Communication method and reader apparatus

Abstract

A communication method according to one aspect of the present invention is used in a mobile communication system. The communication method includes a step in which a reader apparatus, which is a user apparatus or a network node in the mobile communication system, receives an energy state report from an ambient IoT device. The communication method also includes a step in which the reader apparatus transmits the energy state report to a core network apparatus.

Description

Communication method and reader device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication method and a reader device used in a mobile communication system.

[0002] In recent years, IoT (Internet of Things) has attracted attention in wireless communication technology. By interconnecting more "things", it is expected to improve production efficiency and enhance the comfort of life compared to the conventional situation. As technologies used in IoT, for example, there are barcodes and RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier). However, with barcodes and RFID, long-distance wireless communication cannot be performed, and it is difficult to support a large-scale network.

[0003] Therefore, in 3GPP (The Third Generation Partnership Project) (registered trademark. The same shall apply hereinafter), which is a standardization project for mobile communication systems, consideration is being given to the feasibility of new IoT technologies. In this IoT technology, a technology with a larger number of connections and a higher device density than existing IoT technologies in 3GPP, such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band-IoT) or LTE-MTC (Long Term Evolution-Machine Type Communication), is assumed. Also, in this IoT technology, a technology with lower complexity and lower power consumption than existing 3GPP LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technologies is assumed. The IoT devices used in this IoT technology are referred to as ambient IoT devices.

[0004] Most existing wireless communication devices use a battery that requires manual replacement and / or charging. On the other hand, driving all IoT devices with batteries involves difficulties in realization because it requires not only the cost of the IoT devices themselves but also the maintenance cost of the IoT devices.

[0005] The ambient IoT devices described above are intended to function as battery-less devices without energy storage capabilities. In this case, the ambient IoT devices function as purely battery-less devices that have no energy storage function whatsoever and are entirely dependent on the availability of external energy sources.

[0006] Alternatively, ambient IoT devices are envisioned to function as battery devices with limited energy storage capabilities. Limited energy storage capabilities refer to, for example, energy storage capabilities that do not require manual replacement and / or charging.

[0007] The use of such ambient IoT devices is expected to lead to automation and digitalization in various industries, as well as the opening up of new markets.

[0008] 3GPP TR 38.848 V18.0.0 (2023-09) 3GPP TR 23.700-13 V1.0.0 (2024-10) R2-2407984

[0009] The first communication method is a communication method used in a mobile communication system. The communication method includes the step of a reader device, which is a network node or user device of the mobile communication system, receiving an energy status report from an ambient IoT device. The communication method also includes the step of the reader device transmitting the energy status report to a core network device.

[0010] The reader device according to the second embodiment is a reader device that is a network node or user device of a mobile communication system. The reader device has a receiving unit that receives energy status reports from ambient IoT devices and a transmitting unit that transmits energy status reports to a core network device.

[0011] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a mobile communication system according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a UE (User Equipment) according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a network node (gNB) according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a protocol stack according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a protocol stack according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example configuration of an ambient IoT device according to the first embodiment. Figures 7(A) and 7(B) are diagrams showing examples of topology of an ambient IoT device according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example configuration of an ambient IoT device according to the first embodiment. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example configuration of an ambient IoT device according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a protocol stack for an ambient IoT device in the first embodiment. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of an overall procedure according to the first embodiment. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example configuration of topology 2 according to the first embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of an ambient IoT procedure according to the first embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram showing a first operation example according to the first embodiment. Figure 15 shows a second example of operation according to the first embodiment.

[0012] This disclosure aims to enable core network devices to appropriately understand the energy state of ambient IoT devices.

[0013] A mobile communication system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0014] [First Embodiment]

[0015] (1) Configuration of the Mobile Communication System The configuration of the mobile communication system according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. The mobile communication system 1 conforms to the 5th Generation System (5GS) of the 3GPP standard. In the following description, 5GS will be used as an example, but the mobile communication system may also have an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system applied to it at least partially. The mobile communication system may also have a 6th Generation (6G) system or later system applied to it at least partially.

[0016] The mobile communication system 1 comprises a network (NW) 10 and a user device (UE) 100. The UE 100 is a mobile communication device that performs wireless communication with the NW 10. The UE 100 may be any device used by a user, such as a mobile phone terminal (including a smartphone) and / or a tablet terminal, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a communication module (including a communication card or chipset), a sensor or a device installed on a sensor, a vehicle or a device installed on a vehicle (Vehicle UE), or an aircraft or a device installed on an aircraft (Aerial UE).

[0017] NW10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 20 and a core network (CN) 30. When the mobile communication system is a fifth-generation system (5GS), RAN20 is referred to as NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) and CN30 is referred to as 5GC (5G Core Network).

[0018] RAN20 includes multiple network nodes 200 (network nodes 200a to 200c in the example in Figure 1). The network nodes 200 are interconnected via inter-network node interfaces. In RAN20, network nodes 200 are sometimes referred to as base stations. When a network node 200 is a base station, it consists of a CU (Central Unit) and a DU (Distribution Unit) (i.e., functionally divided), and the two units may be connected by a front-haul interface. When the mobile communication system 1 is 5GS, the network nodes 200 are referred to as gNBs, the inter-network node interfaces as Xn interfaces, and the front-haul interfaces as F1 interfaces.

[0019] Furthermore, if at least a part of the mobile communication system 1 is an LTE system, the network node 200 may be an eNB (evolved Node B) which is an LTE base station. Also, if the mobile communication system 1 is a sixth-generation system or later, the network node 200 has the function of a base station and may be a device equivalent to a gNB or eNB.

[0020] Each network node 200 manages one or more cells. Each network node 200 performs wireless communication with the UE 100 that has established a connection with its own cell. Each network node 200 has functions such as wireless resource management (RRM), routing of user data (also simply referred to as "data"), and measurement and control functions for mobility control and scheduling. The term "cell" is used to indicate the smallest unit of a wireless communication area. The term "cell" is also used to indicate a function or resource that performs wireless communication with the UE 100. One cell belongs to one carrier frequency. One cell may be associated with one downlink component carrier and one uplink component carrier. The bandwidth corresponding to one cell (system bandwidth) may be divided into multiple bandwidth parts (BWP: Bandwidth Part). In the following explanation, the gNB may be used as an example of a network node 200.

[0021] CN30 includes a CN (Core Network) device 380. The CN device 380 may include a C-plane device corresponding to the control plane (C-plane) and a U-plane device corresponding to the user plane (U-plane). The C-plane device performs various mobility controls and paging for the UE100. The C-plane device communicates with the UE100 using NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling. The U-plane device controls data transfer. When the mobile communication system is 5GS, the C-plane device is called AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), the U-plane device is called UPF (User Plane Function), and the interface between the network node 200 and the CN device 380 is called the NG interface.

[0022] Figure 2 shows an example configuration of UE100 (user device) according to the first embodiment. UE100 includes a receiving unit 110, a transmitting unit 120, and a control unit 130. The receiving unit 110 and the transmitting unit 120 constitute a wireless communication unit 140 that performs wireless communication with the network node 200.

[0023] The receiving unit 110 performs various types of reception under the control of the control unit 130. The receiving unit 110 includes an antenna and a receiver. The receiver converts the radio signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal (received signal) and outputs it to the control unit 130.

[0024] The transmitting unit 120 performs various types of transmissions under the control of the control unit 130. The transmitting unit 120 includes an antenna and a transmitter. The transmitter converts the baseband signal (transmission signal) output by the control unit 130 into a wireless signal and transmits it from the antenna.

[0025] The control unit 130 performs various control and processing operations in the UE 100. Such processing includes processing in each layer described later. The operation of the UE 100 described above and later may also be controlled by the control unit 230. The control unit 130 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores programs executed by the processor and information used for processing by the processor. The processor may include a baseband processor and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The baseband processor performs modulation, demodulation, encoding, and decoding of baseband signals. The CPU executes programs stored in memory and performs various processing operations.

[0026] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a network node 200 (gNB) according to the first embodiment. The network node 200 includes a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a control unit 230, and a network communication unit 240. The transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 constitute a wireless communication unit 250 that performs wireless communication with the UE 100.

[0027] The transmitting unit 210 performs various types of transmissions under the control of the control unit 230. The transmitting unit 210 includes an antenna and a transmitter. The transmitter converts the baseband signal (transmission signal) output by the control unit 230 into a wireless signal and transmits it from the antenna.

[0028] The receiving unit 220 performs various types of reception under the control of the control unit 230. The receiving unit 220 includes an antenna and a receiver. The receiver converts the radio signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal (received signal) and outputs it to the control unit 230.

[0029] The control unit 230 performs various control and processing operations on the network node 200. Such processing includes processing at each layer described later. The operation of the network node 200 described above and later may also be controlled by the control unit 230. The control unit 230 includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores programs executed by the processor and information used for processing by the processor. The processor may include a baseband processor and a CPU. The baseband processor performs modulation, demodulation, encoding, and decoding of baseband signals. The CPU executes programs stored in memory and performs various processing operations.

[0030] The network communication unit 240 is connected to an adjacent base station via the Xn interface, which is an inter-base station interface. The network communication unit 240 is connected to the CN device 380 via the NG interface, which is an inter-base station-core network interface. The network node 200 may consist of a CU (Central Unit) and a DU (Distributed Unit) (i.e., functionally divided), and the two units may be connected by the F1 interface, which is a front-haul interface.

[0031] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the protocol stack for the user plane's wireless interface that handles data.

[0032] The user plane radio interface protocol comprises a physical (PHY) layer, a MAC (Medium Access Control) layer, an RLC (Radio Link Control) layer, a PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) layer, and an SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol) layer.

[0033] The PHY layer performs encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, antenna mapping / demapping, and resource mapping / demapping. Data and control information are transmitted between the PHY layer of UE100 and the PHY layer of network node 200 via a physical channel. The PHY layer of UE100 receives Downlink Control Information (DCI) transmitted from network node 200 on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Specifically, UE100 performs blind decoding of the PDCCH using the Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) and acquires the successfully decoded DCI as the DCI addressed to its own UE. The DCI transmitted from network node 200 has a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Code) parity bit, which has been scrambled by RNTI, added to it.

[0034] The MAC layer performs data priority control, retransmission processing using Hybrid ARQ (HARQ), and random access procedures. Data and control information are transmitted between the MAC layer of UE100 and the MAC layer of network node 200 via a transport channel. The MAC layer of network node 200 includes a scheduler. The scheduler determines the transport format for the up and down links (transport block size, modulation and coding scheme (MCS)) and the resource blocks to be allocated to UE100.

[0035] The RLC layer transmits data to the receiving RLC layer using the functions of the MAC layer and PHY layer. Data and control information are transmitted between the RLC layer of UE100 and the RLC layer of network node 200 via a logical channel.

[0036] The PDCP layer performs header compression / decompression, encryption / decryption, etc.

[0037] The SDAP layer maps IP flows, which are the units under which the core network performs QoS (Quality of Service) control, to wireless bearers, which are the units under which the AS (Access Stratum) performs QoS control. Note that if the RAN is connected to the EPC (Evolved Packet Core), an SDAP is not required.

[0038] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the protocol stack of the wireless interface of the control plane that handles signaling (control signals).

[0039] The protocol stack of the control plane's wireless interface includes an RRC (Radio Resource Control) layer and a NAS (Non-Access Stratum) layer, instead of the SDAP layer shown in Figure 4.

[0040] RRC signaling for various settings is transmitted between the RRC layer of UE100 and the RRC layer of network node 200. The RRC layer controls the logical channel, transport channel, and physical channel in response to the establishment, re-establishment, and release of the wireless bearer. If there is a connection (RRC connection) between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of network node 200, UE100 is in the RRC connected state. If there is no connection (RRC connection) between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of network node 200, UE100 is in the RRC idle state. If the connection between the RRC of UE100 and the RRC of network node 200 is suspended, UE100 is in the RRC inactive state.

[0041] The NAS layer (also simply referred to as "NAS"), located above the RRC layer, performs session management and mobility management, etc. NAS signaling is transmitted between the NAS layer of the UE100 and the NAS layer of the CN device 380 (AMF). In addition to the wireless interface protocol, the UE100 also has an application layer, etc. Furthermore, the layer below the NAS layer is called the AS layer (also simply referred to as "AS").

[0042] (2) The mobile communication system 1 according to the ambient IoT device embodiment supports ambient IoT devices. Hereinafter, the ambient IoT device may be simply referred to as a "device".

[0043] (2.1) Outline of Ambient IoT Device FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an ambient IoT device 300 according to the first embodiment. The ambient IoT device 300 is a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication with a reader device that is the UE 100 or the network node 200. The ambient IoT device 300 may perform wireless communication within the frequency band of the mobile communication system 1.

[0044] The ambient IoT device 300 may reflect the radio wave transmitted from the reader device (UE 100 or network node 200) and modulate the reflected wave to transmit the information inside the ambient IoT device 300. Generally, the technology of reflecting an unmodulated radio wave and modulating the reflected wave to transmit information is called backscattering communication. The ambient IoT device 300 may have a backscattering communication function. The ambient IoT device 300 may be an information medium capable of reading information from the internal memory or writing information to the internal memory by using the backscattering communication function. In this case, the ambient IoT device 300 may extract the information by receiving the transmitted radio wave modulated with the information and demodulating the received radio wave.

[0045] The ambient IoT device 300 may be a battery-less IoT device. In this case, the ambient IoT device 300 converts received radio waves into energy (specifically, electricity) and operates using that energy. The ambient IoT device 300 may use an energy source other than radio waves, for example, by converting light, heat, magnetism, vibration, or sound into energy. Generally, this type of energy conversion is called energy harvesting. Known methods may be used for energy harvesting itself. Thus, the ambient IoT device 300 may have an energy harvesting function. Alternatively, the ambient IoT device 300 may have a limited battery function. The ambient IoT device 300 may have a battery function that charges the power acquired by the energy harvesting function. The ambient IoT device 300 may also be a wireless tag.

[0046] As shown in Figure 6, the ambient IoT device 300 includes an antenna 310, a modulator 320, a control unit 330, and a memory 340.

[0047] Antenna 310 receives an unmodulated carrier wave. This unmodulated carrier wave will be referred to as CW (Continuous Wave) below. Antenna 310 converts the received CW into a received signal and outputs this received signal to modulator 320. Antenna 310 also reflects the CW according to the transmission signal output from modulator 320 and transmits the reflected wave. This reflected wave will be referred to as BS (Back Scattering or Back Scatter) below. Antenna 310 performs BS transmission.

[0048] The modulator 320 may modulate the data read from the memory 340 under the control of the control unit 330 to generate a transmission signal. The modulator 320 outputs the modulation signal to the antenna 310. Also, the modulator 320 may demodulate the received signal from the antenna 310 in the modulator to obtain data under the control of the control unit 330. The modulator 320 outputs the obtained data to the control unit 330. In the ambient IoT device 300, specifically, the modulator 320 may be a switch. When the switch receives the received signal from the antenna 310, it turns on and outputs the received signal to the control unit 330. Also, the switch is controlled to be on or off under the control of the control unit 330, and outputs a transmission signal corresponding to the on or off to the antenna 310. The switch may be an RF (Radio Frequency) switch. The switch may be constituted by a transistor. Alternatively, the switch may be a mechanical switch that can be physically switched on or off.

[0049] The control unit 330 may have an environmental power generation function that converts the received signal received from the modulator 320 into electric power. The control unit 330 may control the modulator 320 and the memory 340 using the electric power as the driving power of the ambient IoT device 300. Also, the control unit 330 reads the information stored in the memory 340 and controls the modulator 320 to transmit a transmission signal corresponding to the information from the modulator 320. For example, the control unit 330 controls the on or off of the modulator 320 to control the reflectivity of the reflected wave (BS) (for example, to make the reflectivity 100% or 0%), and can output a transmission signal corresponding to the information (for example, 1 bit) stored in the memory 340 from the modulator 320 to the antenna 310. Also, for example, the control unit 330 can output a transmission signal corresponding to a plurality of bits from the modulator 320 to the antenna 310 by controlling the timing of turning on or off the modulator 320. Thus, the control unit 330 may control the reflectivity of the reflected wave (BS) by controlling the on or off of the modulator 320, and transmit the modulated reflected wave corresponding to the information stored in the memory 340 from the antenna 310.

[0050] Memory 340 holds various types of information. The information held in memory 340 may be information acquired when the ambient IoT device 300 functions as a sensor. Alternatively, the information held in memory 340 may be information specific to the ambient IoT device 300 that has been previously stored in memory 340. Examples of such specific information include identification information of the ambient IoT device 300 (or the group to which it belongs). The type of such identification information may be "Device ID", "Group ID", and / or "ALL". Under the control of the control unit 330, the information held in memory 340 can be read. Information may also be written to memory 340 under the control of the control unit 330. In this case, the control unit 330 (or modulator 320) converts the received signal received from the antenna 310 into a baseband signal in the baseband band, reads the information from the baseband signal, and writes the read information to memory 340.

[0051] The ambient IoT device 300 may have a limited battery. Limited means a battery that does not require manual replacement and / or charging, as described above. The ambient IoT device 300 may also have the ability to generate signals itself. In this case, the ambient IoT device 300 does not need to receive the CW signal and does not need to perform the BS transmission. That is, the ambient IoT device 300 transmits a transmission signal it generates itself via the antenna 310. As shown in Figure 6, the communication unit 345 may be configured with the antenna 310 and the modulator 320.

[0052] (2.2) Topology of the Ambient IoT Device Figures 7(A) and 7(B) are diagrams that show examples of the topology of the ambient IoT device 300. Figure 7(A) shows an example of "Topology 1", and Figure 7(B) shows an example of "Topology 2".

[0053] The device that performs wireless communication with the ambient IoT device 300 is referred to as the reader device (or "Reader") 400. As shown in Figure 7(A), in "Topology 1", the reader device 400 becomes the network node 200 (gNB). The reader device 400 may also be a relay node, which is a type of network node. For example, the reader device 400 may be an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node or an NCR (Network-Controlled Repeater). In "Topology 1", data and / or signaling related to the ambient IoT device 300 are transferred between the ambient IoT device 300 and the network node 200.

[0054] In the example shown in Figure 7(A), the ambient IoT device 300 communicates directly and bidirectionally with the network node 200, which corresponds to the reader device 400. In this case, the wireless communication unit 250 (transmitter 210 and receiver 220) of the network node 200 is capable of wireless communication with the ambient IoT device 300. For example, the transmitter 210 of the network node 200 may transmit an unmodulated carrier wave under the control of the control unit 230. This carrier wave may be reflected by the ambient IoT device 300. The receiver 220 of the network node 200 may receive the reflected wave from the ambient IoT device 300 under the control of the control unit 230, convert it into a baseband signal, and output it to the control unit 230.

[0055] As shown in Figure 7(B), in "Topology 2," the reader device 400 is the UE 100. In this case, the UE 100 corresponds to an intermediate node between the ambient IoT device 300 and the network node 200. In "Topology 2," the ambient IoT device 300 communicates bidirectionally with the UE 100. The reader device 400 transmits data and / or signaling related to the ambient IoT device 300 between the network node 200 and the ambient IoT device 300.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 7(B), the UE 100 performs wireless communication over the Uu interface with the network node 200. The ambient IoT device 300 communicates directly and bidirectionally with the UE 100, which corresponds to the reader device 400. In this case, the wireless communication unit 140 (receiving unit 110 and transmitting unit 120) of the UE 100 can communicate wirelessly with the ambient IoT device 300. For example, the receiving unit 110 of the UE 100 may receive reflected waves reflected by the ambient IoT device 300 under the control of the control unit 130. The receiving unit 110 may receive the received reflected waves as a wireless signal, convert them into a baseband signal, and output them to the control unit 130. The transmitting unit 120 of the UE 100 may transmit an unmodulated carrier wave under the control of the control unit 130. This carrier wave may be reflected by the ambient IoT device 300.

[0057] (2.3) Detailed Configuration Example of Ambient IoT Devices In 3GPP, it has been agreed that there are three types of ambient IoT devices 300: "Device 1", "Device 2a", and "Device 2b".

[0058] "Device 1" is, for example, a device whose peak power consumption is "1 μW" or less, which does not perform amplification in either the DL (DownLink) direction or the UL (UpLink) direction, and which performs backscattering transmission using an externally provided carrier wave.

[0059] "Device 2a" is, for example, a device whose peak power consumption is "several hundred μW" or less, which performs amplification in the DL direction and / or UL direction, and which performs backscattering transmission using an externally provided carrier wave.

[0060] "Device 2b" is, for example, a device with a peak power consumption of "several hundred μW" or less, which performs amplification in the DL direction and / or UL direction, and which generates UL transmission within the device. Furthermore, all device types have an energy storage function.

[0061] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the ambient IoT device 300 of "Device 1" according to the first embodiment.

[0062] Device 1 includes an antenna 310, a matching network 350, an RF energy harvester 351, a PMU (Power Management Unit) 352, an energy storage unit 353, an RF BPF (Radio Frequency Band Pass Filter) 354, an RF envelope detector (or envelope detector) 355, a BB LPF (Base Band Low Pass Filter) 356, a comparator 357, a baseband logic 358, a memory 359, a backscattering modulator 360, and a clock generator 361.

[0063] The matching network 350 matches the impedance of the antenna 310 with other blocks (including the RF energy harvester 351 and the RF BPF 354) and outputs the radio signal received by the antenna 310 to the other blocks.

[0064] The RF energy harvester 351 has an energy harvesting function and extracts energy from radio signals. The RF energy harvester 351 may also have a rectifier that converts the AC component of the radio signal into the DC component of the radio signal.

[0065] The PMU 352 manages (or controls) the storage of energy from the RF energy harvester 351, as well as managing (or controls) the supply of power to blocks that require power.

[0066] The energy storage unit 353 stores energy from the RF energy harvester 351.

[0067] The RF BPF354 outputs radio signals in a specific frequency band. The RF BPF354 is used to improve selectivity. Note that the RF BPF354 may not be present in "Device 1" depending on the implementation.

[0068] The RF envelope detector 355 converts the radio signal in the radio band output from the RF BPF 354 into a baseband signal in the baseband band.

[0069] The BB LPF 356 removes the high-frequency components of the baseband signal output from the RF envelope detector 355, improving the quality of the signal input to the comparator 357.

[0070] The comparator 357 determines whether the input signal output from the BB LPF 356 is "high" or "low". Note that the comparator 357 may detect not only two values, "high" and "low", but also three or more values.

[0071] The baseband logic 358 includes functional blocks such as encoders, decoders, and controllers.

[0072] Memory 359 stores device identification information (or device ID) for identifying (or distinguishing) the ambient IoT device 300 from other ambient IoT devices. Memory 359 may be a non-volatile memory (for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)) that permanently stores the device ID and other information. Memory 359 may also be a memory (register) that temporarily stores necessary information only while the energy stored in the energy storage unit 353 is available.

[0073] The backscattering modulator 360 modulates the output signal from the baseband logic 358 into a backscattering signal by switching the impedance. Alternatively, the backscattering modulator 360 modulates the high-frequency signal (e.g., CW) input from the antenna 310 into a backscattering signal by switching the impedance (antenna or transmission line impedance) based on the output signal (digital signal or digital data) from the baseband logic 358. For example, the backscattering modulator 360 can modulate and then reflect the high-frequency signal input from the antenna 310 by terminating the high-frequency input signal at digital data "0" (not reflecting) and leaving the high-frequency input signal open at digital data "1" (reflecting).

[0074] The clock generator 361 generates the necessary clock signal within the device.

[0075] The above is an example of the configuration of "Device 1". The matching network 350, RF BPF 354, RF envelope detector 355, BB LPF 356, comparator 357, and backscattering modulator 360 may be included in the modulator 320 shown in Figure 6. Also, the PMU 352 and baseband logic 358 may be included in the control unit 330 shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, the memory 359 may correspond to the memory 340 shown in Figure 6.

[0076] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the ambient IoT device 300 of "device 2a" according to the first embodiment.

[0077] Device 2a, in addition to Device 1 shown in Figure 8, further includes an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) ​​365, a baseband amplifier 366, a large frequency shifter 367, a reflection amplifier 368, and an energy harvester 369.

[0078] The LNA365 amplifies the output signal from the RF BPF354 (i.e., the signal from the reader device (network node 200 or UE100)) to improve the signal strength and sensitivity at the receiving end.

[0079] The baseband amplifier 366 amplifies the baseband signal output from the RF envelope detector 355, improving the signal strength.

[0080] The large frequency shifter 367 shifts the frequency of the backscattering signal from one frequency (e.g., FDD (Frequency Division Duplex)-DL frequency) to another frequency (e.g., FDD-UL frequency).

[0081] The Energy Harvester 369 performs energy harvesting using methods other than RF signals. Specifically, energy harvesting methods include sunlight (solar panels), vibration (vibration power generation), and heat (thermal power generation), but are not limited to these.

[0082] The above describes an example configuration of "device 2a". In the example block configuration shown in Figure 9, in relation to the example block configuration shown in Figure 6, the LNA 365, baseband amplifier 366, large frequency shifter 367, and reflection amplifier 368 may be further included in the modulator 320.

[0083] (2.4) Protocol stack for ambient IoT device Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a protocol stack for an ambient IoT device 300 according to the first embodiment.

[0084] The wireless interface protocol comprises a PHY (Physical) layer and an Ambient IoT (A-IoT) MAC layer. Communication between the reader device 400 and the Ambient IoT device 300, described later, may be performed by at least one of the layers shown in Figure 10. A new layer (New AS Protocol) may be introduced as a layer above the Ambient IoT MAC layer.

[0085] The physical channel used for transmission from the reader device 400 to the ambient IoT device 300 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "R2D (Reader-to-Device) transmission") is called the PRDCH (Physical Reader to Device channel). The channel used for R2D transmission is also called the R2D channel. The R2D channel may also be the PRDCH. The message transmitted using the R2D channel is called the R2D message. The R2D message may also be a message defined in "A-IoT MAC" (or "New AS Protocol").

[0086] On the other hand, the physical channel used for transmission from the ambient IoT device 300 to the reader device 400 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "D2R (Device to Reader) transmission") is called the PDRCH (Physical Device to Reader channel). The channel used for D2R transmission is also called the D2R channel. The D2R channel may also be the PDRCH. The message transmitted using the D2R channel is called the D2R message. The D2R message may also be a message defined in "A-IoT MAC" (or "New AS Protocol").

[0087] For example, in "Topology 1," the physical channel used for R2D transmission from network node 200 to ambient IoT device 300 is PRDCH, and the physical channel used for D2R transmission from ambient IoT device 300 to network node 200 is PDRCH. Similarly, in "Topology 2," the physical channel used for R2D transmission from UE100 to ambient IoT device 300 is PRDCH, and the physical channel used for D2R transmission from ambient IoT device 300 to UE100 is PDRCH.

[0088] Furthermore, the control plane between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300 lacks an RRC layer, and therefore does not support RRC connection management, Layer 3 (L3) measurement reporting, or periodic system information and master information blocks (MIBs). In addition, the ambient IoT device 300 does not support conventional paging messages.

[0089] The user plane between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300 does not contain the SDAP layer, PDCP layer, or RLC layer. Furthermore, the AS layer, which is above the PHY layer, does not support HARQ and RLC AM (Acknowledge Mode).

[0090] (3) Operation of the mobile communication system The operation of the mobile communication system 1 having the ambient IoT device 300 will be described.

[0091] (3.1) The overall procedure diagram 11 is a diagram showing an example of the overall procedure in the mobile communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 11, an example of the overall procedure after the reader device 400 receives a service request is shown. If the reader device 400 receives a service request again, the overall procedure shown in Figure 11 is repeated. Note that Figure 11 shows an example of "Topology 1" in which the gNB acts as the reader device 400 and communicates with the ambient IoT device 300.

[0092] Step S1: The reader device 400 receives a service request from an upper node. Alternatively, it may receive a service request from a lower layer (e.g., the AS layer) or an upper layer (e.g., the NAS layer) within the reader device 400.

[0093] Firstly, the service request includes, as visible information for the reader device 400, at least one of the following: 1) the type of service, 2) the ambient IoT device 300 to be called, and 3) the approximate number of ambient IoT devices 300 to be called.

[0094] An example of a service type is "inventory." "Inventory" is one of the services (use cases) used, for example, to check for the existence of an ambient IoT device 300. Another example of a service type is "command." "Command" is one of the services (use cases) used to issue various commands to the ambient IoT device 300, such as read, write, or disable. Furthermore, there may be a service type called "inventory and command" which performs both "inventory" and "command" simultaneously. A service request may include information that identifies which service it is as a service type.

[0095] Secondly, service requests also include transparent information that cannot be seen by the reader device 400. Transparent information includes the contents of "commands" (such as read commands). Transparent information also includes "inventory." Transparent information may also include the contents of services instructed by the higher-level node.

[0096] In the case of "Topology 1," the service request may be included in a message sent from the CN device 380 to the gNB, for example, in an NG-AP (Application Protocol) message. In the case of "Topology 2," the service request may be included in a message sent from the gNB to the UE 100, for example, in an RRC message or a System Information Block (SIB).

[0097] Step S2: In response to receiving a service request, the reader device 400 sends an ambient IoT paging message (ambient IoT paging message) to the ambient IoT device 300, similar to a conventional paging message. The ambient IoT paging message may be a message that initiates communication between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300. Alternatively, the A-IoT paging message may be a call message (or trigger message) that initiates a call (or trigger) to the ambient IoT device 300.

[0098] Firstly, ambient IoT paging messages include device identification information that identifies the ambient IoT device 300. Device identification information may be used to identify the ambient IoT device 300 to be called. There are different types of device identification information, such as a "device ID" (individual identification information) that identifies each ambient IoT device 300 individually. There are also different types of device identification information, such as a "group ID" (group identification information) that identifies the group to which the ambient IoT devices belong. Furthermore, there is a type of device identification information called "ALL" (all identification information) that represents all ambient IoT devices. However, if the ambient IoT paging message does not include device identification information, it will represent "ALL".

[0099] Secondly, the ambient IoT paging message includes resource information. This resource information is used for transmission from the ambient IoT device 300 to the reader device 400 (for example, Msg1 or D2R messages).

[0100] Thirdly, ambient IoT paging messages may include R2D commands. R2D commands represent commands sent from the reader device to the ambient IoT device 300. R2D commands are used in the case of "command" services, and the command included in the service request (step S1) may be an R2D command.

[0101] The ambient IoT paging message may also be an initial trigger message. An initial trigger message is, for example, a message that includes an ambient IoT device that needs to respond to a service request. The reader device 400 can use the ambient IoT paging message as an initial trigger message to call the ambient IoT device 300.

[0102] The ambient IoT device 300 receives an ambient IoT paging message. The ambient IoT device 300 determines whether it successfully received the ambient IoT paging message. If successful, it checks the device identification information. If it matches its own device identification information (i.e., it is being called), it performs the next step S3. The following explanation assumes that the ambient IoT paging message was successfully received.

[0103] Steps S3 to S7 (Random Access Procedure): Steps S3 to S7 represent an RA procedure for ambient IoT devices, similar to normal random access (RA). The RA procedure from steps S3 to S7 performs contention resolution to avoid D2R message transmission conflicts.

[0104] There are two types of RA procedures: "3-step RA" and "2-step RA". In "3-step RA", three messages (Msg1, Msg2, and Msg3) from step S4 to step S7 are used. In "2-step RA", two messages (Msg1 and Msg2) other than Msg3 in step S7 are used. There is also a conflict-free procedure called "conflict-free" as a method of accessing the reader device 400 from the ambient IoT device 300. In "conflict-free", Msg1 to Msg3 are skipped, and after receiving the ambient IoT paging message (step S2), a D2R message is sent (step S9).

[0105] In step S3, the ambient IoT device 300 determines and / or selects a resource (or access opportunity).

[0106] In step S4, the ambient IoT device 300 sends message 1 (Msg1) to the reader device 400 using the resource selected in step S3. Msg1 may include a random ID. In "3-step RA", the random ID is a required component, but in "2-step RA", the random ID is used optionally. The random ID may be random identification information generated by the ambient IoT device. The number of bits in the random ID is fixed at "16" bits.

[0107] In step S5, the reader device 400 sends message 2 (Msg2) containing the random ID to the ambient IoT device 300. Since the random ID is used as is in Msg2, it can become echo information. In the case of "2-step RA", the random ID may not be included in Msg1, but in this case, 3GPP has not yet determined what information in Msg2 will be used as echo information.

[0108] In step S6, the ambient IoT device 300 determines whether or not the conflict has been resolved. The ambient IoT device 300 considers the conflict resolution to be successful (OK) if the random ID sent in Msg1 matches the random ID received in Msg2. In other words, the ambient IoT device 300 can determine that the resources used to send Msg1 did not conflict with the resources used to send Msg1 from other ambient IoT devices, since the random ID sent in Msg1 was received in Msg2. On the other hand, the ambient IoT device 300 considers the conflict resolution to have failed if the two random IDs do not match. In this case, the ambient IoT device 300 could determine that the resource used to send Msg1 was in conflict with a resource used to send Msg1 from another ambient IoT device, since it could not receive the random ID sent in Msg1 in Msg2. Therefore, the conflict resolution could be considered to have failed. Conflict resolution could also be a procedure that determines whether or not the resources used to send Msg1 are in conflict.

[0109] In the case of "3-step RA," in step S7, the ambient IoT device 300 sends message 3 (Msg3) to the reader device 400. The resources used to send Msg3 are explicitly notified by Msg2. Msg3 may also be a response to step S6 (conflict resolution) (ACK: ACKknowledgment / NACK: Negative ACKknowledgment). Msg3 may include higher layer data. The higher layer data may be the device ID of the ambient IoT device 300. Note that in the case of "conflict-free," the D2R message (step S9) may also include higher layer data.

[0110] In step S7, the ambient IoT device 300 may send a very first D2R message to the reader device 400 separately from Msg3. The ambient IoT device 300 may also send the very first D2R message after step S7.

[0111] The early D2R message may include an energy status report. An ambient IoT device 300 may not have energy, and an early D2R message including an energy status report may be used as a follow-up message for such an ambient IoT device 300. Alternatively, the early D2R message may include a simple message size report. Alternatively, the early D2R message may include a failure indicator or a success indicator. The failure indicator and success indicator may be used for failure and success in conflict resolution (step S6), respectively. Alternatively, the failure indicator and success indicator may be used for failure and success in data transmission and reception (step S8 or step S9), respectively.

[0112] Step S8: The reader device 400 sends an R2D message to the ambient IoT device 300. The R2D message may include an R2D command.

[0113] Step S9: The ambient IoT device 300 sends a D2R message to the reader device 400. The D2R message may include feedback information corresponding to the R2D command (step S8).

[0114] Step S10: The reader device 400 sends a Subsequent Ambient IoT paging message (subsequent Ambient IoT paging message) to the Ambient IoT device 300. The Subsequent Ambient IoT paging message is, for example, a message associated with the same service request as the Ambient IoT paging message (Step S2), and is a message that follows the said Ambient IoT paging message.

[0115] (3.2) Topology 2 Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of topology 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0116] As shown in Figure 12, an ambient IoT air interface (AI) is used between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300. In topology 1 (Figure 11), an ambient IoT air interface is also used between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300, but the ambient IoT air interface of topology 1 is completely reused in topology 2. In other words, from the perspective of the ambient IoT device 300, topology 2 is transparent to topology 1 and is not affected by differences in topology.

[0117] In topology 2, network 10 controls the resources of the ambient IoT air interface. Resource control is performed via L2 (Layer 2) messages or L3 (Layer 3) messages.

[0118] (4) Ambient IoT Procedure Diagram 13 is a diagram showing an example of an ambient IoT procedure according to the first embodiment.

[0119] As shown in Figure 13, an example of an ambient IoT procedure is the following:

[0120] - Ambient IoT paging procedure; - Paging round procedure; - R2D Round Trigger procedure (or Access Round procedure); - R2D Trigger procedure (or Access Opportunity procedure); - Subsequent Ambient IoT paging procedure; - Data Transfer procedure.

[0121] An ambient IoT paging procedure is a series of procedures initiated, for example, by the sending (or receiving) of an ambient IoT paging message. As shown in Figure 13, the ambient IoT paging procedure may be a series of procedures performed during the period leading up to a Subsequent ambient IoT paging message associated with the same service request. This procedure may also be called a paging ground procedure. A procedure initiated by a Subsequent ambient IoT paging message may also be called a paging ground procedure. An ambient IoT procedure may consist of one or more paging ground procedures. As shown in Figure 13, the ambient IoT paging procedure may include, for example, an R2D round trigger procedure and an R2D trigger procedure. Alternatively, the ambient IoT paging procedure may include a data transfer procedure. Alternatively, the ambient IoT paging procedure may include a Subsequent ambient IoT paging procedure.

[0122] An R2D round trigger procedure is a series of procedures initiated by the transmission (or reception) of an R2D round trigger message. The R2D round trigger message may include resources (access opportunities) used for communication with the ambient IoT device 300. The R2D round trigger procedure may also be a series of procedures that continue until the communication using those resources is completed. The R2D round trigger procedure may include an R2D trigger procedure. The R2D round trigger procedure may also be called an access round procedure. The R2D round trigger message may include an access round indication that instructs the access round procedure.

[0123] An R2D trigger procedure is a series of procedures initiated by the transmission (or reception) of an R2D trigger message. The ambient IoT device 300 may, upon receiving an R2D trigger message, communicate with the reader device 400 using a resource selected from its allocated resources. The R2D trigger procedure may also be called an access opportunity procedure. The R2D trigger message may include an access opportunity indication that instructs the access opportunity procedure.

[0124] The Subsequent Ambient IoT Paging Procedure is a procedure initiated by the transmission (or reception) of a Subsequent Ambient IoT Paging Message. As described above, a Subsequent Ambient IoT Paging Message is a message associated with the same service request as an Ambient IoT Paging Message. For example, an Ambient IoT device 300 that fails to communicate with the reader device 400 in the Ambient IoT Paging Procedure can use a Subsequent Ambient IoT Paging Message to communicate with the reader device 400.

[0125] The data transfer procedure is a procedure relating to data transfer between the reader device 400 and the ambient IoT device 300. The data transfer procedure may be a series of procedures for "Write Command". The data transfer procedure may also be a series of procedures for "Read Command". For example, the data transfer procedure may be included in the R2D trigger procedure in Figure 13. That is, the data transfer procedure may be a series of procedures from the transmission of an R2D message (R2D trigger message) containing a command to the transmission of a D2R message containing a response to the command.

[0126] Other ambient IoT procedures may include, for example, random access procedures to ambient IoT device 300.

[0127] (5) Communication method according to the first embodiment Currently, 3GPP is discussing energy status reports (or energy status indications). Energy status reports may be included in the D2R message transmitted from the ambient IoT device 300 to the reader device 400.

[0128] However, the conditions under which energy status reports are transmitted from the ambient IoT device 300, or the applications for which these energy status reports are used, have not yet been discussed in 3GPP. However, how the reader device 400 controls the energy status reports is a matter for future consideration.

[0129] In the first embodiment, the energy status report is information transmitted from the ambient IoT device 300 when the ambient IoT device 300 does not have enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure. The energy status report is represented by one bit of information (or flag information), as discussed in 3GPP. The one bit of information may indicate that the ambient IoT device 300 does not have enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure. Upon receiving the energy status report, the reader device 400 can determine that the ambient IoT device 300 does not have enough power. Here, we assume the following case: The CN device (core network device) 380 sends a service request to the reader device 400. However, the energy (power) of the ambient IoT device 300 is below a certain level.

[0130] In such cases, even if the CN device 380 sends a service request, it may not be able to respond to the service request because the power supply in the ambient IoT device 300 is below a certain level. In this case, the CN device 380 may resend the service request if it does not receive a response.

[0131] In the reader device 400, resending the service request may cause it to re-allocate resources to the ambient IoT device 300. Furthermore, even if the resource allocation is performed, if the ambient IoT device 300 does not have time to charge, the reader device 400 may receive an energy status report from the ambient IoT device 300 again. If this situation continues, the ambient IoT procedure may never be completed. In addition, the CN device 380 may also have to resend the service request multiple times.

[0132] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the objective is to enable the CN device 380 to appropriately grasp the energy state of the ambient IoT device 300.

[0133] Therefore, in the first embodiment, firstly, a reader device (e.g., reader device 400), which is a network node (e.g., network node 200) or user device (or UE 100) of a mobile communication system, receives an energy status report from an ambient IoT device (e.g., ambient IoT device 300). Secondly, the reader device transmits the energy status report to a core network device (e.g., CN device 380).

[0134] The CN device 380 receives an energy state report from the reader device 400 indicating the energy state of the ambient IoT device 300, enabling it to appropriately understand the energy state of the ambient IoT device 300. The energy state indicates the energy state of the ambient IoT device 300. For example, the CN device 380 can determine from the energy state that the ambient IoT device 300 does not have enough energy to execute the ambient IoT procedure. Therefore, the CN device 380 can take appropriate action regarding the ambient IoT device 300, such as not resending the service request or delaying the resending timing of the service request by a predetermined time.

[0135] (5.1) First Operation Example According to the First Embodiment Next, a first operation example according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0136] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the first example of operation. In Figure 14, the network node 200 (i.e., topology 1) is used as an example of the leader device 400.

[0137] As shown in Figure 14, in step S20, the receiving unit (network communication unit 240) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) receives a service request from the CN device 380. The AS layer of the reader device 400 (network node 200) may receive the service request from the CN device 380 via a higher layer than the AS layer. The higher layer may be a newly defined layer for ambient IoT communication (for example, an ambient IoT layer).

[0138] A service request may include a service ID that identifies each service. The service may be an "inventory," a "command," or a "write," "read," or "disable." The service request may also include information regarding whether or not it is necessary to check the energy status of the ambient IoT device 300.

[0139] In step S21, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) sends an ambient IoT paging message to the ambient IoT device 300 in response to receiving a service request (step S20). The ambient IoT paging message may include transmission eligibility information indicating whether or not an energy status report can be sent (or whether or not it is necessary to send it). The control unit (control unit 230) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) may set the transmission eligibility information in the ambient IoT paging message based on the implementation eligibility information included in the service request. The ambient IoT paging message may include the device ID of the ambient IoT device 300. The ambient IoT paging message may also include the group ID of the group including the ambient IoT device 300. The ambient IoT paging message may also include the AS-ID (AS (Access Stratum) identification information). The AS-ID is identification information used to identify the ambient IoT device 300 to which resources for ambient IoT have been allocated through scheduling. In other words, the ambient IoT device 300 that is the target of the resource allocation information can be identified by the AS-ID. The communication unit 345 of the ambient IoT device 300 receives the ambient IoT paging message. Subsequently, the communication unit 345 may receive Msg2 from the reader device 400 (network node 200). The communication unit 345 may also receive an R2D message from the reader device 400 (network node 200).

[0140] In step S22, the control unit 330 of the ambient IoT device 300 checks the energy storage status in response to receiving an ambient IoT paging message. The control unit 330 may also check whether there is enough energy (or power) to complete the ambient IoT procedure. In the following explanation, it will be assumed that the control unit 330 has confirmed that there is not enough energy. If the control unit 330 confirms that there is enough energy, it does not need to perform the following processing.

[0141] In step S23, the communication unit 345 of the ambient IoT device 300 transmits an energy status report to the reader device 400 (network node 200).

[0142] Firstly, the energy status report may indicate that there is not enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure. The energy status report may be represented as one bit of information, such as a flag (e.g., "1" or "0") indicating that there is not enough energy.

[0143] Secondly, the communication unit 345 may transmit an energy status report according to the transmission permission information included in the ambient IoT paging message. Specifically, the communication unit 345 transmits an energy status report if the transmission permission information indicates that an energy status report should be transmitted. On the other hand, the communication unit 345 does not transmit an energy status report if the transmission permission information indicates that an energy status report does not need to be transmitted.

[0144] Thirdly, the energy status report may be included in a D2R message and transmitted from the ambient IoT device 300 to the reader device 400 (network node 200). The D2R message may be Msg1 or Msg3 (step S7 in Figure 12). The D2R message may also be a response message to a command (step S9 in Figure 12). The receiving unit (receiving unit 220) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) receives the energy status report.

[0145] In step S24, the transmitting unit (network communication unit 240) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) transmits the energy status report to the CN device 380 upon receiving it. The AS layer of the reader device 400 (network node 200) may also transmit the energy status report to the CN device 380 via a higher layer than the AS layer.

[0146] Firstly, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) may transmit the energy status report to the CN device 380 using a service response indicating a response to the service request (step S20). That is, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) may transmit a service response including the energy status report to the CN device 380.

[0147] Secondly, energy status reports may be transmitted on a service-by-service basis (or service request-by-service basis). For example, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) may transmit information indicating that one or more ambient IoT devices 300 have responded to service request #1 (e.g., "inventory"). The energy status report and the service ID may be linked and transmitted from the reader device 400 (network node 200) to the CN device 380.

[0148] Thirdly, energy status reports may be transmitted on an ambient IoT device 300-by-device basis. For example, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) may transmit information indicating that device ID #4 has transmitted an energy status report. The transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) may also transmit information to group ID #7 indicating that one or more devices have transmitted an energy status report. The energy status report and the device ID (or group ID) may be linked and transmitted from the reader device 400 (network node 200) to the CN device 380.

[0149] In step S25, the CN device 380 performs predetermined processing in response to receiving the energy status report. The predetermined processing may be a process that does not resend the service request. Alternatively, the service request may be a process that delays the resend timing of the service request by a predetermined time. By not resending or delaying the resend timing, it is possible to secure charging time for the ambient IoT device 300. Alternatively, the predetermined processing may be a process that avoids a timeout for the service request, service, or session. For example, the CN device 380 may start counting a timer after starting a service request, service, or session, and may terminate the service request, service, or session when the count value reaches a value indicating a timeout. Therefore, when the CN device 380 receives an energy status report, it may avoid a timeout by delaying the time that would result in a timeout, or by not terminating the service for a certain period of time even if a timeout occurs.

[0150] (5.2) Second Operation Example According to the First Embodiment Next, a second operation example according to the first embodiment will be described. The second operation example will be described focusing on the differences from the first operation example.

[0151] The second operational example describes a specific example of the criteria for determining whether to transmit an energy state report in the ambient IoT device 300.

[0152] Specifically, the reader device (e.g., reader device 400) transmits decision information to the ambient IoT device (e.g., ambient IoT device 300) that includes at least one of the time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure and the number of messages until the ambient IoT procedure is completed. The decision information is used by the ambient IoT device to determine whether or not to transmit an energy status report.

[0153] This means that the ambient IoT device 300 only needs to send an energy status report based on the judgment information, and the judgment criteria can be clearly defined when sending the energy status report.

[0154] Figure 15 is a diagram showing a second operation example according to the first embodiment. In Figure 15, the same reference numerals are used for the same processes as in the first operation example, and their explanations may be omitted. Like the first operation example (Figure 4), Figure 15 also shows an example of topology 1.

[0155] In step S30, the receiving unit (network communication unit 240) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) receives a service request from the CN device 380. The service request may include decision information.

[0156] In step S31, the transmitting unit (transmitting unit 210) of the reader device 400 (network node 200) transmits decision information to the ambient IoT device 300. The decision information is used by the ambient IoT device 300 to determine whether or not to transmit an energy state report.

[0157] Firstly, the decision information may be transmitted by any of the following R2D messages.

[0158] - Ambient IoT paging message, - Subsequent ambient IoT paging message, - R2D round trigger message, - R2D trigger message, - Msg2 and / or Msg4 used in random access procedures to ambient IoT device 300, - R2D message used in data transfer procedures.

[0159] Secondly, the decision information may represent the time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure. The time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure may be expressed in milliseconds or other units of time that represent the length of time required for the ambient IoT procedure to complete. The ambient IoT procedure itself may be any of the following, and may be the ambient IoT procedure corresponding to the message used to send the decision information.

[0160] - Ambient IoT paging procedure; - Paging round procedure; - R2D Round Trigger procedure (or Access Round procedure); - R2D Trigger procedure (or Access Opportunity procedure); - Subsequent Ambient IoT paging procedure; - Random access procedure for Ambient IoT device 300; - Data Transfer procedure.

[0161] Alternatively, the time required to complete an ambient IoT procedure may be expressed in terms of the number of time slots (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "number of slots"). The number of slots may be expressed in terms of the number of slots corresponding to the ambient IoT procedure. Specifically, the number of slots may be expressed in terms of the number of slots until a paging round procedure is completed (number of paging rounds). Alternatively, the number of slots may be expressed in terms of the number of slots until an access round procedure is completed (number of access rounds). Alternatively, the number of slots may be expressed in terms of the number of slots until an access opportunity procedure is completed (number of access opportunities).

[0162] Thirdly, the decision information may be the number of messages until the ambient IoT procedure is completed. The number of messages may be notified separately in R2D messages and D2R messages. The number of messages may also be notified as a combined number.

[0163] The communication unit 345 of the ambient IoT device 300 receives decision information. The communication unit 345 may then receive Msg2. The communication unit 345 may also receive an R2D message.

[0164] In step S32, the control unit 330 of the ambient IoT device 300 checks the energy storage status. The control unit 330 may check the energy storage status using decision information. For example, the control unit 330 may check whether there is enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure based on the current amount of energy stored and the time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure. Alternatively, the control unit 330 may check whether there is enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure based on the current amount of energy stored and the number of messages required to complete the ambient IoT procedure.

[0165] If the control unit 330 determines that there is not enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure, it will perform the processing from step S23 to step S25, as in the first operation example. On the other hand, if the control unit 330 determines that there is sufficient energy, it does not need to perform the processing from step S23 to step S25.

[0166] (5.3) Another Operation Example 1 According to the First Embodiment In the second operation example, an example was described in which the ambient IoT device 300 checks the energy required until the ambient IoT procedure is completed in response to receiving decision information (step S32). For example, the ambient IoT device 300 may check the energy storage status in response to receiving D2R resources to be used for transmission to the reader device 400 from the reader device 400 (step S32). In this case, the control unit 330 of the ambient IoT device 300 checks whether there is sufficient energy based on the D2R resource information, and if it determines that there is not enough energy, it may send an energy status report (step S23).

[0167] (5.4) Another Operation Example 2 According to the First Embodiment Although the first and second operation examples were described using topology 1 as an example, the first and second operation examples can also be implemented in the case of topology 2 (where the reader device 400 is UE100).

[0168] In this case, the reader device 400 becomes UE100, and the receiving unit 110 of UE100 may receive a service request from the CN device 380. The AS layer of UE100 may receive a service request from the CN device 380 via a higher layer than the AS layer (steps S20 and S30). Furthermore, the transmission of ambient IoT paging messages (step S21) and the transmission of decision information (step S31) are performed by the transmitting unit 120 of UE100. In addition, the reception of energy status reports (step S23) is performed by the receiving unit 110 of UE100. Furthermore, the transmission of energy status reports (step S24) is performed by the transmitting unit 120 of UE100. The destination of the energy status reports may be the network node 200. The destination of the energy status reports may also be the CN device 380.

[0169] (5.5) Another Operation Example 3 According to the First Embodiment In the first embodiment, an example of sending an ambient IoT paging message (step S21) was described. For example, instead of the ambient IoT paging message, any of the following messages may be used. In this case, the transmission permission information described in the first operation example may also be included in any of the following messages.

[0170] - Subsequent ambient IoT paging message, - R2D round trigger message, - R2D trigger message, - Msg2 and / or Msg4 used in random access procedures to ambient IoT device 300, - R2D message used in data transfer procedures.

[0171] [Other Embodiments] The above-described operation flows are not limited to being performed separately and independently; two or more operation flows can be combined and performed. For example, some steps of one operation flow may be added to another operation flow. Some steps of one operation flow may be replaced with some steps of another operation flow. It is not necessary to execute all steps in each flow; only some steps may be executed. In addition, the order of steps in each flow may be changed as appropriate.

[0172] In the embodiments and examples described above, an example in which the base station is an NR base station (gNB) was described, but the base station may also be an LTE base station (eNB) or a 6G base station. Furthermore, the base station may also be a relay node such as an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node. The base station may also be a DU of an IAB node. Furthermore, UE100 may be an MT (Mobile Termination) of an IAB node. That is, UE100 may be a terminal function unit (a type of communication module) for the base station to control a relay device that performs signal relay. Such a terminal function unit is referred to as an MT. Examples of multi-transmission architectures (MTs) include IAB-MT, NCR (Network Controlled Repeater)-MT, and RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface)-MT.

[0173] Furthermore, the term "network node" primarily refers to a base station, but may also refer to a core network device or a part of a base station (CU, DU, or RU). Additionally, a network node may consist of a combination of at least a part of the core network device and at least a part of a base station.

[0174] A program may be provided that causes a computer to execute each process performed by the UE 100 or the network node 200. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. Using a computer-readable medium, it is possible to install the program on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transient recording medium. The non-transient recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and / or DVD-ROM. Alternatively, the circuits that execute each process performed by the UE 100 or the network node 200 may be integrated, and at least a part of the UE 100 or the network node 200 may be configured as a semiconductor integrated circuit (chipset, SoC: System on a chip).

[0175] The functions realized by the above-described communication device (UE100 or network node 200, etc.) may be implemented in a circuit or processing circuit, including a general-purpose processor, application-specific processor, integrated circuit, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuitry, and / or a combination thereof, programmed to realize the described functions. The processor includes transistors and / or other circuits and is considered a circuit or processing circuit. The processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in memory. In this specification, circuit, unit, and means are hardware programmed to perform or execute the functions described herein. Such hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein, or any hardware known to be programmed to perform or execute the functions described herein. If such hardware is a processor that is considered to be of the type of circuit, such circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to constitute such hardware and / or processor.

[0176] The phrases “based on” and “depending on / in response to” as used in this disclosure do not mean “based solely on” or “in response solely” unless otherwise specified. “Based on” means both “based solely on” and “at least partially on.” Similarly, “depending” means both “at least partially on” and “in at least partially on.” The terms “include,” “comprise,” and variations thereof do not mean that they include only the listed items, but they may include only the listed items. The terms also mean that they may include additional items in addition to the listed items. Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR. Moreover, any reference to elements using designations such as “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not limit the quantity or order of those elements in general. These designations may be used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Therefore, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be adopted therein, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way. In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, these articles shall be plural unless it is clearly indicated from the context that they are not.

[0177] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to those described above, and various design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0178] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-199169 (filed November 14, 2024), the entirety of which is incorporated into the specification of this application.

[0179] (Note) The above embodiments can be summarized as shown in the note, but the note does not limit the embodiments.

[0180] (Note 1) A communication method for use in a mobile communication system, comprising the steps of: a reader device which is a network node or user device of the mobile communication system receiving an energy status report from an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) device; and the reader device transmitting the energy status report to a core network device.

[0181] (Note 2) The energy status report is the communication method described in Note 1, indicating that the ambient IoT device does not have enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure.

[0182] (Note 3) The energy state report is included in the D2R (Device to Reader) message transmitted from the ambient IoT device to the reader device using the communication method described in Note 1 or Note 2.

[0183] (Note 4) The communication method according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, further comprising the step of the reader device transmitting an R2D (Reader to Device) message to the ambient IoT device, which includes transmission permission information indicating whether or not the energy status report can be transmitted, wherein the receiving step includes the step of the reader device receiving the energy status report transmitted from the ambient IoT device in accordance with the transmission permission information.

[0184] (Note 5) The communication method according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, further comprising the steps of: the core network device receiving the energy status report; and the core network device performing predetermined processing in response to receiving the energy status report, wherein the predetermined processing is one of the following: processing not to retransmit the service request; processing to delay the timing of retransmitting the service request by a predetermined time; and processing to avoid a service or session timeout.

[0185] (Note 6) The reader device further comprises the step of transmitting to the ambient IoT device determination information including at least one of the time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure and the number of messages until the ambient IoT procedure is completed, wherein the determination information is used to determine whether or not the ambient IoT device transmits the energy state report, according to any of Notes 1 to 5.

[0186] (Note 7) The judgment information is a communication method described in any of Notes 1 to 6, which includes resource information used for transmitting D2R messages.

[0187] (Note 8) A reader device which is a network node or user device of a mobile communication system, comprising: a receiving unit that receives an energy status report from an ambient IoT device; and a transmitting unit that transmits the energy status report to a core network device.

[0188] 1: Mobile communication system 10: Network 20: RAN 30: CN 100: UE 110: Receiving unit 120: Transmitting unit 130: Control unit 140: Wireless communication unit 200: Network node 210: Transmitting unit 220: Receiving unit 230: Control unit 240: Network communication unit 250: Wireless communication unit 300: Ambient IoT device 310: Antenna 320: Modulator 330: Control unit 340: Memory 345: Communication unit 350: Matching network 351: RF energy harvester 352: PMU 353: Energy storage unit 354: RF BPF 355: RF envelope detector 356: BB LPF 357: Comparator 358: Baseband logic 359: Memory 360: Backscattering modulator 361: Clock generator 365: LNA 366: Baseband amplifier 367: Large frequency shifter 368: Reflection amplifier 369: Energy harvester 380: CN device 400: Reader device

Claims

1. A communication method for use in a mobile communication system, comprising: a reader device, which is a network node or user device of the mobile communication system, receiving an energy status report from an ambient IoT (Internet of Things) device; and the reader device transmitting the energy status report to a core network device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the energy status report indicates that the ambient IoT device does not have enough energy to complete the ambient IoT procedure.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the energy state report is included in a D2R (Device to Reader) message transmitted from the ambient IoT device to the reader device.

4. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: the reader device transmitting an R2D (Reader to Device) message to the ambient IoT device including transmission eligibility information indicating whether or not the energy state report can be transmitted, wherein the reception includes the reader device receiving the energy state report transmitted from the ambient IoT device in accordance with the transmission eligibility information.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: the core network device receiving the energy status report; and the core network device performing predetermined processing in response to receiving the energy status report, wherein the predetermined processing is any of the following: processing not to retransmit the service request; processing to delay the timing of retransmitting the service request by a predetermined time; and processing to avoid a service or session timeout.

6. The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising the reader device transmitting to the ambient IoT device determination information including at least one of the time required to complete the ambient IoT procedure and the number of messages until the ambient IoT procedure is completed, wherein the determination information is used to determine whether or not the ambient IoT device transmits the energy state report.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein the determination information includes resource information used for transmitting a D2R message.

8. A reader device which is a network node or user device of a mobile communication system, comprising: a receiving unit that receives an energy status report from an ambient IoT device; and a transmitting unit that transmits the energy status report to a core network device.

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