Proximity detection for ambient internet of things (IOT) devices

Abstract

An ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader for communicating in a wireless communication network. The AloT reader may receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria. The AloT reader may determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique. The AloT reader may transmit an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

Description

Client Ref. No. P69472WO1PROXIMITY DETECTION FOR AMBIENT INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) DEVICESFIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications, including apparatuses, systems, and methods of Ambient Internet of Things (loT) devices in a cellular communications network.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0002] Ambient Internet of Things (loT) is a device type which operates on energy harvested from the environment, such as electromagnetic, solar, thermal, or pressure sources. Ambient loT (e.g., AloT) devices are designed to be inexpensive, have a small form factor, and consume very low power, positioning them in the lowest segment of loT device categories in terms of cost, complexity, and power consumption, well below Narrowband loT (NB-loT) and enhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) devices.

[0003] AloT devices eliminate the need for battery replacements, which significantly reduces maintenance efforts and associated costs. The cost-effectiveness of AloT technology enables the connection of a vast number of devices to a network, making it an attractive solution for use cases including large-scale implementations. The combination of low cost, compact size, and battery-free operation makes AloT devices particularly well- suited for these use cases, offering a practical and efficient solution for a wide range of industries.

[0004] The key motivations behind the development of Ambient loT technology include reducing or removing the effort and cost associated with battery replacement and maintenance, enabling deployment in use cases where frequent human access is difficult or costly and allowing large numbers of devices to be connected to a network due to their low cost. Ambient loT devices are particularly well-suited for applications such as asset tracking and monitoring in supply chain scenarios, including manufacturing, shipping, and warehousing.SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatuses, systems, and methods for an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader configured for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: one orClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria; determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique; and transmit an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

[0006] Other embodiments relate to apparatuses, systems, and methods for a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) controller function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information; receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and transmit an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0007] Other embodiments relate to apparatuses, systems, and methods for a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) application function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: generate an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and receive an inventory request response.

[0008] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to base stations, access points, cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and any of various other computing devices.

[0009] This Summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the abovedescribed features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] A better understanding of the present subject matter can be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 A illustrates an example wireless communication system according to some embodiments.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0012] FIG. 1 B illustrates an example of a base station and an access point in communication with a user equipment (UE) device, according to some embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of a base station, according to some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a server according to some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates an example block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE, according to some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates an example block diagram of an interface of baseband circuitry according to some embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a control plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a user plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 10A illustrates an example topology of ambient internet of things (AloT) devices communicating with a base station and a user equipment (UE).

[0022] FIG. 10B illustrates an example topology of ambient internet of things (AloT) devices with downlink assistance.

[0023] FIG. 10C illustrates an example topology of ambient internet of things (AloT) devices with uplink assistance.

[0024] FIG. 10D illustrates an example topology of ambient internet of things (AloT) devices communicates bidirectionally with a user equipment (UE).

[0025] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a backscatter transmitter device in a wireless communication network, according to some embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates an example illustration of communication topology between carrier wave nodes and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) communication, according to some embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 13 illustrates an example timing diagram of signaling between a reader, a carrier wave node, and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device, according to some embodiments.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0028] FIG. 14 illustrates an example topology of readers and ambient internet of things (AloT) devices, according to some embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 15 illustrates an example timing diagram of signaling between an application function (AF), an ambient Internet of Things (AloTCF) Controller Function, an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader, and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device, according to some embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 16 illustrates an example timing diagram of signaling between an application function (AF), an ambient Internet of Things (AloTCF) Controller Function, an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader, and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device, according to some embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 17 illustrates a flow chart of a method for communication by an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader in a wireless communication network, according to some embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 18 illustrates a flow chart of a method for communication by a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) controller function in communication with a wireless communication network supporting ambient Internet of Things (AloT) devices, according to some embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 19 illustrates a flow chart of a method for communication by an apparatus hosting an application function in communication with an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) controller function, according to some embodiments.

[0034] While the features described herein may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to be limiting to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONTerms

[0035] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0036] Memory Medium - Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term “memory medium” is intended to include an installation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or tape device; a computer system memory or random-Client Ref. No. P69472WO1 access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; a nonvolatile memory such as a Flash, magnetic media, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may include other types of non-transitory memory as well or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system in which the programs are executed or may be located in a second different computer system which connects to the first computer system over a network, such as the Internet. In the latter instance, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory mediums which may reside in different locations, e.g., in different computer systems that are connected over a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as computer programs) that may be executed by one or more processors.

[0037] Carrier Medium - a memory medium as described above, as well as a physical transmission medium, such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0038] Programmable Hardware Element includes various hardware devices comprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via a programmable interconnect. Examples include FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). The programmable function blocks may range from fine grained (combinatorial logic or look up tables) to coarse grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). A programmable hardware element may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic”.

[0039] Computer System (or Computer) - any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or other device or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0040] User Equipment (UE) (or “UE Device”) - any of various types of computer systems devices which are mobile or portable and which performs wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™, iPhone™), laptops, wearable devices (e.g.,Client Ref. No. P69472WO1 smart watch, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), and so forth. In general, the term “UE” or “UE device” can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) which is easily transported by a user and capable of wireless communication.

[0041] Base Station - The term "Base Station" has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0042] Processing Element (or Processor) - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing a function in a device, such as a user equipment, a cellular network device, an Internet of Things (lot) reader, or an loT device such as, for example, and Ambient loT device. Processing elements may include, for example: processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware elements such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), as well any of various combinations of the above. A processor in an Ambient loT device can comprise logic elements configured to receive a signal and send data such as, for example, a data packet or numeric value in response to receiving the signal.

[0043] Channel - a medium used to convey information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since characteristics of the term “channel” may differ according to different wireless protocols, the term “channel” as used herein may be considered as being used in a manner that is consistent with the standard of the type of device with reference to which the term is used. In some standards, channel widths may be variable (e.g., depending on device capability, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1 .4 MHz to 20MHz. 5G NR can support scalable channel bandwidths from 5 MHz to 100 MHz in Frequency Range 1 (FR1 ) and up to 400 MHz in FR2. In other radio access technologies, WLAN channels may be 22 MHz wide while Bluetooth channels may be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, etc.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0044] Band - The term "band" has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a section of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0045] Automatically - refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.), without user input directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatically" is in contrast to an operation being manually performed or specified by the user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic procedure may be initiated by input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that are performed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed “manually”, where the user specifies each action to perform. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting check boxes, radio selections, etc.) is filling out the form manually, even though the computer system will update the form in response to the user actions. The form may be automatically filled out by the computer system where the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills in the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, the user may invoke the automatic filling of the form but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers to fields but rather they are being automatically completed). The present specification provides various examples of operations being automatically performed in response to actions the user has taken.

[0046] Approximately - refers to a value that is almost correct or exact. For example, approximately may refer to a value that is within 1 to 10 percent of the exact (or desired) value. It should be noted, however, that the actual threshold value (or tolerance) may be application dependent. For example, in some embodiments, “approximately” may mean within 0.1 % of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, and so forth, as desired or as set by the particular application.

[0047] Concurrent - refers to parallel execution or performance, where tasks, processes, or programs are performed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency may be implemented using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are performed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computational elements, orClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 using “weak parallelism”, where the tasks are performed in an interleaved manner, e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads.

[0048] Various components may be described as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broad recitation generally meaning “having structure that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently performing that task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” may be a broad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently on. In general, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits.

[0049] Various components may be described as performing a task or tasks, for convenience in the description. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to.” Reciting a component that is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) interpretation for that component.

[0050] The example embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The example embodiments relate to signaling energy associated information.

[0051] The example embodiments are described with regard to communication between a reader (e.g., a base station or a UE) and a device. However, reference to a base station or a UE is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The example embodiments may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection to a network and is configured with the hardware, software, and / or firmware to support communication between a reader and an A-loT device. Therefore, the base station or UE as described herein is used to represent any appropriate type of electronic component.

[0052] The example embodiments are also described with regard to a fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) network that may configure a UE or BS to operate as a reader or intermediary device to communicate with an A-loT device. However, reference to a 5G NR network is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The example embodiments may be utilized with any appropriate type of network, including 6G networks.

[0053] As described the mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments provide an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader configured for communicating in a wireless communicationClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 network, comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria; determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique; and transmit an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

[0054] The illustrated embodiments also provide a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) controller function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information; receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and transmit an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0055] The illustrated embodiments also provide a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) application function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: generate an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and receive an inventory request response.

[0056] It should be noted that as used herein, “strong” or “strongest” in relation to the "strongest D2R signal" may refer to the Device-to-Reader (D2R) signal with the highest received power or the best signal quality at the gNB / reader. The strongest D2R signal may include a D2R signal with a highest received power level at the UE / gNB / reader, measured in dBm (decibels referenced to one milliwatt). For example, if one signal is received at -70 dBm and another at -80 dBm, the -70 dBm signal would be considered stronger. The strongest D2R signal may include a highest signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR) such that the D2R signal with the highest SNR at the UE / gNB / reader is the strongest D2R signal. SNR can be measured in decibels (dB) and compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise.

[0057] The strongest D2R signal may a D2R signal with the highest signal-to- Interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). In environments with significant interference, the D2R signal with the highest SINR at the gNB / reader may be considered the strongest. SINR may be measured in dB and takes into account both noise and interference.

[0058] Thus, a strongest D2R signal may a signal that demonstrates sufficient quality and reliability to enable effective communication between devices as described herein. The strength of a signal may be determined by its ability to meet or exceed predefined performance criteria, which may include, but are not limited to, signal power, signal-to-noise ratio, error rates, and other relevant metrics. The specific thresholds for these criteria canClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 be dynamically adjusted based on system requirements and environmental conditions to optimize overall performance of the Ambient Internet of Things (AloT) network.

[0059] Throughout this description various information elements (lEs) are referred to by specific names. It should be understood that these names are only examples and the lEs carrying the information referred to throughout this description may be referred to by other names by various entities.FIGS. 1 A and 1 B: Communication Systems

[0060] FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified example wireless communication system, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the system of FIG. 1 A is merely one example of a possible system, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired.

[0061] As shown, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A which communicates over a transmission medium with one or more user devices 106A, 106B, etc., through 106N. Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE). Thus, the user devices 106 are referred to as UEs or UE devices.

[0062] The base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site (a “cellular base station”) and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with the UEs 106A through 106N.

[0063] The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a “cell.” The base station 102A and the UEs 106 may be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G new radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1 xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, also referred to as the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN, it may alternately be referred to as an 'eNodeB' or ‘eNB’. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternately be referred to as ‘gNodeB’ or ‘base station’.

[0064] As shown, the base station 102A may also be equipped to communicate with a network 100 (e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among various possibilities). Thus, the base station 102A may facilitate communication betweenClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 the user devices and / or between the user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102A may provide UEs 106 with various telecommunication capabilities, such as voice, SMS and / or data services.

[0065] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or a different cellular communication standard may thus be provided as a network of cells, which may provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0066] Thus, while base station 102A may act as a “serving cell” for UEs 106A-N as illustrated in FIG. 1 A, each UE 106 may also be capable of receiving signals from (and possibly within communication range of) one or more other cells (which might be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as “neighboring cells”. Such cells may also be capable of facilitating communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells may include “macro” cells, “micro” cells, “pico” cells, and / or cells which provide any of various other granularities of service area size. For example, base stations 102A-B illustrated in FIG. 1A might be macro cells, while base station 102N might be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0067] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or “base station”. In some embodiments, a base station may be connected to an evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to a NR core (5GC) network. In addition, a base station cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more base stations.

[0068] Note that a UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, the UE 106 may be configured to communicate using a wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD- SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1 xRTT, 1xEV- DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.). The UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigational satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol, if desired. Other combinationsClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0069] FIG. 1 B illustrates user equipment 106 (e.g., one of the devices 106A through 106N) in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 1 12, according to some embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device with both cellular communication capability and non-cellular communication capability (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so forth) such as a mobile phone, a hand-held device, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0070] The UE 106 may include a processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, or in addition, the UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0071] The UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO I HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio and / or GSM, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using the single shared radio. The shared radio may couple to a single antenna, or may couple to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. In general, a radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation as well as other digital processing). Similarly, the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, the UE 106 may share one or more parts of a receive and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies, such as those discussed above.

[0072] In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol with which it is configured to communicate. As a further possibility, the UE 106 may include one or more radios which are shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radios which are used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE 106 might include a shared radio for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or I xRTTor LTE or GSM), and separateClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.FIG. 2: Block Diagram of a Base Station

[0073] FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of a base station 102, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the base station of FIG. 2 is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include processor(s) 204 which may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor(s) 204 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 240, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 204 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read only memory (ROM) 250) or to other circuits or devices.

[0074] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide a plurality of devices, such as UE devices 106, access to the telephone network as described above in FIGs. 1 A, I B and 2.

[0075] The network port 270 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility related services and / or other services to a plurality of devices, such as UE devices 106. In some cases, the network port 270 may couple to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., among other UE devices serviced by the cellular service provider).

[0076] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or “base station”. In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to an evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to a NR core (5GC) network. A new radio core (NR core) is also called a fifth-generation core network (5GC network). In addition, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more base stations.

[0077] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 234, and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 234 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE devices 106 via radio 230. The antenna 234 communicates with the radio 230 via communication chain 232. Communication chain 232 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain or both. The radio 230Client Ref. No. P69472WO1 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0078] The base station 102 may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards. In some instances, the base station 102 may include multiple radios, which may enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the base station 102 may include an LTE radio for performing communication according to LTE as well as a 5G NR radio for performing communication according to 5G NR. In such a case, the base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio which is capable of performing communications according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0079] As described further subsequently herein, the BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementation of features described herein. The processor 204 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 204 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 204 of the BS 102, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 230, 232, 234, 240, 250, 260, 270 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0080] In addition, as described herein, processor(s) 204 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor(s) 204. Thus, processor(s) 204 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 204. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 204.

[0081] Further, as described herein, radio 230 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 230. Thus, radio 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of radio 230. In addition, each integrated circuit mayClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 230.

[0082] It should be noted that a base station may be configured to operate as a 3GPP device sending and receiving 3GPP signals. In addition, the base station can be configured to operate as a reader capable of sending signaling such as, for example, a carrier wave configured to activate the A-loT and sending and receiving Internet of Things (loT) data.FIG. 3: Block Diagram of a Server

[0083] FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a server 104, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the server of FIG. 3 is merely one example of a possible server. As shown, the server 104 may include processor(s) 344 which may execute program instructions for the server 104. The processor(s) 344 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 344 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read only memory (ROM) 354) or to other circuits or devices.

[0084] The server 104 may be configured to provide a plurality of devices, such as base station 102, and UE devices 106 access to network functions, e.g., as further described herein.

[0085] In some embodiments, the server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) radio access network. In some embodiments, the server 104 may be connected to an evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to a NR core (5GC) network.

[0086] As described herein, the server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementation of features described herein. The processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 344 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 344 of the server 104, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 354, 364, and / or 374 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the features described herein.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0087] In addition, as described herein, processor(s) 344 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor(s) 344. Thus, processor(s) 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 344. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 344.FIG. 4: Block Diagram of a User Equipment

[0088] FIG. 4 illustrates an example simplified block diagram of a communication device 106, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the communication device of FIG. 4 is only one example of a possible communication device. According to embodiments, communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC) and / or a combination of devices, among other devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 400 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system on chip (SOO), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, this set of components 400 may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for the various purposes. The set of components 400 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0089] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 410), an input / output interface such as connector l / F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; dock; charging station; input devices, such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices, such as speakers; etc.), the display 460, which may be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 (e.g., Bluetooth™ and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card, e.g., for Ethernet.

[0090] The cellular communication circuitry 430 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436 as shown. The short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also couple (e.g.,Client Ref. No. P69472WO1 communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438 as shown. Alternatively, the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to the antennas 435 and 436 in addition to, or instead of, coupling (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to the antennas 437 and 438. The short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 and / or cellular communication circuitry 430 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) configuration.

[0091] In some embodiments, as further described below, cellular communication circuitry 430 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to, e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly, dedicated processors and / or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). In addition, in some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 430 may include a single transmit chain that may be switched between radios dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio may be dedicated to a first RAT, e.g., LTE, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio, e.g., a second radio that may be dedicated to a second RAT, e.g., 5G NR, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0092] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of various elements, such as display 460 (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a discrete keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of various other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0093] The communication device 106 may further include one or more smart cards 445 that include SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC(s) (Universal Integrated Circuit Card(s)) cards 445. Note that the term “SIM” or “SIM entity” is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as the one or more UICC(s) cards 445, one or more eUlCCs, one or more eSIMs, either removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or otherwise implement SIM functionality. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, e.g., may be soldered onto a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM may be implemented as aClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 removable smart card. Thus, the SIM(s) may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards, which are sometimes referred to as “SIM cards”), and / or the SIMs may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICCs (elllCCs), which are sometimes referred to as “eSIMs” or “eSIM cards”). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM(s) include an elllCC), one or more of the SIM(s) may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such an embodiment, a single one of the SIM(s) may execute multiple SIM applications. Each of the SIMs may include components such as a processor and / or a memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more elllCC cards that implement eSIM functionality), as desired. For example, the UE 106 may comprise two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIMs and one removable SIMs. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0094] As noted above, in some embodiments, the UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. The inclusion of two or more SIMs in the UE 106 may allow the UE 106 to support two different telephone numbers and may allow the UE 106 to communicate on corresponding two or more respective networks. For example, a first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and a second SIM supports a second RAT such as 5G NR. Other implementations and RATs are of course possible. In some embodiments, when the UE 106 comprises two SIMs, the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) functionality. The DSDA functionality may allow the UE 106 to be simultaneously connected to two networks (and use two different RATs) at the same time, or to simultaneously maintain two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs on the same or different networks. The DSDA functionality may also allow the UE 106 to simultaneously receive voice calls or data traffic on either phone number. In certain embodiments the voice call may be a packet switched communication. In other words, the voice call may be received using voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality. The DSDS functionality may allow either of the two SIMs in the UE 106 to be on standby waiting for a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some embodiments, DSDx functionality (either DSDA or DSDS functionality) may be implemented with a single SIM (e.g., a eUlCC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0095] As shown, the SOC 400 may include processor(s) 402, which may execute program instructions for the communication device 106 and display circuitry 404, which may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to the display 460. The processor(s) 402 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 402 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410) and / or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuitry 404, short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429, cellular communication circuitry 430, connector l / F 420, and / or display 460. The MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU 440 may be included as a portion of the processor(s) 402.

[0096] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features for a communication device 106 to communicate a scheduling profile for power savings to a network. The processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 402 of the communication device 106, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, 460 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

[0097] In addition, as described herein, processor 402 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor 402. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor(s) 402.

[0098] Further, as described herein, cellular communication circuitry 430 and short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in cellular communication circuitry 430 and, similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429. Thus, cellular communication circuitry 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that areClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430. Similarly, the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may include one or more ICs that are configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429.

[0099] It should be noted that a UE may be configured to operate as a 3GPP device sending and receiving 3GPP signals. In addition, the UE can be configured to operate as a reader capable of sending signaling such as, for example, a carrier wave configured to activate the A-loT and sending and receiving Internet of Things (loT) data.FIG. 5: Block Diagram of Cellular Communication Circuitry

[0100] FIG. 5 illustrates an example simplified block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry of FIG. 5 is only one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 530, which may be cellular communication circuitry 430, may be included in a communication device, such as communication device 106 described above. As noted above, communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet and / or a combination of devices, among other devices.

[0101] The cellular communication circuitry 530 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435a-b and 436 as shown (in FIG. 4). In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 530 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to, e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly, dedicated processors and / or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, cellular communication circuitry 530 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communications according to a first RAT, e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communications according to a second RAT, e.g., such as 5G NR.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0102] As shown, modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with processors 512. Modem 510 may be in communication with a radio frequency (RF) front end 535. RF front end 535 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 535 may include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, receive circuitry 532 may be in communication with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0103] Similarly, modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with processors 522. Modem 520 may be in communication with an RF front end 540. RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 540 may include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544. In some embodiments, receive circuitry 542 may be in communication with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.

[0104] In some embodiments, a switch 570 may couple transmit circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, switch 570 may couple transmit circuitry 544 to UL front end 572. UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Thus, when cellular communication circuitry 530 receives instructions to transmit according to the first RAT (e.g., as supported via modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain that includes transmit circuitry 534 and UL front end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 530 receives instructions to transmit according to the second RAT (e.g., as supported via modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain that includes transmit circuitry 544 and UL front end 572).

[0105] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features or for time division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations, as well as the various other techniques described herein. The processors 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 512, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 530,Client Ref. No. P69472WO1532, 534, 535, 550, 570, 572, 335a, 335b, and 336 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

[0106] In addition, as described herein, processors 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processors 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processors 512. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 512.

[0107] The processors 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition) the processor 522, in conjunction with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335a, 335b, and 336 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.

[0108] In addition, as described herein, processors 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processors 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processors 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 522.FIG. 6: Block Diagram of a Baseband Processor Architecture for a UE

[0109] FIG. 6 illustrates example components of a device 600 in accordance with some embodiments. It is noted that the device of FIG. 6 is merely one example of a possible system, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various UEs, as desired.

[0110] In some embodiments, the device 600 may include application circuitry 602, baseband circuitry 604, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 606, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 608, one or more antennas 610, and power management circuitry (PMC) 612 coupled together at least as shown. The components of the illustrated device 600 may be included in a UE 106 or a RAN node, for example, as part of a base station 102A. In some embodiments, the device 600 may include less elements (e.g., a RAN node may not utilize application circuitry 602, and instead include a processor / controller to process IP data received from an EPC). In some embodiments, the device 600 may include additionalClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 elements such as, for example, memory / storage, display, camera, sensor, or input / output (I / O) interface. In other embodiments, the components described below may be included in more than one device (e.g., said circuitries may be separately included in more than one device for Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementations).

[0111] The application circuitry 602 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 602 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled with or may include memory / storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the device 600. In some embodiments, processors of application circuitry 602 may process IP data packets received from an EPC.

[0112] The baseband circuitry 604 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606. Baseband processing circuity 604 may interface with the application circuitry 602 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 606. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 may include a third generation (3G) baseband processor 604A, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 604B, a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor 604C, or other baseband processor(s) 604D for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., second generation (2G), sixth generation (6G), etc.). The baseband circuitry 604 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 604A-D) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 606. In other embodiments, some or all of the functionality of baseband processors 604A-D may be included in modules stored in the memory 604G and executed via a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 604E. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation / demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 604 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping / demapping functionality. In some embodiments, encoding / decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 604 may includeClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functionality. Embodiments of modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functionality in other embodiments.

[0113] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more audio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 604F. The audio DSP(s) 604F may be include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 604 and the application circuitry 602 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0114] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 604 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0115] RF circuitry 606 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 606 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 604. RF circuitry 606 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 608 for transmission.

[0116] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 may include mixer circuitry 606a, amplifier circuitry 606b and filter circuitry 606c. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606 may include filter circuitry 606c and mixer circuitry 606a. RF circuitry 606 may also include synthesizer circuitry 606d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the transmitClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 606d. The amplifier circuitry 606b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 606c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 604 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a necessity. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0117] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 606d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 608. The baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 606c.

[0118] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

[0119] In some embodiments, the output baseband signals, and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternate embodiments, the output baseband signals, and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 604 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 606.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0120] In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0121] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0122] The synthesizer circuitry 606d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the RF circuitry 606 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0123] In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a necessity. Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 604 or the application circuitry 602 depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by the application circuitry 602.

[0124] Synthesizer circuitry 606d of the RF circuitry 606 may include a divider, a delay- locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0125] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 606d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be a LOClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 may include an IQ / polar converter.

[0126] FEM circuitry 608 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 610, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 606 for further processing. FEM circuitry 608 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 606 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 610. In various embodiments, the amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be done solely in the RF circuitry 606, solely in the FEM 608, or in both the RF circuitry 606 and the FEM 608.

[0127] In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 608 may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include an LNA to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 606). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 608 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 606), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 610).

[0128] In some embodiments, the PMC 612 may manage power provided to the baseband circuitry 604. In particular, the PMC 612 may control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion. The PMC 612 may often be included when the device 600 is capable of being powered by a battery, for example, when the device is included in a UE. The PMC 612 may increase the power conversion efficiency while providing desirable implementation size and heat dissipation characteristics.

[0129] While FIG. 6 shows the PMC 612 coupled only with the baseband circuitry 604, in other embodiments the PMC 612 may be additionally or alternatively coupled with, and perform similar power management operations for, other components such as, but not limited to, application circuitry 602, RF circuitry 606, or FEM 608.

[0130] In some embodiments, the PMC 612 may control, or otherwise be part of, various power saving mechanisms of the device 600. For example, if the device 600 is in a radio resource control_Connected (RRC_Connected) state, where it is still connected to the RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it may enter a state known as DiscontinuousClient Ref. No. P69472WO1Reception Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 600 may power down for brief intervals of time and thus save power.

[0131] If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, then the device 600 may transition off to an RRCJdle state, where it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 600 goes into a very low power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakes up to listen to the network and then powers down again. The device 600 may not receive data in this state, in order to receive data, it will transition back to RRC_Connected state.

[0132] An additional power saving mode may allow a device to be unavailable to the network for periods longer than a paging interval (ranging from seconds to a few hours). During this time, the device is totally unreachable to the network and may power down completely. Any data sent during this time incurs a large delay and it is assumed the delay is acceptable.

[0133] Processors of the application circuitry 602 and processors of the baseband circuitry 604 may be used to execute elements of one or more instances of a protocol stack. For example, processors of the baseband circuitry 604, alone or in combination, may be used execute Layer 3, Layer 2, or Layer 1 functionality, while processors of the application circuitry 604 may utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from these layers and further execute Layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmission communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers). As referred to herein, Layer 3 (L3) may comprise a radio resource control (RRC) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 2 (L2) may comprise a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 1 (L1 ) may comprise a physical (PHY) layer of a UE / RAN node, described in further detail below. Accordingly, the baseband circuitry 604 can be used to encode a message for transmission between a UE and a base station, or decode a message received between a UE and a base station.FIG. 7: Block Diagram of an Interface of Baseband Circuitry

[0134] FIG. 7 illustrates example interfaces of baseband circuitry in accordance with some embodiments. It is noted that the baseband circuitry of FIG. 7 is merely one example of a possible circuitry, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0135] As discussed above, the baseband circuitry 604 of FIG. 6 may comprise processors 604A-604E and a memory 604G utilized by said processors. Each of the processors 604A-604E may include a memory interface, 704A-704E, respectively, to send / receive data to / from the memory 604G.

[0136] The baseband circuitry 604 may further include one or more interfaces to communicatively couple to other circuitries / devices, such as a memory interface 712 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from memory external to the baseband circuitry 604), an application circuitry interface 714 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from the application circuitry 602 of FIG. 6), an RF circuitry interface 716 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from RF circuitry 606 of FIG. 6), a wireless hardware connectivity interface 718 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components), and a power management interface 720 (e.g., an interface to send / receive power or control signals to / from the PMC 612.FIG. 8: Control Plane Protocol Stack

[0137] FIG. 8 is an illustration of a control plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments. In this embodiment, a control plane 800 is shown as a communications protocol stack between the UE 106a (or alternatively, the UE 106b), the RAN node 102A (or alternatively, the RAN node 102B), and the mobility management entity (MME) 621 .

[0138] The PHY layer 801 may transmit or receive information used by the MAC layer 802 over one or more air interfaces. The PHY layer 801 may further perform link adaptation or adaptive modulation and coding (AMC), power control, cell search (e.g., for initial synchronization and handover purposes), and other measurements used by higher layers, such as the RRC layer 805. The PHY layer 801 may still further perform error detection on the transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping onto physical channels, and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna processing.

[0139] The MAC layer 802 may perform mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC service data units (SDUs) from one or more logical channels onto transport blocks (TB) to be delivered to PHY via transport channels, de-multiplexing MAC SDUs to one or more logical channels from transport blocks (TB) delivered from the PHY via transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TBs, scheduling informationClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 reporting, error correction through hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), and logical channel prioritization.

[0140] The RLC layer 803 may operate in a plurality of modes of operation, including: Transparent Mode (TM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), and Acknowledged Mode (AM). The RLC layer 803 may execute transfer of upper layer protocol data units (PDUs), error correction through automatic repeat request (ARQ) for AM data transfers, and concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transfers. The RLC layer 803 may also execute re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs for AM data transfers, reorder RLC data PDUs for UM and AM data transfers, detect duplicate data for UM and AM data transfers, discard RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transfers, detect protocol errors for AM data transfers, and perform RLC re-establishment.

[0141] The PDCP layer 804 may execute header compression and decompression of IP data, maintain PDCP Sequence Numbers (SNs), perform in-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUs at re-establishment of lower layers, eliminate duplicates of lower layer SDUs at re-establishment of lower layers for radio bearers mapped on RLC AM, cipher and decipher control plane data, perform integrity protection and integrity verification of control plane data, control timer-based discard of data, and perform security operations (e.g., ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification, etc.).

[0142] The main services and functions of the RRC layer 805 may include broadcast of system information (e.g., included in Master Information Blocks (MIBs) or System Information Blocks (SIBs) related to the non-access stratum (NAS)), broadcast of system information related to the access stratum (AS), paging, establishment, maintenance and release of an RRC connection between the UE and E-UTRAN (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), establishment, configuration, maintenance and release of point to point Radio Bearers, security functions including key management, inter radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting. Said MIBs and SIBs may comprise one or more information elements (lEs), which may each comprise individual data fields or data structures.

[0143] The UE 106a and the RAN node 102A may utilize a Uu interface (e.g., an LTE- Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack comprising the PHY layer 801 , the MAC layer 802, the RLC layer 803, the PDCP layer 804, and the RRC layer 805.

[0144] The non-access stratum (NAS) protocols 806 form the highest stratum of the control plane between the UE 601 and the MME 621. The NAS protocols 806 support theClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 mobility of the UE 601 and the session management procedures to establish and maintain IP connectivity between the UE 601 and the P-GW 623.

[0145] The S1 Application Protocol (S1 -AP) layer 815 may support the functions of the S1 interface and comprise Elementary Procedures (EPs). An EP is a unit of interaction between the RAN node 102A and the CN 100. The S1 -AP layer services may comprise two groups: UE-associated services and non UE-associated services. These services perform functions including, but not limited to: E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) management, UE capability indication, mobility, NAS signaling transport, RAN Information Management (RIM), and configuration transfer.

[0146] The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) layer (alternatively referred to as the SCTP / IP layer) 814 may ensure reliable delivery of signaling messages between the RAN node 102A and the MME 621 based, in part, on the IP protocol, supported by the IP layer 813. The L2 layer 812 and the L1 layer 81 1 may refer to communication links (e.g., wired or wireless) used by the RAN node and the MME to exchange information.

[0147] The RAN node 102A and the MME 621 may utilize an S1 -MME interface to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 81 1 , the L2 layer 812, the IP layer 813, the SCTP layer 814, and the S1-AP layer 815.FIG. 9: User Plane Protocol Stack

[0148] FIG. 9 is an illustration of an example of a user plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments. In this embodiment, a user plane 900 is shown as a communications protocol stack between the UE 106A (or alternatively, the UE 106B or 106N), the RAN node 102A (or alternatively, the RAN node 102B), the S-GW 622, and the P-GW 623. The user plane 900 may utilize at least some of the same protocol layers as the control plane 800. For example, the UE 601 and the RAN node 102A may utilize a Uu interface (e.g., an LTE-Uu interface) to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the PHY layer 801 , the MAC layer 802, the RLC layer 803, the PDCP layer 804.

[0149] The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol for the user plane (GTP-U) layer 904 may be used for carrying user data within the GPRS core network and between the radio access network and the core network. The user data transported can be packets in any of IPv4, IPv6, or PPP formats, for example. The UDP and IP security (UDP / IP) layer 903 may provide checksums for data integrity, port numbers for addressing different functions at the source and destination, and encryption and authentication on the selected data flows. The RAN node 102A and the S-GW 622 may utilize an S1 -U interfaceClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 81 1 , the L2 layer 812, the UDP / IP layer 903, and the GTP-U layer 904. The S-GW 622 and the P-GW 623 may utilize an S5 / S8a interface to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 811 , the L2 layer 812, the UDP / IP layer 903, and the GTP-U layer 904. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 8, NAS protocols support the mobility of the UE 106 and the session management procedures to establish and maintain IP 813 connectivity between the UE 106 and the P-GW 623.FIGS. 10A-10D: Various toooloaies of Ambient Internet of Thinas (AloT) devices

[0150] As described above, Ambient Internet of Things (loT) is a device type which operates on energy harvested from the environment. Because AloT devices are designed to be inexpensive, have a small form factor, and consume very low power, ambient loT devices are particularly well-suited for applications such as asset tracking and monitoring in supply chain scenarios, including manufacturing, shipping, and warehousing.

[0151] Ambient loT technology encompasses both passive backscattering devices and active devices with energy harvesting and storage capabilities. Backscattering devices communicate by modulating and reflecting incident radio frequency (RF) signals, without generating their own RF energy. This allows for extremely low power consumption but typically limits the communication range. On the other hand, active devices with energy storage can generate their own RF signals, enabling longer communication ranges and better quality of service at the cost of slightly higher power consumption.

[0152] It should be noted that energy harvesting plays a crucial role in enabling ambient loT technology, with various energy sources such as RF signals, solar, vibration, and thermal being available. However, these sources differ in terms of their availability and energy density. Although RF signals have a low energy density and require longer charging times, they can be directly controlled by a wireless network, making them a suitable choice for providing energy to ambient loT devices. The use of RF signals as an energy source significantly impacts the system design and operation of ambient loT, necessitating the 5G system to provide both communication signals and energy signals to support ambient loT devices. Other energy sources can also be opportunistically harvested based on their availability, with minimal impact on the 5G system design. The energy harvesting process can be achieved through various means, such as RF-Direct Current converters, photovoltaic cells, thermoelectric devices, or piezoelectric harvesters, with the harvested energy being stored in capacitors, the size of which depends on the device type. The harvested energyClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 may be stored in chemical storage devices such as batteries. Alternatively, the harvested energy may be stored in physical devices, including for example, capacitors.

[0153] To achieve low power operation in ambient loT devices, backscattering with active signal generation is considered as one of the potential communication techniques. Backscattering, a technique widely used in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), allows a device to communicate with a network by reflecting and modulating the incident waves with the information to be transmitted from the AloT device. The AloT device can be powered by either the incident RF signal (e.g. a carrier signal), an additional RF signal, or from stored energy already available at the AloT device. As the communication signal is generated without an active RF component, power consumption can be kept very low; however, the coverage (e.g. transmission distance) is typically limited due to the nature of reflection. In contrast, the active signal generation method employs traditional active RF components to generate signals, offering benefits such as improved coverage and the ability to perform more complex operations, increasing the likelihood of leveraging the existing functionality of 5G networks.

[0154] Accordingly, in the development of Ambient Internet of Things (AloT) technology within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a need exists to provide a solution based on the various level or complexity of the design, such as a need for a simplest possible design, excluding features such as security, with other designs also addressing the need for a more complex design that incorporates security measures, segmentation, and other advanced features. The limited hardware capabilities of AloT devices may not allow for the inclusion of many advanced features, which supports the argument for a simpler design. However, if 3GPP produces a design that is too similar to existing RFID technology, it may struggle to compete with RFID. The challenge lies in catering to both approaches for the degree of complexity while avoiding unnecessary complexity.

[0155] In one aspect, 3GPP Release 19 (R19) has defined two device topologies, with different levels of complexity. Device type 1 is defined as devices with a peak power consumption of approximately ~1 microwatt (pW), energy storage, an initial sampling frequency offset (SFO) of up to 10X ppm, and no downlink or uplink amplification. These devices' uplink transmission is backscattered on an externally provided carrier wave. Device types 2a / 2b are devices with a peak power consumption of less than (<) a few hundred pW, energy storage, an initial SFO up to 10X ppm, and both downlink and / or uplink amplification. These devices' uplink transmission may be either generated internally or backscattered on an externally provided carrier wave.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0156] It should also be noted that in some scenarios or topologies, a base station (e.g., gNB) acts as a reader and in another topology, the UE acts as a reader. In some embodiments, the UE can then, in turn, communicate with a base station. In this example, the UE can act as an assisting node to communicate between the BS and the A-loT device.

[0157] In the application layer, there are three types of traffic for A-loT devices: 1 ) Device-Terminated (DT): e.g., command use case, 2) Device Originated-DT Triggered (DO- DTT): e.g., inventory use case, and 3) Device Originated-Autonomous (DO-A): e.g., sensor use case. Independently, there are two kinds of lower layer mechanisms for uplink transmission: 1 ) backscattering on an externally provided carrier wave, and 2) internal generation by the device (supported only by high-tier device Type II).

[0158] The coverage design target for AloT devices may be a maximum distance of 10- 50 meters for indoor devices, with the exact range to be determined by the working groups (WGs). For Topologies 1 and 2, as illustrated in FIG. 10A, where a user equipment (UE) acts as an intermediate node under network control, there are no Radio Resource Control (RRC) states, mobility (i.e., no cell selection / re-selection-like function), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), or Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ).

[0159] For example, as depicted in FIG. 10A, in topology 1 (e.g., an indoor micro-cell / co- site), the Ambient loT device 1002 directly and bidirectionally communicates with a base station (BS) 102 communicating Ambient loT data signal. The communication between the base station 102 and the ambient loT device 1001 includes Ambient loT data and / or signaling. This topology includes the possibility that the BS 102 transmitting to the Ambient loT device 1001 is a different from the BS 102 receiving from the Ambient loT device 1001 .

[0160] As depicted in FIG. 10A, in topology 2 (e.g., O2I macro-cell), a UE 1004 functions as an intermediate node or assisting node, under network control. In one example, the intermediate node may be indoor. Here, the Ambient loT device 1002 communicates bidirectionally with an intermediate node such as, for example, the UE 1004 between the Ambient loT device 1002 and base station 102. In this topology, the intermediate node can be a relay, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, UE, repeater, etc. which is capable of Ambient loT communication. The intermediate node transfers Ambient loT data and / or signaling between the BS 102 and the Ambient loT device 1002.

[0161] Topology 3 is depicted with downlink assistance illustrated in FIG. 10B and uplink assistance illustrated in FIG. 10C. In topology 3, the Ambient loT device 1006 transmits data / signaling to a base station 102 and receives data / signaling from the assisting node such as, for example, the UE 1004. Alternatively, the Ambient loT device 1006 receivesClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 data / signaling from a base station 102 and transmits data / signaling to the assisting node 1004 such as, for example, the UE 106. In this topology, the assisting node 1004 can be a relay, IAB, UE, repeater, etc. which is capable of ambient loT.

[0162] It should be noted that the BS 102 can communicate 3GPP signals via a Uu connection with the assisting node 1004. The assisting node 1004 can then communicate Ambient loT data / signaling to the Ambient loT device 1006 and 3GPP configured uplink and downlink data to the BS 102. The Ambient loT device 1006 can communicate Ambient loT data / signaling to the BS 102 and the assisting node 1004, as shown in FIG.10B (showing downlink assistance) and FIG. 10C (showing uplink assistance).

[0163] Topology 4 is depicted in FIG. 10D where the Ambient loT device 1008 communicates bidirectionally with a UE 1004. The UE 1004 is configured to operate as a reader. In one example, a reader is configured to send and receive Ambient loT data / signaling. For example, the UE 1004 can send a carrier wave to activate the Ambient loT device 1008. The Ambient loT device 1008 can send Ambient loT data / signaling to the UE 1004 in response to receiving the carrier wave. The communication between UE 1004 and the ambient loT device 1008 includes Ambient loT data and / or signaling.

[0164] It should be noted that a base station and a UE may be configured to operate as a 3GPP device sending and receiving 3GPP signals. In addition, the base station and the UE can be configured to operate as a reader capable of sending signaling such as, for example, a carrier wave configured to activate the AloT and sending and receiving Internet of Things (loT) data.FIG. 1 1 : Example illustration of backscatter transmitter device in a wireless communication network

[0165] Carrier wave signals can be provided externally for certain types of ambient Internet of Things (AloT) devices. These carrier waves can be supplied by next generation Node B (gNB) base stations, another type of Node B, user equipment (UE) devices, or dedicated carrier emitter nodes. For low-power AloT devices, the carrier wave power can be set to have a power level that is received at the AloT device with a power that is above a certain activation threshold, typically around -20 decibel-milliwatts (dBm or dBmW), to enable backscatter communication. The link budget and communication range depend on factors such as, for example, transmit power, antenna gains, path loss, and frequency. As an example, with a -25 dBm activation threshold and using 3GPP indoor factory channel models, a communication range of around 5 meters can be achieved. The Radio AccessClient Ref. No. P69472WO1Network (RAN) working groups have agreed on studying multiple unmodulated single-tone carrier waves for device-to-reader (D2R) backscattering, starting with two tones. The overall message flow for AloT systems is similar to RFID systems, where a reader sends queries to tags which then respond when ready. However, AloT systems aim to enable longer range communication compared to traditional RFID.

[0166] As depicted in FIG. 1 1 , a portion of backscatter transmitter 11 10 is shown with an antenna that receives the incident RF signals from the ambient environment or a dedicated carrier emitter, a channel coding and modulation component that is responsible for encoding the data to be transmitted and modulating it onto the carrier wave, an RF switch that toggles between two impedance states, Z1 and Z2, to modulate the backscattered signal, and an impedance network, represented by Za, that determines the antenna's impedance and affects the reflection coefficient.

[0167] The backscatter transmitter 11 10 operates by modulating the reflection coefficient of its antenna. When an incident RF signal hits the antenna, part of it is absorbed, and part is reflected. The reflection coefficient, determined by the impedance mismatch between the antenna (Za) and the load impedances (Z1 and Z2), controls how much of the signal is reflected. By switching between Z1 and Z2, the backscatter transmitter can create two distinct reflection states. These states correspond to different amplitude and / or phase changes in the reflected signal, effectively encoding binary data ('O' and '1 ') onto the backscattered wave.

[0168] The channel coding and modulation component controls this switching process based on the data to be transmitted. It determines when to switch between Z1 and Z2 to create the desired modulation pattern in the backscattered signal.

[0169] Thus, the backscatter transmitter is enabled to communicate by simply reflecting and modulating existing RF signals, rather than generating its own. This approach significantly reduces power consumption, making it ideal for low-power and battery-less applications in ambient backscatter communication systems.

[0170] Thus, a carrier wave source system (1 100), for ambient backscatter communications, may include one of the external carrier wave providers - either a base station (e.g., a next generation Node B), a UE (User Equipment), or a dedicated device. The carrier wave source system 1100 may include an antenna for transmitting the carrier wave and receiving backscattered signals. The carrier wave source system 1100 may interact with the backscatter transmitter 1 110, which includes the channel coding and modulation component, and the impedance network (represented by Z1 , Z2, and Za). The backscatterClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 transmitter 11 10 modulates and reflects the carrier wave provided by carrier wave source system 1100 to transmit data back, enabling low-power communication for A-loT applications. The channel coding and modulation component within the backscatter transmitter 1 1 10 is responsible for encoding the data and controlling the modulation of the reflected signal.

[0171] As shown in FIG. 11 , ambient backscatter communication systems may include carrier wave sources (such as base stations, user equipment (UE), or dedicated devices) and backscatter transmitters. The carrier wave source system (1100) provides the RF signal, while the backscatter transmitter (11 10) modulates and reflects this signal to transmit data without generating its own RF carrier. In one embodiment, a multi-tone carrier wave is transmitted from one carrier wave source system (1100). In another example, a multi-tone carrier wave is transmitted from multiple carrier wave source systems (1 100), where each carrier wave source system transmits only a single tone carrier wave, and multiple systems effectively form the multi-tone carrier wave.

[0172] In one example, carrier wave node selection process can be integrated into various protocols such as, for example inventory rounds of the communication protocol and command round protocols. During a subsequent command round, which involves unicast communication, a base station (e.g., a gNB) may control the transmission of carrier waves from the selected carrier wave node. This control encompasses determining which nodes should transmit, specifying frequency information such as the number of tones and their locations, dictating time information for transmission start and stop, and setting the transmission power. Furthermore, the BS can control carrier wave node transmissions for charging A-loT devices through energy harvesting.

[0173] For multiple tone carrier waves, the minimum separation between tones can be wider than the base-band signal bandwidth. This separation ensures no overlap of base band signaling after modulation into multiple carrier wave tones. The maximum number of tones within the entire bandwidth for AloT transmission is determined based on the total bandwidth and signal bandwidth. Each carrier wave node may transmit one single tone, with the base station assigning the carrier wave node tone location to each node. The AloT devices may modulate information on top of the carrier wave. Based on the channel of the AloT response message, the Reader / base station may locate the closest carrier wave nodes for proximity detection, achieving an accuracy of up to 5-10 meters for each emitter nodeClient Ref. No. P69472WO1FIG. 12: Communication topology between carrier wave nodes and AloT devices

[0174] FIG. 12 illustrates an example illustration of communication topology between carrier wave nodes and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device, according to some embodiments. In one aspect of topology 1200, the carrier wave nodes are shown transmitting carrier waves to the AloT devices, which then modulates and reflects these waves back. This process enables Device-to-Reader (D2R) communication, where the AloT device can send data without generating its own RF signals. FIG. 12 also illustrates Reader- to-Device (R2D) communication, suggesting a bidirectional capability. This topology demonstrates the fundamental principle of ambient backscatter communications, where AloT devices leverage existing RF signals for low-power data transmission.FIG. 13: Timing diagram signaling between a reader, carrier wave nodes, and an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device

[0175] FIG. 13 illustrates an example illustration of timing diagram signaling 1300 between an AloT reader (e.g., a base station or a UE), a carrier wave node, and an ambient Internet of Things device, according to some embodiments. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional signaling may also be performed as desired.

[0176] The signaling 1300 in FIG. 13 may correspond to an inventory round between an AloT reader and an AloT device. In an inventory round, an AloT reader identifies and catalogues active AloT devices. AloT reader may subsequently communicate with one or more of the identified devices via commands. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, for ease of illustration, a single AloT device is identified. The signaling 1300 may include the AloT reader broadcasting a command 1310 to a carrier wave node to turn on (“ON”). This initializes the carrier wave node to start transmitting a carrier wave to the AloT device. In some examples, a base station may include the carrier wave node.

[0177] The signaling 1300 may include the AloT reader broadcasting a query 1320, which is received by AloT device. This query may initiate an inventory round. In response to receiving the query, AloT device may transmit a response including a random number (RN) 1330 by modulating and reflecting the carrier wave provided by the carrier wave node. This response 1330 is transmitted through the Device-to-Reader (D2R) link, back to the AloT reader. It should be noted that in the case of multiple active AloT devices, rules may be provided in order to determine how / when each of the multiple active AloT devices respond to the query. For example, each of the multiple active AloT devices may beClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 assigned a distinct slot for responding according to a defined procedure. The AloT reader acknowledges the response by transmitting an acknowledgement message 1340 including the random number.

[0178] Upon receiving the acknowledgement message, AloT device sends a response message 1350 including its identification information, for example, AloT device sends a unique identifier (DevicelD), such as an Electronic Product Code (EPC) or other type of desired identifier and / or device type information. As described above, there may be multiple active AloT devices and receiving identification information from each of multiple active AloT devices may complete the inventory round or complete an initial identification phase of an inventory round. Following the identification of one or more active AloT devices, the AloT reader may send commands to one or more of the identified active AloT devices via a Reader-to-Device (R2D) link. The identified active AloT devices may respond accordingly via a Device-to-Reader (D2R) link. It should be noted that different combinations of data, control information, system information may be carried in a R2D and a D2R communications. Further, there may be various processes for completing an inventory round. That is, there may be numerous ways for AloT devices within a coverage area to provide identification information to an AloT reader during an inventory round.FIG. 14: Topology of readers and ambient internet of things (A-loT) devices.

[0179] FIG. 14 illustrates an example topology of readers and ambient internet of things (A-loT) devices, according to some embodiments. An AloT reader may perform an inventory round in response to receiving an inventory request from an Ambient loT Controller Function (referred to as AloTCF or AloTF). The inventory request may originate at an application function (AF). 3GPP TR 23.700-13 V1.0.0 (2024-09) “Study on Architecture support of Ambient power-enabled Internet of Things (Release 19),” (hereinafter TR 23.700) provides where the AloTCF supports the following functionality: registers readers, authenticates and authorizes AFs, handles requests for an AF (e.g., forwards inventory requests / commands to readers and inventory / command responses to an AF), optional collects usage data, and stores last known reader information for AloT device. In TR 23.700, the AloTCF is assumed to be a 3GPP core network entity that enables Ambient loT scenarios in the context of 5G. TR 23.700 further provides where the AF supports the following functionality: authenticate towards the AloTCF, send inventory and command requests, and receive inventory responses and command responses. In TRClient Ref. No. P69472WO123.700, the AF is assumed to be preconfigured with the IP address or FQDN (fully qualified domain name) of the AloTCF Controller.

[0180] The AloTCF and AF may be described as being hosted by a computing device. That is, for example, a computing device may include a memory medium storing program instructions that when executed by one or more processors of the computing device cause the functionality of the AloTCF and AF to be realized. That is, for example, a user of a computing device may initiate an inventory round by interfacing with a computing device hosting the AF and the computing device may be in communication with a server, for example, server 104, described above, that hosts the AloTCF and communicates with an AloT reader via a NR core (5GC) network to cause the AloT reader to perform an inventory round.

[0181] FIG. 14 illustrates an application function (AF) 1402 communicating an inventory request to an Ambient loT Control Function (AloTCF) which communicates / forwards the inventory request to an AloT reader. As illustrated in FIG. 14, topology 1400 includes multiple AloT readers (i.e., AloT reader 1 to AloT reader N). That is, multiple AloT readers may be located within a particular physical space, for example, a warehouse. TR 23.700 provides where an AF may provide an inventory request with filter criteria to limit the inventory to AloT Devices matching those criteria. Filter criteria may include a list of reader identifiers (ReaderlD) to limit performance of an inventory round to specific AloT readers. For example, referring to the example in FIG. 14, in the inventory request ReaderlD may indicate that AloT reader 2 is to perform an inventory round. Filter criteria may further include information to target specific inventory (e.g., EPC numbers and bitmasks).

[0182] Further, filter criteria may include a Closest indication, which enables the AF to limit the inventory response it receives to the AloT device closest to an AloT reader. That is, rather than receiving an inventory response with a complete list of DevicelDs within a coverage area of the AloT reader, the AF may request to receive an inventory response with the DevicelD of the AloT device in closest proximity to the AloT reader. In TR 23.700, how an AloT reader determines which AloT device is closest is assumed to be dependent on the particular AloT reader implementation. In practice, there are several ways in which a AloT reader can implement proximity detection. For example, AloT device received signal strength (e.g., Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)) can be used. Further, other proximity detection techniques may be used, e.g., Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) / Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) proximity detection, etc.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0183] Proximity detection techniques employ various methodologies which may result in different determinations of which AloT device is closest to a AloT reader. For example, LiDAR proximity detection relies on devices being visible to a detecting device. Thus, a detecting device would not be able to detect an object obstructed to light even if it is physical closer than a visible object further away. Signal strength can be attenuated based on obstructions (e.g., concrete walls). In this case, an object physically closer to a AloT reader, but behind a concrete wall (or other attenuating obstruction), may not be detected as being closer than an object which is physically farther away from the AloT reader. BLE / UWB proximity detection may be direction sensitive. Other proximity detection techniques may have particular characteristics. Thus, determining which AloT device is closest to am AloT reader may vary based on an environment (e.g., obstructions within a warehouse) and the characteristics of a particular proximity detection implementation. For example, referring to FIG. 14, topology 1400 includes obstructions 1406A and 1406B, which may block lines of sight and / or attenuate signals. As such, which of the AloT devices, AloT device 1 , AloT device 2, and AloT device N, AloT reader 2 determines is closest may depend on the proximity detection technique utilized and how the proximity detection technique is impacted by obstructions 1406A and 1406B.

[0184] In some cases, a proximity detection implementation dependent Closest result from an AloT reader may not be particularly useful to the AF 1402 that triggered the inventory request, as the proximity detection technique, and potential environmental impacts thereto, utilized by the AloT reader is unknown to the AF 1402. In accordance with some embodiments, techniques are disclosed herein, for providing a proximity detection technique used by an AloT reader for a closest determination to the AF 1402. In some examples, according to the techniques herein, a AloT reader can provide an AloTCF information regarding the proximity detection implementation used by the AloT reader to determine the closest AloT device. The AloTCF 1404 can provide this information to the AF 1402.

[0185] In some examples, according to the techniques herein, the AF 1402 may specify a proximity detection technique to be used by an AloT reader for a closest determination. For example, in one example, an AF may provide a preferred or required proximity detection technique and / or articulate a requirement of what is meant by closest. In some examples, preferred / required proximity detection technique information may be included as filter criteria in an inventory request. In one example, an AloTCF may receive the preferred / required proximity detection technique information from an AF and select an AloTClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 reader to perform the closet determination according to the preferred / required proximity detection technique. In one example, a AloT reader may receive preferred / required proximity detection technique information and perform a closest determination according to the preferred / required proximity detection technique information. For example, a AloT reader configured to perform a closest determination according to multiple proximity detection techniques (e.g., RSSI and LiDAR) may perform the closest determination according to a proximity detection technique satisfying preferred / required proximity technique requirements.

[0186] Thus, as described herein, mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments provide an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader configured for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria; determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique; and transmit an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

[0187] Mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments also provide a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) controller function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: receive ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information; receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and transmit an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0188] Mechanisms of the embodiments also provide a device hosting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) application function comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: generate an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and receive an inventory request response.FIG. 15: Communications signaling for Internet of Things (AloT) devices

[0189] As described above, an AloT reader may perform an inventory round in response to receiving an inventory request from an AloTCF based on an inventory request, including filter criteria, originating at an AF. As further described above, according to the techniques herein, the AF may specify a proximity detection implementation to be used by an AloT reader for a closest determination. FIG. 15 illustrates an example illustration of timing diagram signaling 1500 between an AF 1402, an AloTCF 1404, an AloT reader, and anClient Ref. No. P69472WO1AloT device, according to some embodiments. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional signaling may also be performed as desired.

[0190] The signaling 1500 in FIG. 15 may correspond to signaling which enables an AF to specify to an AloTCF a proximity detection technique to be used by an AloT reader for a closest determination. The AloTCF can select and / or cause an AloT reader to perform a closest determination in accordance with a proximity detection technique specified by the AF. In the example illustrated in FIG. 15, for ease of illustration, a single AloT reader and AloT device are illustrated. As described above, a topology may include numerous AloT readers and AloT devices. Signaling 1500 is applicable to numerous topologies and operating environments.

[0191] The signaling 1500 may include AloT reader(s) providing information 1510 to AloTCF 1404 during a reader registration. Reader registration may occur during a registration process, for example, a registration process in accordance with TR 23.700. According to the techniques herein, information 1510 provided to AloTCF 1404 during reader registration may include information regarding the proximity detection technique capabilities of a AloT reader (i.e., CPD Capabilities in FIG. 15). For example, AloT reader may be capable of performing a closest determination based on one or more of the proximity detection techniques described above, (e.g., RSSI, LiDAR and / or BLE / UWB), including variations thereof, as well as one or more additional and / or alternative proximity detection techniques. Information regarding the proximity detection technique capabilities of an AloT reader may include a list of proximity detection techniques AloT reader is capable of performing. AloTCF 1404 may store proximity detection technique capabilities for each registered AloT reader.

[0192] The signaling 1500 may include AF 1402 communicating an inventory request 1520 to AloTCF 1404. As described above, in response to receiving an inventory request an AloTCF 1404 causes one or more AloT reader(s) to perform inventory rounds. As further described above, an AF may provide an inventory request with filter criteria, including for example, a ReaderlD and Closest. According to the techniques herein, inventory request 1520 may include, for example, as additional or alternative filtering criteria, information which specifies a proximity detection technique to be used by an AloT reader for a closest determination (i.e., CPD in FIG. 15). Information which specifies a proximity detection technique to be used by an AloT reader for a closest determination may include a particular technique (e.g., LiDAR) and / or requirements of a technique (e.g., not line of sightClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 dependent, non-RF techniques) to be used. Further, in some examples requirements may be based on precision requirements or the like. In one example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, inventory request 1520 signaled by AF 1402 may include a ReaderlD, which specifies a reader to perform the inventory round, a Closest indication, and information which specifies a proximity detection implementation to be used by the AloT reader. In one example, inventory request 1520 may include a Closest indication, and information which specifies a proximity detection implementation to be used by the AloT reader.

[0193] AloTCF 1404 evaluates 1530, the inventory request 1520. For example, if the inventory request 1520 includes a ReaderlD and specifies a proximity detection implementation that is not compatible with the AloT reader specified by the ReaderlD, AloTCF 1404 may determine that there is a mismatch or an error and may respond to the inventory request 1520 with a failure indication 1540. Further, in one example, if the inventory request 1520 includes a Closest indication, and information which specifies a proximity detection implementation to be used by the AloT reader and none of the registered AloT reader(s) are capable of the proximity detection implementation, AloTCF 1404 may respond to the inventory request 1520 with a failure indication 1540. In some examples, a failure indication 1540 may simply indicate that the inventory request 1520 failed. In some examples, a failure indication 1540 may include information as to why the inventory request 1520 failed (e.g., “ReaderlD incompatible with CPD”).

[0194] If after evaluating the inventory request 1520, AloTCF 1404 determines the request is authorized and one the registered AloT reader(s) or the identified AloT reader is capable of a specified proximity detection technique and / or is capable of a proximity detection technique which meets specified requirements, AloTCF 1404 authorizes the request 1550. Upon authorizing the request, AloTCF 1404 sends an inventory request 1560 to the AloT reader. That is, in the case where a AloT reader is identified, AloTCF 1404 sends an inventory request 1560 to the identified AloT reader. In the case, where a AloT reader is not identified by the inventory request 1520, AloTCF 1404 selects a registered AloT reader that is capable of a specified proximity detection technique and / or is capable of a proximity detection technique, which meets specified requirements. In one example, if multiple registered AloT readers are capable of performing a specified proximity detection technique or can meet specified requirement, AloTCF 1404 sends an inventory request 1560 one or more of the multiple registered AloT readers, for example, according to additional criteria. In one example, if multiple registered AloT readers are capable ofClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 performing a specified proximity detection technique or can meet specified requirement, AloTCF 1404 sends an inventory request 1560 to a default AloT reader.

[0195] According to the techniques herein, the inventory request 1560 includes an indication that the AF 1402 has requested to receive an inventory response with the DevicelD of the AloT device in closest proximity to the AloT reader and further provides a proximity detection technique to be used for the closest determination. In one example, in a case where, inventory request includes requirements, and AloT reader is capable of performing a closest determination according to multiple proximity detection techniques which meet the requirements, AloTCF 1404 may select a particular proximity detection technique. For example, a default proximity detection technique meeting the requirements may be selected. Thus, AloTCF 1404 may select a proximity detection technique to be used by the AloT reader based on the proximity detection technique capabilities of the AloT reader, (e.g., provided during reader registration) and information specifying a proximity detection technique provided by the AF 1402 in an inventory request.

[0196] AloT reader performs the inventory round 1570. For example, AloT reader may perform the inventory round as described above with respect to FIG. 13. AloT reader determines 1580 which of the AloT devices identified during the inventory round 1570 is the closest to the AloT reader according to the proximity detection technique provided in inventory request 1560. AloT reader sends an inventory response 1590, including the DevicelD of the AloT device that is determined to be the closest, to AloTCF 1404. AloTCF 1404 sends the inventory response, 1595 including the ReaderlD, and the DevicelD, to AF 1402.

[0197] In this manner, AF 1402 represents an example of a device configured to generate an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and receive an inventory request response.

[0198] In this manner, AloTCF 1404 represents an example of a device configured to receive ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information; receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and transmit an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0199] In this manner, AloT reader represents an example of a device configured to receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique satisfying the proximity detection requirement information.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1FIG. 16: Communications signaling for Internet of Things (AloT) devices.

[0200] As described above, according to the techniques herein, a AloT reader can provide an AloTCF information regarding the proximity detection implementation used by the AloT reader to determine the closest AloT device. FIG. 16 illustrates an example illustration of timing diagram signaling 1600 between an AF 1402, an AloTCF 1404, an AloT reader, and an AloT device, according to some embodiments. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional signaling may also be performed as desired.

[0201] The signaling 1600 in FIG. 16 may correspond to signaling which enables a AloT reader to specify to a AloTCF a proximity detection technique used by the AloT reader for a closest determination. The AloTCF can forward the proximity detection technique used by the AloT reader to the AF. The AF can determine whether additional and / or alternative inventory requests should be performed based on the proximity detection techniques used by the AloT reader. For example, if the proximity detection technique used by the AloT reader is unreliable, the AF may send a subsequent inventory request causing another AloT reader to perform an inventory round. In the example illustrated in FIG. 16, for ease of illustration, a single AloT reader and AloT device are illustrated. As described above, an topology may include numerous AloT readers and AloT devices. Signaling 1600 is applicable to numerous topologies and operating environments.

[0202] The signaling 1600 may include AF 1402 communicating an inventory request 1610 to AloTCF 1404. As described above, in response to receiving an inventory request an AloTCF 1404 causes one or more AloT reader(s) to perform inventory rounds. As further described above, and illustrated in FIG. 16, an AF 1402 may provide an inventory request with filter criteria, including for example, a ReaderlD and Closest.

[0203] AloTCF 1404 authorizes the request 1620. For example, AloTCF 1404 may determine that the request is authorized for the AF 1402. Upon authorizing the request, AloTCF 1404 sends an inventory request 1630 with the Closest indication to the AloT reader having the specified ReaderlD. AloT reader performs the inventory round 1640. For example, AloT reader may perform the inventory round as described above with respect to FIG. 13. AloT reader determines 1650 which of the AloT devices identified during the inventory round 1640 is the closest to the AloT reader. For example, according to one or more of the proximity detection techniques described above. AloT reader sends an inventory response 1660 to AloTCF 1404, including the DevicelD of the AloT device that isClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 determined to be the closest and the proximity detection technique used (i.e., CPD). AloTCF 1404 sends the inventory response 1670, including the ReaderlD, the DevicelD, and the proximity detection technique used to AF 1402. As described above, AF may determine whether additional and / or alternative inventory requests should be performed based on the proximity detection techniques used by the AloT reader

[0204] In this manner, AloT reader represents an example of a device configured to: receive an inventory request with closest filter criteria; determine a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique; and transmit an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

[0205] In this manner, AF 1402 represents an example of a device configured to: receive an inventory request response including proximity technique detection information.FIG. 17: Flow Chart for a Method of communication by an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader

[0206] FIG. 17 illustrates an example flow chart of a method 1700 of communication by an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader in a wireless communication network, according to some embodiments.

[0207] The method shown in FIG. 17 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices illustrated in the figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.

[0208] In accordance with an embodiment, a method 1700, for communicating by an AloT reader in a wireless communication system, comprises receiving an inventory request with closet filter criteria, as in block 1710.

[0209] The method 1700 further comprises determining a closest AloT device according to a proximity detection technique, as in block 1720.

[0210] The method 1700 further comprises transmitting an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information, as in block 1730.

[0211] In some embodiments, receiving an inventory request with closet filter criteria may include receiving an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0212] In some embodiments, determining a closest AloT device according to a proximity detection technique may include determining a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique satisfying the proximity detection requirement information.

[0213] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

[0214] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes requirements of a proximity detection technique.

[0215] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a base station to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1700.

[0216] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1700.FIG. 18: Flow Chart for a Method of communication by an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF)

[0217] FIG. 18 illustrates an example flow chart of a method 1800 of communication by a ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF) in a wireless communication system, according to some embodiments.

[0218] The method shown in FIG. 18 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices illustrated in the Figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.

[0219] In accordance with an embodiment, a method 1800, for communicating by an AloTCF reader in a wireless communication system, comprises receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information, as in block 1810.

[0220] The method 1800 further comprises, receiving an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information as in block 1820.

[0221] The method 1800 further comprises transmitting an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements, as in block 1830.

[0222] In some embodiments, receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information includes receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information during reader registration.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0223] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

[0224] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes requirements for a proximity detection technique.

[0225] In some embodiments, method 1800 comprises evaluating the inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information for an error.

[0226] In some embodiments, an error includes ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability not be able to satisfy requirements specified by proximity detection requirement information.

[0227] In some embodiments, method 1800 comprises selecting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0228] In some embodiments, method 1800 comprises selecting a proximity detection technique for an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

[0229] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a base station to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1800.

[0230] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1800.FIG. 19: Flow Chart for a Method of communication by an ambient Internet of Things application function (AF)

[0231] FIG. 19 illustrates an example flow chart of a method 1900 of communication by an application function (AF) in a wireless communication system, according to some embodiments.

[0232] The method shown in FIG. 19 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices illustrated in the Figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.

[0233] In accordance with an embodiment, a method 1900, for communicating by an application function (AF) in a wireless communication system, comprises generate an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information, as in block 1910.Client Ref. No. P69472WO1

[0234] The method 1900 further comprises receiving an inventory request response, as in block 1920.

[0235] In some embodiments, method 1900 further comprises transmitting the generated inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF).

[0236] In some embodiments, receiving an inventory request response includes receiving an inventory request response from an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF).

[0237] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

[0238] In some embodiments, proximity detection requirement information includes requirements for a proximity detection technique.

[0239] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a base station to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1900.

[0240] In some embodiments, an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1900.

[0241] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in any of various forms. For example, some embodiments may be realized as a computer-implemented method, a computer readable memory medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be realized using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Still other embodiments may be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0242] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may be configured so that it stores program instructions and / or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

[0243] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of theClient Ref. No. P69472WO1 method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets). The device may be realized in any of various forms.

[0244] Any of the methods described herein for operating a user equipment (UE) may be the basis of a corresponding method for operating a base station, by interpreting each message / signal X received by the UE in the downlink as message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and each message / signal Y transmitted in the uplink by the UE as a message / signal Y received by the base station.

[0245] Although the embodiments above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

Client Ref. No. P69472WO1CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:1 . A method of an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: receiving an inventory request with closest filter criteria; determining a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique; and transmitting an inventory request response with an identifier of the closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device and proximity technique detection information.

2. A method of an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: receiving an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and determining a closest ambient Internet of Things (AloT) device according to a proximity detection technique satisfying the proximity detection requirement information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes requirements for a proximity detection technique.

5. A method of an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF) in a wireless communication network, comprising: receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information; receiving an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and transmitting an inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.Client Ref. No. P69472WO16. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information includes receiving ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability information during reader registration.

7. The method of any of claims 5-6, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

8. The method of any of claims 5-7, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes requirements for a proximity detection technique.

9. The method of any of claims 5-8, further comprising evaluating the inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information for an error.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an error includes ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader proximity detection capability not be able to satisfy requirements specified by proximity detection requirement information.11 . The method of any of claims 5-10, further comprising selecting an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

12. The method of any of claim 5-11 , further comprising selecting a proximity detection technique for an ambient Internet of Things (AloT) reader with proximity detection capability satisfying proximity detection requirements.

13. A method of an ambient Internet of Things Application Function (AF) in a wireless communication network, comprising: generating an inventory request with closest filter criteria and proximity detection requirement information; and receiving an inventory request response.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the generated inventory request to an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF).Client Ref. No. P69472WO115. The method of any of claims 13-14, wherein receiving an inventory request response includes receiving an inventory request response from an ambient Internet of Things Controller Function (AloTCF).

16. The method of any of claims 13-15, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes a proximity detection technique.

17. The method of any of claims 13-16, wherein proximity detection requirement information includes requirements for a proximity detection technique.

18. A device configured for communicating in a wireless communication network, comprising: one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to perform any of the methods of claims 1 -17.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the device include user equipment (UE).

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the device includes a base station (BS).21 . The device of claim 18, wherein the device includes a network entity.

22. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, perform any of the methods of claims 1 -17.

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