阅读说明：本技术 协作辅助位置估计技术 (Cooperative assisted position estimation techniques ) 是由 阿里·拉马丹·阿里 卡斯柯杨·加尼森 桑迪普·甘卡克黑卡尔 约瑟夫·艾辛格 于 2018-02-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及使用射频识别(RFID)标签的协作辅助位置估计技术和无连接传感器数据传输技术。特别地,本公开涉及使通信网络(诸如5G网络)能够基于协作辅助机制跟踪和识别工业环境中的低功率传感器设备的系统、设备、和方法。例如,通过携带RFID标签,这种低功率传感器设备能够启用RFID。特别地,本公开涉及用户设备UE(601),该用户设备包括处理器(602),处理器(602)用于：从网络设备(604)(特别是基站或接入点)或另一协作UE接收辅助请求消息(603)；从至少一个RFID标签(606)接收第一RFID响应(605),特别是对由UE(601)发送到至少一个RFID标签(606)的第一RFID信号(607)的第一RFID响应(605)；以及基于第一RFID响应(605)向网络设备(604)发送第一RFID信息(608)。(The present disclosure relates to cooperative assisted position estimation techniques and connectionless sensor data transmission techniques using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods that enable communication networks (such as 5G networks) to track and identify low power sensor devices in an industrial environment based on cooperative assistance mechanisms. Such low power sensor devices can enable RFID, for example, by carrying an RFID tag. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a user equipment, UE, (601) comprising a processor (602), the processor (602) being configured to: receiving an assistance request message (603) from a network device (604), in particular a base station or an access point, or another cooperating UE; receiving a first RFID response (605) from the at least one RFID tag (606), in particular a first RFID response (605) to a first RFID signal (607) transmitted by the UE (601) to the at least one RFID tag (606); and transmitting the first RFID information (608) to the network device (604) based on the first RFID response (605).)

1. A user equipment, UE, (601) comprising a processor (602) configured to:

receiving an assistance request message (603) from a network device (604) or another cooperating UE, the network device (604) being in particular a base station or an access point;

receiving a first RFID response (605) from at least one RFID tag (606), in particular a first RFID response (605) to a first RFID signal (607) sent by the UE (601) to the at least one RFID tag (606); and

transmitting first RFID information (608) to the network device (604) based on the first RFID response (605).

2. The UE (601) of claim 1, wherein the processor (602) is further configured to:

transmitting a second RFID signal (608) to the at least one RFID tag (606), wherein the second RFID signal (608) is transmitted through a beam.

3. The UE (601) of claim 2, wherein the processor (602) is configured to:

determining the beam based on information included in the first RFID response (605).

4. The UE (601) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the processor (602) is configured to:

receiving a second RFID response (609) from the at least one RFID tag (606), and

transmitting second RFID information (610) to the network device (604) or another cooperating UE.

5. The UE (601) of claim 4,

wherein the first RFID information (608) and/or the second RFID information (610) comprise aggregated measurement data, in particular range information and/or location information.

6. The UE (601) of claim 5,

wherein the processor (602) is configured to: determining the aggregated measurement data based on sensor IDs and sensor data included in the first RFID response (605) and/or the second RFID response (609).

7. The UE (601) of claim 5 or 6,

wherein the processor (602) is configured to:

determining the aggregated measurement data based on characteristics of the first RFID response (605) and/or the second RFID response (609), in particular information on time of arrival, TOA, and/or received Signal Strength indication, RSSI.

8. The UE (601) according to one of the preceding claims,

wherein the assistance request message (603) comprises a configuration of the UE (601) and/or information about a location of the at least one RFID tag (606).

9. The UE (601) according to claim 8,

wherein the configuration of the UE (601) comprises:

a first mode in which the UE (601) is configured to act as a receiver and measurement aggregator,

a second mode, wherein the UE (601) is configured to act as a transceiver and measurement aggregator, and/or

A third mode, wherein the UE (601) is configured to act as a distributed transceiver and measurement aggregator.

10. The UE (601) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the configuration of the UE (601) comprises an activation period of the UE (601).

11. A network device (604), in particular a base station or an access point, the network device (604) comprising a processor for:

transmitting information, in particular assistance request information (603), to a user equipment, UE, (601), wherein the information (603) comprises configuration information to configure the UE (601) to:

transmitting a first RFID signal (607) or a second RFID signal (608) to specifically wake up at least one RFID tag (606); and/or

Receiving a first RFID response (605) and/or a second RFID response (609) from the at least one RFID tag (606); and

transmitting RFID information (608, 610) to the network device (604) or another cooperating UE based on the first RFID response (605) and/or the second RFID response (609).

12. The network device (604) of claim 11,

wherein the configuration information comprises information for configuring the UE (601) to operate in:

a first mode in which the UE (601) is configured to act as a receiver and measurement aggregator,

a second mode in which the UE (601) is configured to act as a transceiver and a measurement aggregator, an

A third mode, wherein the UE (601) is configured to act as a distributed transceiver and measurement aggregator.

13. The network device (604) of claim 12,

wherein, in the first mode, the processor is to:

generating a third RFID signal (611) for activating the at least one RFID tag (606) and transmitting the third RFID signal (611) to the at least one RFID tag (606),

receiving aggregated measurement data from the UE (601); and

determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag (606) based on the aggregated measurement data.

14. The network device (604) of claim 12,

wherein, in the second mode and the third mode, the processor is to:

receiving aggregated measurement data from the UE (601) or another cooperating UE; and

determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag (606) based on the aggregated measurement data.

15. A network server (620), in particular a cloud server, the network server (620) comprising a processor (621), the processor (621) being configured to:

sending information to a network device (604), the network device (604) in particular being a base station or an access point, in particular a network device according to one of claims 11 to 14, the information in particular being a tracking request message (624), the information comprising a configuration (622) of the network device (604),

wherein the configuring (622) of the network equipment (604) is based on a cooperative assistance scheme (623), the cooperative assistance scheme (623) enabling the network equipment (604) assisted by at least one user equipment, UE, (601) to activate at least one radio frequency identification, RFID, tag (606) and to receive measurement data from the at least one RFID tag (606).

16. The network server (620) according to claim 15, wherein the cooperation assistance scheme (623) configures the at least one UE (601) to:

-transmitting an RFID signal (607, 608) for activating the at least one RFID tag (606) to the at least one RFID tag (606) and/or receiving a backscatter RFID signal (605, 609) from the at least one RFID tag (606); and

transmitting aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals (605, 609) to the network device (604) or another cooperating UE.

17. A method (700) for providing aggregated measurement data from a radio frequency identification, RFID, tag, the method comprising:

receiving (701) an assistance request message from a network device, in particular a base station or an access point, or a UE, in particular a cooperative UE;

transmitting (702) an RFID signal to at least one RFID tag for activating the at least one RFID tag, and/or receiving a backscatter RFID signal from the at least one RFID tag; and

sending (703) aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals to the network device or the cooperating UE.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to cooperative assisted position estimation techniques and connectionless sensor data transmission techniques using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods that enable communication networks (such as 5G networks) to track and identify low power sensor devices in an industrial environment based on cooperative assistance mechanisms. Such low power sensor devices can enable RFID, for example, by carrying an RFID tag.

Background

In current communication scenarios, low power sensor devices are used in industry, for example, for internet-of-things (IoT) and new air interface communications. The smart industry will deploy 5G for communication between various types of sensors and devices in an industrial environment. In a factory environment, RFID is readily applied (e.g., by sticker labeling) to any movable batteryless object in an industrial environment, for example, for indoor location and other location tasks. Applications such as Energy Harvesting (EH) may be applied to the sensors through a Radio Frequency (RF) support interface, for example, by using "Sub 1 USD" silicon. In the new air interface, a 5G Base Station (BS) may be used to track a sensor device with an RFID tag, the 5G base station supporting high transmit power and having beamforming capability to provide sufficient coverage. In these communication scenarios described above, there is a need to identify, track, and track heterogeneous objects/devices, such as sensor devices connected to low-cost RFID (connectionless, non-intelligent) and/or sensor devices connected to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) devices (IoT connection, intelligent based). Key requirements include low power/passive power consumption, low cost of add-on devices/infrastructure, and various positioning/sensing requirements.

However, the following problems can be seen in these communication scenarios: tracking sensor devices using RFID technology requires a separate system that does not have an interface for high data rate communication technology, and thus automation in a dynamic industrial environment is difficult to achieve. Industrial 4.0 applications require enhanced Base Station (BS) and/or Access Point (AP) capabilities to identify and accurately locate low/no power sensor devices. There may be a need for: mechanical tracking (e.g., to optimize plant layout), autonomous or Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) tracking, bin tracking, product tracking, and personnel tracking. According to the 3GPP TS 22.261 specification, the required positioning accuracy of moving objects in a factory floor may be less than about 50 centimeters.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a concept for efficiently localizing moving objects, in particular moving objects in an industrial environment, such as large-scale non-intelligent connectionless sensor nodes. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unified solution for tracking and tracing large scale non-intelligent connectionless sensor nodes in 5G wireless communication, which sensor nodes are provided with RFID tags.

This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Other implementations are apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

The basic idea of the invention is location estimation based on a cooperative assistance mechanism as described below. In cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted tracking, a base station broadcasts a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal, and simultaneously activates and configures the C-UE in a cell for receiver processing. The C-UE receives the backscatter signal, processes and measures signal properties such as time-of-arrival (ToA) and Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), optionally combines and processes measurements from different sources, and sends the processing results to the BS. The BS provides configuration details (e.g., C-UE activation period) and reference tag location details to all C-UEs.

One focus of the present disclosure is to provide a 5G BS-based network solution to enable tracking, identifying, and sending connectionless data from low power sensor nodes. The unified solution described above benefits from the deployment of 5G systems in the enterprise domain (e.g., factory automation, factory control, etc.) that avoids the additional costs associated with deploying a separate RFID reader and bridging the reader to a server. With the solution in the present disclosure, the 5G BS supports new UE types, i.e. connectionless data, non-intelligent sensor nodes. For sensor nodes supporting RFID and NB-IoT devices, tracking area update is completed through RFID subframes, so that power consumption of the NB-IoT devices is minimized. This avoids the NB-IoT becoming a frequent connection mode in order to perform Tracking Area Update (TAU). The 5GBS provides a beamforming solution to achieve more reliable data transmission and more accurate positioning. The C-UE assisted architecture makes positioning more reliable. As described in this disclosure, if the 5G AP link is in a non-line-of-sight (NLOS), the 5G AP may not be able to reliably detect the backscattered signal, and therefore a cooperating UE (C-UE) with a known location may assist in the tracking and positioning of the sensor tag.

For a detailed description of the invention, the following terms, abbreviations, and symbols will be used:

RFID: radio frequency identification (radio frequency identification)

UE: user equipment (user equipment)

C-UE: cooperative UE (cooperative-UE)

BS: base station (Basestation), eNodeB

TRP: transmission/reception point (transmission/reception point)

AP: access points (access points), e.g. 5G AP or TRP

NB-IoT: narrow-band Internet of things (narrow band internet-of-ings)

EH: energy harvesting (energyharvesting, EH)

TDD: time division duplex (time division duplex)

FDD: frequency division duplex (frequency division duplex)

NLOS: non-line-of-sight (non-line-of-sight)

OFDM: orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (orthogonal frequency division multiplex)

RF: radio frequency (radio frequency)

TAU: tracking area update (tracking area update)

ToA: time of arrival (time-of-arrival)

RSSI: received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

NW: network (network)

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a user equipment comprising a processor configured to: receiving an assistance request message from a network device (in particular a base station or an access point) or another cooperating UE; receiving a first RFID response from the at least one RFID tag, in particular a first RFID response to a first RFID signal transmitted by the UE to the at least one RFID tag; and transmitting the first RFID information to the network device based on the first RFID response.

A cooperative UE is a UE with a cooperative assistance scheme. The first RFID signal may also be provided by a cooperating UE or BS.

Such user equipment, also referred to as cooperative user equipment (C-UE), performs location estimation based on cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted tracking. The base station broadcasts a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal while activating and configuring the C-UEs in the BS's cell for receiver processing. The C-UE receives the backscatter signal, processes and measures signal properties such as time of arrival (ToA) and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), optionally combines and processes measurements from different sources, and sends the processing results to the BS. The BS provides configuration details (e.g., C-UE activation period) and reference tag location details to all C-UEs.

Such C-UEs offer the advantages of NLOS mitigation and extended range (link budget). If the RFID tag-5 GBS/AP link is in NLOS or has link budget constraints, the backscatter signal may not be reliably detected at the 5G BS/AP. A cooperating UE (C-UE) with a known location and located near the tag may more reliably receive the backscatter signal and locate the tag.

Such C-UEs provide the advantage of relaxing the full duplex requirements. If the tag response time is very short (in the order of microseconds), the BS/AP and/or C-UE needs to have full duplex capability (if the first and second methods are used), which is particularly challenging in this case because the received signal power is very low. If the third method is used (as described below), the full-duplex requirement can be relaxed.

Such C-UEs provide the advantage of managing backscatter interference. The large number of tags in an area may result in increased interference of the backscattered signal at the receiver, resulting in poor location performance or missed detection of the tags. By scheduling C-UEs to transmit in a particular direction (using beamformed RFID signals) at a particular time, backscatter interference can be intelligently managed.

In an example implementation form of the UE above, the processor is further configured to transmit a second RFID signal to the at least one RFID tag, wherein the second RFID signal is transmitted through the beam.

The second RFID signal may also be provided by a cooperating UE or BS.

Transmitting the second RFID signal through the beam provides the following advantages: i.e., the beam can be directed precisely at the desired RFID tag. Thus, multiple different RFID tags may be sensed simultaneously.

In an example implementation of the UE described above, the processor is to determine the beam based on information included in the first RFID response.

This provides the following advantages: when evaluating data from the first RFID response, the beam may be directed precisely at the RFID tag.

In an example implementation of the UE above, the processor is configured to: and receiving a second RFID response from the at least one RFID tag, and transmitting second RFID information to the network equipment or another cooperative UE.

This provides the following advantages: when using the second RFID response from the at least one RFID tag, the location of the RFID tag can be refined. Therefore, positioning estimation with higher accuracy can be performed.

In an example implementation of the UE described above, the first RFID information and/or the second RFID information comprises aggregated measurement data, in particular range information and/or location information.

This provides the following advantages: the UE performs measurement aggregation, i.e. pre-processing of measurements, in order to send only relevant measurement results. This reduces the required transmission bandwidth and facilitates measurement evaluation by the base station.

In an example implementation of the UE above, the processor is configured to: the aggregated measurement data is determined based on the sensor ID and the sensor data included in the first RFID response and/or the second RFID response.

This provides the following advantages: aggregated measurement data can be easily assigned to individual RFID tags.

In an example implementation of the UE above, the processor is configured to: the aggregated measurement data is determined based on characteristics of the first RFID response and/or the second RFID response, in particular information about time of arrival (TOA) and/or Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI).

This provides the following advantages: the aggregated measurement data carries information, such as TOA and RSSI, that can be used to efficiently determine a location estimate for the RFID tag.

In an example implementation form of the UE described above, the assistance request message includes a configuration of the UE and/or information about a location of the at least one RFID tag.

This provides the following advantages: by transmitting the assistance request message, the BS may configure the UE according to the configuration included in the assistance request message. Further, the UE may learn the location of the RFID tag from the assistance request message. The UE may use this information to direct the beam to the RFID tag.

In an example implementation manner of the UE, the configuration of the UE includes: a first mode in which the UE is configured to act as a receiver and a measurement aggregator; a second mode in which the UE is configured to operate as a transceiver and a measurement aggregator; and/or a third mode in which the UE is configured to operate as a distributed transceiver and a measurement aggregator.

This provides the following advantages: the UE may be flexible to operate in different modes according to specific requirements. The BS may configure the appropriate mode of the UE according to its measurement schedule, which provides flexibility in measurement.

In the example implementation of the UE described above, the configuration of the UE includes an activation period of the UE.

The activation period defines the transmission duration of the RFID signal. This provides the following advantages: the transmission of the RFID signal can be flexibly switched off to receive the backscatter signal.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a network device, in particular a base station or an access point, comprising a processor for: transmitting information, in particular assistance request information, to a User Equipment (UE), wherein the information comprises configuration information to configure the UE to: transmitting a first RFID signal or a second RFID signal, in particular for waking up at least one RFID tag; and/or receiving a first RFID response and/or a second RFID response from at least one RFID tag; and transmitting the RFID information to the network device or another cooperating UE based on the first RFID response and/or the second RFID response.

Such network devices perform location estimation based on cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted tracking. A network device (e.g., a base station or AP, particularly a 5G AP) broadcasts a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal while activating and configuring C-UEs in the network device's cell for receiver processing. The C-UE receives the backscatter signal, processes and measures signal properties (e.g., time of arrival (ToA) and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)), optionally combines and processes measurements from different sources, and sends the processing results to the network device. The network device provides configuration details (e.g., C-UE activation period) and reference tag location details to all C-UEs.

In an example implementation of the network device, the configuration information includes information for configuring the UE to operate in: a first mode in which the UE is configured to act as a receiver and a measurement aggregator; a second mode in which the UE is configured to operate as a transceiver and a measurement aggregator; and a third mode in which the UE is configured to operate as a distributed transceiver and a measurement aggregator.

This provides the following advantages: the network device may configure the UE to operate flexibly in different modes according to specific requirements. The network device may configure the appropriate mode of the UE according to its measurement schedule, which provides flexibility in measurements.

In the first mode, the UE receives an assistance request message from the BS or another cooperating UE. The BS or other C-UE provides the wake-up and RFID signal to the RFID tag. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the UE receives a backscatter signal containing sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information from the RFID tag and forwards the information to the BS or other UE.

In the second mode, the UE receives an assistance request message from the BS or another cooperating UE. The UE provides wake-up and RFID signals to the RFID tag and receives a backscatter signal containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information from the RFID tag. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the UE forwards such information to the BS or other C-UEs.

In the third mode, the UE receives an assistance request message from the BS or another cooperating UE. The UE forwards the assistance request message to the second C-UE and provides a wake-up and RFID signal to the RFID tag. The second C-UE receives a backscatter signal from the RFID tag containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information. For example, as shown in fig. 5, the second C-UE forwards the information to the UE, which forwards the information to the BS or other C-UEs.

In an example implementation of the network device described above, in the first mode, the processor is configured to: generating a third RFID signal for activating the at least one RFID tag and transmitting the third RFID signal to the at least one RFID tag, receiving aggregated measurement data from the UE; and determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag based on the aggregated measurement data.

This provides the following advantages: the network device can trigger the RFID tag directly without using C-UE. The response from the RFID tag may be processed by the C-UE, and this is therefore referred to as a cooperative assistance technique.

In an example implementation of the network device described above, in the second mode and the third mode, the processor is configured to: receiving aggregated measurement data from a UE or another cooperating UE; and determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag based on the aggregated measurement data.

This provides the following advantages: the network device may receive aggregated (i.e., preprocessed) measurement data. Thus, computational complexity at the network device may be reduced as the computation is transferred to the C-UE.

According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a network server, in particular a cloud server, comprising a processor for: transmitting information, in particular tracking request information, to a network device, in particular a base station or an access point, in particular a network device according to the second aspect, the information comprising a configuration of the network device, wherein the configuration of the network device is based on a cooperative assistance scheme enabling the network device assisted by at least one User Equipment (UE) to activate at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and to receive measurement data from the at least one RFID tag.

Such a network server may trigger a location estimation based on tracking of a cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted network device, such as a base station or access point (e.g., a 5G AP). The network device broadcasts a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signal while activating and configuring C-UEs in the network device's cell for receiver processing. The C-UE receives the backscatter signal, processes and measures signal properties such as time of arrival (ToA) and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), optionally combines and processes measurements from different sources, and sends the processing results to the network device, which may send the results to a network server. The network device provides configuration details (e.g., C-UE activation period) and reference tag location details to all C-UEs.

In an example implementation form of the network server described above, the cooperation assistance scheme configures the at least one UE to: transmitting an RFID signal for activating the at least one RFID tag to the at least one RFID tag and/or receiving a backscatter RFID signal from the at least one RFID tag; and transmitting the aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals to a network device or another cooperating UE.

This provides the following advantages: the UE performs measurement aggregation, i.e. pre-processing of measurements, in order to send only relevant measurement results. This reduces the transmission bandwidth required between the BS and the UE and between the network server and the BS, and facilitates measurement evaluation by the base station.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a method for providing aggregated measurement data from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, the method comprising: receiving an assistance request message from a network device (in particular a base station or an access point) or a UE (in particular a cooperating UE); transmitting an RFID signal for activating the at least one RFID tag to the at least one RFID tag and/or receiving a backscatter RFID signal from the at least one RFID tag; and transmitting the aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals to a network device or a cooperating UE.

This approach provides efficient location estimation based on cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted tracking. The method provides a solution available in the 5G BS, and can realize quick and accurate positioning so as to realize reliable data transmission. By applying the cooperative assistance scheme, the location of the UE, such as a sensor device or any other object carrying an RFID tag, can be efficiently detected.

A network device performing the above method may include a processor for performing the above steps. An RFID tag is a label or tag that is attached to an object to be identified or located. A two-way radio transmitter-receiver, called an interrogator or reader, sends a signal to a tag and reads the response of the tag.

Drawings

Other embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of RFID signal generation 100 according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 200 for cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted RFID sensor tracking according to the present disclosure;

fig. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 300 showing C-UEs as receivers and measurement aggregators in accordance with the present disclosure;

fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 400 showing C-UEs as transceivers and measurement aggregators in accordance with the present disclosure;

fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 500 showing two or more C-UEs as distributed transceivers in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6a shows a schematic diagram of a communication system with a C-UE 601, a network device 604, and an RFID tag 606 according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6b shows a schematic diagram of a communication system with a network server 620 and a network device 604 according to the present disclosure; and

fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a method 700 for providing aggregated measurement data from RFID tags according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific aspects in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other aspects may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

It is to be understood that the explanations with respect to the described methods also apply to the corresponding devices or systems used to carry out the methods, and vice versa. For example, if a specific method step is described, a corresponding apparatus may comprise such means even if no means for performing the described method step is explicitly described or shown in the figures. Furthermore, it is to be understood that features of the various example aspects described herein may be combined with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.

The methods, devices, and systems described in this disclosure may apply Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) by using RFID tags. RFID automatically identifies and tracks tags attached to objects using electromagnetic fields. The tag may contain electronically stored information. Passive tags collect energy from the interrogation radio waves of nearby RFID readers. Active tags have a local power source (e.g., a battery) and may operate hundreds of meters from the RFID reader. Unlike bar codes, tags do not need to be in the line of sight of the reader, and therefore can be embedded in the object being tracked.

The methods and apparatus described herein may also be implemented in wireless communication networks based on mobile communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), particularly 4.5G, 5G and higher standards. The methods and apparatus described herein may also be implemented in wireless communication networks, particularly communication networks using WiFi communication standards according to IEEE 802.11 and higher versions. The devices described may include integrated circuits and/or passive devices and may be fabricated according to various techniques. For example, the circuits may be designed as logic integrated circuits, analog integrated circuits, mixed signal integrated circuits, optical circuits, memory circuits, and/or integrated passive circuits.

The devices described herein may be used to transmit wireless signals and/or receive wireless signals. The wireless signal may be transmitted by a wireless transmitting device (wireless transmitter or wireless transmitter), wherein the radio frequency range is about 3kHz to 300 GHz.

The devices and systems described herein may include a processor, a memory, and a transceiver (i.e., a transmitter and/or a receiver). In the following description, the term "processor" describes any device that may be used to process a particular task (or block or step). The processor may be a single processor or a multi-core processor, or may comprise a set of processors, or may comprise means for processing. The processor may process software, firmware, or applications, among others.

Next, a base station and a user equipment are described. Examples of a base station may include an access node, an evolved NodeB (eNB), a gNB, a NodeB, a master eNB (MeNB), a secondary eNB (SeNB), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), and an access point.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of RFID signal generation 100 according to the present disclosure. The RFID TX signal 110, which may be generated by a 5G transmitter (e.g., a 5G base station 201 as described below with respect to fig. 2-5), includes a wake-up signal 112 and a signal 111 for charging a tag. The BS transmits an RFID TX signal 110 to an RFID tag (e.g., a passive tag having a chip 120 as shown in fig. 1). The wake-up signal 112 enables the RFID tag 120 to respond to the base station and transmit a backscatter signal 130 to the base station. The backscatter signal 130 includes sensor data 132 and a tag ID 131 of the RFID tag 120. Using this mechanism, the BS can receive information from the passive sensor node carrying the RFID tag.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 200 for cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted RFID sensor tracking according to the present disclosure. The communication system 200 includes a Base Station (BS)201 (particularly a 5G BS), a User Equipment (UE)220 (which may also be denoted as C-UE or CUE) that may function as a cooperating UE, and a plurality of RFIDs or sensors having RFID tags 231, 232, 233, 234. The C-UE220 is connected to the BS201 via a Uu link for C-UE assisted tracking. The RFID tags 231, 232, 233, 234 are connected to the C-UE220 via a Pc5 link 221.

Such a communication system 220 as shown in fig. 2 may provide the following functions: according to a first function or method (e.g., as shown in fig. 3), the BS201 broadcasts an RFID signal, activates and configures C-UEs 220 in a cell (only one C-UE220 is shown in fig. 2, there may be multiple Uu links to multiple C-UEs), while a portion of the receiver processing is transferred to the C-UEs 220. The BS201 provides configuration details (e.g., C-UE activation period), reference tag location details to all C-UEs 220. C-UE220 processes the backscatter signals from RFIDs 231, 232, 233, 234 and sends the processed trace results to BS201 in access link 211 without requiring full duplex requirements at BS 201.

According to a second function or method (e.g., as shown in fig. 4), the C-UE220 functions as an RFID reader, transmits RFID signals, processes backscatter RFID signals from the tags 231, 232, 233, 234, and transmits the processed data to the BS 201. If the tag response time is very short (on the order of microseconds), the C-UE220 needs to have full-duplex capability. BS201 may manage the backscatter interference by scheduling the transmission of C-UE220 in the time or frequency domain.

According to a third function or method (e.g., as shown in fig. 5), the C-UE220 acting as an RFID reader configures at least one other C-UE having a known location to act as a receiver and then transmits an RFID signal. The second C-UE receives the backscatter RFID signal, processes the signal and sends the processed result (e.g., time of arrival (ToA), Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), etc.) to the first C-UE. The first C-UE may then obtain the location of the tag, taking into account the processing results from the second C-UE and the a priori location information of the second C-UE.

This cooperative user equipment (C-UE) assisted RFID sensor tracking provides the following advantages:

1) mitigation of NLOS and extended range (link budget): if the RFID tag-5G BS/AP link is located in the NLOS or has link budget constraints, the backscatter signal may not be reliably detected at the 5G BS/AP. A cooperating UE (C-UE) with a known location and located near the tag may more reliably receive the backscatter signal and locate the tag.

2) The full duplex requirement is relaxed: if the tag response time is very short (in the order of microseconds), the BS/AP and/or C-UE needs to have full duplex capability (if the first and second methods are used), which is particularly challenging in this case because the received signal power is very low. If the third method is used, the full duplex requirement can be relaxed.

3) Managing backscatter interference: the large number of tags in an area may result in increased interference of the backscattered signal at the receiver, resulting in poor location performance or missed detection of the tags. By scheduling C-UEs to transmit in a particular direction (using beamformed RFID signals) at a particular time, backscatter interference can be intelligently managed.

Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 300 showing C-UEs as receivers and measurement aggregators in accordance with the present disclosure.

In the method (shown in FIG. 3), the 5G BS/AP 201 sends a C-UE assistance request 303 to the C-UE220 to prepare the C-UE220 to receive RFID signals. BS201 then transmits the RFID signal as a simple broadcast 304, or transmits the RFID signal in a beamforming fashion 310. The RFID tags 321, 232, 233 receiving the RFID signals 304, 310 use the wake-up signal to activate the circuitry of these tags and send backscatter signals 306, 312, which signals 306, 312 are received at the C-UE 220. The C-UE220 processes and decodes the backscattered signals 306, 312 from the plurality of tags 231, 232, 233, obtains location related information about the tags 231, 232, 233 (shown in fig. 7 as AGG 307, AGG 313), and sends this information 308, 314 to the BS 201.

In particular, the following messages are sent between the location server 350, the BS201 (5G AP), the C-UE220, and the sensor with RFID tags 231, 232, 233 in the cloud. Location server 350 sends a tracking request message 301 to BS 201. The BS201 performs subframe configuration 302 for C-UE (rx) to generate a C-UE assistance request message 303. The BS201 transmits a C-UE assistance request message 303 to the C-UE 220.

For coarse position estimation, BS201 sends (in a first step) wake-up and RFID signals 304 to RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tag 231, 232, 233 performs sensing 305 and sends a backscatter signal 306 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 220. The C-UE220 performs aggregation of measurements (AGG) 307 and sends the results of the AGG 307, i.e. the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 308 to the C-UE220, which C-UE220 performs a positioning algorithm 309 to determine the position (coarse position estimate) of the sensor with the RFID tag 231, 232, 233 based on this data. For fine position estimation, BS201 transmits (in a second step) beamformed RFID signals 310 to RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tags 231, 232, 233 perform sensing 311 and send backscatter signals 312 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 220. The C-UE220 performs measurement Aggregation (AGG)313 and sends the results of the AGG 313, i.e. the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 314 to the C-UE220, which C-UE220 performs fine positioning and data reception 315 to determine the position of the sensor with the RFID tag 231, 232, 233 based on the data (fine position estimation). Finally, the BS201 transmits the sensor ID, the sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 316 to the location server 350.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 400 showing C-UEs as transceivers and measurement aggregators in accordance with the present disclosure.

In this method (shown in fig. 4), the 5G AP/BS 201 or the location server 350 configures and schedules the C-UE220 to transmit RFID signals 404, 410 and also receives backscatter signals 406, 412 from the tags 231, 232, 233. Furthermore, beamforming configuration for fine positioning may be provided by the 5G AP 201 or the location server 350. For example, the beamforming configuration may be a beam scanning configuration, or a multi-beam transmission using data beamforming, or a broad beam transmission. Since the location of the secondary C-UEs 220 is known to the BS201, centralized control of the beamforming configurations of the different C-UEs 220 helps to mitigate interference between the C-UEs 220. Fig. 4 shows a signaling flow.

In particular, the following messages are sent between the location server 350, the BS201 (5G AP), the C-UE220, and the sensor with RFID tags 231, 232, 233 in the cloud. Location server 350 sends a tracking request message 401 to BS 201. The BS201 performs subframe configuration and transmission configuration for the C-UE (Tx/Rx)402 to generate a C-UE assistance request message 403. The BS201 transmits a C-UE assistance request message 403 to the C-UE 220.

For coarse position estimation, the C-UE220 sends (in a first step) a wake-up and RFID signal 404 to the RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tags 231, 232, 233 perform sensing 405 and send backscatter signals 406 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 220. The C-UE220 performs measurement Aggregation (AGG)407 and sends the results of the AGG 407, i.e. the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 408 to the C-UE220, which C-UE220 performs a positioning algorithm 409 to determine the position (coarse position estimate) of the sensor with the RFID tag 231, 232, 233 based on this data. For fine position estimation, the C-UE220 sends (in a second step) a beamformed RFID signal 410 to the RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tags 231, 232, 233 perform sensing 311 and send backscatter signals 412 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 220. The C-UE220 performs measurement Aggregation (AGG)413 and sends the results of the AGG 413, i.e. the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 414 to the C-UE220, which C-UE220 performs fine positioning and data reception 415 to determine the position of the sensor with the RFID tag 231, 232, 233 based on the data (fine position estimation). Finally, the BS201 transmits the sensor ID, the sensor location, and the sensing data 416 to the location server 350.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system 500 showing two or more C-UEs as distributed transceivers and a measurement aggregator in accordance with the present disclosure.

The method shown in fig. 5 involves the network and at least two C- UEs 531, 532 in the positioning procedure. C-UE1531 functions as an RFID transmitter and C-UE2532 functions as an RFID receiver. The wake-up and RFID signals 505, 514 are transmitted by C-UE1531 and the backscatter signals 507, 516 from the tags 231, 232, 233 are received by C-UE 2532. The C-UE2532 then processes the received signal 507 and obtains information related to location and sensors. It should be noted that the information relating to position is relative to its own frame of reference. In addition, this information is sent to the C-UE1531, which the C-UE1531 processes to obtain location related information in the C-UE's own coordinate reference system. Finally, information related to the location and sensors is transmitted to the BS 201.

In particular, the following messages are sent between the location server 350, the BS201 (5G AP), the first cooperating UE (C-UE1)531, the second cooperating UE (C-UE2)532, and the sensor with RFID tags 231, 232, 233 in the cloud. Location server 350 sends a tracking request message 501 to BS 201. BS201 performs subframe configuration for C-UE (rx)502 to generate C-UE assistance request message 503. BS201 transmits C-UE assistance request message 503 to C-UE1531 (or alternatively, C-UE assistance request message 503 (not shown in fig. 5) to C-UE 2532).

For coarse position estimation, C-UE1531 sends C-UE assistance request message 504 to C-UE2532, and C-UE1531 sends (in a first step) wake-up and RFID signal 505 to RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tag 231, 232, 233 performs sensing 506 and sends a backscatter signal 507 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 2532. The C-UE2532 performs measurement Aggregation (AGG)508 and sends the results of AGG 508, i.e. the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 509 to the C-UE1531, and the C-UE1531 performs other measurement Aggregation (AGG)510 using the positioning algorithm 511 to determine the location (coarse location estimate) of the sensors with RFID tags 231, 232, 233 based on this data. C-UE1531 sends sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 512 to BS 201. For fine position estimation, the C-UE1531 sends a C-UE assistance request message 513 to the C-UE2532, and the C-UE1531 sends (in a second step) a beamformed RFID signal 514 to the RFID tags 231, 232, 233. The RFID tag 231, 232, 233 performs sensing 515 and sends a backscatter signal 516 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information to the C-UE 2532. The UE2532 performs measurement Aggregation (AGG)517 and sends the results of AGG 517, i.e., the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 518 to the C-UE1531, the C-UE1531 performs other measurement Aggregation (AGG)520 and sends the results of the other AGG 520, i.e., the sensor ID, sensor data, and (implicit) ToF information 521 to the BS201, and the BS201 performs fine positioning and data reception 522 based on the data. Finally, the BS201 transmits the sensor ID, the sensor location, and the sensing data 523 to the location server 350.

Fig. 6a shows a schematic diagram of a communication system according to the present disclosure with a UE601, in particular a C-UE 601, a network device 604, and an RFID tag 606. A cooperative UE is a UE with a cooperative assistance scheme. The UE601 comprises a processor 602, the processor 602 being configured to receive an assistance request message 603 from a network device 604 (in particular a base station or an access point) or another cooperating UE. The processor 602 is further configured to receive a first RFID response 605 from the at least one RFID tag 606, in particular the first RFID response 605 to a first RFID signal 607 transmitted by the UE601 to the at least one RFID tag 606. The processor is also configured to send first RFID information 608 to the network device 604 based on the first RFID response 605. The first RFID signal 607 may also be provided by a cooperating UE or BS.

The assistance request message 603 may correspond to one of the C-UE assistance request messages 303, 403, 503 as described in fig. 3 to 5. The UE601 may correspond to one of the C- UEs 220, 531, 532 as described above in fig. 3 to 5. Network device 604 may correspond to BS201 or 5G AP as described above in fig. 3-5. The RFID tag 606 may correspond to one of the RFID tags 231, 232, 233 described above with respect to fig. 3-5. The first RFID response 605 may correspond to one of the backscatter signals 306, 406, 507 described above with respect to fig. 3-5. The first RFID signal 607 may correspond to the wake-up and RFID signals 304, 404, 505 described above in fig. 3-5.

The processor 602 may also be configured to transmit a second RFID signal 608 to the at least one RFID tag 606, wherein the second RFID signal 608 is transmitted through the beam. The beam may include a beam index to indicate the index of the beam to the receiver. The second RFID signal may also be provided by a cooperating UE or BS.

The second RFID signal 608 may correspond to the beamformed RFID signals 310, 410, 514 as described above with respect to fig. 3-5.

The processor 602 may also be used to determine a beam based on information included in the first RFID response 605.

The processor 602 may also be configured to receive a second RFID response 609 from the at least one RFID tag 606 and to transmit second RFID information 610 to the network device 604 or another cooperating UE. The first RFID information 608 and/or the second RFID information 610 may comprise aggregated measurement data, in particular range information and/or location information.

The second RFID response 609 may correspond to one of the backscatter signals 312, 412, 516 described above with respect to fig. 3-5.

The processor 602 may also be used to determine aggregated measurement data based on the sensor ID and sensor data included in the first RFID response 605 and/or the second RFID response 609.

As described above with respect to fig. 2-5, the processor 602 may also be configured to determine aggregated measurement data based on characteristics of the first RFID response 605 and/or the second RFID response 609, in particular information regarding time of arrival (TOA) and/or Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI).

The assistance request message 603 may include a configuration of the UE601 and/or information about the location of the at least one RFID tag 606. The configuration of the UE601 may include the following modes: a first mode as described above in fig. 3, wherein the UE601 is configured to act as a receiver and measurement aggregator; the second mode as described above for fig. 4, wherein the UE601 is configured to act as a transceiver and measurement aggregator; and/or a third mode as described above for fig. 5, in which the UE601 is configured to act as a distributed transceiver and measurement aggregator.

The configuration of the UE601 may include an activation period of the UE 601. The activation period defines a transmission duration of the RFID signal.

Fig. 6a also shows a network device 604. Such a network device 604, in particular a base station or access point, comprises a processor for sending information, in particular assistance request information 603, to a User Equipment (UE) 601. The information 603 includes configuration information to configure the UE601 to: transmitting a first RFID signal 607 or a second RFID signal 608 for specifically waking up at least one RFID tag 606; and/or receive a first RFID response 605 and/or a second RFID response 609 from at least one RFID tag 606; and transmitting the RFID information 608, 610 to the network device 604 or another cooperating UE based on the first RFID response 605 and/or the second RFID response 609.

The configuration information may include information for configuring the UE601 to operate in the following modes: a first mode as described above in fig. 3, wherein the UE601 is configured to act as a receiver and measurement aggregator; the second mode as described above for fig. 4, wherein the UE601 is configured to act as a transceiver and measurement aggregator; and/or a third mode as described above for fig. 5, in which the UE601 is configured to act as a distributed transceiver and measurement aggregator.

In the first mode, the UE601 receives an assistance request message 603 from a BS or another cooperating UE (e.g., network device 604). The BS or other C-UE provides the wake-up and RFID signal to the RFID tag. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the UE601 receives backscatter signals 605, 609 containing sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information from the RFID tag 606 and forwards these information 608, 610 to the BS or other UE.

In the second mode, the UE601 receives an assistance request message 603 from a BS or another cooperating UE (e.g., network device 604). The UE601 provides wake-up and RFID signals 607, 608 to the RFID tag 606 and receives backscatter signals 605, 609 containing sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information from the RFID tag 606. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the UE601 forwards these information 608, 610 to the BS or other C-UE.

In the third mode, the UE601 receives an assistance request message 603 from a BS or another cooperating UE (e.g., network device 604). The UE601 forwards the assistance request message 603 to the second C-UE and provides wake-up and RFID signals 607, 608 to the RFID tag 606. The second C-UE receives the backscattered signals 605, 609 containing the sensor ID, sensor data, and ToF information from the RFID tag 606. For example, as shown in fig. 5, the second C-UE forwards the information to the UE601, which UE601 forwards the information 608, 610 to the BS or other C-UEs.

As shown in fig. 6a, in the first mode, the processor may be configured to: generating a third RFID signal 611 for activating the at least one RFID tag 606 and transmitting the third RFID signal 611 to the at least one RFID tag 606, receiving aggregated measurement data from the UE 601; and determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag 606 based on the aggregated measurement data. In the second mode and the third mode, the processor may be configured to: receiving aggregated measurement data from UE601 or another cooperating UE; and determining a location estimate for the at least one RFID tag 606 based on the aggregated measurement data.

Fig. 6b shows a schematic diagram of a communication system with a network server 620 and a network device 604 according to the present disclosure. For example, the web server 620 may be a cloud server. Network server 620 includes a processor 621 that is configured to send information (particularly tracking request information 624) to network device 604 (particularly a base station or access point). This information includes the configuration 622 of the network device 604. For example, as described above with respect to fig. 2-5, the configuration 622 of the network device 604 is based on a cooperative assistance scheme 623, the cooperative assistance scheme 623 enabling the network device 604, assisted by at least one User Equipment (UE)601, to activate at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag 606 and receive measurement data from the at least one RFID tag 606.

The cooperative assistance scheme 623 may configure at least one UE601 (shown in fig. 6 a) to transmit RFID signals 607, 608 for activating the at least one RFID tag 606 to the at least one RFID tag 606 and/or to receive backscattered RFID signals 605, 609 from the at least one RFID tag 606; and transmitting the aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals 605, 609 to the network device 604 or another cooperating UE.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a method 700 for providing aggregated measurement data from RFID tags according to the present disclosure.

For example, as described above with respect to fig. 2-5, the method 700 includes receiving 701 an assistance request message from a network device (in particular a base station or access point) or a UE (in particular a cooperating UE).

For example, as described above with respect to fig. 2-5, the method 700 includes transmitting 702 an RFID signal to activate at least one RFID tag to the at least one RFID tag and/or receiving a backscatter RFID signal from the at least one RFID tag.

For example, as described above with respect to fig. 2-5, the method 700 includes sending 703 aggregated measurement data derived from the backscatter RFID signals to a network device or cooperating UE.

The method 700 may be implemented in a UE601 as described above in fig. 6 a.

The present disclosure also supports a computer program product comprising computer-executable code or computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computer to perform the implementing steps and the calculating steps described herein, in particular the steps of the method as described above with respect to fig. 7. Such a computer program product may include a readable non-transitory storage medium having program code stored thereon for use by a computer. The program code may perform the implementation steps and the calculation steps described herein, in particular the steps of the method as described above with respect to fig. 7.

While a particular feature or aspect of the disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations or embodiments, such feature or aspect may be combined with one or more other features or aspects of the other implementations or embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes," has, "" having, "or any other variation thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term" comprising. Also, the terms "exemplary," "e.g.," are merely meant as examples, and not the best or optimal. The terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their derivatives, may be used. It will be understood that these terms are intended to indicate that two elements co-operate or interact with each other, whether or not the elements are in direct physical or electrical contact, or that the elements are not in direct contact with each other.

Although specific aspects have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or peer-to-peer implementations may be substituted for the specific aspects shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific aspects discussed herein.

Although the elements of the claims below are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.

Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Of course, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that there are numerous other applications of the present invention beyond those described herein. While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.