Data sending method and apparatus, data receiving method and apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a data sending method and apparatus, a data receiving method and apparatus, and a communication system. The method comprises: a sending device generating a MAC data packet, wherein the MAC data packet comprises at least one of higher-layer data, control information and padding data; and on an ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, sending to a receiving device a first transmission comprising the MAC data packet.

Description

Data transmission and reception methods, apparatus and communication systems Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this application relate to the field of communication technology. Background Technology

[0002] From the early days of 2G (second generation) systems to the early days of 4G (fourth generation) systems, cellular mobile communication systems primarily served mobile phones, i.e., mobile terminal devices held by people. With the rapid development of mobile internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), from the later stages of 4G systems to the present, the evolution of cellular mobile communication system technology has considered and supported increasingly diverse IoT application scenarios. Correspondingly, more types of IoT device terminals have been supported and implemented in actual network deployments and service applications, such as eMTC (enhanced Machine-Type Communication) terminal devices, NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) terminal devices, and RedCap (Reduced Capability) terminal devices. With the increasing diversity of IoT terminal device types, cellular mobile systems have gained increasingly stronger capabilities in providing services and offering services to vertical industries.

[0003] However, among the massive number of IoT devices, the area of ​​large-scale and lower-cost IoT terminal devices remains a gap in cellular mobile communication systems. In order to provide more robust, reliable, and complete IoT application solutions, how to support lower-cost IoT terminal devices in 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) cellular mobile systems has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this application and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inventors discovered that, as a new type of IoT terminal in 5G systems, tag-based terminals or A-IoT devices communicate with readers via an A-IoT wireless interface. This interface's protocol stack includes an A-IoT physical layer and an A-IoT MAC layer. To implement inventory and / or command services, A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission between the A-IoT device and the reader occur on this wireless interface. Therefore, defining the MAC layer signaling / MAC PDU / MAC packets / MAC blocks transmitted between the A-IoT device and the reader via the A-IoT wireless interface to support A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission becomes a pressing issue.

[0006] To address at least one of the above-mentioned problems or other similar problems, embodiments of this application provide a data transmission and reception method, apparatus, and communication system.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a data transmission method is provided, including:

[0008] The transmitting device generates a MAC packet, the MAC packet including at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; and

[0009] A first transmission, including the MAC data packet, is sent to the receiving device over the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0010] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a data transmission apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0011] A generation unit that generates MAC data packets, the MAC data packets including at least one of higher-level data, control information, or padding data;

[0012] The transmitting unit sends a first transmission, including the MAC data packet, to the receiving device over an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0013] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a data receiving method is provided, including:

[0014] The receiving device receives a first transmission, including a MAC data packet, sent by the transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; and

[0015] The receiving device processes the MAC data packet.

[0016] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a data receiving apparatus is provided, comprising:

[0017] A receiving unit receives a first transmission including a MAC data packet sent by a transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data;

[0018] The processing unit processes the MAC data packets.

[0019] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0020] A transmitting device that generates a MAC data packet, the MAC data packet including at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; and transmits a first transmission including the MAC data packet to a receiving device over an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface;

[0021] A receiving device that receives the MAC data packets sent by the transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface; and processes the MAC data packets.

[0022] One of the beneficial effects of this application's embodiments includes: the transmitting device generating and transmitting a MAC data packet, comprising at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data, to the receiving device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface; and the receiving device receiving the MAC data packet transmitted by the transmitting device on the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface and processing the MAC data packet. Thus, A-IoT devices and readers can realize A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby supporting A-IoT inventory and / or command services. Furthermore, the method is simple and easy to implement, meeting the transmission requirements of A-IoT and the cost, energy consumption, and implementation complexity requirements of A-IoT devices.

[0023] Specific embodiments of this application are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, indicating how the principles of this application can be adopted. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, embodiments of this application include many changes, modifications, and equivalents.

[0024] Features described and / or illustrated for one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

[0025] It should be emphasized that the term "including / comprises" as used herein refers to the presence of a feature, whole, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, or components. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The elements and features described in one drawing or embodiment of this application may be combined with elements and features shown in one or more other drawings or embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings, similar reference numerals denote corresponding parts in several drawings and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a topological scenario according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of the topology scenario of an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the protocol stack of the A-IoT air interface between the A-IoT device and the reader;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the format of a MAC data packet according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 10 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 11 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 12 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a data receiving method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a data receiving device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of this application will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this application are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating partial implementations in which the principles of this application may be employed. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the described embodiments; rather, it includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different elements by name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or chronological order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one or more of the terms listed in association and all combinations thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.

[0046] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc., including the plural forms, should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a class" rather than limited to the meaning of "an." Furthermore, the term "the" should be understood to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0047] In the embodiments of this application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that conforms to any of the following communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Ambient IoT, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, communication between devices in a communication system can be carried out according to communication protocols at any stage, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), future 6G, etc., and / or other currently known or future communication protocols.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, the term "network device" refers, for example, to a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to a communication network and provides services to that terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc. Furthermore, network devices may also include readers or interrogators for A-IoT, but this application is not limited to these devices.

[0050] Base stations can include, but are not limited to: NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), 5G base stations (gNBs), IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) hosts, etc. They can also include Remote Radio Heads (RRHs), Remote Radio Units (RRUs), relays or low-power nodes (e.g., femeto, pico, etc.), reders, or interrogators. The term "base station" can encompass some or all of their functions, and each base station can provide communication coverage to a specific geographic area. The term "cell" can refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "User Equipment" (UE) or "Terminal Equipment" (TE) refer, for example, to a device that accesses a communication network and receives network services through a network device. A terminal device can be fixed or mobile, and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), terminal, subscriber station (SS), access terminal (AT), tag, etc.

[0052] The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, the following devices: cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, machine communication device, laptop computer, cordless phone, smartphone, smartwatch, digital camera, tag, device attached to or related to an item (e.g., for item management), etc.

[0053] For example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), terminal devices can also be machines or devices for monitoring or measurement, including but not limited to: machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, vehicle communication terminals, device-to-device (D2D) terminals, machine-to-machine (M2M) terminals, ambient IoT devices (A-IoT), etc.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "network side" or "network device side" refer to one side of the network, which can be a base station or include one or more network devices as described above. The terms "user side," "terminal side," or "terminal device side" refer to the side of the user or terminal, which can be a UE or include one or more terminal devices as described above. Unless otherwise specified herein, "device" can refer to network equipment or terminal equipment (e.g., IaoT equipment).

[0055] To further reduce the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices, hundreds of billions or even trillions of IoT devices can be deployed across various applications, providing added value throughout the value chain. Powering all IoT devices with manually replaceable or rechargeable batteries leads to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even safety hazards in some scenarios, such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries. However, most existing wireless communication devices require manual battery replacement or rechargeable battery power. Automation and digitalization across industries have opened up many new markets, necessitating new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or energy storage devices that do not require manual battery replacement or rechargeable batteries. Such devices must be remarkably small in size to effectively communicate the target use case.

[0056] 3GPP SA1 has released TR 22.840 and TS22.369 to document use cases, business scenarios, device limitations for environmentally powered IoT, and to identify new potential service requirements and new KPIs. SA1 considers devices that either do not have batteries or have limited energy storage capacity, i.e., use capacitors, and the energy stored in the device is provided by collecting radio waves, light, motion, heat or any other suitable power source.

[0057] Considering the limited size and complexity required for battery-free devices without energy storage capacity or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual battery replacement or charging in practical applications, the output power of energy harvesters is typically between 1 μW and several hundred μW. However, existing cellular devices may not be able to harvest energy well because their peak power consumption is higher than 10 mW.

[0058] In 3GPP standards TR 22.840 and TS22.369, one example application type is asset identification or inventory management. Currently, most industries primarily use barcodes and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification, commonly known as electronic tags). The main advantages of these two technologies are the ultra-low complexity and small size of the tags. However, a drawback of RFID systems is the limited information reading range of RFID tags; that is, the communication range based on wireless signals is relatively small. Using manual handheld tag readers can result in high labor costs, which may become the main expense. Using dedicated RFID ports or gateways to read and manage RFID tags also requires significant deployment costs. Furthermore, the simple logical architecture of RFID systems makes it difficult to effectively coordinate with interference in radio wave transmission, resulting in generally low system capacity and spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0059] Compared to RFID systems, 3GPP's 5G (fifth generation) system supports tag-based terminal devices, allowing for the reuse of existing base station deployments and leveraging existing cellular mobile communication networks to support industry applications based on this type of terminal, thereby effectively reducing deployment and usage costs. 3GPP's 5G system provides reliable authentication, network coordination, and accurate and stable terminal device management mechanisms, and can also optimize the network to improve system capacity and spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0060] Within 3GPP, Rel-18 (Revision 18) RAN (Radio Access Network) SI has been completed, providing a terminology and scope framework for future discussions on environmental IoT. It defines representative use cases, deployment scenarios, connectivity topologies, environmental IoT devices, design goals, and required functionalities. For selected options, the RAN working group has completed Rel-19 (Revision 19) SI, reported in TR 38.769, on environmental IoT solutions, which explores the radio aspects in greater detail.

[0061] Based on the aforementioned research project, it is recommended to begin standardizing Ambient IoT. Since existing technologies cannot meet all the requirements of the target use cases, it is suggested to adopt new IoT technologies to open up new markets within the 3GPP system, with connection numbers and / or device density several orders of magnitude higher than existing 3GPP IoT technologies. The new IoT technologies should offer several orders of magnitude lower complexity and power consumption than existing 3GPP LPWA technologies (such as NB-IoT and eMTC). This work should provide clear differentiation, addressing use cases and scenarios that existing 3GPP LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) IoT technologies cannot achieve, including reducing peak Tx power. This WI will standardize the RAN aspect of Ambient IoT, a new 3GPP IoT technology suitable for deployment within 3GPP systems that rely on ultra-low complexity and ultra-low power devices to achieve very low-end IoT applications.

[0062] The definitions provided in TR 38.848 and TR 38.769, as well as the decisions made by Rel-19SI in the RAN working group, are all included in this WI. The following are the specific general scopes:

[0063] Table 1

[0064] The following examples illustrate the scenarios of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0065] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the topology scenario (Topology 2) of this application. As shown in Figure 1, intermediate node 3 communicates with both Ambient IoT (A-IoT) device 2 and network device (e.g., base station) 1. Intermediate node 3 acts as a reader, connecting with A-IoT device 2 via the A-IoT air interface. Intermediate node 3 communicates with network device 1 based on control plane Radio Resource Control (RRC), user plane, or higher-level protocols above RRC (e.g., NAS, application layer). In the topology shown in Figure 1, intermediate node 3 can be a relay node with AIoT capabilities, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a user equipment (UE), a repeater, etc. Intermediate node 3 transmits A-IoT service-related data and / or signaling between A-IoT device 2 and network device 1. There can be one or more intermediate nodes between a network device 1 and A-IoT device 2. The communication between a network device 1 and A-IoT device 2 can be single-hop or multi-hop.

[0066] In Topology 2 shown in Figure 1, at least indoor scenarios for intermediate nodes and A-IoT devices are supported. Nodes providing carrier wave (CW) waveforms for A-IoT devices can be inside or outside the topology shown in Figure 1. Links between devices / nodes can be unidirectional or bidirectional.

[0067] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of the topology scenario (Topology 1) of this application. In the architecture or composition shown in Figure 2, the Ambient IoT device 2 directly communicates bidirectionally with the network device 1. The communication between the network device 1 and the Ambient IoT device 2 includes Ambient IoT data and / or signaling. This topology allows for the possibility that the base station sending to the Ambient IoT device is different from the base station receiving the Ambient IoT device.

[0068] In the various embodiments of this application, the terms Ambient IoT, AIoT, A-IoT, and Environmental IoT have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably. For A-IoT (Ambient IoT, also known as Environmental IoT), the information carried by the A-IoT air interface (e.g., command and / or inventory) is considered as high-level data.

[0069] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the A-IoT air interface protocol stack between the A-IoT device and the reader. The A-IoT air interface protocol stack between the A-IoT device and the reader includes the physical layer and the MAC layer, as shown in Figure 3. Supported functions include A-IoT paging, A-IoT random access procedures, and A-IoT data transmission.

[0070] The inventors believe that in topology 2 and topology 1, tag-type terminals or A-IoT devices, as a new type of IoT terminal in 5G systems, communicate with readers via an A-IoT wireless interface. The protocol stack of this interface includes an A-IoT physical layer and an A-IoT MAC layer. To implement inventory and / or command services, A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission between A-IoT devices and readers occur on this wireless interface. Therefore, defining the MAC layer signaling / MAC PDU / MAC packets / MAC blocks transmitted between A-IoT devices and readers via the A-IoT wireless interface to support A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission between A-IoT devices and readers is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0071] The above examples illustrate the relevant content of the embodiments of this application, and the following description is further illustrated with reference to the embodiments. The above content can be considered as part of the embodiments of this application and can be combined with the following embodiments.

[0072] The specific implementation of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, without causing confusion, "if...", "in the case of...", and "when..." have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably; "A-IoT reader" and "reader" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably; "MAC data packet" and "MAC PDU" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably; "higher-layer data" and "MAC SDU" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably; "control information" and "MAC CE" have similar meanings and can be used interchangeably.

[0073] First aspect of the embodiments

[0074] This application provides a data transmission method, which will be described from the perspective of the transmitting device.

[0075] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method includes:

[0076] 401, The transmitting device generates a MAC data packet, the MAC data packet including at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data;

[0077] 402, the transmitting device sends a first transmission including the MAC data packet to the receiving device on the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0078] It is worth noting that Figure 4 above is only an illustrative description of the embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be removed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description in Figure 4 above.

[0079] According to the above embodiments, the transmitting device sends a MAC data packet, including at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data, to the receiving device on the environmental IoT wireless interface. Thus, the transmitting device can use existing data transmission processes to support command services from the core network, and the method is simple and easy to implement.

[0080] In this embodiment of the application, taking the scenarios shown in Figures 1 and 2 as examples, the transmitting device can be an A-IoT reader, the receiving device can be an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is an (R2D) MAC data packet from the A-IoT reader to the A-IoT device transmitted via PDRCH; or, the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data packet is an (D2R) MAC data packet from the A-IoT device to the A-IoT reader transmitted via PDRCH.

[0081] For example, when the sending device is an A-IoT reader and the receiving device is an A-IoT device, the PRDCH (Physical Reader to Device CHannel) is the physical channel for R2D, and the MAC data packet can be an R2D MAC PDU sent by the A-IoT reader to the A-IoT device.

[0082] For example, when the sending device is an A-IoT device and the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, the PDRCH (Physical Device to Reader CHannel) is the physical channel for D2R, and the MAC data packet can be a D2R MAC PDU sent by the A-IoT device to the A-IoT reader.

[0083] In this embodiment, the transmitting device generates a MAC data packet. This may include the transmitting device assembling a MAC data packet, and the transmitting device's A-IoT MAC layer submitting the MAC data packet to the A-IoT physical layer. The terms "generate MAC data packet," "assemble MAC PDU," and "MAC layer submits MAC data to the physical layer" have similar meanings and can be substituted accordingly. Similarly, the terms "MAC data packet," "MAC packet," "data block," and "transmission block (TB)" have similar meanings and can be substituted accordingly.

[0084] Therefore, MAC data packets can be transmitted between A-IoT devices and A-IoT readers.

[0085] In the embodiments of this application, the transmitting device sends a first transmission including MAC data packets to the receiving device; alternatively, the transmitting device may also directly send MAC data packets to the receiving device. This first transmission may be, for example, PRDCH / PDRCH, R2D / D2R signals, etc., and this application is not limited thereto.

[0086] The following describes the MAC data packet of the embodiments of this application. The MAC data packet includes at least one of high-level data, control information, or padding data. The high-level data may be a MAC SDU, or be included in a MAC SDU, or be contained in or carried by a MAC SDU. The control information may be a MAC CE, or be included in or carried by a MAC CE, or be part of a MAC CE. The padding data may be padding.

[0087] In some embodiments, the MAC packet also includes a MAC header and a MAC subheader. The MAC packet, MAC header, MAC subheader, higher-level data, control information, or padding data are byte-aligned or multiples of 8 bits.

[0088] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the format of a MAC data packet according to an embodiment of this application. Taking Figure 5 as an example, the MAC data packet is a MAC PDU, which may include MAC CE, MAC SDU and padding data. In addition, the MAC header includes multiple MAC sub-headers.

[0089] Optionally, the MAC header may also include a MAC padding sub-header, wherein the MAC PDU, MAC header, MAC sub-header, MAC SDU, MAC CE and padding data are byte-aligned or are multiples of 8 bits.

[0090] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes at least one of the following:

[0091] The first indication field indicates one of the at least two lengths, bit counts, or byte counts of the MAC packet / higher-layer data / control information when the MAC packet / higher-layer data / control information has at least two lengths, bit counts, or byte counts.

[0092] The second indicator field indicates reserved bits when the MAC PDU / MAC header / MAC subheader is byte-aligned or a multiple of 8 bits.

[0093] The third indication field indicates whether the MAC sub-data packet including the MAC sub-header or the control information or higher-level data corresponding to the MAC sub-header is the last one in the MAC data packet.

[0094] The first indication field and / or the second indication field and / or the third indication field may be included in the MAC header, MAC prefix, high-level data, control information, or padding data, and may be combined in various ways; this application is not limited thereto.

[0095] When the MAC header and / or MAC subheader are byte-aligned or a multiple of 8 bits, the R field (not shown in Figure 5) in the MAC subheader indicates reserved bits in the MAC PDU; the E field (not shown in Figure 5) in the MAC subheader indicates whether the MAC subdata packet including the MAC subheader or the control information or higher-level data corresponding to the MAC subheader is the last one in the MAC PDU.

[0096] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the MAC subheader indicates the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC PDU. When the MAC PDU has at least two lengths, numbers of bits, or number of bytes, the MAC subheader also indicates one of the at least two lengths, numbers of bits, or number of bytes.

[0097] In some embodiments, one or more fields in a MAC packet indicate at least one of the following:

[0098] MAC packets contain higher-level data or control information;

[0099] The message type and / or control information type of the MAC packet;

[0100] MAC packet length / number of bits / number of bytes;

[0101] The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the higher-level data or control information included in the MAC packet;

[0102] Does the MAC packet include padding data?

[0103] The length / number of bits / number of bytes of padding data included in the MAC packet;

[0104] Segmentation information.

[0105] That is, one or more fields included in a MAC PDU can indicate whether the MAC PDU includes a MAC SDU or a MAC CE. Optionally, when the MAC PDU includes a MAC SDU, the one or more fields can indicate the message type of the MAC PDU; when the MAC PDU includes a MAC CE, the one or more fields can indicate the type of the MAC CE and / or the message type of the MAC PDU, wherein the message type of the MAC PDU can be an R2D trigger message, a paging message, or scheduling information, etc., and the type of the MAC CE can be an R2D trigger message, a paging message, or scheduling information, etc.

[0106] One or more fields included in a MAC PDU may also indicate the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC PDU. Optionally, when a MAC PDU includes a MAC SDU, the one or more fields may indicate the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC SDU included in the MAC PDU. When a MAC PDU includes a MAC CE, the one or more fields may indicate the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC CE included in the MAC PDU.

[0107] One or more fields included in the MAC PDU may also indicate whether the MAC PDU includes padding data. Optionally, if the MAC PDU includes padding data, the one or more fields may also indicate the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the padding data.

[0108] One or more fields included in a MAC PDU may also include segmentation indication information.

[0109] In some embodiments, the one or more fields are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, higher-level data, control information, or padding data.

[0110] In other words, a MAC PDU includes one or more fields, which are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, MAC SDU, MAC CE, or padding data. Specifically, when the MAC PDU only includes the MAC SDU and not the MAC CE, the one or more fields are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, or padding data; when the MAC PDU only includes the MAC CE and not the MAC SDU, the one or more fields are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, MAC CE, or padding data.

[0111] In this embodiment of the application, Figure 5 exemplarily illustrates padding headers and padding data, but padding headers and / or padding data are optional, and padding data may be absent in Figures 6 to 12 below.

[0112] The following describes the control information and / or higher-level data included in MAC packets.

[0113] In some embodiments, the MAC packet includes higher-level data, or the MAC packet includes control information. For example, a MAC PDU may contain only one MAC SDU, or the MAC PDU may contain only one MAC CE.

[0114] In some embodiments, a MAC packet includes multiple higher-level data items, or a MAC packet includes multiple control information items. For example, a MAC PDU may include multiple MAC SDUs but not MAC CEs, or a MAC PDU may include multiple MAC CEs but not MAC SDUs. In this case, the MAC SDUs or MAC CEs included in the MAC PDU are cascaded.

[0115] In some embodiments, a MAC data packet includes multiple MAC sub-data packets, each including higher-level data or control information, and each MAC sub-data packet also includes a MAC header.

[0116] Figure 6 is another schematic diagram of the MAC packet format according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, in a MAC PDU, a MAC PDU includes multiple MAC subPDUs. For each MAC subPDU, in some examples, when the MAC PDU only includes a MAC CE, a MAC subPDU includes a MAC CE and a MAC subheader; in other examples, when the MAC PDU only includes a MAC SDU, a MAC subPDU includes a MAC SDU and a MAC subheader.

[0117] In some embodiments, a MAC packet includes a MAC header and multiple higher-level data or multiple control information, with the MAC header preceding the higher-level data or multiple control information.

[0118] Figure 7 is another schematic diagram of the MAC packet format according to an embodiment of this application, and Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of the MAC packet format according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, in some examples, the MAC PDU includes one or more higher-level data. In other examples, as shown in Figure 8, the MAC PDU includes one or more control information.

[0119] The MAC header in Figures 7 and 8 is also optional, meaning it may contain only higher-level data and / or control information; this application is not limited to this. In some examples, when the MAC layer delivers a MAC packet to the physical layer, it may indicate whether the MAC packet contains higher-level data (e.g., also indicating the corresponding quantity) or control information (e.g., also indicating the corresponding quantity).

[0120] In some embodiments, a MAC packet includes one or more higher-level data and one or more control information. For example, a MAC PDU may include both a MAC SDU and a MAC CE, in which case the MAC SDU and MAC CE included in a MAC PDU are multiplexed.

[0121] In some embodiments, a MAC packet includes multiple MAC sub-packets, each of which includes higher-level data or control information; the MAC sub-packet including control information is located before the MAC sub-packet including higher-level data, or the MAC sub-packet including control information is located after the MAC sub-packet including higher-level data.

[0122] For example, for a MAC PDU, the MAC PDU includes multiple MAC subPDUs, each of which includes a MAC SDU or a MAC CE; the MAC subPDU including the MAC CE is located before the MAC subPDU including the MAC SDU, or the MAC subPDU including the MAC CE is located after the MAC subPDU including the MAC SDU.

[0123] Figure 9 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application. Taking Figure 9 as an example, a MAC subPDU may include control information, such as control information 1 or control information 2, and may also include higher-level data. In Figure 9, the MAC subPDU including control information is located before the MAC subPDU including higher-level data.

[0124] Figure 10 is another schematic diagram of the MAC data packet format according to an embodiment of this application. Taking Figure 10 as an example, a MAC subPDU may include control information, such as control information 1, control information 2, or control information 3, and may also include higher-level data. In Figure 10, the MAC subPDU including control information is located after the MAC subPDU including the MAC SDU.

[0125] In some embodiments, a MAC packet includes higher-layer data, control information, and a MAC header; the higher-layer data and control information are located after the MAC header, wherein the control information is located before the higher-layer data, or the control information is located after the higher-layer data.

[0126] For example, a MAC PDU includes a MAC CE, a MAC header, and a MAC SDU. The MAC SDU is located after the MAC header, where the MAC CE is located after the MAC SDU, or the MAC CE is located after the MAC SDU.

[0127] Figure 11 is another schematic diagram of the MAC packet format according to an embodiment of this application, and Figure 12 is another schematic diagram of the MAC packet format according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, a MAC PDU may include one or more control information and higher-level data. Taking Figure 11 as an example, the control information is located before the higher-level data. In some examples, the control information may also be located after the higher-level data. As shown in Figure 12, a MAC PDU includes higher-level data and one or more control information, wherein the control information is located after the higher-level data.

[0128] The MAC headers in Figures 11 and 12 are also optional, meaning they may contain only higher-level data and / or control information; this application is not limited to this. In some examples, when the MAC layer delivers a MAC packet to the physical layer, it may indicate whether the MAC packet contains higher-level data (e.g., also indicating the corresponding quantity) or control information (e.g., also indicating the corresponding quantity).

[0129] The format of MAC data packets has been explained above. The function of MAC data packets will be explained below.

[0130] In some embodiments, the MAC packet can be used for paging, and the MAC packet includes higher-level data and / or control information.

[0131] For example, when the MAC data packet is used for paging, it is transmitted in R2D or included in R2D transmission and can be passed to multiple A-IoT devices by the reader. That is, when the MAC PDU is used for paging, the MAC PDU includes a MAC SDU and a MAC CE containing scheduling information. The MAC PDU can be passed to multiple A-IoT devices. The arrangement format of the MAC SDU and MAC CE in the MAC PDU can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0132] In some embodiments, when a MAC packet is used for paging, the higher-layer data includes at least one of the following:

[0133] Information used to identify a device or group of devices;

[0134] The second information is used to identify the reader;

[0135] Information used to identify a business or business request;

[0136] Information used to indicate the type of business or command;

[0137] Information used to indicate whether there are any follow-up messages.

[0138] For example, "Information for identifying a device or group of devices" can be an identifier for a single A-IoT device, or, when a MAC packet is delivered to multiple A-IoT devices, it can be identifiers for multiple A-IoT devices. "Information for identifying a device or group of devices" can also be a group ID. In some examples, if "Information for identifying a device or group of devices" does not include the above information, it can indicate any A-IoT device.

[0139] In some embodiments, when a MAC packet is used for paging, the control information includes at least one of the following:

[0140] First information, which is used to determine the resources that will be used for D2R response information;

[0141] Random access type;

[0142] The second information is used to identify the reader;

[0143] Information used to indicate the type of business or command;

[0144] Information used to indicate whether there are any follow-up messages;

[0145] Scheduling information.

[0146] For example, using this first information, the A-IoT device can determine the resources that will be used for the D2R response message. Furthermore, the random access type includes contention-based random access and non-contention-based random access, which can be included in the paging message along with the first message, and can also be determined based on the first information. Thus, by using the first information, in situations supporting multiple A-IoT paging messages or subsequent A-IoT paging messages, it is possible to avoid the A-IoT repeatedly responding to the same reader's message.

[0147] For example, the scheduling information can be at least one of the following: time-domain resources; frequency-domain resources; MCS-like information; chip duration; device-related ID / identification information / temporary ID / random number; repetition information / Midamble-related information. The random number can be the number of bits.

[0148] In some embodiments, the MAC packet can also be used for random access (RA).

[0149] For example, when used for random access, this MAC packet is either part of an R2D transmission or included in an R2D transmission and can be passed by a reader to one or more A-IoT devices. This MAC packet includes at least one of the following: a random ID / temporary ID / AS ID; scheduling information including paging; information indicating whether there are subsequent messages; and information indicating the service type or command type.

[0150] In some embodiments, MAC packets are used for inventory and / or commands.

[0151] For example, MAC PDUs can be used for inventory and / or commands.

[0152] In the above embodiments, MAC PDU is used as a MAC data packet, higher-layer data is used as a MAC SDU, and control information is used as a MAC CE as an example. This application is not limited to this, and MAC data packet, higher-layer data, and control information may be described in other ways.

[0153] The following section explains the relevant content regarding the generation of MAC data packets by the sending device (taking an A-IoT device as an example).

[0154] In some embodiments, the sending device generates a MAC data packet by: determining, based on scheduling information, the content contained in the MAC data packet. "Determining the content contained in the MAC data packet" is similar in meaning to "generating a MAC data packet" or "assembling a MAC data packet" and can be used interchangeably.

[0155] For example, the MAC layer of the transmitting device receives scheduling information (provided by the physical layer) and determines the contents of the MAC data packet (e.g., MAC PDU) based on the scheduling information.

[0156] In some embodiments, the scheduling information includes a predefined priority, and the sending device determines the content contained in the MAC packet based on the predefined priority.

[0157] For example, the higher-layer data has a higher priority than the control information, and the MAC layer determines the content contained in the MAC packet based on the priority. The control information may be all control information or any control information; or, the control information may not include control information used to indicate a random ID / AS ID / temporary ID.

[0158] For example, the control information has a higher priority than the higher-layer data, and the MAC layer determines the content contained in the MAC packet based on the priority. This control information may be all control information or any control information; or, the control information may not include control information for indicating energy or for indicating segments.

[0159] For example, the padding data has the lowest priority; the MAC layer determines the content contained in the MAC data packet based on the priority.

[0160] Taking MAC PDU as an example, the sending device can determine the contents of the MAC PDU based on the predefined priority in the scheduling information.

[0161] In some examples, for a predefined priority, the MAC SDU has a higher priority than the MAC CE in the MAC PDU, where the control information is all control information or any control information; or, the control information does not include control information for indicating the random ID / AS ID / temporary ID, that is, the transmitting device first determines to put / assemble the MAC SDU into the MAC PDU, then puts / assembles the MAC CE other than the MAC CE for indicating the random ID / AS ID / temporary ID into the MAC PDU, and finally determines that the MAC PDU contains padding data, where the MAC CE for indicating the random ID / AS ID / temporary ID can be determined after the MAC SDU is put / assembled, or it can be determined before the MAC SDU is put / assembled.

[0162] In other examples, the MAC CE has a higher priority than the MAC SDU, where the control information is all control information or any control information; or, the control information does not include the MAC CE for indicating energy and the MAC CE for indicating segment, that is, the transmitting device first puts / assembles MAC CEs other than the MAC CE for indicating energy and the MAC CE for indicating segment into / assembles them into the MAC PDU, then puts / assembles the MAC SDU into / assembles them into the MAC PDU, and finally determines that the MAC PDU includes padding data; wherein, the MAC CE for indicating energy and the MAC CE for indicating segment can be determined after the MAC SDU is put / assembled, or can be determined before the MAC SDU is put / assembled.

[0163] In some embodiments, the scheduling information includes an indication or request based on R2D transmission, and the sending device determines the contents contained in the MAC packet based on the indication or request based on R2D transmission.

[0164] For example, the sending device determines the contents of the MAC PDU based on an instruction or request transmitted via R2D.

[0165] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0166] As described in the above embodiments, the transmitting device generates and sends a MAC data packet, including at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data, to the receiving device via the A-IoT wireless interface. The receiving device receives the MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device via the A-IoT wireless interface and processes the MAC data packet. This enables A-IoT devices and readers to perform A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby supporting A-IoT inventory and / or command services. The method is simple and easy to implement, meeting the transmission requirements of A-IoT and the cost, energy consumption, and implementation complexity requirements of A-IoT devices.

[0167] Second aspect of the embodiments

[0168] This application provides a data receiving method, described from the perspective of a receiving device. The second aspect of the embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the first aspect of the embodiment, or it can be implemented independently; content identical to that in the first aspect of the embodiment will not be repeated.

[0169] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a data receiving method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 13, the method includes:

[0170] 1301, The receiving device receives a first transmission including the MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data;

[0171] 1302, The receiving device processes the MAC data packet.

[0172] It is worth noting that Figure 13 above is only an illustrative description of the embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be removed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description in Figure 13 above.

[0173] According to the above embodiments, the receiving device receives MAC data packets sent by the transmitting device on the environmental IoT wireless interface, including at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data. This enables the transmitting device to support command services from the core network using existing data transmission processes, and the method is simple and easy to implement.

[0174] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT reader, the receiving device is an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is a reader-to-device (R2D) MAC data packet transmitted via PRDCH.

[0175] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data comprises a device-to-reader (D2R) MAC data packet transmitted via PDRCH.

[0176] In this embodiment of the application, the receiving device receives a first transmission including a MAC data packet sent by the sending device, or the receiving device may directly receive a MAC data packet sent by the sending device.

[0177] In some embodiments, the receiving device parses the MAC data packet, wherein the receiving device parses the MAC data packet from front to back, or from back to front, or from the middle.

[0178] For example, the receiving device can parse the MAC PDU. The receiving device can parse the MAC PDU from front to back according to the default parsing order, or the receiving device can parse the MAC PDU from back to front according to the default parsing order. The receiving device is, for example, an A-IoT device.

[0179] In some examples, the receiving device (A-IoT device) can receive instructions from the A-IoT reader and parse the MAC PDU according to the parsing order of the A-IoT reader instructions; in other examples, the receiving device (A-IoT device) receives instructions from the A-IoT reader and parses the MAC PDU according to a default parsing order. This default parsing order can be from front to back, from back to front, or from the middle.

[0180] In some embodiments, the receiving device may also discard MAC packets.

[0181] For example, when an unknown control information type is detected, or when one or more fields used to indicate the control information type indicate an unknown control information type, the receiving device discards the control information or the corresponding higher-level data or MAC sub-data packet or MAC data packet.

[0182] In some examples, when the receiving device detects an unknown MAC CE type, the receiving device discards the MAC CE, or the receiving device discards the corresponding MAC SDU, or the receiving device discards the MAC subPDU, or the receiving device discards the MAC PDU.

[0183] In other examples, when one or more fields indicating the type of control information indicate an unknown MAC CE type, the receiving device discards the MAC CE, or the receiving device discards the MAC SDU corresponding to the MAC CE, or the receiving device discards the MAC subPDU, or the receiving device discards the MAC PDU.

[0184] In the above example, when the receiving device performs a discard operation, different discard content can be selected according to different errors. For example, when the receiving device detects an unknown MAC CE type, it can directly discard the MAC CE. When one or more fields indicating the control information type indicate an unknown MAC CE type, the receiving device can discard the corresponding MAC SDU of the MAC CE, or discard other content. This application is not limited to this.

[0185] The above illustrations depict the relevant aspects of the receiving side, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, regarding the content / format of MAC data packets, the relevant configurations of the receiving and sending devices, etc., please refer to the embodiments of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0186] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0187] As described in the above embodiments, the receiving device receives a MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device on the A-IoT wireless interface, which includes at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data. The receiving device also processes the MAC data packet. This enables A-IoT devices and readers to perform A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby supporting A-IoT inventory and / or command services. The method is simple and easy to implement, meeting the transmission requirements of A-IoT and the cost, energy consumption, and implementation complexity requirements of A-IoT devices.

[0188] Third aspect of the embodiments

[0189] This application provides a data transmission apparatus. The apparatus is configured in a transmission device, and the same content as in the embodiments of the first and second aspects will not be repeated.

[0190] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a data transmission device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 14, the data transmission device 1200 includes a generation unit 1401 and a transmission unit 1402.

[0191] The generation unit 1401 generates a MAC data packet, the MAC data packet including at least one of higher-level data, control information, or padding data;

[0192] The transmitting unit 1402 transmits a first transmission, including the MAC data packet, to the receiving device over the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0193] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT reader, the receiving device is an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is a reader-to-device (R2D) MAC data packet transmitted via PRDCH.

[0194] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data packet is a device-to-reader (D2R) MAC data packet transmitted via PDRCH.

[0195] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet further includes a MAC header and a MAC subheader.

[0196] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet, the MAC header, the MAC sub-header, the higher-layer data, the control information, or the padding data are byte-aligned or are multiples of 8 bits.

[0197] In some embodiments, one or more fields in the MAC packet indicate at least one of the following:

[0198] The MAC data packet includes higher-level data or control information;

[0199] The message type and / or control information type of the MAC data packet;

[0200] The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the MAC data packet;

[0201] The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the higher-level data or control information included in the MAC data packet;

[0202] Does the MAC data packet include padding data?

[0203] The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the padding data included in the MAC data packet;

[0204] Segmentation information.

[0205] In some embodiments, the one or more fields are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, higher-level data, control information, or padding data.

[0206] In some embodiments, the MAC packet includes higher-level data, or the MAC packet includes control information.

[0207] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes multiple MAC sub-data packets; the MAC sub-data packet includes a higher-level data or a control information, and the MAC sub-data packet also includes a MAC header.

[0208] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes a MAC header and a plurality of higher-level data or a plurality of control information, wherein the MAC header is located before the plurality of higher-level data or the plurality of control information.

[0209] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes one or more higher-level data and one or more control information.

[0210] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes a plurality of MAC sub-data packets, each MAC sub-data packet including higher-level data or control information. The MAC sub-data packet including control information is located before the MAC sub-data packet including higher-level data, or the MAC sub-data packet including control information is located after the MAC sub-data packet including higher-level data.

[0211] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes higher-layer data, control information, and a MAC header, wherein the higher-layer data and the control information are located after the MAC header, and the control information is located before or after the higher-layer data.

[0212] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes at least one of the following:

[0213] The first indication field indicates the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC data packet when the MAC data packet has at least two lengths.

[0214] The second indication field indicates reserved bits when the MAC header and / or the MAC subheader are byte-aligned or a multiple of 8 bits.

[0215] The third indication field indicates whether the MAC sub-data packet including the MAC sub-header or the control information or higher-layer data corresponding to the MAC sub-header is the last one in the MAC data packet.

[0216] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet is used for paging, and the MAC data packet includes higher-level data and / or control information.

[0217] In some embodiments, the high-level data includes at least one of the following: information for identifying a device or group of devices; second information for identifying a reader; information for identifying a service or service request; information for indicating a service type or command type; and information for indicating whether there are subsequent messages.

[0218] In some embodiments, the control information includes at least one of the following: first information, the first information being used to determine the resource to be used for the D2R response message; random access type; second information, the second information being used to determine the reader; information indicating the service type or command type; information indicating whether there are subsequent messages; and scheduling information.

[0219] In some embodiments, the MAC packet is used for random access.

[0220] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet includes at least one of the following: a random access ID; scheduling information including paging; information indicating whether there are subsequent messages; and information indicating the service type or command type.

[0221] In some embodiments, the MAC data packet is used for inventory and / or commands.

[0222] In some embodiments, the content contained in the MAC data packet is determined based on scheduling information.

[0223] In some embodiments, the scheduling information includes a predefined priority, and the sending device determines the content contained in the MAC packet based on the predefined priority.

[0224] In some embodiments, the higher-level data has a higher priority than the control information, wherein the control information does not include control information for indicating AS and temporary ID; or, the control information has a higher priority than the higher-level data, wherein the control information does not include control information for indicating energy and for indicating segment; or, the padding data has the lowest priority.

[0225] In some embodiments, the scheduling information includes an indication or request based on R2D transmission, and the sending device determines the contents contained in the MAC packet based on the indication or request based on R2D transmission.

[0226] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0227] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The data transmission device 1400 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0228] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 14 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0229] As described in the above embodiments, the transmitting device generates and sends a MAC data packet, including at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data, to the receiving device via the A-IoT wireless interface. The receiving device receives the MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device via the A-IoT wireless interface and processes the MAC data packet. This enables A-IoT devices and readers to perform A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby supporting A-IoT inventory and / or command services. The method is simple and easy to implement, meeting the transmission requirements of A-IoT and the cost, energy consumption, and implementation complexity requirements of A-IoT devices.

[0230] Fourth aspect of the embodiment

[0231] This application provides a data receiving device. The device is configured in a receiving device, and the same content as in the embodiments of the first to third aspects will not be repeated.

[0232] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a data receiving device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15, the data receiving device 1500 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a receiving unit 1501 and a processing unit 1502.

[0233] The receiving unit 1501 receives a first transmission including the MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device on the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data;

[0234] The processing unit 1502 processes the MAC data packet.

[0235] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT reader, the receiving device is an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is a reader-to-device (R2D) MAC data packet transmitted via PRDCH.

[0236] In some embodiments, the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data packet is a device-to-reader (D2R) MAC data packet transmitted via PDRCH.

[0237] In some embodiments, the processing unit 1502 parses the MAC data packet; wherein the processing unit 1502 parses the MAC data packet from front to back or from back to front.

[0238] In some embodiments, when an unknown control information type is detected or one or more fields used to indicate the control information type indicate an unknown control information type, the processing unit 1502 discards the control information or the corresponding higher-level data or MAC sub-data packet or MAC data packet.

[0239] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0240] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The data receiving device 1500 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0241] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 15 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0242] As described in the above embodiments, the receiving device receives a MAC data packet sent by the transmitting device on the A-IoT wireless interface, which includes at least one of high-layer data, control information, or padding data. The receiving device also processes the MAC data packet. This enables A-IoT devices and readers to perform A-IoT paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby supporting A-IoT inventory and / or command services. The method is simple and easy to implement, meeting the transmission requirements of A-IoT and the cost, energy consumption, and implementation complexity requirements of A-IoT devices.

[0243] Fifth aspect of the embodiment

[0244] This application also provides a communication system, which can be referred to in Figures 1 and 2. The contents that are the same as those in the embodiments of the first to fourth aspects will not be repeated.

[0245] In some embodiments, the communication system includes:

[0246] A transmitting device that generates a MAC data packet; and a first transmission including the MAC data packet to a receiving device over an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data;

[0247] A receiving device that receives MAC data packets sent by a transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface; and processes the MAC data packets.

[0248] The details regarding the sending device, receiving device, and MAC data packets have been described in the embodiments of the first to fourth aspects, and are incorporated herein by reference, and will not be repeated here.

[0249] This application also provides a network device, such as a base station or an A-ToT reader, but this application is not limited to these and may also include other network devices.

[0250] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the network device configuration according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 16, the network device 1600 may include: a processor 1610 (e.g., a central processing unit CPU) and a memory 1620; the memory 1620 is coupled to the processor 1610. The memory 1620 can store various types of data; in addition, it also stores an information processing program 1630, and executes the program 1630 under the control of the processor 1610.

[0251] For example, processor 1610 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiments of the first aspect. For example, processor 1610 may be configured to perform the following control: generating a MAC packet, the MAC packet including at least one of higher-level data, control information, or padding data; and transmitting a first transmission including the MAC packet on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0252] For example, processor 1610 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiments of the second aspect. For example, processor 1610 may be configured to perform control such as receiving MAC data packets transmitted by a transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface; and processing the MAC data packets; wherein the MAC data packets include at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data.

[0253] In addition, as shown in Figure 16, network device 1600 may also include: transceiver 1640 and antenna 1650, etc.; the functions of the above components are similar to those in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here. It is worth noting that network device 1600 does not necessarily have to include all the components shown in Figure 16; in addition, network device 1600 may also include components not shown in Figure 16, which can be referred to in the prior art.

[0254] This application also provides a terminal device, such as an A-ToT device; however, this application is not limited to this, and other devices may also be used.

[0255] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 17, the terminal device 1700 may include a processor 1710 and a memory 1720; for example, the memory 1720 stores data and programs and is coupled to the processor 1710. It is worth noting that this figure is exemplary; other types of structures may also be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunications functions or other functions.

[0256] For example, processor 1710 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiments of the first aspect. For example, processor 1710 may be configured to perform the following control: generate MAC data packets; and transmit the MAC data packets to a receiving device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packets include at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data.

[0257] For example, processor 1710 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiments of the second aspect. For example, processor 1710 may be configured to perform control such as receiving MAC data packets transmitted by a transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface; and processing the MAC data packets; wherein the MAC data packets include at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data.

[0258] As shown in Figure 17, the terminal device 1700 may further include a communication module 1730; it may or may not have a power supply. It is worth noting that the terminal device 1700 is not necessarily required to include all the components shown in Figure 17; these components are not essential. Furthermore, the terminal device 1700 may also include components not shown in Figure 17, which can be referred to in the prior art.

[0259] This application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in a network device, the program causes the network device to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0260] This application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a network device to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0261] This application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in a terminal device, the program causes the terminal device to perform the method described in the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0262] This application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a terminal device to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0263] The apparatus and methods described above in this application can be implemented in hardware or in combination with software. This application relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the apparatus or components described above, or to implement the various methods or steps described above. This application also relates to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memory, etc.

[0264] The methods / apparatus described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. For example, one or more and / or combinations of one or more functional block diagrams shown in the figures can correspond to various software modules in a computer program flow, or to various hardware modules. These software modules can correspond to the various steps shown in the figures, respectively. These hardware modules can be implemented, for example, using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to embed these software modules.

[0265] The software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium can be coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium can be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The software module can be stored in the memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a high-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a high-capacity flash memory device, the software module can be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the high-capacity flash memory device.

[0266] One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or any suitable combination thereof for performing the functions described herein. One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0267] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on its spirit and principles, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0268] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following notes are also disclosed:

[0269] 1. A data transmission method, wherein the method comprises:

[0270] The transmitting device generates a MAC packet, the MAC packet including at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; and

[0271] A first transmission, including the MAC data packet, is sent to the receiving device over the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface.

[0272] 2. A data receiving method, wherein the method comprises:

[0273] The receiving device receives a first transmission, including a MAC data packet, sent by the transmitting device on an Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) wireless interface. The MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data.

[0274] The receiving device processes the MAC data packet.

[0275] 3. The method according to Appendix 2, wherein the transmitting device is an A-IoT reader, the receiving device is an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is a reader-to-device (R2D) MAC data packet transmitted via PRDCH.

[0276] 4. The method according to Appendix 2, wherein the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data packet is a device-to-reader (D2R) MAC data packet transmitted via PDRCH.

[0277] 5. The method according to Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, wherein the receiving device processes the MAC data packet by:

[0278] The receiving device parses the MAC data packet;

[0279] The receiving device parses the MAC data packet from front to back or from back to front.

[0280] 6. The method according to Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, wherein the receiving device processes the MAC data packet by:

[0281] When an unknown control information type is detected, or when one or more fields used to indicate the control information type indicate an unknown control information type, the receiving device discards the control information or the corresponding higher-level data or MAC sub-data packet or MAC data packet.

[0282] 7. A terminal device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the data transmission method as described in Appendix 1.

[0283] 8. A network device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the data receiving method as described in any one of Appendices 2 to 6.

[0284] 9. A computer program product comprising at least a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes a terminal device to perform the data transmission method as described in Appendix 1.

[0285] 10. A computer program product comprising at least a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes a network device to perform a data receiving method as described in any one of Appendices 2 to 6.

Claims

1. A data transmitting apparatus, configured in a transmitting device, the apparatus comprising: A generation unit that generates MAC data packets, the MAC data packets including at least one of higher-level data, control information, or padding data; The transmitting unit sends the MAC data packet to the receiving device on the A-IoT wireless interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The transmitting device is an A-IoT reader, the receiving device is an A-IoT device, and the MAC data packet is a reader-to-device MAC data packet transmitted via PRDCH; Alternatively, the transmitting device is an A-IoT device, the receiving device is an A-IoT reader, and the MAC data packet is a device-to-reader MAC data packet transmitted via PDRCH.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet also includes a MAC header and a MAC subheader; The MAC data packet, the MAC header, the MAC sub-header, the higher-layer data, the control information, or the padding data are byte-aligned or are multiples of 8 bits.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, One or more fields in the MAC packet indicate at least one of the following: The MAC data packet includes higher-level data or control information; The message type and / or control information type of the MAC data packet; The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the MAC data packet; The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the higher-level data or control information included in the MAC data packet; Does the MAC data packet include padding data? The length / number of bits / number of bytes of the padding data included in the MAC data packet; Segmentation indication information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The one or more fields are included in the MAC header, MAC subheader, higher-level data, control information, or padding data.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC packet may include higher-level data, or the MAC packet may include control information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet includes multiple higher-level data, or the MAC data packet includes multiple control information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The MAC data packet includes multiple MAC sub-data packets; The MAC sub-data packet includes either higher-level data or control information, and also includes a MAC sub-header.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The MAC data packet includes a MAC header and multiple higher-level data or multiple control information, with the MAC header preceding the multiple higher-level data or multiple control information.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet includes one or more higher-level data and one or more control information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The MAC data packet includes multiple MAC sub-data packets, and each MAC sub-data packet includes higher-level data or control information. MAC sub-data packets containing control information are placed before MAC sub-data packets containing higher-layer data, or MAC sub-data packets containing control information are placed after MAC sub-data packets containing higher-layer data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The MAC data packet includes higher-level data, control information, and a MAC header; The higher-level data and the control information are located after the MAC header, wherein the control information is located before the higher-level data, or the control information is located after the higher-level data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet includes at least one of the following: The first indication field indicates the length, number of bits, or number of bytes of the MAC data packet when the MAC data packet has at least two lengths. The second indication field indicates reserved bits when the MAC header and / or the MAC subheader are byte-aligned or a multiple of 8 bits. The third indication field indicates whether the MAC sub-data packet including the MAC sub-header or the control information or higher-layer data corresponding to the MAC sub-header is the last one in the MAC data packet.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet is used for paging, and the MAC data packet includes the higher-layer data and / or the control information; The control information includes at least one of the following: first information, used to determine the resources to be used for the D2R response message and / or to determine the random access type; random access type; second information, used to determine the reader; information indicating the service type or command type; information indicating whether there are subsequent messages; scheduling information; The high-level data includes at least one of the following: information for identifying a device or group of devices; second information for identifying a reader; information for identifying a service or service request; information for indicating the service type or command type; and information for indicating whether there are subsequent messages.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet is used for random access; The MAC data packet includes at least one of the following: random access ID; scheduling information; information indicating whether there are subsequent messages; information indicating the service type or command type.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The MAC data packet is used for disk storage and / or commands.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The generation unit determines the content contained in the MAC data packet based on the scheduling information; The scheduling information includes a predefined priority, and the generation unit determines the content contained in the MAC data packet based on the predefined priority; or, the scheduling information includes an indication or request based on R2D transmission, and the generation unit determines the content contained in the MAC data packet based on the indication or request based on R2D transmission.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The higher-level data has a higher priority than the control information, wherein the control information does not include control information for indicating AS and temporary ID, or... The control information has a higher priority than the higher-level data, wherein the control information does not include control information for indicating energy and for indicating segments, or... The data to be filled has the lowest priority.

19. A data receiving apparatus, configured in a receiving device, the apparatus comprising: A receiving unit receives a first transmission, including a MAC data packet, sent by a transmitting device on an A-IoT wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; and The processing unit processes the MAC data packets.

20. A communication system, comprising: The sending device generates MAC packets; And a first transmission including the MAC data packet is sent to a receiving device on the A-IoT wireless interface, wherein the MAC data packet includes at least one of higher-layer data, control information, or padding data; A receiving device that receives MAC data packets sent by a transmitting device on an A-IoT wireless interface; and processes the MAC data packets.

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