Inter-layer interaction method, apparatus and system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an inter-layer interaction method, apparatus and system. The method comprises: a MAC layer or a MAC entity of an A-IoT device determines a D2R resource on the basis of first information; and the MAC layer or the MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates, to a physical layer of the A-IoT device, second information related to the D2R resource and a corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block.

Description

Methods, apparatus and systems for inter-layer interaction Technical Field

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

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

[0003] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this application and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The inventors discovered that, considering the limited size and complexity required for battery-free devices without energy storage capacity or devices with limited energy storage that do not require manual replacement or charging in practical applications, the output power of energy harvesters is typically between 1 μW and several hundred μW. Existing cellular devices may not be suitable for energy harvesting because their peak power consumption exceeds 10 mW.

[0005] One example application is asset identification or inventory management, currently primarily using barcodes and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification, commonly known as electronic tags or RFID tags) in most industries. The main advantages of these two technologies are the extremely low complexity and small size of the tags. However, a drawback of RFID systems is the limited information reading range (i.e., the communication range based on wireless signals) of RFID tags. If a manual handheld tag reader solution is used, labor costs can become the main expense. Using dedicated RFID ports or gateways to read and manage RFID tags requires higher deployment costs. Furthermore, the simple logical architecture of RFID systems makes it difficult to effectively coordinate with interference in radio wave transmission, resulting in generally lower system capacity and spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0006] Compared to RFID systems, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) 5G (5th Generation) systems support tag-based terminal devices, allowing for the reuse of existing base station deployments and leveraging existing cellular mobile communication networks to support industry applications based on this type of terminal, thereby effectively reducing deployment and usage costs. 3GPP's 5G systems can provide reliable authentication, network coordination, and accurate and stable terminal device management mechanisms, and can also optimize the network to improve system capacity and spectrum utilization efficiency.

[0007] In the A-IoT (Ambient IoT, or Artificial Intelligence of Things) AS (Access Stratum) layer, A-IoT paging functionality uses A-IoT paging messages to indicate which devices need to respond. Regarding A-IoT paging messages, an identifier may be needed to identify the device or group of devices in the trigger message, for example, in the case of a single device or a group of devices arriving. Currently, the following scenarios have been investigated:

[0008] - The A-IoT paging message includes an identifier of a single A-IoT device;

[0009] - The A-IoT paging message includes a group ID mapped to multiple A-IoT devices;

[0010] - This A-IoT paging message does not include any identifier, meaning that all A-IoT devices capable of receiving this A-IoT paging message need to respond;

[0011] - The A-IoT paging message includes multiple identifiers of A-IoT devices.

[0012] In this context, it is assumed that as long as the A-IoT device has sufficient capability, it can receive A-IoT paging messages. The A-IoT paging messages can additionally indicate to the device information on the resources available for D2R (device to reader) response messages(s).

[0013] As a new type of IoT terminal in 5G systems (fifth-generation communication systems), tag-based terminal devices (or A-IoT devices) communicate with readers via the A-IoT wireless interface. To define the functions and procedures required for a compact protocol stack and lightweight signaling processes in environmental IoT, enabling DO-DTT (DO (Device-Originated) device-terminated triggered uplink) and DT (Device-Terminated) data transmission, the protocol stack supports the physical layer and MAC (Media Access Control) layer. Unlike NR (New Radio) systems, the AS (Access Stratum) lacks RLC (Radio Link Control) / PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) or RRC (Radio Resource Control). This makes the functions of each layer in NR unsuitable for the wireless interface of environmental IoT, preventing paging, random access, and data transmission.

[0014] To address at least one of the above-mentioned problems or other similar issues, embodiments of this application provide a method, apparatus, and system for inter-layer interaction.

[0015] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a method for inter-layer interaction is provided, applied to an A-IoT device, the method comprising:

[0016] The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device determines D2R resources based on the first information;

[0017] The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates to the physical layer of the A-IoT device the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0018] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, an inter-layer interaction device is provided, configured in an A-IoT device, the device comprising:

[0019] The determining unit determines D2R resources based on first information at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0020] An instruction unit that instructs the physical layer of the A-IoT device, at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, to the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0021] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication system is provided, including a core network device, a reader, and the A-IoT device of the foregoing embodiments.

[0022] One of the beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application is that, according to the embodiments of this application, the functions of each layer in NR can be adapted to the wireless interface of the Internet of Things in the environment, thereby realizing paging, random access and data transmission.

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

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

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

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

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

[0028] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of the communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

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

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the entire AS signaling process between the A-IoT device and the reader;

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 is another schematic diagram of the inter-layer interaction method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an A-IoT device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other features of this application will become apparent from the following description. Specific embodiments of this application are specifically disclosed in the description and drawings, illustrating partial implementations in which the principles of this application may be employed. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the described embodiments; rather, it includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0037] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish different elements by name, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or chronological order of these elements, and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and / or" includes any one or more of the terms listed in association and all combinations thereof. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," etc., refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components, or assemblies, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, or assemblies.

[0038] In the embodiments of this application, the singular forms "a," "the," etc., including the plural forms, should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a class" rather than limited to the meaning of "an." Furthermore, the term "the" should be understood to include both the singular and plural forms, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on…," unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise.

[0039] In the embodiments of this application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to a network that conforms to any of the following communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Ambient IoT, etc.

[0040] Furthermore, communication between devices in a communication system can be carried out according to communication protocols at any stage, including but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and 5G, New Radio (NR), future 6G, etc., and / or other currently known or future communication protocols.

[0041] In the embodiments of this application, the term "network device" refers, for example, to a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to a communication network and provides services to that terminal device. Network devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc. Furthermore, network devices may also include readers or interrogators for A-IoT, but this application is not limited to these devices.

[0042] Base stations can include, but are not limited to: NodeBs (or NBs), evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs or eNBs), 5G base stations (gNBs), IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) hosts, etc. They can also include Remote Radio Heads (RRHs), Remote Radio Units (RRUs), relays or low-power nodes (e.g., femeto, pico, etc.), reders, or interrogators. The term "base station" can encompass some or all of their functions, and each base station can provide communication coverage to a specific geographic area. The term "cell" can refer to a base station and / or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "User Equipment" (UE) or "Terminal Equipment" (TE) refer, for example, to a device that accesses a communication network and receives network services through a network device. A terminal device can be fixed or mobile, and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), terminal, subscriber station (SS), access terminal (AT), tag, etc.

[0044] The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, the following devices: cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, machine communication device, laptop computer, cordless phone, smartphone, smartwatch, digital camera, tag, device attached to or related to an item (e.g., for item management), etc.

[0045] For example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), terminal devices can also be machines or devices used for monitoring or measurement, including but not limited to: machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, vehicle-mounted communication terminals, device-to-device (D2D) terminals, machine-to-machine (M2M) terminals, ambient IoT devices (A-IoT devices), and so on.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "network side" or "network equipment side" refer to one side of the network, which can be a base station or include one or more network devices as described above. The terms "user side," "terminal side," or "terminal equipment side" refer to the side of the user or terminal, which can be a UE or include one or more terminal devices as described above. Unless otherwise specified, "equipment" can refer to either network equipment or terminal equipment.

[0047] Currently, further reducing the size, complexity, and power consumption of IoT devices could enable the deployment of hundreds of billions or even trillions of IoT devices across various applications, adding value throughout the value chain. Powering all IoT devices with manually replaceable or rechargeable batteries leads to high maintenance costs, serious environmental problems, and even safety hazards in some use cases (such as wireless sensors in the power and oil industries). However, most existing wireless communication devices are powered by batteries that require manual replacement or recharging. Automation and digitalization across industries have opened up many new markets, requiring new IoT technologies to support battery-free devices without energy storage capabilities or energy storage devices that do not require manual replacement or recharging. Such devices must be remarkably small in form factor to convey effectiveness for the target use case.

[0048] The current standard outlines use cases, business scenarios, device limitations for environmentally powered IoT, and identifies new potential service requirements and new KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). However, the devices considered in the current standard either lack batteries or have limited energy storage capacity (i.e., using capacitors), and energy is provided by harvesting radio waves, light, motion, heat, or any other suitable power source.

[0049] The TSG RAN (Radio Access Network Specification Group) has completed Rel-18 RAN-level Study Item (SI) on Environmental IoT, providing a terminology and scope framework for future discussions on Environmental IoT. It defines representative use cases, deployment scenarios, connectivity topologies, Environmental IoT devices, design goals, and required functionalities. For selected options, the RAN working group has completed Rel-19 SI on Environmental IoT solutions, which explores the radio aspects in greater detail.

[0050] Following these research projects, it is now recommended to begin standardizing Ambient IoT. Since existing technologies cannot meet all the requirements of the target use cases, it is recommended to adopt new IoT technologies to open up new markets within the 3GPP system, with connection numbers and / or device density that can be several orders of magnitude higher than existing 3GPP IoT technologies. The new IoT technologies should offer several orders of magnitude lower complexity and power consumption than existing 3GPP LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technologies such as NB-IoT and eMTC; this work should provide clear differentiation, addressing use cases and scenarios that existing 3GPP LPWA IoT technologies cannot achieve, including reducing peak Tx power (transmit power). This Work Item (WI) will standardize the RAN aspect of Ambient IoT, a new 3GPP IoT technology suitable for deployment within 3GPP systems that rely on ultra-low complexity and ultra-low power devices for very low-end IoT applications.

[0051] The definitions provided in the current standard and the decisions made by Rel-19 SI in the RAN working group are all included in this WI. The following is the exclusive general scope:

[0052] A. The overall goal should be to standardize IoT devices in the following environments:

[0053] Device 1: ~1μW peak power consumption, with energy storage, RF envelope detector receiver, up to 10X ppm initial sampling frequency offset (SFO), and no R2D (reader to device) or D2R amplification in the device. The D2R transmission of this device is backscattered on an externally provided carrier.

[0054] B. Deploy scenario 1, topology 1, according to D1T1-B.

[0055] C.FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) includes FR1 (Frequency Range 1) licensed spectrum, DL (Downlink) licensed spectrum includes R2D, UL (Uplink) licensed spectrum includes D2R and CW (Continuous Wave / Carrier Wave).

[0056] D.NR band in-situ and standalone deployment, A-IoT BS located indoors.

[0057] E. Service types DO-DTT (DO (Device-Originated, device-terminated triggered, downlink triggered uplink) and DT (Device Terminated, device terminated) are applicable to rUC1 (indoor inventory) and rUC4 (indoor command).

[0058] F. According to the following conditions in the current standard, only waveform 1 shall be transmitted without frequency hopping:

[0059] ○Case 1-4 of D1T1-B

[0060] G. Proximity determination is performed solely using Solution 1 from the current standard.

[0061] H. Device (non) availability is determined solely by Direction 1 in the current standard.

[0062] In addition, the working groups began their discussions based on the decisions already made in the current standard and made the following improvements to the scope:

[0063] The following objectives were set within a general scope:

[0064] ●RAN1 range:

[0065] ○PRDCH and PDRCH are the only physical channels in R2D and D2R, respectively;

[0066] ○R2D and D2R signals;

[0067] In R2D, multiplexing / multiplexing access is achieved only through TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), while in D2R, only TDMA and FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) are used.

[0068] R2D only supports OOK-4 modulation, which is a solution for CP processing. D2R backscattering only supports OOK (On-Off Keying) and BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) modulation.

[0069] ○R2D transmission only supports Manchester line code in the current standard;

[0070] ○D2R transmission support:

[0071] ■ The current standard includes Manchester code or no code (one option is available); and

[0072] ■ The corresponding small frequency shift method according to the options in the current standard;

[0073] R2D does not support FEC (Forward Error Correction). D2R only supports convolutional codes that use generator polynomials according to the current standard (unless RAN1 decides to use a different generator polynomial, before RAN1#120bis);

[0074] Both PRDCH and PDRCH support transmission without CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check). For 6-bit and 16-bit CRC, transmission with CRC is also supported according to the generator polynomial in the current standard (unless RAN1 decides to use a different generator polynomial, before RAN1#120bis). RAN1 decides which CRC length to use, or whether to use CRC at all.

[0075] ○ D2R supports physical layer repetition. R2D does not support physical layer repetition.

[0076] ●RAN2 range:

[0077] ○ Define the functions and processes required for a compact protocol stack and lightweight signaling procedures for the Internet of Things environment to enable DO-DTT and DT data transmission:

[0078] ■ A-IoT paging, including subsequent paging for the same service. Options are supported, including a paging message containing an identifier or not. Temporary identifiers are not supported unless required by the SA working group (Service and System Aspects). Note: RAN2 is designed to provide a paging message format that allows multiple identifiers to be included in a single paging message for backward compatibility.

[0079] ■ A-IoT random access, including re-access during failure handling. Supports both contention-based and contention-free scenarios. For contention-based random access, only Solution 1 (3 steps) is included (unless RAN2 decides to use Solution 3 (the unified solution), as per RAN2#129).

[0080] ■ A-IoT data transmission, including data (re)transmission in case of failure. Segmentation is supported at least in D2R.

[0081] ■ Includes only the MAC layer.

[0082] ●RAN3 range:

[0083] Define the necessary architectural aspects, as well as the signaling and procedures between the A-IoT RAN and A-IoT CN, to support A-IoT functionality, assuming an aggregated gNB architecture, including:

[0084] ■ Inventory and command operations;

[0085] ■ Report device location at the reader ID level.

[0086] Note: Based on the architecture defined by RAN3 / SA2, the above A-IoT functions are supported on the existing NG interface.

[0087] ●RAN4 range:

[0088] ○ Define the radio frequency (RF) requirements for Ambient-IoT BS, Device 1, and CW;

[0089] ■ RF requirements for Type 1-C Ambient-IoT BS;

[0090] ■ Radio frequency requirements for device 1;

[0091] ■CW's RF requirements.

[0092] Define the core RRM (Radio Resource Management) requirements for device 1 as necessary;

[0093] ○ Research and develop OTA (Over-the-Air Technology) testing methods for A-IoT devices 1;

[0094] ■ Consider the test methods specified in current standards as a starting point. When developing test methods suitable for the IoT environment, consider the reusability of the test system, the complexity of the test system, and the test time;

[0095] ■ Develop a preliminary measurement uncertainty (MU) assessment for the test system.

[0096] ○ Take the n8 band as an example.

[0097] Note 1: Coordination with SA2 and SA3 is expected. WI targets should be updated if necessary.

[0098] Note 2: The target IoT field of this WI is far lower than existing 3GPP IoT technologies, such as NB-IoT, eMTC, and RedCap. The goal of WI is not to replace existing 3GPP LPWA technologies.

[0099] The following examples illustrate the scenarios of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0100] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of this application, illustrating a scenario where a network device (BS) communicates directly with an A-IoT device. In the topology of Figure 1, the A-IoT device directly communicates bidirectionally with the network device, which acts as a reader. Furthermore, the communication between the network device and the A-IoT device includes Ambient IoT data and / or signaling. This topology allows for the possibility that the "network device sending Ambient IoT data and / or signaling to the A-IoT device" differs from the "network device receiving Ambient IoT data and / or signaling from the A-IoT device."

[0101] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of the communication system according to an embodiment of this application, illustrating the communication between a network device (BS) and an A-IoT device via an intermediate node. In the topology of Figure 2, the A-IoT device communicates bidirectionally with the network device and the intermediate node between the A-IoT device and the network device. The intermediate node can be a relay with Ambient IoT capabilities, an IAB node, a UE, a repeater, etc. The intermediate node transmits Ambient IoT data and / or signaling between the A-IoT device and the network device. Currently, the UE is supported as an intermediate node, and the scenario where the UE acts as a reader within the coverage area of ​​the network device is also supported.

[0102] For R2D, the only physical channel is PRDCH (Physical Reader to Device Channel), which carries any / all higher-layer payloads (including system information, if defined) and L1 R2D control information (if defined).

[0103] For D2R, the Physical Device to Reader Channel (PDRCH) carries any / all higher-layer payloads, responses sent from the device (e.g., A-IoT device) to the reader during contention-based access procedures, and L1 D2R control information (if defined). The scheduling information for PDRCH transmissions is provided by the corresponding PRDCH.

[0104] For D2R scheduling, the following information can be explicitly or implicitly indicated to A-IoT devices via the corresponding PRDCH:

[0105] Time domain resources;

[0106] Frequency domain resources;

[0107] MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme)-like information;

[0108] Chip duration;

[0109] The device's associated ID (identifier);

[0110] Repetitions.

[0111] Each of the above pieces of information can be higher-layer signaling and / or L1 R2D control information. Furthermore, for D2R, time-domain multiple access and frequency-domain multiple access using a small frequency shift in the baseband may be supported. Additionally, for A-IoT, information carried by the A-IoT air interface (e.g., commands and / or inventory) is considered higher-layer data.

[0112] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the A-IoT air interface protocol stack between an A-IoT device and a reader. As shown in Figure 3, the A-IoT air interface protocol stack between the A-IoT device and the reader includes at least the physical layer and the MAC layer. Supported functions include A-IoT paging, A-IoT random access procedures, and A-IoT data transmission.

[0113] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the overall AS signaling procedure between the A-IoT device and the reader. As shown in Figure 4, the AS signaling procedure includes:

[0114] Step A: A-IoT Paging. Based on the service request, the reader sends an A-IoT paging message to indicate the devices that need to respond;

[0115] Step B: D2R Data (device ID) Transmission. The triggered A-IoT device performs device ID transmission, with or without using the A-IoT random access procedure;

[0116] Step C1: Possible R2D data transmission (e.g., for sending commands);

[0117] Step C2: Possible D2R data transmission (e.g., response to a command).

[0118] For the "inventory-only" use case, steps A and B of the above AS procedure are used as the baseline; for the "inventory and command" or "command-only" use case, steps A, B, C1, and C2 of the above AS procedure are used as the baseline.

[0119] For the random access procedure, i.e., step A above, the standard provides the following description:

[0120] The specific implementation of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, without causing confusion, "if...", "in the case of...", and "when..." have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably.

[0121] First aspect of the embodiments

[0122] This application provides a method for inter-layer interaction, described from the perspective of an A-IoT device.

[0123] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the method includes:

[0124] 510: The MAC layer or MAC entity of an A-IoT device determines D2R resources based on the first information;

[0125] 520: The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates to the physical layer of the A-IoT device the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0126] It is worth noting that Figure 5 above is only an illustrative description of the embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be reduced, for example, only one operation can be performed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description in Figure 5 above.

[0127] In the above embodiments, taking the scenarios shown in Figures 1 and 2 as examples, the A-IoT device refers to the A-IoT device in the scenarios shown in Figures 1 and 2. This A-IoT device can communicate directly with the network device or communicate with the network device through an intermediate node. This intermediate node can be a UE reader, or an A-IoT-enabled UE, etc. In the scenario of Figure 1, the network device functions as a reader; in the scenario of Figure 2, the intermediate node functions as a reader. In the following description, for ease of explanation, the device communicating with the A-IoT device will be collectively referred to as a reader. The protocol stack structure of the A-IoT device and the reader is shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the reader can receive service requests from the core network (CN), which includes at least AMF and A-IoT-related functions.

[0128] According to the above embodiments, the functions of each layer in NR can be adapted to the wireless interface of the Internet of Things in the environment, thereby realizing paging, random access and data transmission.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first information is scheduling information, such as time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, MCS-like information, chip duration, device-associated ID, repetitions, etc. The first information may also be TDMA-related information, FDMA-related information, the number of D2R resources or the number of A-IoT devices, etc., or any combination of the above information.

[0130] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can determine the D2R resources based on the first information.

[0131] In some embodiments, the first information is included in a first MAC PDU or a first message, which is delivered by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity. Thus, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can obtain the aforementioned first information based on the first MAC PDU or first message from the physical layer, and thereby determine the aforementioned D2R resources.

[0132] In other embodiments, the first information is indicated or notified by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity. That is, the first information is not transmitted through the first MAC PDU or the first message, but is directly transmitted as physical layer (control) information, and is indicated or notified by the physical layer to the MAC layer or MAC entity. Thus, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can obtain the first information based on the indication or notification from the physical layer, and then determine the D2R resources.

[0133] The above two embodiments are merely illustrative examples. In some possible implementations, the above embodiments can also be combined, that is, the physical layer of the A-IoT device can both transmit the first information to the MAC layer or MAC entity through the first MAC PDU or the first message, and directly notify or instruct the first information to the MAC layer or MAC entity.

[0134] In some embodiments, D2R resources are time-frequency resources or access occasions used for D2R transmission. Here, D2R transmission includes, but is not limited to: message 1 (MSG1) in the random access process, message 3 (MSG3) in the random access process, D2R data transmission, etc.

[0135] In some embodiments, the second information may be the start position of the D2R resource of the A-IoT device, the first information mentioned above, or a certain count value (referred to as the first count value). This first count value is used by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to determine the D2R resource. That is, after determining the D2R resource, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can directly indicate the start position of the D2R resource to the physical layer, or it can indicate the first information mentioned above, or it can indicate the first count value used by the physical layer to determine the D2R resource. Thus, the physical layer of the A-IoT device can determine the D2R resource.

[0136] In some embodiments, the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block is a D2R transmission, that is, the transmission sent by the A-IoT device to the reader. As mentioned above, the D2R transmission may be message 1 in the random access process, message 3 in the random access process, D2R data transmission, etc., and this application is not limited thereto.

[0137] In the above embodiments, the physical layer of the A-IoT device obtains the second information and determines the D2R resource, and can then perform the D2R transmission on the D2R resource, sending the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transmission block to the reader.

[0138] In the above embodiments, the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block may also include other information (referred to as third information).

[0139] For example, the MAC layer or MAC entity of an A-IoT device determines or generates the aforementioned third information based on notifications from the physical layer or information provided by the physical layer (e.g., instructions from the physical layer), and includes it in the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block and instructs the physical layer to do so.

[0140] In some examples, the third information is physical layer function and / or state-related information. For example, this third information includes energy-related information and / or NACK (Negative Acknowledgement). The "energy-related information" can be the energy state of the A-IoT device, such as low (or high) or insufficient. "NACK" is used to indicate that the A-IoT device cannot perform the corresponding operation as commanded, such as read / write. This application is not limited to this; the third information may also include other information to facilitate the physical layer of the A-IoT device in generating D2R transmissions.

[0141] In some embodiments, as described above, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can obtain the aforementioned first MAC PDU or first message from the physical layer. In some optional embodiments, as described above, the first MAC PDU or first message includes the aforementioned first information, but this application is not limited thereto, and the first information may not be included in the first MAC PDU or first message.

[0142] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can perform relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message.

[0143] For example, if the first MAC PDU or the first message is a paging message, and the first MAC PDU or the first message includes or indicates a paging identifier, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the paging identifier to the upper layer, and / or receives an indication or notification from the upper layer regarding whether the A-IoT device has been paged. That is, if the information in the first MAC PDU or the first message indicates that the first MAC PDU or the first message is a paging message, or if the physical layer of the A-IoT device indicates that the first MAC PDU or the first message is a paging message and includes or indicates a paging identifier, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the paging identifier to the upper layer (e.g., the NAS layer or the A-IoT application layer). Optionally, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device may also receive an indication or notification from the upper layer regarding whether the A-IoT device has been paged.

[0144] For example, if the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has been paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device has been paged, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can continue to receive, decode, or process the first MAC PDU or the first message, that is, continue to receive, decode, or process the remaining part of the first MAC PDU or the first message, such as the aforementioned first information.

[0145] For example, if the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has not been paged, or if the A-IoT device does not receive an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has been paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device has not been paged, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device will not continue to receive, decode, or process the aforementioned first MAC PDU or first message. For example, it will not continue to receive, decode, or process the remaining part of the aforementioned first MAC PDU or first message, such as the first information, or it will discard the first MAC PDU or first message.

[0146] The examples above are merely illustrative of the relevant processing performed by the MAC layer or MAC entity of an A-IoT device on the first MAC PDU or the first message. However, this application is not limited to these examples, and appropriate modifications can be made based on them. For example, the examples above can be used individually, or one or more of them can be combined.

[0147] According to the above embodiments, by relying on inter-layer interaction, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can reduce the power consumption of the A-IoT device by performing relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message from the physical layer.

[0148] In some embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of an A-IoT device can generate or assemble the corresponding data blocks or MAC PDUs or transport blocks, that is, generate or assemble the D2R transport.

[0149] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can also indicate the amount of resources used or the amount of resources remaining to the physical layer of the A-IoT device. For example, if the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block does not match the resource size, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the amount of resources used or the amount of resources remaining to the physical layer of the A-IoT device. Thus, the physical layer can perform corresponding physical layer operations for the data block, MAC PDU, or transport block according to the instructions of the MAC layer or MAC entity, thereby maximizing resource utilization.

[0150] In the above embodiments, the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes padding bits for matching the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block with the resource size. Thus, the presence of the padding bits enables the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block to be matched with the resource size.

[0151] In the above embodiments, the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block may further include a device association identifier (device association ID), or the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device may indicate the device association identifier (device association ID) to the physical layer of the A-IoT device. Thus, the physical layer can compare whether the device association identifier matches the associated identifier included in the received R2D transmission, thereby determining whether the received R2D transmission needs to be processed or discarded. For example, if the identifiers do not match, the received R2D transmission is discarded; or, if the identifiers match, the received R2D transmission is processed.

[0152] In the above embodiments, the device association identifier (device association ID) is, for example, a 16-bit random number and / or an AS ID, but this application is not limited thereto.

[0153] In some other embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device may perform related processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message, and may further include at least one of the following:

[0154] Determine whether the competition resolution was successful;

[0155] The information in the first MAC PDU or the first message is submitted to the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

[0156] Receive indications or notifications of successful contention resolution from the physical layer of A-IoT devices;

[0157] Discard the 16-bit random number;

[0158] Storage Access Layer Identifier (AS ID).

[0159] In the above embodiments, the first MAC PDU or the first message is Message 2 (MSG2) in the random access process or a contention resolution message. That is, if the first MAC PDU or the first message is Message 2 in the random access process or a contention resolution message, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can also perform at least one of the above processes.

[0160] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device determines whether the contention resolution is successful, which may include at least one of the following:

[0161] Case 1: If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race is considered successfully resolved.

[0162] Case 2: If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or first message indicates or includes ACK (Acknowledgement), then the race condition is considered to have been resolved successfully.

[0163] Case 3: If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or first message does not indicate or does not include NACK, then the race condition is considered to be resolved successfully.

[0164] Case 4: If the received 16-bit random number does not match the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0165] Case 5: If the first MAC PDU or the first message indicates or includes NACK, then the race condition resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0166] Case 6: If the first MAC PDU or the first message does not indicate or does not include an ACK, then the race condition resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0167] In cases 5 and 6 above, regardless of whether the received 16-bit random number matches or does not match the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, if the first MAC PDU or first message indicates or includes NACK, or if the first MAC PDU or first message does not indicate or does not include ACK, then the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0168] In the above embodiment, the 16-bit random number is a 16-bit number randomly generated by the A-IoT device itself. In contention-based random access, this 16-bit random number is included in message 1 and sent by the A-IoT device to the reader.

[0169] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device submits the information in the first MAC PDU or the first message to the physical layer, such as submitting the AS ID. Thus, the physical layer of the A-IoT device can compare whether the AS ID matches the AS ID included in the received R2D transmission, thereby determining whether the received R2D transmission needs to be processed or discarded.

[0170] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0171] According to embodiments of this application, the wireless interface of an IoT environment that includes only the physical layer and MAC layer can support functions such as paging, random access, and data transmission, thereby enabling inventory and / or command service requests.

[0172] Second aspect of the embodiments

[0173] This application provides a method for inter-layer interaction, described from the perspective of an A-IoT device. The second aspect of the embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the first aspect of the embodiment, or it can be implemented independently; content identical to that in the first aspect of the embodiment will not be repeated.

[0174] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the method includes:

[0175] 610: The physical layer of an A-IoT device obtains second information related to D2R resources, as well as corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks, from the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device;

[0176] Among them, the aforementioned D2R resources are determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

[0177] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the method further includes:

[0178] 620: The physical layer of the A-IoT device submits the first MAC PDU or the first message to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0179] In the above embodiments, optionally, the first information may be included in the first MAC PDU or the first message.

[0180] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device can perform relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message, as specifically described in the embodiments of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0181] In other embodiments, the physical layer of the A-IoT device can directly indicate or notify the aforementioned first information to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0182] In the above embodiments, the contents related to the first information, the second information, and the corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks have been described in the embodiments of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0183] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the method further includes:

[0184] 630: The physical layer of the A-IoT device notifies or instructs the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device on information for the MAC layer or MAC entity to determine or generate third information, wherein the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block includes the third information.

[0185] In the above embodiments, the relevant content regarding the third information has been described in the first aspect of the embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0186] In some other embodiments, the physical layer of the A-IoT device also transmits an indication or notification of successful race resolution to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0187] It is worth noting that Figure 6 above is only an illustrative description of the embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto. For example, the execution order between various operations can be appropriately adjusted, and other operations can be added or some operations can be removed. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications based on the above content, and are not limited to the description in Figure 6 above.

[0188] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0189] According to the above embodiments, the wireless interface of the Internet of Things environment, which only includes the physical layer and MAC layer, can support functions such as paging, random access and data transmission, thereby realizing inventory and / or command service requests.

[0190] Third aspect of the embodiments

[0191] This application provides an inter-layer interaction device. This device may be, for example, a tag-type terminal device (A-IoT device), or one or more components or parts configured in the tag-type terminal device (A-IoT device). Contents identical to those in the embodiments of the first to third aspects will not be repeated.

[0192] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the inter-layer interaction device 700 according to an embodiment of this application includes a determining unit 710 and an indicating unit 720, wherein:

[0193] The determining unit 710 determines D2R resources based on the first information at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device;

[0194] The instruction unit 720 instructs the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device to the second information related to D2R resources and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0195] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0196] Scheduling information;

[0197] Information related to TDMA;

[0198] Information related to FDMA;

[0199] The number of D2R resources or the number of A-IoT devices.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first information is included in a first MAC PDU or a first message, which is delivered by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0201] In some embodiments, the first information is indicated or notified by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0202] In some embodiments, the D2R resource is a time-frequency resource or access time for D2R transmission, which includes one of the following:

[0203] Message 1 during the random access process;

[0204] Message 3 during the random access process;

[0205] D2R data transmission.

[0206] In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0207] The starting position of D2R resources for A-IoT devices;

[0208] First information;

[0209] A first count value is used by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to determine the D2R resources of the A-IoT device.

[0210] In some embodiments, the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block includes at least one of the following:

[0211] Message 1 during the random access process;

[0212] Message 3 during the random access process;

[0213] D2R data transmission.

[0214] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, the device 700 further includes a processing unit 730.

[0215] In some embodiments, the processing unit 730 determines or generates relevant third information based on notifications or instructions from the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, and the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes the third information.

[0216] In the above embodiments, the third information may include energy-related information and / or NACK.

[0217] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, the device 700 further includes:

[0218] The acquisition unit 740 obtains a first MAC PDU or a first message from the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device; the processing unit 730 performs relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0219] For example, if the first MAC PDU or the first message is a paging message, and the first MAC PDU or the first message includes or indicates a paging identifier, the processing unit 730 indicates the paging identifier to the upper layer at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, and / or receives an indication or notification from the upper layer regarding whether the A-IoT device has been paged.

[0220] For example, if the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has been paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device has been paged, the processing unit 730 continues to receive, decode, or process the first MAC PDU or the first message at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0221] For example, if the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has not been paged, or if the A-IoT device does not receive an instruction or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has been paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device has not been paged, then the processing unit 730 will not continue to receive, decode, or process the first MAC PDU or the first message at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, or will discard the first MAC PDU or the first message.

[0222] In some embodiments, the processing unit 730 generates or assembles the corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0223] In the above embodiments, optionally, if the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block does not match the resource size, the processing unit 730 indicates the used resource size or the remaining resource size to the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0224] In the above embodiments, optionally, the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block includes padding bits for matching the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block with the resource size.

[0225] In the above embodiments, optionally, the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transmission block includes a device association identifier, or the processing unit 730 indicates the device association identifier to the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0226] In some embodiments, the processing unit 730 performs relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, including at least one of the following:

[0227] Determine whether the competition resolution was successful;

[0228] The first MAC PDU or the information in the first message is submitted to the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

[0229] Receive indications or notifications of successful contention resolution from the physical layer of A-IoT devices;

[0230] Discard the 16-bit random number;

[0231] Storage Access Layer Identifier (AS ID).

[0232] The aforementioned first MAC PDU or first message can be message 2 in the random access process or a contention resolution message.

[0233] In the above embodiments, determining whether the race resolution was successful includes at least one of the following:

[0234] If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number contained in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race is considered successfully resolved.

[0235] If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or first message indicates or includes an ACK, then the race is considered successfully resolved.

[0236] If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or first message does not indicate or include NACK, then the race is considered successfully resolved.

[0237] If the received 16-bit random number does not match the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0238] If the first MAC PDU or the first message indicates or includes a NACK, then the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0239] If the first MAC PDU or the first message does not indicate or does not include an ACK, the race condition resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed.

[0240] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0241] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The inter-layer interaction device 700 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0242] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 7 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0243] According to the above embodiments, the wireless interface of the Internet of Things environment, which only includes the physical layer and MAC layer, can support functions such as paging, random access and data transmission, thereby realizing inventory and / or command service requests.

[0244] Fourth aspect of the embodiment

[0245] This application provides an inter-layer interaction device. This device may be, for example, a tag-type terminal device (A-IoT device), or one or more components or parts configured in the tag-type terminal device (A-IoT device). Contents identical to those in the embodiments of the first to third aspects will not be repeated.

[0246] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an inter-layer interaction device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the inter-layer interaction device 800 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a processing unit 810, which obtains second information related to D2R resources and corresponding data blocks or MAC PDUs or transport blocks from the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device; wherein, the aforementioned D2R resources are determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

[0247] In some embodiments, the processing unit 810 submits a first MAC PDU or a first message to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

[0248] In some embodiments, the processing unit 810 indicates or notifies the aforementioned first information to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

[0249] In some embodiments, the processing unit 810 notifies or instructs the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device to provide information for the MAC layer or MAC entity to determine or generate third information, wherein the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block includes the third information.

[0250] In some embodiments, the processing unit 810 transmits an indication or notification of successful contention resolution to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

[0251] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples of embodiments of this application, but this application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications can be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments can be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments can be combined.

[0252] It is worth noting that the above description only covers the components or modules relevant to this application, but this application is not limited thereto. The inter-layer interaction device 800 may also include other components or modules, and for details regarding these components or modules, please refer to related technologies.

[0253] Furthermore, for simplicity, Figure 8 only illustrates the connection relationships or signal flow between the various components or modules, but those skilled in the art should understand that various related technologies such as bus connections can be used. The aforementioned components or modules can be implemented using hardware facilities such as processors, memory, transmitters, and receivers; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0254] According to the above embodiments, the wireless interface of the Internet of Things environment, which only includes the physical layer and MAC layer, can support functions such as paging, random access and data transmission, thereby realizing inventory and / or command service requests.

[0255] Fifth aspect of the embodiment

[0256] This application also provides a communication system, which can be referred to in FIG1 and FIG2. The contents that are the same as those in the embodiments of the first to fourth aspects will not be repeated.

[0257] In some embodiments, the communication system includes: an A-IoT device, a reader, and a core network device.

[0258] A-IoT devices can be configured, for example, as:

[0259] The MAC layer or MAC entity determines the D2R resource based on the first information;

[0260] The MAC layer or MAC entity indicates to the physical layer the second information related to the aforementioned D2R resources, as well as the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block.

[0261] The reader can be configured, for example, as follows:

[0262] Receive D2R transmissions from A-IoT devices;

[0263] Send R2D transmissions to A-IoT devices.

[0264] Core network equipment can be configured, for example, as follows:

[0265] Send a message to at least one reader.

[0266] The details regarding A-IoT devices have been described in the embodiments of the first to fourth aspects, and their content is incorporated herein by reference, and will not be repeated here. For details regarding readers and core network devices, please refer to relevant technologies; they will not be repeated here.

[0267] This application also provides an A-IoT device.

[0268] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an A-IoT device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the A-IoT device 900 may include a processor 910 and a memory 920; for example, the memory 920 stores data and programs and is coupled to the processor 910. It is worth noting that this figure is exemplary; other types of structures may also be used to supplement or replace this structure to implement telecommunications functions or other functions.

[0269] For example, processor 910 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method described in the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0270] For example, processor 910 can be configured to perform the following controls:

[0271] The D2R resources are determined at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

[0272] The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates to the physical layer of the A-IoT device the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0273] For example, processor 910 can be configured to perform the following controls:

[0274] The physical layer of the A-IoT device obtains second information related to D2R resources and corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks from the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device; wherein the aforementioned D2R resources are determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

[0275] As shown in Figure 9, the A-IoT device 900 may further include a communication module 930; it may or may not have a power supply. It is worth noting that the A-IoT device 900 is not necessarily required to include all the components shown in Figure 9; these components are not essential. Furthermore, the A-IoT device 900 may also include components not shown in Figure 9, which can be found in existing technologies.

[0276] This application also provides a computer program, wherein when the program is executed in an A-IoT device, the program causes the A-IoT device to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the first aspect and / or the second aspect.

[0277] This application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes an A-IoT device to perform the methods described in the embodiments of the first aspect and / or the second aspect.

[0278] The apparatus and methods described above in this application can be implemented in hardware or in combination with software. This application relates to a computer-readable program that, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the apparatus or components described above, or to implement the various methods or steps described above. This application also relates to storage media for storing the above programs, such as hard disks, magnetic disks, optical disks, DVDs, flash memory, etc.

[0279] The methods / apparatus described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination of both. For example, one or more and / or combinations of one or more functional block diagrams shown in the figures can correspond to various software modules in a computer program flow, or to various hardware modules. These software modules can correspond to the various steps shown in the figures, respectively. These hardware modules can be implemented, for example, using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to embed these software modules.

[0280] The software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium can be coupled to the processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium can be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The software module can be stored in the memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if the device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a high-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a high-capacity flash memory device, the software module can be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the high-capacity flash memory device.

[0281] One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or any suitable combination thereof for performing the functions described herein. One or more and / or one or more combinations of functional blocks described in the accompanying drawings can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

[0282] The present application has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these descriptions are exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on its spirit and principles, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

[0283] Regarding the implementation methods including the above embodiments, the following notes are also disclosed:

[0284] 1. A method for inter-layer interaction, applied to A-IoT devices, wherein the method includes:

[0285] The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device determines D2R resources based on the first information;

[0286] The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates to the physical layer of the A-IoT device the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

[0287] 2. A method for inter-layer interaction, applied to A-IoT devices, wherein the method includes:

[0288] The physical layer of an A-IoT device obtains second information related to D2R resources, as well as corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks, from the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

[0289] Among them, the aforementioned D2R resources are determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

[0290] 3. An A-IoT device, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the methods as described in Appendix 1 and / or Appendix 2.

[0291] 4. A computer program product comprising at least a computer program that, when executed by a processor, causes an A-IoT device to perform the methods described in Appendix 1 and / or Appendix 2.

[0292] 5. A communication system, the communication system comprising an A-IoT device, a reader, and core network equipment, wherein,

[0293] The A-IoT device is configured to perform the methods described in Appendix 1 and / or Appendix 2.

Claims

1. An apparatus for inter-layer interaction, configured in an A-IoT device, wherein, The device includes: The determining unit determines D2R resources based on first information at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device. An instruction unit that instructs the physical layer of the A-IoT device, at the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device, to the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Scheduling information; Information related to TDMA; Information related to FDMA; The number of D2R resources or the number of A-IoT devices.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first information is included in the first MAC PDU or the first message, which is delivered by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device; and / or, The first information is indicated or notified by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The D2R resource is a time-frequency resource or access time used for D2R transmission, and the D2R transmission includes one of the following: Message 1 during the random access process; Message 3 during the random access process; D2R data transmission.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: The starting position of the D2R resources of the A-IoT device; The first information; A first count value is used by the physical layer of the A-IoT device to determine the D2R resources of the A-IoT device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes at least one of the following: Message 1 during the random access process; Message 3 during the random access process; D2R data transmission.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The device further includes: The processing unit determines or generates relevant third information based on notifications or instructions from the physical layer of the A-IoT device at the MAC layer or MAC entity, wherein the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes the third information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The third information includes energy-related information and / or NACK.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The device further includes: The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device obtains the first MAC PDU or the first message from the physical layer of the A-IoT device. The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device performs relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device performs relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message, including: If the first MAC PDU or the first message is a paging message, and the first MAC PDU or the first message includes or indicates a paging identifier, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the paging identifier to the upper layer, and / or receives an indication or notification from the upper layer regarding whether the A-IoT device has been paged.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device performs related processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message, including: If the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an indication or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device is being paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device is being paged, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device continues to receive, decode, or process the first MAC PDU or the first message; and / or, If the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device receives an indication or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has not been paged, or if the A-IoT device does not receive an indication or notification from the upper layer that the A-IoT device has been paged, or if the upper layer indicates or notifies that the A-IoT device has not been paged, then the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device will not continue to receive, decode, or process the first MAC PDU or the first message, or will discard the first MAC PDU or the first message.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The device further includes: The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device generates or assembles the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, If the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block does not match the resource size, the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the amount of resources used or the amount of resources remaining to the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes padding bits used to match the corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block with the resource size.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block includes a device association identifier, or the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates the device association identifier to the physical layer of the A-IoT device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device performs relevant processing on the first MAC PDU or the first message, including at least one of the following: Determine whether the competition resolution was successful; The information in the first MAC PDU or the first message is submitted to the physical layer of the A-IoT device. Receive an indication or notification of successful contention resolution from the physical layer of the A-IoT device; Discard the 16-bit random number; Storage Access Layer Identifier (AS ID).

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The first MAC PDU or the first message is message 2 or a contention resolution message in the random access process.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, To determine whether a competition resolution was successful, at least one of the following must be considered: If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number contained in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race is considered successfully resolved. If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or the first message indicates or includes an ACK, then the race is considered successfully resolved. If the received 16-bit random number matches the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, and the first MAC PDU or the first message does not indicate or include NACK, then the race is considered successfully resolved. If the received 16-bit random number does not match the 16-bit random number included in the previous corresponding data block, MAC PDU, or transport block, the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed. If the first MAC PDU or the first message indicates or includes NACK, then the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed. If the first MAC PDU or the first message does not indicate or does not include an ACK, then the race resolution is considered unsuccessful or has failed. 19.An apparatus for inter-layer interaction, configured in an A-IoT device, wherein, The device includes: The processing unit obtains second information related to D2R resources and corresponding data blocks, MAC PDUs, or transport blocks from the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device at the physical layer of the A-IoT device; wherein the D2R resources are determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

20. A communication system comprising an A-IoT device configured to perform the following processes: The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device determines D2R resources based on the first information; The MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device indicates to the physical layer of the A-IoT device the second information related to the D2R resource and the corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block; And / or, obtaining, at a physical layer of the A-IoT device, second information related to a D2R resource and a corresponding data block or MAC PDU or transport block from a MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device; wherein, The D2R resource is determined by the MAC layer or MAC entity of the A-IoT device based on the first information.

Images