data.

[0247] In some examples, the size of the high layer data includes at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0248] In some examples, the subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) includes a message 1 (Msg 1), wherein the message size of the message 1 includes a size of high layer data.

[0249] In some examples, the size of the high layer data includes at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0250] In some examples, the first information indicates message size related information of a subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) for the present service carried by a reader to device (R2D) message of the first information.

[0251] In some examples, the next first terminal device to reader (D2R) message comprises a first first terminal device to reader (D2R) message triggered by the first terminal device to device (R2D) message.

[0252] In some examples, the message size related information comprises an exact message size, or a maximum value of a predicted message size.

[0253] In some examples, the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader through second information.

[0254] In some examples, the second information is contained in a service request message.

[0255] In some examples, the second information comprises a size of a response message of one or more first terminal devices, the size of the response message comprising a size of high layer data.

[0256] In some examples, the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identity and a size of data read from a memory for a read command.

[0257] In some examples, the core network element of the core network comprises an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), or an Application Enablement Internet of Things (AIoT) Network Function (NF).

[0258] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device, wherein an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) signaling.

[0259] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device, wherein

[0260] an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0261] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network as user data to the second terminal device.

[0262] In some examples, the first information is sent to the first terminal device as a field of a media access control control element (MAC CE); or

[0263] The first information is sent to the first terminal device as control information in a physical reader-to-device channel (PRDCH).

[0264] In some examples, the first information indicates the message size; or

[0265] The first information indicates the message size by at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, and a repetition number, and the first terminal device determines the message size by at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, a number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and a repetition number.

[0266] In some examples, the message size refers to:

[0267] a higher layer data size; or

[0268] a higher layer data size plus a size of a media access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a media access control control element (MAC CE); or

[0269] a higher layer data size plus a size of a media access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader.

[0270] In some examples, the message size refers to a higher layer data size:

[0271] a transport block size according to the higher layer data size plus a size of a media access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader; or

[0272] a transport block size according to the higher layer data size plus a size of a media access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a media access control control element (MAC CE).

[0273] In some examples, the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is a maximum transport block size,

[0274] In case that the actual size of data to be transmitted at the media access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size, the media access control (MAC) layer generates a media access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits.

[0275] In some examples, the physical layer of the first terminal device determines message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader and provides the message size related information to the MAC layer.

[0276] In some other embodiments, the first communication module 1601 is configured to:

[0277] send, to a reader, message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being disposed in a network device or a second terminal device; and

[0278] The first terminal device communicates with the reader through an ambient Internet of Things radio.

[0279] In some examples, the communication module reports message length information of a message 3 (Msg3) in a message 1 (Msg1).

[0280] The first communication module receives scheduling information sent by the reader, wherein the reader allocates resources according to the message size information of the message from the first terminal device to the reader to generate the scheduling information after receiving the message size information.

[0281] In some examples, the scheduling information includes at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, and a repetition number, and the first terminal device determines a transport block size through at least one of the time domain resource, the frequency domain resource, the modulation order, the code rate, the chip length, the chip rate, a number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and the repetition number.

[0282] In yet some other embodiments, the first communication module is configured to:

[0283] The first communication module receives first information sent by the reader, the first information being used to determine message size related information of a first message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being disposed in a network device or a second terminal device;

[0284] The first communication module sends, to the reader, message size related information of a second message from the first terminal device to the reader; and

[0285] The first communication module communicates with the reader through an environmental IoT radio.

[0286] In some examples, the first message comprises a response message of an inventory procedure,

[0287] The second message comprises a response message of a command procedure.

[0288] In some examples, the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader through second information.

[0289] Embodiments of the fourth aspect

[0290] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication apparatus, which is applied to a reader, the reader is arranged in a network device or a second terminal device. The communication apparatus can be a terminal device or a network device, or can be one or more components or assemblies arranged in the terminal device or the network device, which corresponds to the method applied to the reader in the embodiments of the second aspect, and the same content as the embodiments of the second aspect will not be repeated.

[0291] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 17, the communication apparatus 1700 comprises a second communication module 1701, which comprises a receiver and / or a transmitter.

[0292] In some embodiments, the second communication module 1701 is configured to:

[0293] The second communication module sends first information to the first terminal device, the first information being used by the first terminal device to determine message size related information of messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R); and

[0294] The second communication module communicates with the first terminal device through an environmental IoT radio.

[0295] In some examples, the first information is sent through a message 0, and the first information indicates message size related information of subsequent messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) in the present service.

[0296] In some examples, the present service refers to a service from a core network associated with the message 0, and the service comprises at least one of an inventory service, a command service, and an inventory plus command service.

[0297] In some examples, the message 0 triggers a plurality of messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R) of a plurality of first terminal devices, and the message size indicated by the first information comprises a message size common to the plurality of messages from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R).

[0298] In some examples, the subsequent (D2R) message from the first terminal device to the reader comprises a message 3 (Msg 3) or a data transmission message after message 3,

[0299] wherein a message size of the message 3 or the data transmission message after message 3 comprises a size of high layer data.

[0300] In some examples, the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0301] In some examples, the subsequent (D2R) message from the first terminal device to the reader comprises a message 1 (Msg 1),

[0302] wherein a message size of the message 1 comprises a size of high layer data.

[0303] In some examples, the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a length of a command response message.

[0304] In some examples, the first information indicates message size related information of a subsequent (D2R) message from the first terminal device to the reader, which carries the first information.

[0305] In some examples, the subsequent (D2R) message from the first terminal device to the reader comprises a first (D2R) message from the first terminal device triggered by the (R2D) message.

[0306] In some examples, the message size related information comprises an exact message size, or a maximum value of a predicted message size.

[0307] In some examples, the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader through second information.

[0308] In some examples, the second information is contained in a service request message.

[0309] In some examples, the second information comprises a size of a response message of one or more first terminal devices, the size of the response message comprising a size of high layer data.

[0310] In some examples, the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identification and a size of data read from a memory in response to a read command.

[0311] In some examples, the core network element of the core network comprises an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), or a Network Function (NF) supporting an Ambient Internet of Things (AIoT).

[0312] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device.

[0313] An information element (IE) or field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) signaling.

[0314] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device.

[0315] An information element (IE) or field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried through Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0316] In some examples, the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device as user data.

[0317] In some examples, the first information is sent to the first terminal device as a field of a Medium Access Control Control Element (MAC CE); or

[0318] The first information is sent to the first terminal device as control information in a Physical Reader-to-Device Channel (PRDCH).

[0319] In some examples, the first information indicates the message size; or

[0320] The first information indicates the message size through at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, and a repetition number, and the first terminal device determines the message size through at least one of a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a modulation order, a code rate, a chip length, a chip rate, a number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and a repetition number.

[0321] In some examples, the message size refers to:

[0322] a high layer data size; or

[0323] a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE); or

[0324] a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader.

[0325] In some examples, the message size refers to a size of high layer data:

[0326] the physical layer of the first terminal device derives a transport block size from the size of high layer data plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader; or

[0327] the physical layer of the first terminal device derives a transport block size from the size of high layer data plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE).

[0328] In some examples, the transport block size provided by the physical layer of the first terminal device is a maximum transport block size,

[0329] In a case where an actual size of data that can be transmitted at the medium access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is less than the maximum transport block size, the medium access control (MAC) layer generates a medium access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits.

[0330] In some other embodiments, the second communication module 1701 is configured to:

[0331] the second communication module receives message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader; and

[0332] the second communication module communicates with the first terminal device through the ambient IoT radio.

[0333] In some examples, the first terminal device reports message length information of message 3 (Msg3) in message 1 (Msg1).

[0334] In some examples, the second communication module, after receiving message size information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, performs resource allocation according to the message size information to generate the scheduling information; and

[0335] The second communication module sends the scheduling information to the first terminal device.

[0336] In some examples, the scheduling information comprises at least one of time domain resource, frequency domain resource, modulation order, code rate, chip length, chip rate, and repetition number, and the first terminal device determines a transport block size by at least one of time domain resource, frequency domain resource, modulation order, code rate, chip length, chip rate, number of chips M in one OFDM symbol, and repetition number.

[0337] In yet some embodiments, the second communication module is configured to:

[0338] The second communication module sends first information to the first terminal device, the first information being used by the first terminal device to determine message size related information of a first message from the first terminal device to the reader;

[0339] The second communication module receives message size related information of a second message from the first terminal device to the reader sent by the first terminal device; and

[0340] The second communication module communicates with the first terminal device through an environmental IoT radio.

[0341] In some examples, the first message comprises a response message of an inventory process,

[0342] The second message comprises a response message of a command process.

[0343] In some examples, the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader through second information.

[0344] Embodiments of the fifth aspect

[0345] Embodiments of the fifth aspect of the present application provide a communication system, which can comprise a first terminal device (e.g., an environmental IoT device) and a reader. The reader can be disposed in a network device or a second terminal device.

[0346] In some examples, at least one of the first terminal device, the network device, and the second terminal device can have the schematic diagram of the electronic device shown in FIG. 18.

[0347] As shown in FIG. 18, the electronic device 1800 can correspond to the terminal device 102 or the network device 101 of FIG. 1, and the electronic device 1800 can include a processor 1810 and a memory 1820. The memory 1820 stores data and programs and is coupled to the processor 1810. It is worth noting that this figure is exemplary; other types of structures can also be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunication functions or other functions.

[0348] For example, the processor 1810 can be configured to execute a program to implement the functions of at least one of the environmental Internet of Things device, the first network node device, the core network and the application server.

[0349] As shown in FIG. 18, the terminal device 1800 can further include a communication module 1830, an input unit 1840, a display 1850, and a power supply 1860. The functions of the above components are similar to those of the prior art, and will not be described here. It should be noted that the terminal device 1800 does not necessarily include all the components shown in FIG. 18, and the above components are not essential; in addition, the terminal device 1800 can also include components not shown in FIG. 18, which can be referred to the prior art.

[0350] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in at least one of the first terminal device and the reader, the program causes the device to perform the corresponding method to implement the corresponding functions.

[0351] The embodiments of the present application also provide a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in at least one of the first terminal device and the reader, the program causes the device to perform the corresponding method to implement the corresponding functions.

[0352] The above apparatus and method of the present application can be realized by hardware, or by a combination of hardware and software. The present application relates to a computer readable program, which, when executed by a logic component, can enable the logic component to realize the above-described apparatus or constituent components, or to realize the above-described various methods or steps. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

[0353] The method / apparatus described in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figures and / or a combination of one or more functional block diagrams can correspond to each software module of the computer program flow, or to each hardware module. These software modules can correspond to each step shown in the figures, respectively. These hardware modules can be realized by, for example, fixing the software modules with a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0354] The software modules can reside in RAM, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. The storage medium can be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The software modules can be stored in a memory of the mobile terminal, or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (e.g., mobile terminal) is a MEGA-SIM card or a large capacity flash memory device, the software modules can be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large capacity flash memory device.

[0355] One or more of the functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings and / or one or more combinations of the functional blocks can be implemented as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any appropriate combination thereof, for performing the functions described in this disclosure. One or more of the functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings and / or one or more combinations of the functional blocks can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0356] The present disclosure has been described above with the attachment to the specific embodiments, but it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the description is exemplary and is not a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present disclosure based on the spirit and principles of the present disclosure, and such modifications and changes are within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0357] In connection with the embodiments including the above embodiments, the following notes are also disclosed:

[0358] 1. A communication method applied to a reader, the reader being arranged in a network device or a second terminal device, the method comprising:

[0359] the reader sending first information to the first terminal device, the first information being used by the first terminal device to determine message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader (D2R); and

[0360] the reader communicating with the first terminal device through an ambient IoT radio.

[0361] 2. The method of note 1, wherein,

[0362] The first information is sent by a message 0, and the first information indicates message size related information of a subsequent first terminal device to reader (D2R) message of the service.

[0363] 3. The method of Appendix 2, wherein,

[0364] The service refers to a service from a core network associated with the message 0, and the service includes at least one of an inventory service, a command service, and an inventory plus command service.

[0365] 4. The method of Appendix 2, wherein,

[0366] The message 0 triggers a plurality of first terminal device to reader (D2R) messages of a plurality of first terminal devices, and the message size indicated by the first information includes a message size common to the plurality of first terminal device to reader (D2R) messages.

[0367] 5. The method of Appendix 1, wherein,

[0368] The first information is indicated by a core network to the reader by second information.

[0369] 6. The method of Appendix 5, wherein,

[0370] The core network element of the core network includes an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) or an environment Internet of Things (AIoT) enabled Network Function (NF).

[0371] 7. The method of Appendix 5, wherein,

[0372] The second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device, and wherein,

[0373] An information element (IE) or field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected response message size from the first terminal device, and the service request message is carried by Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) signaling.

[0374] 8. The method of Appendix 5, wherein,

[0375] The second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device, and wherein,

[0376] An information element (IE) or field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected size of a response message from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried by non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0377] 9.The method of item 1, wherein,

[0378] the first information is sent to the first terminal device as a field of a medium access control control element (MAC CE) ; or

[0379] the first information is sent to the first terminal device as control information in a physical reader to device channel (PRDCH).

[0380] 10.A communication method applied to a reader, the reader being arranged in a network device or a second terminal device, the method comprising:

[0381] sending, by the reader, first information to the first terminal device, the first information being used by the first terminal device to determine message size related information of a first message from the first terminal device to the reader, the first information being indicated by a core network to the reader by second information;

[0382] receiving, by the reader, message size related information sent by the first terminal device to indicate a second message from the first terminal device to the reader; and

[0383] communicating, by the reader, with the first terminal device through an ambient IoT radio.

Claims

1.A communication apparatus applied to a first terminal device, the apparatus comprising a first communication module, the first communication module comprising a receiver and / or a transmitter, the first communication module being configured to: receive, by the first communication module, first information transmitted by a reader, the first information being used to determine message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being located at a network device or a second terminal device; and communicate, by the first communication module, with the reader via an ambient Internet of Things radio. 2.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information is received via a message 0, the first information indicating message size related information of a subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader. 3.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader comprises a message 1 (Msg 1) or a message 3 (Msg 3) or a data transmission message after the message 3, wherein the message size of the message 1 or the message 3 or the data transmission message after the message 3 comprises a size of high layer data. 4.The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identity and a length of a command response message. 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information indicates message size related information of a subsequent message from the first terminal device to the reader, the subsequent message being a reader to device (R2D) message carrying the first information. 6.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message size related information comprises an exact message size or a maximum value of a predicted message size. 7.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information is indicated by a core network to the reader via second information. 8.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second information is included in a service request message. 9.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second information comprises one or more sizes of response messages from the first terminal device, the size of the response message comprising a size of high layer data. 10.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the size of the high layer data comprises at least one of a length of a device identity and a size of data read from a memory in response to a read command. 11.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the network device, wherein an information element (IE) or a field in a service request message from the core network to the network device indicates an expected size of a response message from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried via a next generation application protocol (NGAP) signaling. 12.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second information is response message size related information about the first terminal device sent by the core network to the second terminal device, wherein an IE or a field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected size of a response message from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried via a next generation application protocol (NGAP) signaling. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ An information element (IE) or field in a service request message from the core network to the second terminal device indicates an expected size of a response message from the first terminal device, the service request message being carried by non-access stratum (NAS) signaling. 13.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the first information indicates the message size; or the first information indicates the message size by at least one of time domain resource, frequency domain resource, modulation order, code rate, chip length, chip rate, and repetition number, and the first terminal device determines the message size by at least one of time domain resource, frequency domain resource, modulation order, code rate, chip length, chip rate, number of chips in one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, and repetition number. 14.The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, the first terminal device determines a transport block size by quantizing a number of information bits obtained by multiplying a number of resource elements in a time-frequency resource indicated by the first information, a code rate, and a modulation order, and dividing a result by a chip length. 15.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the message size refers to: a high layer data size; or a high layer data size plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, and a size of a medium access control control element (MAC CE) ; or a high layer data size plus a size of a medium access control (MAC) header of a message from the first terminal device to the reader. 16.The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, a transport block size provided by a physical layer of the first terminal device is a maximum transport block size, in a case where an actual data size that can be transmitted at a medium access control (MAC) layer of the first terminal device is smaller than the maximum transport block size, the medium access control (MAC) layer generates a medium access control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) using padding bits. 17.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, a physical layer of the first terminal device determines message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader and provides the message size related information to a MAC layer. 18.A communication apparatus applied to a first terminal device, the apparatus comprising a first communication module, the first communication module comprising a receiver and / or a transmitter, the first communication module being configured to: send, to a reader, message size related information of a message from the first terminal device to the reader, the reader being disposed in a network device or a second terminal device; and communicate with the reader by an ambient internet of things radio. 19.The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, the first terminal device reports message length information of a message 3 (Msg3) in a message 1 (Msg1). 20.The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, the first communication module receives scheduling information sent by the reader, wherein, ​ The reader, upon receiving the message size information of the message from the first terminal device to the reader, performs resource allocation according to the message size information to generate the scheduling information.

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