CN108809564B

CN108809564B - Method and apparatus for communication

Info

Publication number: CN108809564B
Application number: CN201710306457.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张怀治; 汪孙节; 徐臻
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-05-04
Filing date: 2017-05-04
Publication date: 2020-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2037-05-04
Also published as: CN108809564A; WO2018201872A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a method and a device for communication, wherein the method comprises the following steps: the method comprises the steps that a first network device determines a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, wherein the first subframe comprises the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period; the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, wherein the radio frequency signal is used for providing energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the first network device in the communication time period by using the energy. The method and the device for communication in the embodiment of the application can realize the communication between the network equipment and the passive terminal equipment, thereby improving the performance of a communication system.

Description

Method and apparatus for communication

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the field of communication, in particular to a method and a device for communication in the field of communication.

Background

The conventional network device supports only a communication function and does not support a charging function. With the development of the internet of things, terminal devices are divided into two types, namely active terminal devices and passive terminal devices, wherein the active terminal devices can communicate with network devices through batteries carried by the active terminal devices, for example, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), while the passive terminal devices cannot communicate with the network devices.

The network device does not support communication with the passive terminal device, so that the application scene of the communication system is limited, and the system performance is influenced. Therefore, how to implement communication between the network device and the passive terminal device has become an urgent technical problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a method and a device for communication, which can realize communication between network equipment and passive terminal equipment.

In a first aspect, a method for communication is provided, including: the method comprises the steps that a first network device determines a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, wherein the first subframe comprises the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period; the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, wherein the radio frequency signal is used for providing energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the first network device in the communication time period by using the energy.

Specifically, the first network device and the first passive terminal device both need to determine a charging period of the first passive terminal device in order to complete charging without communication. The first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in a charging time period of the first subframe, and correspondingly, the first passive terminal device receives the radio frequency signal sent by the first network device in the charging time period to obtain energy. After the first passive terminal device has been provided with energy, the first passive terminal device may communicate with the first network device using the obtained capabilities.

It should be understood that the charging time period and the communication time period may be preconfigured in a manner agreed by a protocol, or may be determined by the first network device, and then the first passive terminal device is indicated by the indication information, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should be further understood that the first passive terminal device may communicate with the first network device for charging the first passive terminal device after obtaining the energy, and may also communicate with other network devices, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

According to the communication method, the charging time period is set for the passive terminal device in the first subframe, the network device charges the passive terminal device in the charging time period, and after charging is completed, the passive terminal device can communicate with the network device by using the obtained energy, communication between the network device and the passive terminal device can be achieved, and therefore performance of a communication system is improved.

In a first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging time period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or the first subframe is a normal subframe, and the charging time period is located at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe.

Specifically, the first subframe may be a special subframe, and a Guard Period (GP) in the special subframe is used as a charging time period of the first passive terminal device, which does not affect a conventional data transmission service and can ensure a data transmission amount. However, since the period of the guard interval is short, setting the charging period to the guard interval is suitable for a passive terminal device requiring a small amount of capability. The first subframe can also be a normal subframe, the charging time period is positioned at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe, so that the subframe can be utilized to the maximum extent for charging, the normal subframe is widely distributed in the time domain, the charging time period is set in the normal subframe and is suitable for passive terminal equipment needing more energy, and the charging time period can be flexibly adjusted.

It should be understood that the charging period may be located in a blank subframe in 5G, or other subframes that may occur in the future, besides the special subframe or the normal subframe, and this is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in a second possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the determining, by the first network device, a charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe includes: the first network device determines the charging time period according to the transmission power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device, wherein the state information of the first passive terminal device includes at least one of a distance between the first passive terminal device and the first network device and power consumption of the first passive terminal device.

Specifically, the first network device may determine the charging period of the first passive terminal device according to the state information of the first passive terminal device, that is, the distance between the first passive terminal device and the first network device, the power consumption of the first passive terminal device, and the like, in combination with its own transmission power.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the determining, by the first network device, the charging period according to the input power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device includes: the first network equipment determines the input power of the first passive terminal equipment according to the transmitting power of the first network equipment and the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the first network equipment; and the first network equipment determines the charging time period according to the input power of the first passive terminal equipment and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

Specifically, the first network device may determine the input power of the signal reaching the first passive terminal device according to its own transmission power and the distance between the first passive terminal device and the first network device, and then determine the charging period of the first passive terminal device according to the input power of the first passive terminal device and the power consumption of the first passive terminal device.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a fourth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before the first network device determines the charging time period according to the input power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device, the method further includes: and the first network equipment receives the state information sent by the first passive terminal equipment.

It should be understood that the first network device may obtain the status information of the first passive terminal device through technologies such as positioning, wireless measurement, and the like, or may directly receive the status information of the first passive terminal device sent by the first passive terminal device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a fifth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, after the first network device determines a charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further includes: the first network device sends indication information to the first passive terminal device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a sixth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before the first network device receives the status information sent by the first passive terminal device, the method further includes: the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device within a first time period, so that the first passive terminal device and the first terminal device can perform configuration of the first subframe.

Specifically, when the first passive terminal device is initially in a power-off state, the first network device needs to send a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device within a preset first time period to charge the first passive terminal device. After the first passive terminal device is powered on, the first network device may configure the first passive terminal device with the charging time period of the first subframe, thereby completing initialization of the first passive terminal device.

It should be understood that the first time period is a preset time period, and may be agreed by a protocol or configured by the network device itself, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a seventh possible implementation manner of the first aspect, after the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, the method further includes: the first network device receives energy adjustment information sent by the first passive terminal device, wherein the energy adjustment information is used for indicating a charging time period required to be increased or decreased by the first passive terminal device; and the first network equipment updates the charging time period according to the energy adjustment information.

Specifically, since the first subframe is periodic, after the charging period in the first subframe is configured, the first network device and the first passive terminal device start the process of periodically charging and communicating. In this embodiment of the application, after the first network device charges the first passive terminal device, the first passive terminal device may adjust a charging time period in a first subframe configured before according to an actual situation. The first passive terminal device may send energy adjustment information to the first network device indicating a charging period that needs to be increased or decreased, and the first network device updates the charging period of the first passive terminal device according to the energy adjustment information.

Therefore, the first network equipment can flexibly adjust the charging time of the first passive terminal equipment according to the actual service condition, and the flexibility of the system is greatly improved.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in an eighth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the sending, by the first network device, a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period includes: the first network device sends energy beams in multiple directions through a beam forming technology, and simultaneously charges M passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in a ninth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before the first network device determines the charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further includes: the first network device receives first energy information sent by a second network device, wherein the first energy information comprises identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage range of the first network device and the second network device, the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the first network equipment determines whether the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device or not according to the identifiers of the N passive terminal devices; the first network device determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, comprising: and under the condition that the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device, the first network device determines the charging time period according to the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

In particular, charging and communication cannot be performed simultaneously for the same passive terminal device. In order to avoid a situation that one network device is charging a passive terminal device while another network device is communicating with the passive terminal device, it is necessary to exchange identification information of each passive terminal device to be charged and a charging time period configured for each passive terminal device to be charged between the first network device and the second network device.

Therefore, the communication time period of the same passive terminal device under the first network device avoids the charging time period under the second network device, and the communication time period under the second network device avoids the charging time period under the first network device, so that the interference between the two network devices can be reduced, and the performance of the communication system is greatly improved.

Optionally, if the first network device receives the first energy information after determining the first subframe, the method further includes: and the first network equipment prohibits the communication with the N passive terminal equipments within the charging time period of the N passive terminal equipments according to the first energy information.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in a tenth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the first energy information is further used to indicate that P passive terminal devices in the N passive terminal devices need to be jointly charged by the first network device and the second network device, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the method further includes: the first network equipment determines the identification information of the P passive terminal devices and the charging time periods of the P passive terminal devices according to the first energy information; and the first network equipment sends radio frequency signals to the P passive terminal equipment in the charging time periods of the P passive terminal equipment.

Specifically, if P passive terminal devices in the N passive terminal devices need to be jointly charged, the first network device may also send radio frequency signals to the P passive terminal devices in a charging time period configured by the second network device for the P passive terminal devices, so as to implement joint charging of the P passive terminal devices by the first network device and the second network device.

In the embodiment of the application, the first network equipment assists the second network equipment to jointly charge part of the passive terminal equipment, so that the charging progress of the part of the passive terminal equipment can be accelerated, the charging time is shortened, and the system efficiency is improved.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manners of the first aspect, in an eleventh possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first network equipment sends second energy information to the second network equipment, the second energy information comprises identification information of Q passive terminal equipment and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal equipment, the Q passive terminal equipment are the passive terminal equipment which are located in a common coverage range of the first network equipment and the second network equipment, the first network equipment charges the Q passive terminal equipment, and Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

Specifically, the first network device may also send second energy information to the second network device, that is, the identification information and the charging time period of Q passive terminal devices that need to be charged by the first network device are sent to the second network device, so that the communication time period of the same passive terminal device under the second network device avoids the charging time period under the first network device.

In a second aspect, another method for communication is provided, including: the passive terminal equipment determines a charging time period of a first subframe, wherein the first subframe comprises the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period; and the passive terminal equipment receives the radio frequency signal sent by the network equipment in the charging time period and obtains energy by using the radio frequency signal, wherein the energy is used for communicating with the network equipment in the communication time period.

In a first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging time period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or the first subframe is a normal subframe, and the charging time period is located at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in a second possible implementation manner of the second aspect, before the passive terminal device determines the charging time period of the first subframe, the method further includes: the passive terminal equipment receives indication information sent by the network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period; the passive terminal device determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, including: and the passive terminal equipment determines the charging time period according to the indication information.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the second aspect, before the passive terminal device receives the indication information sent by the network device, the method further includes: the passive terminal device sends state information to the network device, wherein the state information comprises at least one of the distance between the passive terminal device and the network device and the power consumption of the passive terminal device; the passive terminal device receiving the indication information sent by the network device includes: and the passive terminal equipment receives the indication information sent by the network equipment according to the state information.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in a fourth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, before the passive terminal device receives the indication information sent by the network device, the method further includes: the passive terminal device receives the radio frequency signal sent by the network device in a first time period, so that the first passive terminal device and the first terminal device can configure the charging time period of the first subframe.

With reference to the foregoing possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in a fifth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, after the passive terminal device receives the radio frequency signal sent by the network device in the charging time period, the method further includes: the passive terminal equipment sends energy adjustment information to the network equipment, wherein the energy adjustment information is used for indicating the charging time period which needs to be increased or decreased by the passive terminal equipment; and the passive terminal equipment receives update information sent by the network equipment, wherein the update information is used for indicating the updated charging time period.

In a third aspect, an apparatus for communication is provided to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. In particular, the apparatus comprises means for performing the method of the first aspect described above or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

In a fourth aspect, an apparatus for communication is provided to perform the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. In particular, the apparatus comprises means for performing the method of the second aspect or any of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

In a fifth aspect, an apparatus for communication is provided, the apparatus comprising: a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. Wherein the transceiver, the memory and the processor are in communication with each other via an internal connection path, the memory is configured to store instructions, the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored by the memory to control a receiver to receive signals and a transmitter to transmit signals, and when the instructions stored by the memory are executed by the processor, the execution causes the processor to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In a sixth aspect, an apparatus for communication is provided, the apparatus comprising: a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. Wherein the transceiver, the memory and the processor are in communication with each other via an internal connection path, the memory is configured to store instructions, the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored by the memory to control the receiver to receive signals and control the transmitter to transmit signals, and when the processor executes the instructions stored by the memory, the execution causes the processor to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

In a seventh aspect, a system for communication is provided, the system comprising the apparatus of the third aspect or any possible implementation manner of the third aspect and the apparatus of the fourth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect; or

The system comprises the apparatus of any of the possible implementations of the fifth aspect or the fifth aspect described above and the apparatus of any of the possible implementations of the sixth aspect or the sixth aspect.

In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium for storing a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium for storing a computer program comprising instructions for performing the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a method for communication according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of another method for communication according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for communication according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of another apparatus for communication according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of another apparatus for communication according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of another apparatus for communication according to an embodiment of the application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

The technical scheme of the embodiment of the application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: a global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), a long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, a LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, an LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication system, or a future 5G system, etc.

Fig. 1 shows a communication system 100 to which an embodiment of the present application is applied. The communication system 100 may include at least one network device 110. Network device 100 may be a device that communicates with terminal devices, such as a base station or base station controller. Each network device 100 may provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area and may communicate with terminal devices (e.g., UEs) located within that coverage area (cell). The network device 100 may be a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in a GSM system or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a base station (Node B, NB) in a WCDMA system, an evolved Node B (eNB or eNode B) in an LTE system, or a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN), or a network device in a relay station, an access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network side device in a future 5G network, or a network device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), or the like.

The wireless communication system 100 also includes a plurality of terminal devices 120 located within the coverage area of the network device 110. The terminal device 120 may be mobile or stationary. The terminal equipment 120 may refer to an access terminal, User Equipment (UE), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. An access terminal may be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capability, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network or a terminal device in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), etc.

Fig. 1 exemplarily shows one network device and two terminal devices, and optionally, the communication system 100 may include a plurality of network devices and may include other numbers of terminal devices within the coverage of each network device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and the like, which is not limited thereto.

It should be understood that the plurality of terminal devices 120 in fig. 1 are all passive terminal devices. Since the conventional network device supports only a communication function, a charging function is not supported. With the development of the internet of things, terminal devices are divided into two types, namely active terminal devices and passive terminal devices, wherein the active terminal devices can communicate with network devices through batteries carried by the active terminal devices, for example, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), while the passive terminal devices cannot communicate with the network devices. The network device does not support communication with the passive terminal, so that the application scene of the communication system is limited, and the system performance is influenced.

In the existing method, a passive terminal device can achieve communication with an excitation source by acquiring energy from the excitation source, typically represented by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which is a communication technology, also called an electronic tag, and can identify a specific target and read and write related data through a Radio signal without establishing mechanical or optical contact between an Identification system and the specific target. Currently, RFID is only capable of communicating with an excitation source, typically over a 10 meter communication distance.

Considering that the function of the excitation source can be integrated into network devices, such as macro stations and small stations, at least one network device 110 in fig. 1 has the function of the excitation source and can transmit radio frequency signals. In view of the above, the present application provides a method for communication between a network device having an excitation source and a passive terminal device.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart 200 of a method for communication of an embodiment of the application. The method 200 may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in fig. 1, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

S210, a first network device determines a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, wherein the first subframe comprises the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

optionally, after the first network device determines the charging period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further comprises: the first network device sends indication information to the first passive terminal device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period.

S220, the first passive terminal equipment determines a charging time period of the first subframe;

optionally, before the passive terminal device determines the charging period of the first subframe, the method further comprises: the passive terminal equipment receives indication information sent by the network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period of the first subframe; the passive terminal device determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, including: and the passive terminal equipment determines the charging time period according to the indication information.

S230, the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, where the radio frequency signal is used to provide energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the first network device in the communication time period by using the energy;

correspondingly, the passive terminal equipment receives a radio frequency signal sent by network equipment in the charging time period, and obtains energy by using the radio frequency signal, wherein the energy is used for communicating with the network equipment in the communication time period;

and S240, the passive terminal equipment communicates with the network equipment in the communication time period by adopting the energy.

Specifically, since the first passive terminal device has no battery, the first network device is required to charge the first passive terminal device before the first passive terminal device communicates with the first network device. Both the first network device and the first passive terminal device need to determine a charging period of the first passive terminal device in order to complete charging without communication. In the embodiment of the present application, the first subframe includes a charging period and a communication period, and the charging period precedes the communication period.

After the network side and the terminal side both determine the charging time period of the first subframe, the first network device may charge the first passive terminal device. Specifically, the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in a charging time period of the first subframe, and correspondingly, the first passive terminal device receives the radio frequency signal sent by the first network device in the charging time period to obtain energy. After the first passive terminal device has been provided with energy, the first passive terminal device may communicate with the first network device using the obtained capabilities.

It should be understood that the first passive terminal device may communicate with the first network device for charging the first passive terminal device after obtaining the energy, and may also communicate with other network devices, which is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

In the above embodiment, only the charging process between the first network device and the first passive terminal device is described, but it should be understood that, in a case where a plurality of passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device exist within the coverage area of the first network device, the first network device may charge the plurality of passive terminal devices, and the charging time period of each of the plurality of passive terminal devices may be the same or different, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

As an optional embodiment, the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or the first subframe is a normal subframe, and the charging time period is located at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe.

In this embodiment of the present application, the first network device may determine the charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe in various ways. The first network device may determine a charging period of the first passive terminal device according to the state information of the first passive terminal device, the first network device may further receive indication information sent by the first passive terminal device to determine the charging period of the first passive terminal device, and the first network device may further determine the charging period of the first network device in combination with energy information sent by other network devices, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. The following is a detailed description for each specific case.

As an optional embodiment, the determining, by the first network device, the charging period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe includes: the first network device determines the charging time period according to the transmission power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device, wherein the state information of the first passive terminal device includes at least one of a distance between the first passive terminal device and the first network device and power consumption of the first passive terminal device.

As an optional embodiment, the determining, by the first network device, the charging period according to the input power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device includes: the first network equipment determines the input power of the first passive terminal equipment according to the transmitting power of the first network equipment and the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the first network equipment; and the first network equipment determines the charging time period according to the input power of the first passive terminal equipment and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

As an optional embodiment, before the first network device determines the charging time period according to the input power of the first network device and the status information of the first passive terminal device, the method further includes: and the first network equipment receives the state information sent by the first passive terminal equipment.

As an optional embodiment, before the first network device receives the status information sent by the first passive terminal device, the method further includes: the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device within a first time period, so that the first passive terminal device and the first terminal device can configure a charging time period of the first subframe.

As an optional embodiment, after the first network device sends the radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging period, the method further includes: the first network device receives energy adjustment information sent by the first passive terminal device, wherein the energy adjustment information is used for indicating a charging time period required to be increased or decreased by the first passive terminal device; and the first network equipment updates the charging time period according to the energy adjustment information.

Specifically, since the first subframe is periodic, after the charging period in the first subframe is configured, the first network device and the first passive terminal device start the process of periodically charging and communicating. In this embodiment of the application, after the first network device charges the first passive terminal device, the first passive terminal device may adjust a charging time period in a first subframe configured before according to an actual situation. The first network device may update the charging period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe according to the energy adjustment information.

As an optional embodiment, the sending, by the first network device, a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging period includes: the first network device sends energy beams in multiple directions through a beam forming technology, and simultaneously charges M passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

Specifically, for the case that the first network device charges multiple passive terminal devices, the first network device may transmit energy beams in multiple directions by using a beam forming technique, so as to implement charging and communication between the first network device and the multiple passive terminal devices. Since beamforming is prior art, it is not described herein in detail.

As an optional embodiment, before the first network device determines the charging period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further comprises: the first network device receives first energy information sent by a second network device, wherein the first energy information comprises identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage range of the first network device and the second network device, the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the first network equipment determines whether the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device or not according to the identifiers of the N passive terminal devices; the first network device determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, comprising: and under the condition that the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device, the first network device determines the charging time period according to the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

Specifically, in the case that there are multiple network devices, if the N passive terminal devices are within the common coverage range of the first network device and the second network device, both the first network device and the second network device may charge the N passive terminal devices and communicate with the N passive terminal devices. However, charging and communication cannot be performed simultaneously for the same passive terminal device. Therefore, in order to avoid that one network device communicates with a passive terminal device while another network device charges the passive terminal device, the first network device and the second network device need to exchange identification information of the respective passive terminal device to be charged and a charging time period configured for the respective passive terminal device to be charged.

The first network device receives first energy information sent by a second network device, wherein the first energy information comprises identification information of N passive terminal devices which are charged by the second network device and a charging time period. The first network device needs to determine whether the identifier of the first passive terminal device exists in the N passive terminal devices, and determines a communication time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the first network device in combination with a charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device under the condition that the identifier of the first passive terminal device exists in the N passive terminal devices. In one possible implementation manner, the first network device may stagger the communication time period of the communication between the first passive terminal device and the first network device by the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

Therefore, the interference between the two network devices can be reduced, and the performance of the communication system is greatly improved.

As an optional embodiment, if the first network device receives the first energy information after determining the charging time period, the method further includes: and the first network equipment prohibits the communication with the N passive terminal equipments within the charging time period of the N passive terminal equipments according to the first energy information.

As an optional embodiment, the first energy information is further used to indicate that P passive terminal devices in the N passive terminal devices need to be jointly charged by the first network device and the second network device, where P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and the method further includes: the first network equipment determines the identification information of the P passive terminal devices and the charging time periods of the P passive terminal devices according to the first energy information; and the first network equipment sends radio frequency signals to the P passive terminal equipment in the charging time periods of the P passive terminal equipment.

As an optional embodiment, the method further comprises: the first network equipment sends second energy information to the second network equipment, the second energy information comprises identification information of Q passive terminal equipment and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal equipment, the Q passive terminal equipment are the passive terminal equipment which are located in a common coverage range of the first network equipment and the second network equipment, the first network equipment charges the Q passive terminal equipment, and Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

In the same way, the first network device may also send the second energy information to the second network device, that is, the identification information of Q passive terminal devices that need to be charged and the charging time period are sent to the second network device, and the second network device avoids communicating with the passive terminal device charged by the first network device in the same time period according to the second energy information. Further, the second network device may also assist the first network device to perform joint charging, which is not described herein again.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic flow chart 300 of another method for communication of an embodiment of the present application. The method 300 may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in fig. 1, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

S310, a second network device sends first energy information to a first network device, wherein the first energy information comprises identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage range of the first network device and the second network device, the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

correspondingly, the first network equipment receives first energy information sent by the second network equipment;

s320, the first network equipment determines the communication time period of each passive terminal equipment under the first network equipment according to the first energy information;

specifically, the first network device may determine, according to the first energy information, a charging time period and a communication time period of the passive terminal device that is charged by the first network device, respectively, so that the communication time period of the same passive terminal device under the first network device avoids the charging time period under the second network device;

s330, the first network device sends second energy information to the second network device, where the second energy information includes identification information of Q passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal devices, the Q passive terminal devices are passive terminal devices located in a common coverage area of the first network device and the second network device, the first network device charges the Q passive terminal devices, and Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

correspondingly, the second network device receives second energy information sent by the first network device;

s340, the second network equipment determines the communication time period of each passive terminal equipment under the second network equipment according to the second energy information;

specifically, the second network device may determine, according to the second energy information, a charging time period and a communication time period of the passive terminal device that is charged by the second network device, respectively, so that the communication time period of the same passive terminal device under the second network device avoids the charging time period under the first network device;

s350, the second network equipment is charged or communicated with the passive terminal equipment configured with the charging time period and the communication time period;

and S360, the first network equipment is charged or communicated with the passive terminal equipment configured with the charging time period and the communication time period.

It should be understood that, the first network device and the second network device may also determine, according to respective feedback, identification information of the passive terminal devices that need to be jointly charged, and then configure a common charging time period for the passive terminal devices that need to be jointly charged, but this is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It should also be understood that the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes do not mean the execution sequence, and the execution sequence of each process should be determined by the function and the inherent logic thereof, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

The method for communication according to the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above with reference to fig. 1 to 3, and the apparatus for communication according to the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to fig. 4 and 7.

Fig. 4 illustrates an apparatus 400 for communication according to an embodiment of the present application, where the apparatus 400 includes:

a determining unit 410, configured to determine a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, where the first subframe includes the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

a sending unit 420, configured to send, to the first passive terminal device, a radio frequency signal during the charging time period, where the radio frequency signal is used to provide energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the apparatus during the communication time period by using the energy.

According to the device for communication, the charging time period is set for the passive terminal equipment in the first subframe, the network equipment charges the passive terminal equipment in the charging time period, and after charging is completed, the passive terminal equipment can communicate with the network equipment by adopting the obtained energy, communication between the network equipment and the passive terminal equipment can be achieved, and therefore performance of a communication system is improved.

Optionally, the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging time period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or the first subframe is a normal subframe, and the charging time period is located at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe.

Optionally, the determining unit 410 is specifically configured to: and determining the charging time period according to the transmission power of the device and the state information of the first passive terminal equipment, wherein the state information of the first passive terminal equipment comprises at least one of the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the device and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

Optionally, the determining unit 410 is specifically configured to: determining the input power of the first passive terminal equipment according to the transmitting power of the device and the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the device; and determining the charging time period according to the input power of the first passive terminal equipment and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: a first receiving unit, configured to receive the status information sent by the first passive terminal device before the charging time period is determined according to the input power of the first network device and the status information of the first passive terminal device.

Optionally, the sending unit 420 is further configured to: after the charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe is determined, sending indication information to the first passive terminal device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: a second receiving unit, configured to receive energy adjustment information sent by the first passive terminal device after the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, where the energy adjustment information is used to indicate that the first passive terminal device needs to increase or decrease the charging time period; and the updating unit is used for updating the charging time period according to the energy adjustment information.

Optionally, the sending unit 420 is specifically configured to: energy beams are transmitted in multiple directions through a beam forming technology, and M passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device are charged at the same time, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: a third receiving unit, configured to receive first energy information sent by a second network device before determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, where the first energy information includes identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage area of the apparatus and the second network device, and the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the determining unit 410 is specifically configured to: determining whether the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device or not according to the identifiers of the N passive terminal devices; and under the condition that the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device, determining the charging time period according to the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

Optionally, the sending unit 420 is further configured to: and sending second energy information to the second network equipment, wherein the second energy information comprises identification information of Q passive terminal equipment and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal equipment, the Q passive terminal equipment are the passive terminal equipment which are positioned in a common coverage range of the device and the second network equipment, the device charges the Q passive terminal equipment, and Q is an integer which is greater than or equal to 1.

It should be appreciated that the apparatus 400 herein is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" herein may refer to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared, dedicated, or group processor) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that support the described functionality. In an optional example, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus 400 may be specifically a network device (a first network device or a second network device) in the foregoing embodiment, and the apparatus 400 may be configured to perform each procedure and/or step corresponding to the network device in the foregoing method embodiment, and is not described herein again to avoid repetition.

Fig. 5 illustrates another apparatus 500 for communication provided by an embodiment of the present application, where the apparatus 500 includes:

a determining unit 510, configured to determine a charging time period of a first subframe, where the first subframe includes the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

a receiving unit 520, configured to receive a radio frequency signal sent by a network device in the charging period, and obtain energy by using the radio frequency signal, where the energy is used to communicate with the network device in the communication period.

Optionally, the receiving unit 520 is further configured to: receiving indication information sent by the network equipment before the charging time period of the first subframe is determined, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period; the determining unit 510 is specifically configured to: and determining the charging time period according to the indication information.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: a first sending unit, configured to send, before the receiving of the indication information sent by the network device, status information to the network device, where the status information includes at least one of a distance between the apparatus and the network device and power consumption of the apparatus; the receiving unit 520 is specifically configured to: and receiving the indication information sent by the network equipment according to the state information.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises: a second sending unit, configured to send energy adjustment information to the network device after receiving the radio frequency signal sent by the network device in the charging time period, where the energy adjustment information is used to indicate a charging time period that the apparatus needs to increase or decrease; the receiving unit 520 is specifically configured to: and receiving update information sent by the network equipment, wherein the update information is used for indicating the updated charging time period.

It should be appreciated that the apparatus 500 herein is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" herein may refer to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared, dedicated, or group processor) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that support the described functionality. In an optional example, it may be understood by those skilled in the art that the apparatus 500 may be embodied as a passive terminal device in the foregoing embodiment, and the apparatus 500 may be configured to perform each procedure and/or step corresponding to the passive terminal device in the foregoing method embodiment, and for avoiding repetition, details are not described here again.

Fig. 6 illustrates another apparatus 600 for communication provided by an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 600 includes a processor 610, a transceiver 620, and a memory 630. Wherein the processor 610, the transceiver 620 and the memory 630 are in communication with each other through an internal connection path, the memory 630 is used for storing instructions, and the processor 610 is used for executing the instructions stored in the memory 630 to control the transceiver 620 to transmit and/or receive signals.

Wherein the processor 610 is configured to determine a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, the first subframe comprising the charging time period and a communication time period, the charging time period being before the communication time period;

the transceiver 620 is configured to transmit a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device during the charging period, where the radio frequency signal is configured to provide energy to the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the apparatus during the communication period using the energy.

It should be understood that the apparatus 600 may be embodied as a network device in the foregoing embodiments, and may be used to perform each step and/or flow corresponding to the network device (the first network device or the second network device) in the foregoing method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory 630 may include both read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor. The portion of memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 610 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 610 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 610 is configured to perform the various steps and/or processes of the method embodiments corresponding to the network device described above.

Fig. 7 illustrates another apparatus 700 for communication provided by an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 700 includes a processor 710, a transceiver 720, and a memory 730. The processor 710, the transceiver 720 and the memory 730 are in communication with each other through an internal connection path, the memory 730 is used for storing instructions, and the processor 710 is used for executing the instructions stored in the memory 730 to control the transceiver 720 to transmit and/or receive signals.

The processor 710 is configured to determine a charging time period of a first subframe, where the first subframe includes the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

the transceiver 720 is configured to receive a radio frequency signal sent by a network device during the charging period, and obtain energy using the radio frequency signal, where the energy is used for communicating with the network device during the communication period.

It should be understood that the apparatus 700 may be embodied as a passive terminal device in the foregoing embodiments, and may be configured to perform each step and/or flow corresponding to the passive terminal device in the foregoing method embodiments. Alternatively, the memory 730 may include both read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor. The portion of memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 710 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 710 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 710 is configured to perform the steps and/or processes of the method embodiments corresponding to the passive terminal device described above.

It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the processor of the above apparatus may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, and the like. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like.

In implementation, the steps of the above method may be performed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in a processor or instructions in the form of software. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software elements in a processor. The software elements may be located in ram, flash, rom, prom, or eprom, registers, among other storage media that are well known in the art. The storage medium is located in a memory, and a processor executes instructions in the memory, in combination with hardware thereof, to perform the steps of the above-described method. To avoid repetition, it is not described in detail here.

It should be understood that the term "and/or" herein is merely one type of association relationship that describes an associated object, meaning that three relationships may exist, e.g., a and/or B may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the former and latter related objects are in an "or" relationship.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various method steps and elements described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both, and that the steps and elements of the various embodiments have been described above generally in terms of their functionality in order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

It is clear to those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, apparatuses and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described apparatus embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may also be an electric, mechanical or other form of connection.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiments of the present application.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in a form of hardware, and can also be realized in a form of a software functional unit.

The integrated unit, if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present application may be substantially or partially contributed by the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution may be embodied in a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes, such as a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can easily conceive various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising:

the method comprises the steps that a first network device determines a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, wherein the first subframe comprises the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

the first network device sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, wherein the radio frequency signal is used for providing energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the first network device in the communication time period by using the energy;

the first network device determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, comprising:

the first network device determines the charging time period according to the transmission power of the first network device and the state information of the first passive terminal device, wherein the state information of the first passive terminal device includes at least one of a distance between the first passive terminal device and the first network device and power consumption of the first passive terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or

The first subframe is a normal subframe, and the charging time period is located at the head of the subframe of the normal subframe.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device determining the charging period according to the input power of the first network device and the status information of the first passive terminal device comprises:

the first network equipment determines the input power of the first passive terminal equipment according to the transmitting power of the first network equipment and the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the first network equipment;

and the first network equipment determines the charging time period according to the input power of the first passive terminal equipment and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein before the first network device determines the charging period based on the transmit power of the first network device and the status information of the first passive terminal device, the method further comprises:

and the first network equipment receives the state information sent by the first passive terminal equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein after the first network device determines a charging period for the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further comprises:

the first network device sends indication information to the first passive terminal device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein after the first network device transmits a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device during the charging period, the method further comprises:

the first network device receives energy adjustment information sent by the first passive terminal device, wherein the energy adjustment information is used for indicating a charging time period required to be increased or decreased by the first passive terminal device;

and the first network equipment updates the charging time period according to the energy adjustment information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device transmitting a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device during the charging period comprises:

the first network device sends energy beams in multiple directions through a beam forming technology, and simultaneously charges M passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein before the first network device determines the charging period for the first passive terminal device in the first subframe, the method further comprises:

the first network device receives first energy information sent by a second network device, wherein the first energy information comprises identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage range of the first network device and the second network device, the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

the first network equipment determines whether the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device or not according to the identifiers of the N passive terminal devices;

and under the condition that the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device, the first network device determines the charging time period according to the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the first network equipment sends second energy information to the second network equipment, the second energy information comprises identification information of Q passive terminal equipment and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal equipment, the Q passive terminal equipment are the passive terminal equipment which are located in a common coverage range of the first network equipment and the second network equipment, the first network equipment charges the Q passive terminal equipment, and Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

10. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a determining unit, configured to determine a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, where the first subframe includes the charging time period and a communication time period, and the charging time period is before the communication time period;

a transmitting unit, configured to transmit a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device during the charging period, where the radio frequency signal is used to provide energy for the first passive terminal device, so that the first passive terminal device communicates with the apparatus during the communication period by using the energy;

the determining unit is specifically configured to:

and determining the charging time period according to the transmission power of the device and the state information of the first passive terminal equipment, wherein the state information of the first passive terminal equipment comprises at least one of the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the device and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first subframe is a special subframe, and the charging period is a guard interval GP of the special subframe; or

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the determining unit is specifically configured to:

determining the input power of the first passive terminal equipment according to the transmitting power of the device and the distance between the first passive terminal equipment and the device;

and determining the charging time period according to the input power of the first passive terminal equipment and the power consumption of the first passive terminal equipment.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a first receiving unit, configured to receive the status information sent by the first passive terminal device before the charging time period is determined according to the transmission power of the apparatus and the status information of the first passive terminal device.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sending unit is further configured to:

after the charging time period of the first passive terminal device in the first subframe is determined, sending indication information to the first passive terminal device, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the charging time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a second receiving unit, configured to receive energy adjustment information sent by the first passive terminal device after the apparatus sends a radio frequency signal to the first passive terminal device in the charging time period, where the energy adjustment information is used to indicate that the charging time period that needs to be increased or decreased is required for the first passive terminal device;

and the updating unit is used for updating the charging time period according to the energy adjustment information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sending unit is specifically configured to:

energy beams are transmitted in multiple directions through a beam forming technology, and M passive terminal devices including the first passive terminal device are charged at the same time, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a third receiving unit, configured to receive first energy information sent by a second network device before determining a charging time period of a first passive terminal device in a first subframe, where the first energy information includes identification information of N passive terminal devices and charging time periods of the N passive terminal devices, the N passive terminal devices are located in a common coverage area of the apparatus and the second network device, and the second network device charges the N passive terminal devices, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1;

the determining unit is specifically configured to:

determining whether the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device or not according to the identifiers of the N passive terminal devices;

and under the condition that the N passive terminal devices comprise the first passive terminal device, determining the charging time period according to the charging time period configured for the first passive terminal device by the second network device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sending unit is further configured to:

and sending second energy information to the second network equipment, wherein the second energy information comprises identification information of Q passive terminal equipment and charging time periods of the Q passive terminal equipment, the Q passive terminal equipment are the passive terminal equipment which are positioned in a common coverage range of the device and the second network equipment, the device charges the Q passive terminal equipment, and Q is an integer which is greater than or equal to 1.