Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and discloses a communication method and an apparatus. The method comprises: a reader / writer sends first information, wherein the first information configures a first random access resource, the first random access resource is associated with identifiers of a plurality of services, and the plurality of services include a first service; and the reader / writer also sends second information, wherein if the second information does not configure a second random access resource, an A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource; and if the second information configures the second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends the random access request on the second random access resource, wherein the second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service. By means of the solution of the present application, when there are multiple random access resource configuration modes, the A-IoT device can select an appropriate random access resource for access, thereby improving the reliability of random access.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510198918.X, filed on February 21, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the development of communication technology, the third generation partnership (3GPP) rd The Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defines the Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) technology. A-IoT technology can be applied to logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identification, environmental monitoring, and more.

[0004] Network devices are configured with random access channel (RACH) resources for IoT devices to access the network. There are two configuration methods for RACH resources: one method involves configuring public RACH resources via system information block (SIB) / paging messages, which can be used for inventory management or other device-originated autonomous (DOA) services; the other method involves configuring RACH resources specifically for current inventory management services via paging messages.

[0005] However, when there are multiple RACH resource configuration methods, how environmental IoT devices should select the corresponding RACH resource for access is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus so that when there are multiple random access resource configuration methods, A-IoT devices can appropriately select the corresponding random access resource for access.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to A-IoT devices, which may be A-IoT equipment or communication modules within A-IoT devices, or circuits or chips applied to A-IoT devices (such as modem chips (also known as baseband chips), or system-on-chip (SoC) chips or system-in-package (SIP) chips containing modem cores). Taking the application of this method to A-IoT devices as an example...

[0008] In this method, the A-IoT device receives first information, which configures a first random access resource. The first random access resource is associated with identifiers of multiple services, including the first service. The A-IoT device also receives second information. If the second information does not configure a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource; if the second information configures a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource. The second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service.

[0009] Using this method, when the reader is configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource; when the reader is not configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource. Thus, when there are multiple configuration methods for random access resources, the A-IoT device can appropriately select a random access resource for access, improving the reliability of random access.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message, and the second information is carried in a second paging message.

[0011] In another possible implementation, where the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to other services among multiple services besides the first service.

[0012] In this approach, when the second information configures the second random access resource, and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to other services besides the first service among multiple services. For example, if the first service is inventory management service 1, the first random access resource can be used for other services, such as inventory management for others or DOA services. That is, the A-IoT device can ignore the first random access resource configured in the first information, and the first random access resource can be dedicated to other services besides the first service among multiple services, thereby avoiding conflicts in random access resources and improving the reliability of random access.

[0013] In another possible implementation, if the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource is used for other services besides the first service among multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid.

[0014] In this approach, if the second information is configured with a second random access resource and the first random access resource is used for services other than the first service among multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid. Alternatively, the reader may not configure a second random access resource for the first service. For example, if the tag is already executing a DOA service other than the first service on the first random access resource, the tag can ignore the second resource dedicated to inventory service 1 (i.e., the first service), or the reader may not configure the resource dedicated to inventory service 1 at all. This avoids conflicts in random access resources, improves the reliability of random access, and increases resource utilization.

[0015] In yet another possible implementation, when a random access request is sent on the second random access resource, the method further includes: the A-IoT device determining that access on the second random access resource has failed; and the A-IoT device also sending a random access request on the first random access resource.

[0016] Using this method, if an A-IoT device fails to access the second random access resource, it can fall back to the public first random access resource for re-access without waiting for a new paging message indicating a random access resource dedicated to the first service. This allows A-IoT devices to re-access earlier, thereby improving the efficiency of random access.

[0017] In another possible implementation, when a random access request is sent on the first random access resource, the second information includes an identifier of the first service, and the method further includes: the A-IoT device sending third information. The third information includes the identifier of the first service. The third information is carried in at least one of the following messages: random access message 3, and an uplink message after the A-IoT device enters a connected state or data transmission state.

[0018] Using this method, the A-IoT device stores the identifier of the first service carried in the second paging message. When the A-IoT device successfully accesses the public first random access resource, it carries the identifier of the first service in the random access message 3 or the uplink message after entering the connected state or data transmission state. This allows the reader to successfully associate the identifier of the first service, so that when the A-IoT device successfully accesses the public first random access resource, it can successfully route subsequent service information to the corresponding network side.

[0019] Secondly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a reader / writer device, which may be a reader / writer or a communication module within a reader / writer, or a circuit or chip applied to the reader / writer (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to a reader / writer as an example...

[0020] In this method, the reader sends first information, which configures a first random access resource. The first random access resource is associated with identifiers of multiple services, including the first service. The reader also sends second information. If the second information does not configure a second random access resource, the reader receives a random access request sent on the first random access resource; if the second information configures the second random access resource, the reader receives a random access request sent on the second random access resource. The second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message, and the second information is carried in a second paging message.

[0022] In another possible implementation, where the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to other services among multiple services besides the first service.

[0023] In another possible implementation, if the second information configures the configuration of the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for other services besides the first service among multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid.

[0024] In yet another possible implementation, when a random access request is received on the second random access resource, the method further includes: the reader determining that access on the second random access resource has failed; and the reader also receiving a random access request on the first random access resource.

[0025] In another possible implementation, when a random access request is received on the first random access resource, the second information includes an identifier of the first service. The method further includes: the reader receiving third information, which includes the identifier of the first service. This third information is carried in at least one of the following messages: random access message 3, or an uplink message after the A-IoT device enters a connected state or data transmission state.

[0026] For the beneficial effects of the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect or the corresponding embodiment of the first aspect.

[0027] Thirdly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to an A-IoT device, which may be an A-IoT equipment or a communication module within an A-IoT device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) applied to an A-IoT device. Taking the application of this method to an A-IoT device as an example...

[0028] In this method, the A-IoT device receives second information, which configures a second random access resource. The second random access resource is associated with an identifier of a first service. The A-IoT device also receives fourth information from the first resource, which configures a third random access resource, which is also associated with the identifier of the first service. Furthermore, if the resources in the second random access resource partially or completely overlap with the first resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the third random access resource.

[0029] Using this method, if the previously configured second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the resource corresponding to the downlink message (indicating a new third random access resource), the A-IoT device determines that the previously configured second random access resource is invalid and uses the new third random access resource for random access. This allows for timely updates to the resource configuration of random access, thereby improving the reliability of random access.

[0030] Fourthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to a reader / writer device, which may be a reader / writer or a communication module within a reader / writer, or a circuit or chip applied to the reader / writer (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to a reader / writer as an example...

[0031] In this method, the reader sends second information configuring a second random access resource associated with an identifier of the first service. The reader also sends fourth information to the first resource configuring a third random access resource associated with an identifier of the first service. Furthermore, if the resource in the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first resource, the reader also receives a random access request on the third random access resource.

[0032] For information on the beneficial effects of the fourth aspect, please refer to the beneficial effects described in the third aspect.

[0033] Fifthly, a communication method is provided that can be applied to an A-IoT device, which may be an A-IoT equipment or a communication module within an A-IoT device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) applied to an A-IoT device. Taking the application of this method to an A-IoT device as an example...

[0034] In this method, the A-IoT device receives second information that configures a second random access resource and also indicates a first carrier. The second random access resource is associated with an identifier of a first service. The A-IoT device also receives fifth information on the first carrier that configures a fourth random access resource, which is also associated with the identifier of the first service. The A-IoT device also sends a random access request on the fourth random access resource.

[0035] This method, by indicating a new carrier via paging messages, allows for the configuration of another random access resource on that new carrier via system information blocks. This effectively increases the capacity of random access resources, further enhancing inventory capacity, while also avoiding collisions with other downlink resources and improving access success rates. By monitoring additional system information blocks instead of paging messages to obtain the random access resource configuration on the new carrier, paging message overhead can be effectively reduced, and additional carrier requirements can be dynamically indicated via paging messages instead of directly configuring via system information blocks, thus improving resource configuration efficiency.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the fourth random access resource includes a fifth random access resource and a sixth random access resource, and the fifth and sixth random access resources have different frequency resources. The A-IoT device sending a random access request on the fourth random access resource includes: the A-IoT device sending a random access request on the fifth random access resource.

[0037] By using this method, the capacity of RACH resources is further improved by configuring random access resources of different frequencies that appear periodically in the time domain on the new carrier, and the disk storage capacity is further improved.

[0038] Sixthly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a reader / writer device, which may be a reader / writer or a communication module in a reader / writer, or a circuit or chip applied to a reader / writer (such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem chip). Taking the application of this method to a reader / writer as an example.

[0039] In this method, the reader sends second information configuring a second random access resource and also indicating a first carrier, the second random access resource being associated with an identifier of a first service. The reader also sends fifth information on the first carrier configuring a fourth random access resource, the fourth random access resource being associated with an identifier of the first service. The reader also receives random access requests on the fourth random access resource.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the fourth random access resource includes a fifth random access resource and a sixth random access resource, and the fifth and sixth random access resources have different frequency resources. The reader receiving a random access request on the fourth random access resource includes: the reader receiving a random access request on the fifth random access resource.

[0041] For the beneficial effects of the sixth aspect or the embodiments thereof, please refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the corresponding embodiments thereof in the fifth aspect.

[0042] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device can perform the methods described in the first to sixth aspects or any one of the embodiments of the first to sixth aspects. The communication device can be an A-IoT device or a reader / writer, or it can be a module (e.g., a chip) applied in an A-IoT device or a module (e.g., a chip) applied in a reader / writer.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit performs the receiving and / or transmitting operations in the methods of the first to sixth aspects or any one of the first to sixth aspects; the processing unit performs the processing operations in the methods of the first to sixth aspects or any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0044] In another possible implementation, the communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory; the processor is configured to support the device in performing corresponding functions in the channel state information reporting method described above. The memory, coupled to the processor, stores necessary computer programs (or computer-executable instructions) and / or data for the device. Optionally, the communication device may further include a communication interface for supporting communication between the device and other network elements, such as the transmission or reception of data and / or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface. Optionally, the memory may be located internally within the communication device and integrated with the processor; alternatively, it may be located externally to the communication device.

[0045] In another possible implementation, the communication device includes a processor and a transceiver device, with the processor coupled to the transceiver device. The processor executes computer programs or instructions to control the transceiver device to receive and transmit information. When the processor executes the computer programs or instructions, it is also used to implement the above-described method through logic circuits or execution code instructions. The transceiver device can be a transceiver circuit, a transceiver module, or an input / output interface, used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver device is a transceiver circuit or an input / output interface.

[0046] When the communication device is a chip, the transmitting unit can be an output unit, such as an output circuit or a communication interface; the receiving unit can be an input unit, such as an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication device is a terminal device, the transmitting unit can be a transmitter or a receiver; the receiving unit can be a receiver or a receiver.

[0047] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement a method as described in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect, or implement a method as described in the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, or implement a method as described in the third aspect or any embodiment of the third aspect, or implement a method as described in the fourth aspect or any embodiment of the fourth aspect, or implement a method as described in the fifth aspect or any embodiment of the fifth aspect, or implement a method as described in the sixth aspect or any embodiment of the sixth aspect.

[0048] Ninthly, a computer program product is provided that, when executed on a communication device, implements a method as described in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect, or implements a method as described in the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, or implements a method as described in the third aspect or any embodiment of the third aspect, or implements a method as described in the fourth aspect or any embodiment of the fourth aspect, or implements a method as described in the fifth aspect or any embodiment of the fifth aspect, or implements a method as described in the sixth aspect or any embodiment of the sixth aspect.

[0049] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to implement a method as described in any one of the first, third, or fifth aspects, or any one of the first, third, or fifth aspects, and the second communication device is used to implement a method as described in any one of the second, fourth, or sixth aspects, or any one of the second, fourth, or sixth aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figures 2a-2e are schematic diagrams of the network topology provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the basic process of RFID inventory management;

[0053] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the random access procedure;

[0054] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of RACH resource configuration;

[0055] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the partial overlap between a first random access resource and a second random access resource in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing that the random access resources and downlink resources partially overlap in an example of an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a paging message indicating a new carrier.

[0061] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of frequency division multiplexing of random access resources under the new carrier.

[0062] Figures 13-14 are schematic flowcharts of another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figures 15 and 16 are schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0064] The scheme of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5G (5th generation mobile communication technology), future evolution systems, or multiple communication convergence systems, as well as existing communication systems. The application scenarios of the technical solutions provided in this application can include various scenarios, such as machine-to-machine (M2M), macro-micro communication, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (uRLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). These scenarios may include, but are not limited to, communication scenarios between terminal devices, communication scenarios between network devices, and communication scenarios between network devices and terminal devices. Among these, network devices include access network devices and core network devices.

[0066] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, wherein the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. Terminals and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means. The communication system 1000 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 via wireless or wired means. The core network equipment in core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Communication system 1000 may also include Internet 300.

[0067] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), or it can be a WiFi system. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0068] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminals access communication systems wirelessly. In one application scenario, an RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission and reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. RAN nodes can be macro base stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), relay nodes, or donor nodes.

[0069] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), or radio units (RUs). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and can also perform service data adaptation protocols.

[0070] The Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RAN) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers. It can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each protocol layer, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU (Radio Unit) can be used to transmit and receive radio signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0071] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a RAN node in the following description.

[0072] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from a base station. Terminals can also be called terminal equipment, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0073] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminals.

[0074] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be called communication devices with terminal functions.

[0075] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0076] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal, or by a device that includes terminal functions.

[0077] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. To communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell. When the terminal communicates with this serving cell, it is also susceptible to interference from signals from neighboring cells.

[0078] The massive demand for IoT will pose new challenges to the deployment and maintenance costs of IoT. For example, the price of existing narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) modules ranges from tens to hundreds of RMB, resulting in high costs for large-scale deployment. Furthermore, subsequent maintenance, such as battery replacement, also incurs high operating costs. Extreme scenarios requiring battery-free power, such as those involving low temperatures, high humidity, high pressure, and high radiation, or everyday applications like implantable healthcare and logistics warehousing, place high demands on the cost reduction and passive nature of IoT terminals. However, current wireless communication technologies used in IoT systems, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, NB-IoT, and LoRa, have high power consumption requirements and cannot obtain sufficient energy from the surrounding environment, leading to high deployment and maintenance costs, making them unsuitable for passive IoT applications. Passive IoT technology, with its advantages of low cost, ultra-low power consumption, and ease of deployment, can further expand IoT applications and provide billions of connections, attracting widespread attention in recent years.

[0079] I. Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT):

[0080] Passive IoT technology refers to IoT without a "source," where "source" refers to a power source. Currently, the most common and mature passive IoT technology is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which uses radio frequency to read and write data to recording media (electronic tags or RFID cards). The basic principle of RFID is to use backscattering to complete energy conversion and communication. An RFID system generally includes a reader and an RFID tag. The reader transmits electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency through an antenna; when the RFID tag enters the working range of the transmitting antenna, it is activated by an induced current, and then transmits its stored information through its internal antenna; the transmission process involves load modulation of the received electromagnetic waves. The reader's antenna receives the carrier signal from the RFID tag and transmits it back to the reader.

[0081] Traditional RFID has several drawbacks, such as short transmission distance and a limited reading range of only a few meters. It typically requires handheld scanning, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming operations. Furthermore, the lack of interference management solutions results in severe interference and capacity issues between RFID readers, especially in densely deployed scenarios, making it difficult for RFID to support seamless, large-scale networks.

[0082] Therefore, A-IoT was proposed to support backscatter communication technology in cellular systems.

[0083] A-IoT, also known as passive IoT, offers lower power consumption and lower cost compared to NB-IoT within the 3GPP standard framework. In non-3GPP frameworks, A-IoT targets the market demand for RFID, providing comparable and even more advantageous technical solutions.

[0084] The demand for A-IoT stems from addressing scenarios not covered by current 3GPP technologies, such as the following three scenarios:

[0085] 1) Under extreme environmental conditions, such as high pressure, extremely high / low temperature, and humid environments.

[0086] 2) Scenarios such as ultra-low complexity, very small device size / shape factor (e.g., thickness in millimeters), maintenance-free (e.g., traditional batteries that do not require device replacement) and longer life cycle.

[0087] 3) Device scenarios where traditional battery-powered devices are not applicable.

[0088] A-IoT can provide Internet of Things (IoT) services and features characteristics such as battery-free operation, low power consumption, low complexity, low cost, small size, and long lifespan. Compared to traditional IoT technologies, an A-IoT system includes A-IoT devices and readers. For example, a reader can also be called an interrogator. For example, an A-IoT device can also be called an A-IoT terminal, A-IoT, or a device with A-IoT functionality identified by a tag.

[0089] A-IoT devices are powered by energy harvesting, allowing them to operate without batteries or with limited energy storage (i.e., using capacitors). They can communicate with other devices without traditional power sources or avoid human intervention for charging or replacement. A-IoT devices can harvest energy from radio waves or, in specific use cases, from any other form of energy. For example, in some scenarios, A-IoT devices can harvest energy from radio waves, which may originate from 5G New Radio (NR) network entities or UEs. In other scenarios, A-IoT devices can harvest energy from solar energy, light, motion / vibration, heat, pressure, or any other source.

[0090] II. Device types of A-IoT devices:

[0091] In one possible example, an A-IoT device can have the following two characteristics:

[0092] A-IoT device 1 has a peak power consumption of around 1 microwatt, energy storage capabilities, and a sampling clock frequency offset (SFO) of up to 10. X ppm, without signal amplification capability, where ppm represents parts per million. Device-to-reader (D2R) transmission of A-IoT device 1 is based on backscatter transmission using an externally provided carrier frequency. D2R refers to the transmission process from the A-IoT device to the reader (such as a network device or terminal device), which is described in detail below.

[0093] A-IoT device 2, with peak power consumption in the hundreds of microwatts, has energy storage capabilities and an SFO of up to 10. X ppm indicates signal amplification capability. Furthermore, based on the source of the carrier frequency used for transmission, A-IoT device 2 can be divided into A-IoT device 2a and A-IoT device 2b. Specifically, A-IoT device 2a's D2R transmission is based on backscatter transmission using an externally provided carrier frequency, while A-IoT device 2b's D2R transmission is based on a carrier frequency generated internally within the device.

[0094] In another possible example, an A-IoT device can have the following three characteristics:

[0095] A-IoT device A: No energy storage, no independent signal generation / amplification, such as backscattering.

[0096] A-IoT device B: It has energy storage but does not generate independent signals, such as backscattering. The stored energy can be used to amplify the feedback signal.

[0097] A-IoT device C: It has energy storage and independent signal generation, such as the transmission of active radio frequency components.

[0098] III. Network Topology of A-IoT:

[0099] 3GPP defines several A-IoT topologies, as shown in Figures 2a-2e.

[0100] Network Topology 1: Interaction between Network Devices and A-IoT Devices

[0101] Please refer to Figure 2a, which is a schematic diagram of a topology provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 2a, the A-IoT device and the network device communicate bidirectionally. The network device can send a reader-to-device (R2D) signal to the A-IoT device; the A-IoT device receives the R2D signal sent from the network device; optionally, the A-IoT device sends a corresponding response signal to the network device (this response signal can be a backscattered signal). Correspondingly, the A-IoT device can send a D2R signal to the network device; the network device receives the D2R signal from the A-IoT device; optionally, the network device sends a corresponding response signal to the A-IoT device.

[0102] It should be noted that, in Figure 2a, the transmission from the network device to the A-IoT device can be referred to as "R2D" transmission, and the transmission from the A-IoT device to the network device can be referred to as "D2R" transmission. Optionally, in Figure 2a, the reader / writer can be a network device.

[0103] In some possible implementations, a network device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. In some implementations, the network device may be responsible for air interface-side radio resource management (RRM), quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, and data transmission and reception.

[0104] In some possible implementations, network devices may include base stations (BS) in a communication system or devices deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions; that is, network devices may include devices in the RAN. For example, devices in the RAN may include evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE communication system, next-generation evolved node B (ng-eNB) in an NR communication system, next-generation node B (gNB) in an NR communication system, master node (MN) in a dual-connectivity architecture, secondary node (SN) in a dual-connectivity architecture, etc., without specific limitations.

[0105] In some possible implementations, network devices may include devices in the core network (CN). For example, devices in the CN may include access and mobility management functions (AMF), user plane functions (UPF), session management functions (SMF), etc.

[0106] In some possible implementations, network devices can also be access points (APs) in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), relay stations, communication devices in future evolved PLMN networks, and communication devices in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs).

[0107] In some possible implementations, the network device may include means for providing wireless communication capabilities to terminal devices, such as a chip system, a chip, or a chip module. For example, the chip system may include a chip, or it may include other discrete devices.

[0108] In some possible implementations, network devices can communicate with Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet, private IP networks, or other data networks.

[0109] In some possible implementations, the network device may include a single node to perform the functions of the aforementioned base station, or it may include two or more independent nodes to perform the functions of the aforementioned base station. For example, the network device includes centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs), such as gNB-CU and gNB-DU.

[0110] In some possible implementations, the network device can be any of the multiple sites that perform coherent joint transmission (CJT) with the terminal device, or other sites outside of the multiple sites, or other network devices that communicate with the terminal device, without any specific restrictions.

[0111] In some possible implementations, the network device can have mobility characteristics; for example, the network device can be a mobile device. Optionally, the network device can be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite can be a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device can also be a base station located on land, water, or other similar locations.

[0112] In some possible implementations, network devices can provide services to a cell, and terminal devices within that cell can communicate with the network devices via transmission resources (such as spectrum resources). This cell can be a macro cell, small cell, metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, or femto cell, etc.

[0113] In some possible implementations, the network device described in the embodiments of this application may be a chip, chip module, device, unit, etc., and there are no specific limitations on it.

[0114] Network Topology 2: Network devices interact with A-IoT devices through intermediate nodes:

[0115] Please refer to Figure 2b, which is a schematic diagram of another topology provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 2b, since the network device and the A-IoT device cannot communicate directly, the intermediate node can relay the communication between the network device and the A-IoT device. In Figure 2b, the transmission from the intermediate node to the A-IoT device can be called "R2D" transmission, and the transmission from the A-IoT device to the intermediate node can be called "D2R" transmission. In Figure 2b, optionally, the reader / writer can refer to the intermediate node.

[0116] Specifically, the network device sends R2D data to the intermediate node. The intermediate node then assembles the R2D data into an R2D signal and sends it directly to the A-IoT device, or processes the R2D data to assemble an R2D signal before sending it to the A-IoT device. The R2D data can be the data portion of the R2D signal. Correspondingly, the A-IoT device receives the R2D signal. Optionally, the A-IoT device sends a corresponding response signal to the intermediate node (this response signal can be a backscattered signal). Optionally, the intermediate node forwards the response signal to the network device, or processes the response signal before sending it to the network device. The network device and the intermediate node can communicate via the Uu interface. The A-IoT device sends a D2R signal to the intermediate node. The intermediate node then forwards the D2R data from the signal to the network device, or processes the D2R data before sending it to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the D2R data, which can be the data portion of the D2R signal. Optionally, the network device sends a corresponding response signal to the intermediate node. Alternatively, the intermediate node forwards the response signal to the A-IoT device, or processes the response signal before sending it to the A-IoT device. The network device and the intermediate node can communicate via a Uu interface.

[0117] In some possible implementations, an intermediate node is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. For example, an intermediate node could be a terminal device. For example, intermediate nodes can be eNBs, eNodeBs, gNodeBs, gNBs, multi-transmission receiving points (M-TRPs), base stations in subsequent evolution systems, access nodes in WLAN systems, mobile phones, terminals, remote UEs, relay UEs, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless devices in industrial control, wireless devices in autonomous driving, wireless devices in remote medical care, wireless devices in smart grids, wireless devices in transportation safety, wireless devices in smart cities, and wireless devices in smart homes. Wireless devices in the home, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, or terminal devices in future public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc.

[0118] For a detailed description of the network equipment, please refer to Figure 2a; it will not be repeated here.

[0119] Network Topology 3: Interaction between network devices and auxiliary nodes, A-IoT devices:

[0120] “Network Topology 3” is divided into R2D-assisted network topology and D2R-assisted network topology.

[0121] Please refer to Figure 2c. The topology in Figure 2c can be called an R2D-assisted network topology, which is another topology diagram provided in the embodiments of this application. In the R2D-assisted network topology, network devices cannot directly send R2D signals to A-IoT devices, while A-IoT devices can directly send D2R signals to network devices and receive R2D signals from the auxiliary node. Optionally, for R2D, the reader / writer can be an auxiliary node; for D2R, the reader / writer can be a network device.

[0122] Specifically, the network device sends R2D data to the auxiliary node; then, the auxiliary node can either assemble the R2D data into an R2D signal and directly forward it to the A-IoT device, or process the R2D data to assemble an R2D signal before sending it to the A-IoT device. The R2D data can be the data portion of the R2D signal. Correspondingly, the A-IoT device receives the R2D signal from the auxiliary node. The A-IoT device can also directly send D2R signals to the network device. The network device and the auxiliary node can communicate via the Uu interface.

[0123] In Figure 2c, the transmission from the auxiliary node to the A-IoT device can be called "R2D" transmission, and the transmission from the A-IoT device to the network device can be called "D2R" transmission.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 2d. The topology in Figure 2d can be called a D2R-assisted network topology, which is another topology diagram provided in the embodiments of this application. In the D2R-assisted network topology, A-IoT devices cannot directly send D2R signals to network devices, but A-IoT devices can receive R2D signals from network devices and then send D2R signals to the auxiliary node. Optionally, for R2D, the reader / writer can be a network device; for D2R, the reader / writer can be an auxiliary node.

[0125] Specifically, network devices can send R2D signals to A-IoT devices. Correspondingly, after receiving the R2D signal from the network device, the A-IoT device can optionally send a D2R signal to the auxiliary node. The auxiliary node then forwards the D2R data from the D2R signal to the network device, or processes the D2R data in the D2R signal before sending it to the network device. The D2R data can be the data portion of the D2R signal. The network device and the auxiliary node can communicate via the Uu interface.

[0126] In Figure 2d, the transmission from the network device to the A-IoT device can be called "R2D" transmission, and the transmission from the A-IoT device to the auxiliary node can be called "D2R" transmission.

[0127] In some possible implementations, an auxiliary node is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. For example, an auxiliary node can be an eNB, eNodeB, gNodeB, gNB, M-TRP, a base station in a subsequent evolution system, an access node in a WLAN system, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a VR terminal, an AR terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a vehicle terminal, a wireless terminal in autonomous driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a wearable terminal, etc.

[0128] Network Topology 4: Interaction between Terminal Devices and A-IoT Devices

[0129] Please refer to Figure 2e, which is a schematic diagram of another topology provided in an embodiment of this application. In Figure 2e, the A-IoT device and the terminal device communicate directly in both directions. The reader / writer can refer to the terminal device.

[0130] Specifically, the terminal device sends an R2D signal to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device receives the R2D signal sent by the terminal device. Optionally, the A-IoT device sends a corresponding response signal to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the A-IoT device sends a D2R signal to the terminal device; the terminal device receives the D2R signal sent by the A-IoT device, and optionally, the terminal device sends a corresponding response signal to the A-IoT device (this response signal can be a backscattered signal).

[0131] In this application embodiment, the terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, which may be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, vehicle-mounted terminal, industrial control terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, UE agent, or UE device, etc. The terminal device can be fixed or mobile. It should be noted that the terminal device can support at least one wireless communication technology, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or New Radio (NR). For example, terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, in-vehicle terminals, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, wearable devices, terminal devices in future mobile communication networks, or terminal devices in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc. In some embodiments of this application, the terminal device may also be a device with transceiver functions, such as a chip system. The chip system may include a chip, and may also include other discrete components.

[0132] In the above description, "direct" means that the signal transmission does not pass through auxiliary nodes or intermediate nodes. However, in actual transmission, it may need to pass through other devices, such as routers in the communication link.

[0133] In summary, in this embodiment of the application, the A-IoT system may include network nodes and A-IoT devices. The network node may be one of the network devices, intermediate nodes, or auxiliary nodes shown in Figures 2a to 2e. The intermediate or auxiliary node plays a relay role in the transmission process between the network device and the A-IoT device.

[0134] IV. D2R / R2D Transmission:

[0135] In this embodiment, the communication between the reader / writer and the A-IoT device is referred to as R2D, which can also be called R2D transmission, R2D communication, R2D signal transmission, or R2D information transmission. Optionally, the R2D signal can also be called the A-IoT R2D signal, and the data portion therein can be called R2D data or A-IoT R2D data. This embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0136] Communication between A-IoT devices and readers is referred to as D2R, or D2R transmission, D2R communication, D2R signal transmission, or D2R information transmission. Optionally, the D2R signal can be called an A-IoT D2R signal, and the data portion can be called D2R data or A-IoT D2R data; this application does not limit the specific terminology used in the embodiments.

[0137] Optionally, the signal transmission between the reader and the A-IoT device can be D2R and / or R2D for any of the above network topologies, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0138] For the network topology shown in Figure 2a, R2D signal transmission refers to the network device directly sending R2D signals to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device directly receiving R2D signals from the network device. D2R signal transmission refers to the A-IoT device directly sending D2R signals to the network device, and the network device directly receiving D2R signals from the A-IoT device.

[0139] For the network topology shown in Figure 2b, R2D signal transmission refers to the network device sending R2D data to the intermediate node, the intermediate node assembling the R2D data into an R2D signal and sending it to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device receiving the R2D signal from the intermediate node. D2R signal transmission refers to the A-IoT device sending a D2R signal to the intermediate node, the intermediate node forwarding the D2R data in the D2R signal to the network device, and the network device receiving the D2R data from the intermediate node.

[0140] For the network topology shown in Figure 2c, R2D signal transmission refers to the network device sending R2D data to the auxiliary node, the auxiliary node assembling the R2D data into an R2D signal and sending it to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device receiving the R2D signal from the auxiliary node. D2R signal transmission refers to the A-IoT device sending a D2R signal to the network device, and the network device receiving the D2R signal from the A-IoT device.

[0141] For the network topology shown in Figure 2d, R2D signal transmission refers to the network device directly sending R2D signals to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device directly receiving R2D signals from the network device. D2R signal transmission refers to the A-IoT device sending D2R signals to the auxiliary node, the auxiliary node forwarding the D2R data in the D2R signal to the network device, and the network device receiving the D2R data from the auxiliary node.

[0142] For the network topology shown in Figure 2e, R2D signal transmission refers to the terminal device directly sending R2D signals to the A-IoT device, and the A-IoT device directly receiving R2D signals from the terminal device. D2R signal transmission refers to the A-IoT device directly sending D2R signals to the terminal device, and the terminal device directly receiving D2R signals from the A-IoT device.

[0143] In the above description, "direct" means that the signal transmission does not pass through auxiliary nodes or intermediate nodes. However, in actual transmission, it may need to pass through other devices, such as routers in the communication link.

[0144] For example, both A-IoT devices and readers can be implemented based on cellular network infrastructure. In other words, both A-IoT devices and readers can be devices within a cellular network. For instance, an A-IoT device can be implemented by a terminal within a cellular network, such as an ultra-low power, ultra-low complexity IoT terminal. The functionality of a reader can be implemented by network devices, such as base stations. Non-contact data communication can be performed between the network device and the terminal, thereby reading information from the terminal and / or writing information that needs to be stored into the terminal.

[0145] A-IoT technology can be used to implement one or more of the following functions: inventory management, location tracking, sensing, and commands. Command functions can be understood as implementing write or lock processes. In terms of application scope, A-IoT technology can be applied to scenarios such as logistics, warehousing, industrial manufacturing, identity recognition, or environmental monitoring.

[0146] The 3GPP plenary meeting defined an extremely low-power, extremely low-complexity Internet of Things (IoT) technology. It can be understood as an extension of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in 3GPP. Although it shares some principles with RFID, such as similar inventory management processes, it introduces more value scenarios in 3GPP.

[0147] The inventory management process involves using readers to connect A-IoT devices within the coverage area. Once connected, each device needs to send its unique identifier (which the network can recognize, such as the electronic product code (EPC) in RFID) to the reader.

[0148] Positioning is the process of using location signals to pinpoint the location of A-IoT devices.

[0149] Sensing involves A-IoT devices reporting sensor data to the base station, such as temperature data.

[0150] The command can be some operation instructions, such as write and lock. The write process is that the BS sends a downlink command and data, instructing the A-IoT device to write the data into its own storage area. The lock process is that a downlink command is sent to instruct the A-IoT device to lock the location at a specified address in the storage area, and the contents of that storage area cannot be modified and / or read.

[0151] V. RFID Workflow:

[0152] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the basic process of RFID inventory management, which includes:

[0153] S301. The reader sends a Select command to the tag. This command is used to select a group of tags, carrying the inventory session, action, mask, etc. Upon receiving the Select command, the matching tags set the session and corresponding flags. For example, if the inventory session selects session S0 and action = 0, and the mask matches, the tag will set the flag of session S0 to A initially. After successful EPC transmission, the flag will be flipped to B. Thus, tags with flag A are those that haven't yet transmitted EPC, while those with flag B have successfully transmitted it.

[0154] (1) The session and the subsequent flags are bound together, meaning that each flag corresponds to a session. InventorySession will specify which session the flag is set to.

[0155] (2) The action specifies how to set the flag, such as action=1 or 0. If the mask matches after the tag is received, the flag corresponding to the session will be set to A (action=1) or B (action=0).

[0156] (3) mask is used to filter which tags are selected. For example, if a tag stores a complete 96-bit identifier, the mask can indicate that the first 16 bits of the tag are 111...111. If the mask matches, it can be further set according to the action and then listen for the subsequent query message.

[0157] S302. The reader sends a Query command to the tag. This command carries the Q value, session, and flag bit. Assuming the session is S0 and the flag bit is A, when the tag's session matches the flag bit, a random number between 0 and 2^Q-1 is randomly generated based on Q and used as the initial value of the counter.

[0158] S303. If no tag sends a response, the reader continues to send a query response (QueryRep). When the tag receives the QueryRep, Counter = Counter – 1.

[0159] S304. If the Counter generated by the tag is 0, the tag will return a 16-bit random number (RN16); otherwise, it will not respond. RN16 is a 16-bit random number (it can be 16 bits or 8 bits) used for race condition resolution.

[0160] If the reader does not receive RN16, it sends QueryRep.

[0161] If the tag receives (potentially multiple) QueryRep messages (which do not need to carry content and do not have a Q session flag), and the Counter is decremented to 0, the tag will respond with RN16; otherwise, it will not respond. For example, each QueryRep corresponds to the start or end of an access time slot. Each time the tag receives a QueryRep, it signifies the end of the previous time slot and the start of the next. The tag can randomly select an access time slot to initiate access, send uplink data (such as EPC), or receive downlink data.

[0162] S305. When the reader receives RN16, if there is no collision (only one tag's RN16 has been received), it sends an acknowledgment response (acknowledgment, ACK), where the ACK contains the received random number RN16, indicating that the contention has been successfully resolved.

[0163] S306. If the tag receives an ACK and RN16 matches, then an EPC is fed back; otherwise, no feedback is given.

[0164] S307. The reader sends a QueryRep.

[0165] If a tag sends an EPC and receives a QueryRep, it indicates that the data transmission was successful, and the flag bit is flipped to B. For example, the flag bit can be used to prevent tags that have been stored from being stored again, because subsequent Query messages will carry a flag bit of A, and the received Query message with a flag bit of A after flipping will not respond.

[0166] Random access:

[0167] Random access is an essential process for establishing a wireless link between A-IoT devices and the network. A-IoT devices establish uplink synchronization with the network and obtain uplink resources through the random access process.

[0168] Figure 4 illustrates the random access procedure. This procedure includes the following steps:

[0169] S400. The network device sends a message to the A-IoT device that triggers the A-IoT device to send Msg1. The A-IoT device receives the message that triggers it to send Msg1.

[0170] S401. The A-IoT device sends Msg1 to the network device. The purpose of the A-IoT device sending Msg1 is to inform the network device of the A-IoT device's random access request. Msg1 can carry a random identifier (ID), temporary ID, or random number generated by the A-IoT device. Msg1 is carried on the physical device-to-reader channel (PDRCH).

[0171] S402. The network device sends message 2 (Msg2) to the A-IoT device. After successfully receiving Msg1 from the A-IoT device, the network device sends Msg2 to the A-IoT device, which carries the random ID, temporary ID, or random number contained in Msg1. Msg2 is carried on the physical reader-to-device channel (PRDCH).

[0172] S403. The A-IoT device sends Msg3 to the network device. After step S402, the A-IoT device receives Msg2 and confirms whether the random ID, temporary ID, or random number contained in Msg2 is the same as the random ID, temporary ID, or random number it generates. If they are the same, the A-IoT sends Msg3 to the network device. Msg3 is carried on the PDRCH.

[0173] The reader configures RACH resources for A-IoT devices to access the network. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of RACH resource configuration. There are two configuration methods for RACH resources: One method involves configuring public RACH resources (as shown in the lower part of Figure 5, including RACH resources 5b-1, 5b-2, 5b-3, etc.) via SIB / paging messages. This can be used for inventory management or DOA services of other devices. Public RACH resources are not limited to a single service; all A-IoT devices can access them. The other configuration method involves configuring RACH resources specifically for the current inventory management service (as shown in the upper part of Figure 5, including RACH resources 5a-1, 5a-2, etc.). Only A-IoT devices performing the current inventory management service can access this RACH resource.

[0174] However, when the two configuration methods mentioned above coexist, how A-IoT devices should select the corresponding RACH resources to perform access is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0175] To address this, this application provides a communication scheme in which, when the reader is configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource; when the reader is not configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource. Thus, when multiple random access resource configuration methods coexist, the A-IoT device can appropriately select a random access resource for access, improving the reliability of random access.

[0176] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0177] S601. The reader sends the first information to the A-IoT device.

[0178] Specifically, the first information configures a first random access resource, which is associated with the identifiers of multiple services. These multiple services include the first service, and may also include DOA services from other devices. This first random access resource can be referred to as a public random access resource.

[0179] For example, the first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message.

[0180] For example, the first random access resource may be a periodic resource.

[0181] S602. The reader sends a second message to the A-IoT device.

[0182] In one scenario, the second information can configure a second random access resource, which is associated with the identifier of the first service. For example, the first service could be an inventory management service. The second random access resource can be referred to as a dedicated random access resource for the first service.

[0183] In another case, the second information can be empty, meaning that no second random access resource is configured.

[0184] For example, the second information is carried in the second paging message.

[0185] For example, the second random access resource may be a periodic resource.

[0186] S603a. If the second information does not configure the second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource.

[0187] If the second information does not configure the second random access resource, the A-IoT device will send a random access request on the first random access resource by default. That is, if the A-IoT device does not receive the random access resource dedicated to the first service configured by the reader through the second paging message, it will send a random access request on the common first random access resource configured in the system information block or the first paging message by default.

[0188] S603b. If the second information configures the second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource.

[0189] If the second information configures the second random access resource, then the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource. That is, when the A-IoT device receives the random access resource dedicated to the first service configured by the reader through the second paging message, it sends a random access request on the random access resource dedicated to the first service.

[0190] By defining the behavior of A-IoT devices, when there are multiple configuration methods for random access resources, A-IoT devices can appropriately select random access resources for access, thereby improving the reliability of random access.

[0191] The random access method for A-IoT devices can be either the contention-based random access or the non-contention-based random access described above, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0192] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, when the reader is configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the second random access resource; when the reader is not configured with a second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource. Thus, when multiple random access resource configuration methods coexist, the A-IoT device can appropriately select a random access resource for access, improving the reliability of random access.

[0193] In some scenarios, when the second random access resource is configured in the second information mentioned above, the second random access resource may overlap with other resources in the time domain. In these scenarios, A-IoT devices can handle this as follows:

[0194] In one scenario, the A-IoT device does not support simultaneous transmission of resources at different frequencies (i.e., it does not support frequency division). Assuming the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with other uplink resources—for example, the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource—based on the above embodiment, further, when the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to services other than the first service among multiple services. That is, the A-IoT device can ignore the first random access resource configured in the first information, and the first random access resource can be dedicated to services other than the first service among multiple services, such as the DOA service of other devices. Figure 7 illustrates a scenario where a first random access resource and a second random access resource partially overlap, as exemplified in an embodiment of this application. The common random access resource indicated by the SIB partially overlaps with the random access resource dedicated to inventory management indicated by the paging message (as shown in Figure 7, RACH 7a-1 and RACH 7b-1 partially overlap, and RACH 7a-2 and RACH 7b-3 partially overlap). Therefore, the A-IoT device can ignore the common random access resource configured by the SIB, and this common random access resource indicated by the SIB can be dedicated to services other than the first service among multiple services. Furthermore, in cases where the A-IoT device does not support frequency division, since the first and second random access resources partially overlap, if the A-IoT device sends a random access request for the first service on the second random access resource, it will not send random access requests for other services on the first random access resource. This avoids conflicts in random access resources and improves the reliability of random access.

[0195] In another scenario, the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with other uplink resources (which most likely do not support frequency division multiplexing). For example, the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource. If the A-IoT device is currently performing random access for other services on the first random access resource, then based on the above embodiment, further, if the second information configures the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for services other than the first service among multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid, or the reader does not configure the second random access resource for the first service. This avoids conflicts in random access resources, improves the reliability of random access, and increases resource utilization. The second random access resource includes multiple resources periodically. The invalidity of the second random access resource means that in the current period, because the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, the A-IoT device does not perform random access for the first service on that second random access resource. A-IoT devices can perform random access to the first service on the second random access resource in the next cycle, or perform random access to the first service based on the random access resource reconfigured by the reader / writer.

[0196] In another scenario, when downlink services do not support frequency division, the second information may partially or completely overlap with the resources corresponding to other downlink signals (such as paging messages). The handling in this scenario can be described in the following embodiments:

[0197] Figure 8 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0198] S801. The reader sends a second message to the A-IoT device.

[0199] Specifically, the second information configures a second random access resource, which is associated with the identifier of the first service. For example, the first service could be an inventory management service. The second random access resource can be referred to as a dedicated random access resource for the first service.

[0200] For example, the second information is carried in the second paging message.

[0201] For example, the second random access resource may be a periodic resource.

[0202] S802. The reader sends the fourth information to the A-IoT device on the first resource.

[0203] Correspondingly, A-IoT devices receive fourth information on the first resource.

[0204] In this embodiment, the reader is configured with a second random access resource; however, the reader can also further configure a new third random access resource. For example, the reader updates the configuration of the second random access resource. Some parameters (e.g., the period) of the third random access resource and the second random access resource may differ.

[0205] The fourth information configures the third random access resource.

[0206] For example, the fourth information is carried in the third paging message.

[0207] S803. If the resources in the second random access resource partially or completely overlap with the first resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request to the reader on the third random access resource.

[0208] In this embodiment, the second random access resource configured by the second information may partially or completely overlap with the resource corresponding to the fourth information (i.e., the first resource). As shown in Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram illustrating the partial overlap of random access resources and downlink resources in an example of an embodiment of this application, the second random access resource configured by the second paging message partially overlaps with the resource corresponding to the third paging message (carrying the fourth information for configuring the second random access resource) (as shown in Figure 9, RACH resource 9a-2 overlaps with the resource corresponding to the third paging message).

[0209] In the above situation, if the A-IoT device determines that the second random access resource configured in the second paging message is invalid and the A-IoT device does not send a random access request on the second random access resource, then it sends a random access request to the reader on the third random access resource.

[0210] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, if the previously configured second random access resource and the resource corresponding to the downlink message (indicating a new third random access resource) partially or completely overlap, the A-IoT device determines that the previously configured second random access resource is invalid and sends a random access request on the new third random access resource. This can update the resource configuration of random access in a timely manner, thereby improving the reliability of random access.

[0211] To avoid time-domain conflicts in the random access resources of the two configuration methods mentioned above, the following embodiment can also be used:

[0212] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0213] S1001. The reader sends the second information to the A-IoT device.

[0214] Specifically, the second information configures a second random access resource, which is associated with the identifier of the first service. For example, the first service could be an inventory management service. The second random access resource can be referred to as a dedicated random access resource for the first service.

[0215] For example, the second information is carried in the second paging message.

[0216] For example, the second random access resource may be a periodic resource.

[0217] Unlike the embodiments described above, in this embodiment, a separately configured carrier resource can also be indicated via a second paging message for random access to the first service. Therefore, the second information also indicates a first carrier used to carry a system information block configured with a fourth random access resource. For example, the second information includes an identifier for the first carrier.

[0218] S1002. The reader sends the fifth message to the A-IoT device on the first carrier.

[0219] For example, the reader transmits a system information block on the first carrier, the system information block including fifth information.

[0220] The fifth information configures the fourth random access resource, which is associated with the identifier of the first service.

[0221] The S1003.A-IoT device sends a random access request to the reader on the fourth random access resource.

[0222] The aforementioned second and fourth random access resources can be used for random access to the first service of different A-IoT devices. The second information also indicates the first carrier, which carries a system information block configured with the fourth random access resource, effectively increasing the capacity of the random access resources and further enhancing the storage capacity. The second and fourth random access resources constitute a random access resource pool, allowing multiple A-IoT devices to obtain random access resources from the pool through contention or non-contention. For example, in this embodiment, if the A-IoT device obtains the fourth random access resource and sends a random access request on that resource, it can avoid time-domain collisions with other resources on existing carriers.

[0223] Figure 11 illustrates a paging message indicating a new carrier. This second paging message carries second information, which configures second random access resources (including RACH resources 11a-1, 11a-2, and 11a-3 in Figure 11) and also indicates a first carrier. The reader can transmit a system information block on the first carrier, and this system information block configures a fourth random access resource (including RACH resources 11b-1, 11b-2, and 11b-3 in Figure 11). By indicating the first carrier with the second paging message, the fourth random access resource can be configured more flexibly, increasing the capacity of the random access resources. In Figure 11, the RACH resources represent the resources of RACHs occurring at the same frequency within the time domain period.

[0224] Furthermore, the aforementioned fourth random access resource may include a fifth random access resource and a sixth random access resource. The fifth and sixth random access resources have different frequency resources, meaning they can be frequency-division multiplexed. In this embodiment, one A-IoT device can send a random access request on the fifth random access resource, and another A-IoT device can send a random access request on the sixth random access resource. Figure 12 illustrates the frequency-division multiplexing of random access resources under a new carrier, showing that two RACH resources can be frequency-division multiplexed. By configuring RACH resources that appear periodically in the time domain at different frequencies on the new carrier (such as RACH resources 11b-1 and 11c-1, RACH resources 11b-2 and RACH resources 11c-2, RACH resources 11b-3 and RACH resources 11c-3, etc. in Figure 12), the capacity of the RACH resources is further improved, thus increasing the disk storage capacity.

[0225] According to a communication method provided in this application embodiment, a new carrier is indicated via a paging message. On this new carrier, the configuration of another random access resource can be indicated via a system information block, effectively increasing the capacity of the random access resource and further improving inventory capacity. It also avoids collisions with other downlink resources, thus improving the access success rate. By monitoring additional system information blocks instead of paging messages to obtain the random access resource configuration on the new carrier, paging message overhead can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, the configuration can be dynamically indicated via paging messages only when additional carriers are needed, rather than directly via system information blocks, improving the efficiency of resource configuration.

[0226] In implementing the embodiments shown in Figures 6, 8, and 10, the following problems may still exist: When an A-IoT device sends a random access request on a random access resource configured in the paging message specifically for the first service, the reader can directly associate the information reported by the A-IoT device with the first service through the random access resource used by the A-IoT device and successfully route the information to the core network. However, when an A-IoT device sends a random access request on a public random access resource configured in the system information block, since the resource is public, the network side cannot know which service the accessing device belongs to.

[0227] Among them, the sending of random access requests by A-IoT devices to the public random access resources configured in the system information block can be divided into the following two cases:

[0228] The first scenario is that the A-IoT device directly sends the random access request for the first service in the public random access resources configured in the system information block, that is, it does not configure random access resources dedicated to the first service through paging messages.

[0229] The second scenario is that if an A-IoT device initiates a random access request on the dedicated random access resource configured in the paging message for the first service and the access fails, it can fall back to sending a random access request on the public random access resource configured in the system information block.

[0230] The following embodiments, in conjunction with the embodiments shown in Figures 6, 8, and 10, are further provided as shown in Figures 13 and 14. It is understood that the embodiments shown in Figures 13 and 14 can also be implemented independently.

[0231] For the first scenario, as shown in Figure 13, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method may include the following steps:

[0232] S1301. The reader sends the first information to the A-IoT device.

[0233] Specifically, the first information configures the first random access resource. This first random access resource is associated with the identifiers of multiple services, including the first service.

[0234] S1302. The reader sends a second message to the A-IoT device.

[0235] For example, the second information is carried in the second paging message. This second information does not configure a second random access resource. The second information includes an identifier for the first service. The A-IoT device receives the second paging message and saves the identifier for the first service.

[0236] The S1303.A-IoT device sends a random access request to the reader on the first random access resource.

[0237] Since the second information does not configure the second random access resource, the A-IoT device sends a random access request on the first random access resource.

[0238] S1304. The reader sends a random access response to the A-IoT device.

[0239] Accordingly, the A-IoT device receives the random access response.

[0240] S1305.A-IoT device sends random access message 3 to reader.

[0241] The meaning of random access message 3 can be found in the description above.

[0242] In this embodiment, the random access message 3 further includes fifth information. This fifth information includes the identifier of the first service. The identifier of the first service is the identifier of the first service received and stored by the A-IoT device in step 1302 described above.

[0243] Alternatively, this fifth piece of information (i.e., the identifier of the first service) can also be carried in the uplink message after the A-IoT device enters the connected state or data transmission state. This uplink message includes at least one of the following: RRC message, EPC message, or MAC message.

[0244] S1306. The reader sends routing messages to the core network equipment.

[0245] After receiving random access message 3 and obtaining the identifier of the first service, the reader can successfully route the information reported by the A-IoT device to the core network device based on the identifier of the first service. This routing message includes the identifier of the first service. Upon receiving this routing message, the core network device obtains the identifier of the first service, enabling the reader to successfully associate with the identifier of the first service.

[0246] According to a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, an A-IoT device stores the identifier of a first service carried in a second paging message. When the A-IoT device successfully accesses a public first random access resource, it carries the identifier of the first service in the random access message 3 or the uplink message after entering the connected state or data transmission state, so that the reader can successfully associate the identifier of the first service. Thus, when the A-IoT device successfully accesses a public first random access resource, it can successfully route subsequent service information to the corresponding network side.

[0247] For the second scenario, as shown in Figure 14, which is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method may include the following steps:

[0248] S1401. The reader sends the first information to the A-IoT device.

[0249] Specifically, the first information configures the first random access resource. This first random access resource is associated with the identifiers of multiple services, including the first service.

[0250] For example, the first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message.

[0251] The specific implementation of this step can be referred to step S601 of the embodiment shown in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0252] S1402. The reader sends a second paging message to the A-IoT device.

[0253] The second paging message includes second information. This second information can configure a second random access resource, which is associated with the identifier of the first service. For example, the first service could be an inventory management service. The second random access resource can be referred to as a dedicated random access resource for the first service. For a detailed implementation of this step, please refer to step S602 of the embodiment shown in Figure 6.

[0254] Furthermore, the second information may also include the identifier of the first service. The A-IoT device receives the second paging message and saves the identifier of the first service.

[0255] S1403. The reader sends a query command to the A-IoT device.

[0256] The specific implementation of this step can be referred to step S302 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] S1404.A-IoT devices send random access requests on the second random access resource.

[0258] For a detailed implementation of this step, please refer to step S603b of the embodiment shown in Figure 6.

[0259] When the second information configures the second random access resource, the A-IoT device responds to the second paging message and sends a random access request (i.e., Msg1) on the second random access resource.

[0260] S1405. The reader sends a random access response to the A-IoT device.

[0261] Due to random access resource collisions or other reasons, the A-IoT device may not receive the random access response.

[0262] S1406.A - The IoT device has determined that it has failed to access the second random access resource.

[0263] If the A-IoT device does not receive the random access response, it is determined that the access on the second random access resource has failed.

[0264] S1407.A-IoT devices send random access requests on the first random access resource.

[0265] After an A-IoT device determines that it has failed to access the second random access resource, it can fall back to re-access the public first random access resource without having to wait for a new paging message to indicate the random access resource dedicated to the first service. This allows A-IoT devices to re-access earlier, thereby improving the efficiency of random access.

[0266] S1408. The reader sends a random access response to the A-IoT device.

[0267] Accordingly, the A-IoT device receives the random access response.

[0268] S1409.A-IoT device sends random access message 3 to reader / writer.

[0269] The meaning of random access message 3 can be found in the description above.

[0270] In this embodiment, the random access message 3 further includes third information. This third information includes an identifier for the first service. The identifier for the first service is the identifier of the first service received and stored by the A-IoT device in step 1402 described above.

[0271] Alternatively, this third information (including the identifier of the first service) can also be carried in the uplink message after the A-IoT device enters the connected state or data transmission state. This uplink message includes at least one of the following: RRC message, EPC message, and MAC message.

[0272] S1410. The reader sends routing messages to the core network equipment.

[0273] After receiving random access message 3 and obtaining the identifier of the first service, the reader can successfully route the information reported by the A-IoT device to the core network device based on the identifier of the first service. This routing message includes the identifier of the first service. Upon receiving this routing message and obtaining the identifier of the first service, the core network device can successfully associate the A-IoT device with the identifier of the first service.

[0274] Furthermore, since the A-IoT device failed to access the second random access resource configured in the second paging message, the reader can adjust the configured random access resource based on the access success rate. The reader can send a new paging message to the A-IoT device, which configures a new random access resource. For example, after a period of time or X rounds of QueryRep, if the access success rate is lower than a threshold, the random access resource can be updated via Query / QueryRep, for example, by updating to a denser and longer time window; increasing the number of resource blocks (RBs); increasing the number of separately configured carrier resources, etc.

[0275] According to a communication method provided in this application embodiment, by saving the identifier of the first service carried in the second paging message, after failing to access the second random access resource configured in the second paging message, and falling back to successfully accessing the common first random access resource, the A-IoT device can be successfully associated with the identifier of the first service by carrying the identifier of the first service in the random access message 3 or the uplink message after entering the connection state or data transmission state, thereby successfully accessing the common first random access resource and successfully routing the information to the network side.

[0276] In this application, the phrase "sending information to... (e.g., an A-IoT device)" or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the destination of the information being an A-IoT device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to an A-IoT device. Similarly, the phrase "receiving information from... (e.g., an A-IoT device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., an A-IoT device)" or the related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as the source of the information being an A-IoT device. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from an A-IoT device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0277] It is understood that this application uses A-IoT devices and readers as examples to illustrate the interaction, but this application does not limit the subjects that can be used to illustrate the interaction. For example, the A-IoT device in the method provided by this application can also be a chip, chip system, or processor applied to the A-IoT device, or it can be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the A-IoT device; the reader in the method provided by this application can also be a chip, chip system, or processor applied to the reader, or it can be a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the reader's functions.

[0278] It is understood that, in order to achieve the functions in the above embodiments, the reader and A-IoT device include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to perform each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and method steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0279] Figures 15 and 16 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of A-IoT devices or readers in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be a base station 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to A-IoT devices or readers.

[0280] As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1500 includes a processing unit 1510 and a transceiver unit 1520. The communication device 1500 is used to implement the functions of the A-IoT device or reader / writer in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 8 above.

[0281] When the communication device 1500 is used to implement the functions of an A-IoT device: the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S601, S602, S603a, and S603b in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S801 to S803 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1001 to S1003 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1301 to S1305 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1401 to S1405 and S1407 to S1409 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, and the processing unit 1510 is used to implement step S1406 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14.

[0282] When the communication device 1500 is used to implement the function of a reader / writer: the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S601, S602, S603a, and S603b in the embodiment shown in FIG6; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S801 to S803 in the embodiment shown in FIG8; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1001 to S1003 in the embodiment shown in FIG10; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1301 to S1305 in the embodiment shown in FIG13; or, the transceiver unit 1520 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1401 to S1405 and S1407 to S1410 in the embodiment shown in FIG14.

[0283] A more detailed description of the processing unit 1510 and the transceiver unit 1520 can be obtained directly from the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 8, 10, 13, and 14, and will not be repeated here.

[0284] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used in an A-IoT device, the A-IoT device chip implements the functions of the A-IoT device in the above method embodiments. The A-IoT device chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the A-IoT device, which is sent to the A-IoT device by the reader; or, the A-IoT device chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the A-IoT device, which is sent to the reader by the A-IoT device.

[0285] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a reader / writer, the reader / writer chip implements the functions of the reader / writer in the above method embodiments. The reader / writer chip receives information from other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the reader / writer, which is sent to the reader / writer by the A-IoT device; or, the reader / writer chip sends information to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the reader / writer, which is sent to the A-IoT device by the reader / writer.

[0286] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned transceiver unit and / or processing unit can be implemented through virtual modules. For example, the processing unit can be implemented through software functional units or virtual devices, and the transceiver unit can be implemented through software functions or virtual devices. Alternatively, the processing unit or transceiver unit can also be implemented through physical devices. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing unit is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0287] As shown in Figure 16, the communication device 1600 includes a processor 1610 and may also include an interface circuit 1620. The processor 1610 and the interface circuit 1620 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1620 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1600 may also include a memory 1630 (shown as a dashed line in Figure 16) for storing instructions executed by the processor 1610, or storing input data required by the processor 1610 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1610 executes instructions.

[0288] When the communication device 1600 is used to implement the functions of an A-IoT device: the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S601, S602, S603a, and S603b in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S801 to S803 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1001 to S1003 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1301 to S1305 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the A-IoT device in S1401 to S1405 and S1407 to S1409 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, and the processor 1610 is used to implement step S1406 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14.

[0289] When the communication device 1600 is used to implement the function of a reader / writer: the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S601, S602, S603a, and S603b in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S801 to S803 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1001 to S1003 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1301 to S1305 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13; or, the interface circuit 1620 is used to implement at least one step performed by the reader / writer in S1401 to S1405 and S1407 to S1410 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 14.

[0290] A more detailed description of the processor 1610 and interface circuit 1620 can be obtained directly from the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 6, 8, 10, 13, and 14, and will not be repeated here.

[0291] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from the base station, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. The terminal chip sends information to the base station, which can be understood as the information being first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0292] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station chip receives information from the terminal, which can be understood as the information being first received by other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the base station chip by these modules. The base station chip sends information to the terminal, which can be understood as the information being sent down to other modules in the base station (such as an RF module or antenna), and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0293] In this application, entity A sends information to entity B, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Similarly, entity B receives information from entity A, either directly or indirectly through other entities. Entities A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within RAN nodes or terminals. Information transmission and reception can be between RAN nodes and terminals, such as between a base station and a terminal; between two RAN nodes, such as between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a single device, such as between a terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules of the base station.

[0294] It is understood that in this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, and implicit instruction. When describing a certain instruction information as indicating A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A. In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index, or indirectly indicating the information to be instructed by indicating other information, wherein there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or agreed upon in advance. For example, the instruction of specific information can also be achieved by using the arrangement order of various information in advance (e.g., as specified by a protocol), thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information to be sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0295] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit, or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0296] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, optical discs, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the base station or terminal.

[0297] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0298] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0299] Depending on whether the specification uses "optional": In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates a "division" relationship between the preceding and following related objects. "Including at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B, and C.

[0300] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive first information, the first information configures a first random access resource, the first random access resource is associated with the identifiers of multiple services, the multiple services including the first service; Receive the second message; If the second information does not configure the second random access resource, a random access request is sent on the first random access resource; If the second information configures the second random access resource, a random access request is sent on the second random access resource; The second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message, and the second information is carried in a second paging message.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to other services among the plurality of services besides the first service.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, If the second information configures the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for other services besides the first service among the multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, When sending a random access request on the second random access resource, the method further includes: Access to the second random access resource has failed. Send a random access request on the first random access resource.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, When a random access request is sent on the first random access resource, the second information includes the identifier of the first service, and the method further includes: Send a third message, which includes the identifier of the first service. The third message is carried in at least one of the following messages: random access message 3, uplink message after the A-IoT device enters the connection state or data transmission state.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first information, the first information configuring a first random access resource, the first random access resource being associated with the identifiers of multiple services, the multiple services including the first service; Send a second message; If the second information does not configure the second random access resource, a random access request is received on the first random access resource; If the second information configures the second random access resource, a random access request is received on the second random access resource; The second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The first information is carried in a system information block or a first paging message, and the second information is carried in a second paging message.

9. The method as described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, When the second information configures the second random access resource and the first random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for random access to other services among the plurality of services besides the first service.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, If the second information configures the second random access resource, the first random access resource is used for other services besides the first service among the multiple services, and the second random access resource partially or completely overlaps with the first random access resource, then the second random access resource is invalid.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7-10, characterized in that, When receiving a random access request on the second random access resource, the method further includes: Access to the second random access resource has failed. Receive a random access request on the first random access resource.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7-11, characterized in that, When a random access request is received on the first random access resource, the second information includes the identifier of the first service, and the method further includes: Receive third information, the third information including the identifier of the first service, the third information being carried in at least one of the following messages: random access message 3, uplink message after the A-IoT device enters the connection state or data transmission state.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive second information, the second information configures a second random access resource, and the second random access resource is associated with the identifier of the first service; The first resource receives fourth information, the fourth information configuring a third random access resource, the third random access resource being associated with the identifier of the first service; If the resources in the second random access resource partially or completely overlap with the first resource, a random access request is sent on the third random access resource.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a second message, the second message configuring a second random access resource, the second random access resource being associated with the identifier of the first service; The first resource sends fourth information, the fourth information configuring a third random access resource, the third random access resource being associated with the identifier of the first service; If the resources in the second random access resource partially or completely overlap with the first resource, a random access request is received on the third random access resource.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive second information, the second information configures a second random access resource, and the second information also indicates a first carrier, the second random access resource being associated with an identifier of a first service; Fifth information is received on the first carrier, the fifth information configuring a fourth random access resource, the fourth random access resource being associated with the identifier of the first service; Send a random access request on the fourth random access resource.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The fourth random access resource includes a fifth random access resource and a sixth random access resource, and the fifth random access resource and the sixth random access resource have different frequency resources; Sending a random access request on the fourth random access resource includes: Send a random access request on the fifth random access resource.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a second message, the second message configuring a second random access resource, and the second message also indicating a first carrier, the second random access resource being associated with an identifier of a first service; A fifth message is transmitted on the first carrier, the fifth message configuring a fourth random access resource, the fourth random access resource being associated with the identifier of the first service; Receive random access requests on the fourth random access resource.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The fourth random access resource includes a fifth random access resource and a sixth random access resource, and the fifth random access resource and the sixth random access resource have different frequency resources; Receiving a random access request on the fourth random access resource includes: Receive a random access request on the fifth random access resource.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 7-12, or modules for implementing the method as described in claim 13, or modules for implementing the method as described in claim 14, or modules for implementing the method as described in claim 15 or 16, or modules for implementing the method as described in claim 17 or 18.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices. The processor is used, through logic circuits or executing code instructions, to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 7-12, or to implement the method as described in claim 13, or to implement the method as described in claim 14, or to implement the method as described in claim 15 or 16, or to implement the method as described in claim 17 or 18.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or the method as described in any one of claims 7-12, or the method as described in claim 13, or the method as described in claim 14, or the method as described in claim 15 or 16, or the method as described in claim 17 or 18.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes program instructions that, when executed, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, or the method as described in any one of claims 7-12, or the method as described in claim 13, or the method as described in claim 14, or the method as described in claim 15 or 16, or the method as described in claim 17 or 18.

23. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device being used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, 13, 15, and 17, and the second communication device being used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 7-12, 14, 16, and 18.

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